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Vancouver Convention Centre
Category: Event Planning & Services Venues & Event Spaces Venues & Event Spaces [Edit]
1055 Canada PlVancouver, BC V6C 0C3
Neighbourhoods: Coal Harbour, Downtown
(604) 689-8232
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
19 reviews for Vancouver Convention Centre
19 reviews in English
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Review from Simon K.
2/3/2012 8 Check-ins Here
We needed an upgrade for our own city convention centre, as there was only so much you could do to renovate Canada Place (Pan Pacific) and what better way to display to the world when this thing was proposed and ready for operation when the Olympics arrived. The Olympics are long and gone now but one thing that was left was this stucture. I have been here on countless occasions, Auto Show, One of a Kind Show, a charity dinner, Eat Vancouver.... just to name a few, and I always look forward to coming here, especially when a show is put in this venue.
When you look on the outside, that is without looking how much of this place is jutting out on the water, you do not realize how big it is in here. With the old Canada Place aging, and no way to expand on that building, this was a very logical thing to do, is to build a new convention centre. The convention halls can be seperated off by retractable walls, this place has multiple rooms, on multiple floors, and it is just beside Canada Place, so for people being used to coming down here for a show, it's not going out of your way.
I noticed that many of the shows that used to take place at BC Place have also been moved here, as it is way more friendly to walk around, instead of walking around a stadium doing a loop and finally reaching the center/main floor.
From the sky, this building has an entire green roof, six acre's worth, as in real plant life, it is quite a sight to see on a nice day when you have a good view of the building. Even the washrooms are equipped with water saving toilets (if your going to the men's washroom, read the disclaimer above the urinals!), LED lights are used, etc, etc, etc, to show the world a 'green' vancouver.
If you ever are invited to a dinner event here, take a look at the view of North Vancouver from the windows here, it is breathtaking, and to know your in a state of the art building, that they say will later also be the ship terminal is a benefit to all of us who live in Vancouver. -
Review from Edward L.
So today I finally had a chance to use the facilities for a legitimate event.
The venue is actually set up quite nicely, with dividers so you can decide how large of a room you want.
The view on the N side is seriously as good as it gets.
The food here is actually pretty decent. Breakfast they have your typical bacon, sausages, hash browns, and scrambled eggs. The food wasn't too salty, which is nice. Many other places totally load on the sodium.
The Italian food here is quite good. The antipasto is decent, and the food is definitely fresh. While the cheese tortellini was decent (neat recipe of chopped vegetables on top), my favourite would be the cannelloni. Again, just the right amount of flavour.
The cash bar is nice, but the selection is lacking. Seriously, only Skyy Vodka?
Washrooms are nice, but considering the number of people that flood in during conventions, they could've been a bit bigger. The mens room actually had a lineup. You don't see that everyday for sure.
I'm sure this place is a total rip-off, but pricing is largely irrelevant since chances are, you aren't paying out of your own pocket to use these facilities. Go thank your boss.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/23/2011
So I've been here for various events over the years. Hell, I've been here before it was open. It's… Read more »
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Review from David L.
11/3/2011 2 photos
The new Vancouver Convention Centre replaces the old and aging convention centre at Canada Place. I visited the new Vancouver Convention Centre during the opening weekend. It's very West Coast in design and there is a lot of B.C. wood used in the interior walls and ceiling. It's very roomy which is a big plus. The huge earth globe at the front entrance above the escalators is cool.
Unfortunately, the public doesn't have access to the roof area. They really need to be a little more open to everyone. It's known as living roof because there are thousands of plants and the design of the roof provides natural drainage for rain water. There are bee hives which provide honey for the restaurants below. -
Review from Amy T.
7/24/2011
The new Convention Center (an extension of the old one) is stunning. The floors, ceilings and walls to the open space are my type of design. Out of all the grand architechure, nothing can beat the view of the water, trees, mountains, boats and seaplanes.
I attended a wedding here last night and the it was the perfect backdrop. Pictures turned out more interesting and conversations seemed to be more exciting. The food was as good as you can get for a wedding of that size. From the appetizer to the dessert course, I wiped my plate clean. It was definitely a beautiful wedding and I am glad that I was there to help celebrate it.Listed in: Wedding Venues
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Review from Alouise D.
Edmonton, AB
8/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
I spent a couple days at the Vancouver Convention Centre for a Conference I was at. The building itself is quite beautiful. It's a very large and spacious building. While I was there there was at least three events (including the TBEX conference I was attending) at the same time. The building is apparently very eco friendly. There's a rooftop lawn, honey bees and so other eco friendly features. The halls and main area have a a lot of windows to let in the natural light. The Vancouver Convention centre is right next to Canada Place and has really beautiful views of the harbour, the mountains and North Vancouver in the distance.
