CHICAGO — Appearing as a supplement to Trade Show Executive’s (TSE) September issue, the World’s Top Convention Centers (WTCC) directory strives to be the ultimate companion for trade show organizers looking for concise and accurate information about the 298 largest convention centers in North America by prime exhibit space.
Convention centers ranking among the largest in the world are embracing the opportunity to grow even larger, with several highly ranked WTCC venues moving forward on expansions detailed in the 2026 edition of the directory. The Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, ranked as the third largest exhibit facility in the U.S. by prime exhibit space, broke ground on a construction project in March, which will ultimately increase the center’s meeting space from 471,119 sf to 515,119 sf while also adding 100,000 sf of flex space by 2029. Louisville’s Kentucky Exposition Center is currently ranked sixth but is on track to change that in December 2026 when the building grows from 1,100,000 sf to 1,380,000 sf of prime exhibit space and from 153,036 sf to 156,375 sf of meeting space. Ranked 14th in the U.S., the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston will expand its prime exhibit space from 755,000 sf to 878,000 sf, its meeting space from 104,300 sf to 167,300 sf and its flex space from 100,000 sf to 177,000 sf when construction concludes in May 2028.
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While the San Diego Convention Center hasn’t unveiled design plans for an expansion, the 20th largest venue in the country is nonetheless proceeding with financing efforts to enlarge the exhibit facility’s existing 615,701 sf of prime exhibit space and 204,114 sf of meeting space. The Los Angeles Convention Center’s ranking in the WTCC has fluctuated as the venue has closed parts of the building during construction. However, with 913,000 sf of prime exhibit space in the works as well as 186,000 sf of meeting space and 98,000 sf of flex space, that ranking will climb more than a few spots when the new portion of the building opens in early 2029. The Phoenix Convention Center’s 584,500 sf of prime exhibit space ranks it as the 22nd largest venue, and its management team is currently discussing different concepts to elevate its event offerings further.
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It isn’t only large convention centers in the U.S. that are expanding. In Ontario, the Toronto Congress Centre has groundbreaking scheduled for spring 2027. With 531,431 sf of prime exhibit space, the center is the second largest in Canada and plans to add an additional 150,000 sf of event space. Another venue planning for groundbreaking next year is the 28th-ranked Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City. In fall 2027, the center is scheduled to close and undergo a substantial expansion, intending to re-open by 2031. San Antonio’s Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, which ranks 29th, is also approaching groundbreaking, however a date has yet to be selected as the project currently navigates legislative and other approvals.
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In addition to providing updates on construction at exhibit facilities, the WTCC also covers labor rules regulating service providers at the convention centers listed within the directory. Trade shows couldn’t run without skilled labor and understanding the nuances of state and local labor regulations is key to successful expositions.
“As show organizers continue to pursue ways to keep exhibitor costs down and their events running smoothly, the Guide to Labor Rules in Key Trade Show Cities is an invaluable resource complementing TSE’s World’s Top Convention Centers directory,” explained Carri Jensen, Director of Research for TSE. “The quick guide provides a comprehensive, city-by-city assessment that helps organizers decipher the often complex and ever-evolving rules and regulations of the various unions serving the trade show industry. TSE is grateful for its long-standing partnership with the Exhibition Services & Contractors Association (ESCA) and ESCA’s Labor & Management Council, who prepared this fundamental tool for show managers.”
Read the full World’s Top Convention Centers directory as a supplement to the September issue of TSE Magazine.
Subscribe to receive a copy today at https://tsx.magserv.com/cgi-bin/subscribe.
To submit a venue for consideration in TSE’s World’s Top Convention Centers directory, email Carson Stoolmiller at carsons@tradeshowexecutive.com.
