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Shaw Conference Centre
Category: Event Planning & Services Venues & Event Spaces Venues & Event Spaces [Edit]
9797 Jasper Ave NWEdmonton, AB T5J 1N9
(780) 421-9797
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
16 reviews for Shaw Conference Centre
16 reviews in English
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Review from Oliver D.
Edmonton, AB
3/9/2012
Premier City Centre conference and meeting space. Although it does not boast the largest single space in Edmonton has the capacity for as large an event as you could probably ever want. I was there today with over 800 people. Lunch was delicious and the staff where friendly and did their jobs well. They hire professionals to do the preparation and as I understand it the kitchen crew is a highly qualified bunch. I didn't hear a single complaint. The river valley view is spectacular and the main hall where we ate benefited from natural lighting. Set up included large wall screens and a great sounding audio system so everyone could enjoy the presentations without any of the annoyances associated with less well-designed systems.
You can't beat the down-town location. Nestled on the river valley it is sure to impress all event participants. The multi-levelled design enables the separation of events or the coordination of a series of sessions in a way unique to the venue. Normally open to the public so I highly recommend stopping in just to look around even if you don't have an invitation or business to be there. Would benefit from a small cafe or other public space for visitors, which there may already be but I can't confirm that. -
Review from Adam R.
8/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Going to a concert? A Tradeshow? A conference? A workshop? A place to skulk about and is connected to the pedway system?
Then the Shaw Conference Centre is where you need to be!
This massive centre plays host to some of Edmonton's biggest and smallest events, from rock shows, to Festival of Trees to dozens of high school graduation banquets. And you know, they pull off these events quite well. Their staff is well trained, the building is well looked after, and its located in the heart of the river valley, literally sliding into the North Saskatchewan.
Beyond events, though, the edifice and grounds of the Shaw are pretty remarkable, with stepped gardens and tremendous south-facing views.
If you live in Edmonton, you've probably been to the Shaw. If you don't and are visiting, see if anything's going on here... Or not. Just show up and see this modern facility for yourself! -
Review from Bradley M.
Edmonton, AB
12/14/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Awesome food for banquets, cooked by some of the world's BEST chefs...
Awesome venue for concerts, trade shows, etc..
Having Cooked here, i may be a bit biased, but knowing the world calibre chefs here... -
Review from Brittany K.
Edmonton, AB
5/8/2011 5 Check-ins Here
Oh, the Shaw. The site of every single high school grad in the greater Edmonton area.
This is a huge building (that looks tiny) built into the side of a hill on the north side of the river. I think that's pretty cool. You can take a very long escalator or elevator from the top to the bottom of the building and it's actually quite scenic, especially once you get out onto the patio on the lower level. Perfect for photos at a grad, wedding, whatever!
There are several conference halls in here ranging in size from a hundred people to thousands of people. Sure, there are a few other conference centres in town, but none so central as the Shaw. You really can't beat the view and the walk from the LRT.
The food here isn't bad. I've had breakfasts and dinners at the Shaw. Everything but the eggs were good at breakfast; everything was great at dinner, although the portions were a little small.
I've had good service here and relatively short wait times for food given the size of events I've been at here.
The best part at the last event was the wine. $6 for a glass of red but they filled it almost to the brim. Very worth the cost of a drink ticket! -
Review from Linda S.
6/25/2011 4 Check-ins Here
HUGE. Great staff. Lovely views. Even concerts there are good despite building not being constructed as a "concert hall".
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Review from Brennan W.
Edmonton, AB
9/8/2011
Most professional concert I've seen will shock you. STP were veterans of the stage and really rock you to the Core. Okay that was cheesy but I do not care.
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Review from Jeanette B.
Edmonton, AB
10/23/2008
I've been to the Shaw Conference Centre quite a few times for concerts. It's a pretty good venue, especially since it's located downtown, walking distance from the Churchill LRT station.
The Shaw is a nice compromise between a very large (the band looks like ants) concert and a very intimate concert in a seedy bar (although, these are my favourite). If you show up early, you'll avoid the super long line up that winds up the stairs, out the doors, and down Jasper Avenue. I'm always late and almost always miss at least one opening act. The line up usually moves pretty fast ,and if you can put up with a few ganja-smoking peeps, then you'll do okay.
