Meeting news, briefly
Construction started on a new convention center in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, that will be the second largest facility in the state when it opens in February of 2013. The city-owned Cedar Rapids Convention Center Complex, which will include the renovation of the U.S. Cellular Arena and the former Crowne Plaza Five Seasons Hotel, will offer 129,500 square feet of new convention center space…The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners passed a motion to begin negotiations and approve a $27 million subsidy to build a 400-room Hilton hotel connected to the Palm Beach County Convention Center. According to Jorge Pesquera, president of the Palm Beach County CVB, the convention center hotel will “finally complete the package we need to elevate Palm Beach County’s image as a group, meetings and conventions destination”…Three hotel developers have submitted proposals to build a planned headquarters hotel next to the new Wilmington Convention Center in Wilmington, N.C. Depending on the proposal selected by the city, the hotel will either be a Four Points by Sheraton, Hampton Inn or Crowne Plaza…Featuring green design elements in accordance with LEED certification requirements, the Sheraton Fairplex Conference Center is scheduled to open at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds this fall. The 85,000-square-foot facility, which will be adjacent to the 247-room Sheraton Fairplex Hotel, will feature a rain harvesting system and catered meals prepared with ingredients grown on a farm located within the fairgrounds.
By David Wilkening
David
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