In the heart of downtown the two-floor Reno Events Center, estimated at $65 million, is slated to open in December 2005 with an overall size of 118,000 square feet—56,000 of it being floor space. In July 2002 the Reno-Sparks Convention Center completed an extensive expansion costing more than $100 million that provides convention and meeting planners with a modern, high-tech facility. The convention center's space increased to nearly 500,000 square feet and includes 53 meeting rooms and exhibit space totaling 381,000 square feet.
Meeting attendees can visit the National Bowling Stadium in Reno, where customized tournaments on its 78 championship lanes can be arranged for groups of anywhere between 50 and 2,000 people.
The Motel 6 Reno Livestock Events Center provides space for livestock and equestrian events, as well as meetings. It includes 35,000 square feet of exhibit space, a climate-controlled indoor arena seating 6,200 and a lighted, 9,000-seat outdoor arena.
Theater-style seating for more than 1,500 people is available at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Reno. The Lawlor Events Center, a large multipurpose arena on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno is also available for conventions and can seat up to 12,400.
Reno has more than 20,000 first-class guestrooms all within minutes of the Reno-Sparks Convention Center and Reno-Tahoe International Airport. More than 12 hotels have their own convention facilities and the largest hotel offers more than 2,000 rooms and 200,000 square feet of convention space.
Convention Information: Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority, PO Box 837, Reno, NV 89405-0837; telephone (800)FOR-RENO; email info@visitrenotahoe.com