For concerts, the Shaw is always set up the same: a huge open area in front of the stage for people to crowd in and two sets of seat areas on either side of the open area. There's also a beer garden area at the very back.
The food and drinks they sell during consession are always a rip-off, but sometimes a lifesaver, if you have nothing. Last time I was here, the washrooms were surprisingly clean!
I've come here for a Metric all-ages show, and that was really great, but I stayed on the floor close to the stage, so I got pushed a lot. There were also some idiots that were throwing bottles and stuff on stage, so the band almost walked off.
I was also recently at a Rancid concert, and because I'm kinda old to be in the mosh pit, I sat in the seats. It really wasn't that bad, since I sat in the seats that were closer to the stage. It was an awesome show! -
Review from Lauren N.
11/7/2008 3 photos
I haven't been to Shaw for any concerts, so I can't really vouch for sound quality on that front. But like most locals, I've been here for a couple graduation ceremonies, and they weren't so bad. The halls are large, with enough space for dining and dancing. The food is never that impressive though. I remember it being bland and a little tough to chew; even I could cook better at home.
Other than graduations, I've been here for the Christmas Festival of Trees, and Chinese New Year celebrations with family. I think they have the biggest Chinese New Year party once a year here, and it was somewhat of a family tradition until my family migrated to the west coast. Again, I think what makes it a good venue for big events on that scale is their amount of space.
The architecture of the building is definitely something to be admired. The entire building is made of glass, and is perched right on a hill, overlooking the Saskatchewan river valley (let's hope there's never a landslide).
One warning: the angle of the building is really steep, so if you're a bit of a klutz you might want to opt for the elevators, or at least the escalator. A friend of mine experienced a not-so-graceful tumble down the stairs once. Fortunately she didn't break her crown or spill her pail of water. -
Review from Brad B.
Edmonton, AB
Incredible! Cariwest Show was awesome.
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Review from Jennifer P.
Edmonton, AB
12/1/2008
Having such a big and shiny conference center in Edmonton makes it possible for our city to host all sorts of visiting trade shows, entertainers and conventions. It is a hub that drapes the eastern slope of the river valley downtown, providing a cool modern structure to contrast the old, more stoic looking Hotel MacDonald nearby.
I have been here several times for conferences, and while getting to the right hall can be a little confusing, as signage is not totally clear, the space is big, bright and polished looking. I also like that they've put consideration into the ambiance of the foyer. There are plants, benches, a waterfall, and glass walls to allow ample light in and create a bit of a greenhouse feel. While this is a large space with convenience parking for concerts, etc, the escalators provide only one way to get in and out, and they move rather slowly, so crowds don't move very fast getting out of here, unless you've parked at the back and can simply exit at the east doors.
If you've parked on Jasper, getting back to your car's a bit of an ordeal. Other than that, this is a great place to host fundraisers, large community events and grad parties. -
Review from Jack G.
Edmonton, AB
1/27/2010
Shaw Conference is a cool building and pretty deceiving. It looks a lot smaller than it actually is. It has many halls and usually hosts concerts, public speakers, graduations and fighting events.
I went to a boxing event here and it was pretty awesome. I didn't expect the venue to be so big. It has bleechers and floor seating for all the VIP's. It also had a huge bar in the back. The event went over really well. My only complaint was bathrooms. They are so small in comparison to the amount of people the place can hold. -
Review from Kerri W.
Banff, AB
11/7/2008
Okay, I'm likely showing my age here, but I saw one concert at the Shaw well over a decade ago...it was Moist. I remember going with my sister and being afraid she'd get crushed in the mosh pit. She's a small girl and was then, too. Still, we were both huge David Usher fans. Aside from that, the experience was okay aside from levitating once in awhile (my feet left the ground and I wasn't crowd surfing) and getting kicked in the head a lot. To be honest the levitating was kinda fun and I decided a kidney pinch was a good way to get back at a boot to the head. (Who me? ~ eyelashes fluttering innocently ~) At one point I got shoved to the front but way off to the side. That wasn't bad, I flirted with the keyboard player a bit.