The only downfall was the wifi was slow. Of course that's probably because there were 300 travel bloggers at my conference trying access the wifi at the same time. I would hope that if the Vancouver Convention Centre holds larger conferences that they would improve their wifi capacity.
And for anyone who's watched the AMC series The Killing you can see the inside of the Vancouver Convention Centre in the show. It doubles as Darren Richmond's campaign office (just look for the wooden walls). -
Review from Geralyn Y.
6/3/2011
I've recently attended a Professional Conference here. I've attended my share and I must say that all of the venues I've been an attendee for, this one by far takes the cake. The majority of the conference for me took place in Convention Centre West. Beautiful Beautiful building. Ceiling high glass windows that line the perimeter of the first and second floors giving you views of the lovely buildings around as well as the waterfront.
There's so much attention paid to detail- from the wood on the walls, lamps in the reception area and even the carpet on the floor (remnant of the ocean that surrounds it). It's modern looking inside and out. It's an added plus that the Winter Olympic Torch holder and a number of art pieces by local artists can be found outside of the Centre for Convention goers to adore during session breaks. Too bad it rained most of my time in the area, but at least I got to enjoy it on the last day.
Logistically, aside from the fact that the toilets on the second floor didn't flush the 2nd morning (which pissed a few ladies off), they were on point: providing free water for people outside session rooms and with greeters to answer questions. The coffee brewed amped me through 8am sessions. There's also a food court across the street if you don't want to pay $8 for a tiny sandwich.
Pleased to have been a part of the Convention Center. The environment had a positive influence on my learning while I was there as an attendee. -
Review from Roanna Z.
3/12/2011 2 photos
Recently I attended the BC Home & Garden Show at the Newly expanded Convention Center West. The old building is pretty nice, but there's no way anyone can experience this west building with out being impressed. It's massive, for one thing. The ceiling is so high and an escalator that takes you from street level to the exhibition floor actually takes over a minute to complete. It's one of the longest I've ever been on. Now I'm determined to time it next time! (In fact, I think it was Bush Gardens Florida, that was the longest.) The foyer is lit in a tranquil blue light that sets a mood.
The upper hall is adorned with an enormous inflated globe, hanging from the ceiling. Really, it's insanely huge. The street level area is spacious with comfortable chairs to sit and even a small meeting area and a cafe at either end. The Cole Harbour Cafe. http://www.yelp.ca/biz...
If you're touring about down on the waterfront or stopping by right next door to see the Olympic Torch, you must check this impressive building out.Listed in: It's raining... get inside…, Theatres, venues and the…
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Review from Sheryl D.
6/12/2011
And I am BACK folks!! After a two-month sojourn in Manila where Yelp does not exist, I am happy to report my first activity back in Vancouver was to go to EAT Vancouver at the Vancouver Convention Centre yesterday. No better way to cure horrible jetlag than gobbling up free food samples and pounding back the wine, I mean, sipping wine like a lady with fellow foodies.
The views outside the Convention Centre was phenomenal. It definitely reminded me of how great it is to be back in Vancouver this time of the year. I found the Convention Centre super clean, with plenty of helpful ushers around, huge and very well decorated. The event was well laid out, with ample space for everyone to move in. Loved that giant, hanging globe at the entrance and the super high ceilings. The place was very welcoming despite the size and it made me look forward to coming back to it. -
Review from Jim U.
7/29/2011 3 photos
I think the folks in Vancouver take design fairly seriously. It was pretty evident as soon as I arrived at the airport, and I found myself walking along waterfalls, a river, and even totem poles. Well, I guess another city property like the convention center shouldn't be treated any differently. Viewing it from the outside, it's pretty clear that it was designed to blend in with its surrounding environment a la Frank Lloyd Wright. From Stanley Park, it almost appears subterranean with ample use of grass and terracing on top of the structure and sloping downwards. Inside, the feel is entirely different. It's as if it was designed by the folks from Jenga. You know, that party game where you build increasingly tall structures with uniform blocks of wood? Well, those blocks are everywhere inside. They form many of the walls and are staggered so that the texture is far from uniform. To punctuate the design, there are free structures suspended from the ceilings also made from these blocks. I attached a photo of a couple of them. They kind of look like the "crystalline entity" from Star Trek rendered in wood. It's interesting, and the center is always visually engaging like that. And if you ever get tired of the views inside, the center affords beautiful, up-close views of the nearby harbor, landing seaplanes, Grouse mountain, etc. It's a good part of the city to be in.
