San Diego Convention Center

The San Diego Convention Center is a popular choice for expos and trade shows alike in part because of its many facilities and excellent array of convenient services.

Exhibit Hall a at the San Diego Convention Center

There are seven different exhibit halls, over 70 meeting rooms, and two large ballrooms. On top of this, the convention center also includes the sails pavilion, a glass-enclosed space with sweeping views, and waterfront outdoor courtyards.

Venue Services

The convention center features an impressive team of supportive staff for all events. Guest Services can help you navigate events, cleaning services keep the space tidy, and an in-house security team ensures events are as safe as possible.

The convention center hosts dozens of events each year. If you’re planning to visit San Diego, consider checking out the upcoming conventions and other events before you go so you can plan your itinerary around them.

Comic-Con

Comic-Con is one of the most notable conventions nationwide, so it’s no surprise that it’s also a point of interest for the convention center. With thousands of attendees every year, Comic-Con is the largest annual gathering hosted by the San Diego Convention Center, and it’s an experience that can’t be missed for lovers of all things pop culture.

Despite its name, Comic-Con is about much more than comics. It also includes panels and guest appearances from popular actors, plenty of TV and movie news, and official and fan-made merchandise of all manner of pop culture properties for sale.

Many attendees choose to dress up in cosplay for the occasion, so it’s not unusual to see people striking poses and taking pictures around the convention center in addition to the more structured panels.

Other Conventions and Expos

Comic-Con is far from the only fun convention to be held in San Diego. Many other conventions from industry giants as well as more niche groups have hosted their events at the convention center, and crowds are drawn to the space throughout the year.

The San Diego Convention Center has hosted everything from American Kennel Club consumer shows to the video game and streamer-centric TwitchCon. These events range from informative to entertaining and everything in between.

Trade Shows

While many conventions are primarily about ensuring attendees have a good time, the convention center also hosts multiple industry trade shows throughout the year. These shows are just as varied as other events held in the building, and they often have thousands of attendees looking to learn more about their niche and to network with professionals.

Some trade shows are private events, with admission only offered to those in a certain company or other group. Others are open to the public, though there may still be an admission fee.

The convention center has come a long way since its initial construction back in 1989.

The first few events were smaller in scale than those held today, but they helped to drum up tourism to the city. In addition to hosting political conventions and even a few tapings of the game show Wheel of Fortune, the center’s popularity continued to expand, which was reflected in the growing scale of the property.

Its size doubled with the expansion in 2001, with an additional smaller expansion in 2008. This enabled the convention center to host even larger events with more attendees, which helped to contribute to its massive success with modern conventions.

The convention center is located at 111 W Harbor Drive.

It’s a short walk to the San Diego Convention Center from other neighborhoods in the downtown area, so if you’re planning on staying nearby, you don’t have to worry about driving. Still, if you want to give your feet a rest, you can make use of San Diego’s excellent public transport options such as the trolley or bus. There is a trolley stop just across the street as well as a few bus stops next to the convention center.

If you’re headed to the convention center from the San Diego International Airport, you may be able to take a shuttle to and from your hotel. You won’t have to wait long until you get there, as the center is just three miles to the southeast from the airport, making it about a 10 minute drive.

Planning on driving to the convention center? There’s a parking garage underground with space to house nearly 2,000 vehicles. You can access the parking garage from Harbor Drive, or park off-site in the large lot near the Hilton Bayfront.

Size of the San Diego Convention Center

The convention center is massive, boasting over 2.6 million square feet of indoor space and plenty of outdoor areas as well. It’s easy to get turned around, so check the official site for a building map, or enlist the help of Guest Services to find your destination.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to stop by the convention center will depend on what kind of events you’re interested in. Most of the bigger events are hosted in the summer and early fall months, which is an excellent time to visit San Diego if you want to take advantage of the many beaches and parks in the city and throughout San Diego.