Maybe I've become a bit of a concert snob over the years, and having worked at the Winspear for several years likely influenced it, but the sound in the Shaw for concerts is pretty crappy. Seriously, it's your favourite band live from a tin can. It's kind of fun as a teenager because you generally can't get into the bars and just want to let loose and be stupid anyway.
Of course, back in the day you had to go out into the lobby to purchase any kind of beverage and they weren't allowed in the conference room where the band was playing. No tables, either. It was band, mosh pit, wanderers, wide open space, bleachers.
I think everyone in the city has attended a graduation ceremony at the Shaw. If not, maybe a wedding reception. You still get the tinny acoustics but who the hell cares, you're just there to celebrate and get drunk.
I think it's best defined by its title - Conference Centre. Aside from some really awesome photo ops inside, this is a really cool venue for a trade show - like the annual wine festival they host, arts and crafts fairs, tattoo conventions, that sort of thing. It's the perfect size and the atmosphere is awesome for that kind of event.
Lately what I've been going there for is the grounds. The building is built on a hill (cool slanted glass elevator inside!) so outside they have sort of (flower/tree) garden blocks on various levels with benches. You can take the stairs from Jasper Avenue at the Shaw all the way down to the river if you continue on to the park below. Now THAT is an awesome workout! (Again, mind the pot-smoking teens at night. They're a little slow moving but chances are good seeing you will freak them out enough for them to scatter.) -
Review from Kerri B.
Edmonton, AB
11/6/2009
The Shaw has 3 levels: The Pedway level which has admin offices, security etc and Hall D, which is a giant ballroom with floor to ceiling windows and nice decor. I wouldn't mind having my wedding there. There's a lot of areas with artwork on this floor, and it's pretty attractive.
The Assembly level is below that, and it has salons and a gymnasium-like room for exhibitions and such. Underneath that is the meeting level which has about 20 meeting rooms.
It's a little confusing to navigate, people tend to get confused about the difference between salons and halls (they're identified alphabetically ie. Salon D, Hall D) and the escalators are a little confusing, but it's a pretty nice place to be for an event or conference. There is a concession stand and a convenience store on the Assembly level. Another thing I like is that a lot of buses stop in front of it. -
Review from Robin S.
Edmonton, AB
11/6/2008
Like Jeanette, concerts are pretty much the only reason I've been to the Shaw Conference Centre, besides my brother's graduation.
But I'm not a huge fan; things here are always seem poorly organised. The venue has a fairly large capacity but always has less than 10 people on hand for the rigorous pat-down deemed mandatory for anyone entering the building. As a result, everyone winds up waiting in the blocks-long line and the opening bands end up playing to the handful of people lucky enough to trickle inside in time.
They also tend to totally price-gouge on bottled water, pizza and anything else up for sale. At least there's a fountain you can refill at if necessary. If it's beer you're after, get ready to stand in another million-mile long line just to enter the 18+ area at the back of the arena.
Finally, the sound in this concrete bunker stinks. But I guess for mid-size concerts, promoters don't really have other options.
The one entertaining thing about the Shaw Conference Centre is the mountain of studded jackets, belts, and bracelets that builds up near the entrance throughout the evening. Security guards here have always been especially strict about not letting any sort of decorative, potentially-harmful item through their web, and depending on who's playing, the pile can reach truly ridiculous heights. -
Review from Paula K.
11/13/2008
The Shaw Conference Centre hosts many events, and it is a great place for that because of the number and variety of rooms available, from standard meeting rooms to big display areas where trade shows are held. Music concerts are also held here - the acoustics are really not that great because the sound tends to bounce off the roof and against the walls. I attend here most often when my congregation takes part in MissionsFest, which is like a big trade show for religious and missionary organizations. The location is excellent and serviced by numerous bus routes. The Shaw can also be rented for private functions like weddings and parties, although I am not sure what the rates are.
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Review from Vanessa Y.
Edmonton, AB
10/6/2010
Shaw Conference Centre is a great venue for dance parties! The held a party called Frequency there, which was was large enough to hold enough people. The only thing that I wasn't a fan of was the long coat check line and finding parking.