Beyond the architectural design, the center is functional as well. The space was sufficiently large enough to accommodate most of our ICIAM meeting which drew several thousand delegates from all around the world. I say most because there was a need for a few sessions to be held in the old convention center right next door. This wasn't so terrible really given the close proximity. There was a great mix of differently sized rooms, plenty of bathrooms, and the option to cater a nice mix of food on-site. All told, the convention proceeded along swimmingly. Definitely recommend for small and medium-sized conventions. -
Review from Candace C.
10/19/2010
Went to a conference here in Vancouver in October 2010. It was lovely, spacious building and I loved the integration of greenspace on the rooftop. The view of the waterfront is fantastic as we watched the sun rise over the mountain, reflecting off the surface of the water.(yes! lectures started at 7:00 in the morning).
The catering here isn't bad for a convention center - boxed lunches included a mixed berry salads, open faced gourmet sandwiches and even sushi at times. Staff are friendly and polite.
The location of the convention centre is great because it's close to Gastown, Robson and other downtown amenities. If you factor in the ease of transportation with the Skytrain system from the airport, Vancouver is a great location for large scale meetings. Considering all the choices in the downtown area, multiple conventions can be accomodated at the same time.
Why it doesn't get 5 stars? Well - it would be nice to have localized free wi-fi spots within the building. If the airports can do it, so can the convention centre. The kiosks set up for internet access were rather slow and outdated. Considering that the industry is moving more towards "cloud computing", easy access and rapid internet access is essential feature for any large scale meeting.
Overall, it is the best convention centre experience I've had in a while. -
Review from Henry B.
Vancouver, BC
The new West expansion of the Vancouver Convention Centre is a very modern and elegantly designed building. It's a very large and accommodating building that has 52 meeting rooms and a 53,000 square ft signature ballroom. They have variety of trade shows throughout the year, my favourite being "Eat! Vancouver Food and Cooking Festival" held in June. The floor to ceiling glass windows provides breathtaking views of the harbour and Grouse mountain. It's certainly a green and sustainable building with a "living roof" built with plants and grass. I look forward to coming here for the trade shows and Canada celebrations.
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Review from Linda S.
Beautiful, stylish, with great staff and amazing food.
This is the perfect place for a large convention.
My only reservation was with the exhibit space -- tucked down in the basement, most people didn't want to go see the exhibits. They should have them set up on the main floor. -
Review from Crystal H.
Vancouver, BC
If you get a chance to see an event in action here, jump on it. According to most sources, it's booked up for at least the next year, and it's well deserving! I was at the public opening last weekend, and it was quite the show: balloon animals, guys on stilts, acrobats, face painting...and that was just for the grownups ;)
They also had this cool rotating earth at the front - I don't know if it's permanent or not, but it was really impressive!
With a sustainable design featuring a "green" roof, floor to ceiling windows that hover over Burrard Inlet, and a wood wall detail that you just really have to see in person to appreciate - this building is stunning!
I think the new convention centre blends beautifully with Vancouver's water edge and makes me want to attend an event every (sunny) weekend! -
Review from David S.
5/17/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Beautiful! Huge windows with amazing views! An easy conference space to navigate too. Love it! Thank you Canada!
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Review from Sarah O.
Vancouver, BC
10/3/2011 1 photo
bold and beautiful is the name of the game. i use to work a block away from here and both the interior and exterior prove for a nice 15 minute stroll (something to take note of if you're organizing an event here- lots of signs/station people are a must). i was here for a large event (60 tables), but just above was an upscale wedding that looked both posh and lovely. my only complaint is that the rooftop lawn is more often brown then green most of the year which doesn't serve too well for office views overlooking the water. indeed, this place has become quite iconic in vancouver, i look forward to more progressive architecture in the city.
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Review from M P.
2/20/2011
Artistic to the Nth degree. I walked around at night. I love the meld of glass and that wooden earthy like interior. The blue lit signs and the spinning earth hanging from the ceiling. It's one of the nicest convention centres I've seen on this continent. Classy Canada. Really. I'm finally impressed.
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Review from Lee N.
Vancouver, BC
7/7/2009
I went to the New Zealand Wine festival in the New Convention Centre or Convention Centre West or whatever they call it today. After traversing 3 empty floors of stunning architecture and views I arrived, cash only, it was back to the old convention Centre for an ATM as they don't have any yet in the New/West Convention Centre. The wine was great all those pinots and sav blancs in the same room, heaven. But the winner was the outside deck off the 3rd floor facing north, WOW. Vancouver now has a space to host the world for a generation to come.
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Review from Emily M.
11/27/2010 1 Check-in Here
the most beautiful convention center i've ever seen (and i've been to A LOT of conventions) the scenery was surreal.
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Review from Daniel J.
11/8/2010 5 Check-ins Here
not bad to work at and all the labor is cool
