Edmonton Exposition and Conference Centre

The Edmonton Exposition and Conference Centre, or Edmonton EXPO Centre for short, is a multi-purpose arena/conference centre variously used as a sports and music venue, and for hosting trade shows and conferences. It is located in Northlands in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, adjacent to the Coliseum. It is owned and operated by the Northlands not-for-profit group. It was previously known as the Northlands AgriCom.
==Expansion==
Major renovations were completed in December 2009. This expansion added over 200,000 aquare feet to the original complex. The total is now 522,000 square feet, or double the previous total. This was expected to make it the largest such facility in Canada outside of Toronto. The Alberta government contributed $50 million to the project which led to the decision to name the 13,000 square foot ballroom "Alberta Ballroom". The Canadian federal government meanwhile contributed $25 million.
New features include:
* Four new exhibition halls (E,F,G,H)
* New conference area with meeting rooms and ballroom 
* New gallery spaces connecting the halls 
* A business centre
* A food court with licensed services
* Wireless internet access
==History and use==
The facility was built in 1984 on the site of the old Edmonton Gardens, the first home of the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers moved across 118 Avenue in 1974 to the new Northlands Coliseum. Prior to 2009, the EXPO Centre was known as the Northlands AgriCom, or simply The Agricom, from the agricultural and commercial trade shows which it was built to host. 
From 1996 to 1998 the building was used as a venue for ice hockey with a capacity of 5,527. It was home to the Western Hockey League's Edmonton Ice until the team moved to Cranbrook, British Columbia.
The EXPO Centre hosts such major events as K-Days, which all halls are used for multiple purposes including a food court, casino, and trade show.
Over 2,500 more events are held at the EXPO Centre annually, mainly different types of trade shows. Major events include the Edmonton International Motor Show, the Home and Garden Show, YC Alberta, RV Expo, and Edmonton Pet Expo.
The facility is also sometimes used as a music venue, for example hosting the Offspring on 13 June 2009, Weezer on 22 April 2002, the mini-festival Campus Chaos on 25 September 2009 (headliners Hinder and Lil Jon).Campus Chaos Official Site
==Facilities==
Exposition areas
Hall 	SquareFeet	BoothCapacity	ReceptionCapacity
A 	53,262 	274 	2,500
B 	58,104 	301 	3,000
C 	77,472 	413 	4,000
D (arena) 	53,410 	325 	3,500
 	8,990 	65 	
E 	53,836 	253 	2,500
F 	39,156 	181 	2,000
G 	29,328 	138 	1,800
H 	36,126 	178 	2,000
Alberta Ballroom	16,677 	 	1,200
Totals 	417,371 	2,063 	22,500
As a convention centre, the EXPO Centre provides facilities for many different purposes in a wide range of sizes. Upon completion of the expansion in 2009, there has been eight convention halls, six ballrooms, thirteen meeting and boardrooms, a lounge, and several smaller galleries within the building. In addition to these rental spaces, Northlands maintains and staffs several concession stands and other visitor amenities during large events.
==References==
==External links==
*Project: Evolution.09
*Edmonton EXPO Centre
*Northlands
Category:Western Hockey League arenas
Category:Indoor ice hockey venues in Alberta