Anaheim Convention Center

Anaheim Convention Center is a major convention center in Anaheim, California. It is located across from the Disneyland Resort on Katella Avenue. Much of the Anaheim Convention Center has been renovated in recent years with state-of-the-art facilities. The basketball arena, fronting Katella Avenue, was opened in July 1967, while the convention hall behind it opened to business shortly afterward. Since then, the convention hall has undergone three major expansions, and currently encloses over convert|800000|sqft|m2 of floor space.

According to frequent news reports, the largest exposition held at the Convention Center in recent years has been the Winter NAMM Show. This music-equipment convention (trade only, not open to the general public) had 1,560 exhibitors and a record-breaking 88,100 attendees during the 2008 show. [ [http://www.namm.org/press-room/news/news-releases/2008January21a/view NAMM Unifies Industry at Record-Breaking Show — NAMM, The International Music Products Association ] ] The NAMM Show has been running at the Anaheim Center since 1977, except for a 3-year break in 1998-2000 while the Convention Center underwent major renovations. Recent news reports indicate that NAMM's long-term lease with the Anaheim Convention Center authority ends in 2010, and NAMM is applying pressure to the City of Anaheim to further expand and improve the convention center. [ [http://www.ocregister.com/money/space-anaheim-city-1960373-smith-shows News: Anaheim Convention Center explores expansion | space, anaheim, city, smith, shows - OCRegister.com ] ]

The popular Anime Expo is held here frequently, and is one of the convention center's biggest public events of the year.

In 2005 and 2007, World of Warcraft creators Blizzard Entertainment held BlizzCon there. While tickets to the 2007 event sold out in 3 days, tickets to the October 2008 event sold out "within minutes."cite news | first=Nathaera | last= | coauthors= | title=BlizzCon Ticket Update #6 | date=2004-08-12 | publisher=Blizzard Entertainment | url =http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=8765785084&sid=1 | work =World of Warcraft Forums | pages = | accessdate = 2008-08-12 | language = ] . Another large convention held at the Center is the Medical Design and Manufacturing Show, held shortly after Winter NAMM. [ [http://www.devicelink.com/expo/west08/ MD&M West - Medical Design and Manufacturing ] ]

The center has also been a sports venue. It was home to the Anaheim Amigos American Basketball Association team. It also served as the venue for men's wrestling for the 1984 Summer Olympics.

During the 1992 Los Angeles Riots, the Los Angeles Clippers were forced to move Game 4 of their NBA playoff series versus the Utah Jazz to the Convention Center.

It hosts the Big West Conference's men's and women's basketball tournaments.

It is currently home to the Anaheim Arsenal of the NBA Development League.The arena of the Anaheim Convention Center have a capacity of 9100 people.

References

External links

* [http://www.anaheimconventioncenter.com/ Official Website]
* [http://www.anaheim.net/article.asp?id=216 Some City of Anaheim history, including the Convention Center]
* [http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt8j49q5bm/?layout=metadata&brand=calisphere 1966 photo of the Convention Center under construction]