The Puerto Rico Convention Center (PRCC) (or Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico in Spanish) is a convention center located in San Juan, Puerto Rico owned by the Puerto Rico Convention District Authority, a government agency of Puerto Rico, and managed by SMG. Designed by tvsdesign, it is the largest convention center in the Caribbean and the most technologically advanced in Latin America.
The Puerto Rico Convention Center was conceived and began to be built during the mid-1990s under the administration of Governor Pedro Rosello(PNP). Construction continued under the administration of governor Sila Calderón (PPD) and was finally inaugurated on November 2005 under the administration of governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá (PPD). The center was part of a Rossello administration initiative to invest heavily in infrastructure.
It was designed to be the architectural icon of Puerto Rico[] by the 2002 AIA Architecture Firm Award winning firm of Thompson, Ventulett, Stainback and Associates, along with local Architect of Record Jimenez-Rodriguez Barcelo. The Convention Center has a signature roof imitating a wave, whose theme continues throughout the facility from the 30,000 sq/ft chandelier to the custom designed carpets and door pulls.
The PRCC is located in the San Juan peninsula, in what used to be a US Naval Base in Isla Grande. The PRCC is strategically located next to the Isla Grande Airport and the Pan American Port Terminal in order to facilitate guest travel to the Center. Other points of interest nearby are Old San Juan, the Condado district, the San Juan Central Park (Parque Central in Spanish), and Plaza Las Américas.
The PRCC is part of a planned Puerto Rico Convention Center District (master planned by Sasaki Associates), including a hotel, a 96-unit residential building, office buildings with 50,000 feet (15,000 m) of commercial space, a retail and entertainment complex, a cinema, waterfront cafes, restaurants and walkways.
The main project is the anchor hotel, which began construction on August 28, 2006 and is projected to open in 2009. The hotel was designed under the idea of an "urban resort", and will feature a casino, ballrooms, a music hall, restaurants and will have 500 rooms. Its main feature will be a rooftop pool with cabanas, tropical gardens and views of Old San Juan and the harbor.
The Puerto Rican government selected Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, under its Sheraton flag, to operate the reported $209 million facility.
The convention center is able to accommodate groups of up to 25,000 people with a total space of 580,000 square feet (53,882 m²) and 152,700 sq ft (14,186 m²) of total exhibit space subdivided into three halls, all on one level. The center has adjacent parking lots with a total capacity of 1,800 vehicles, although this may be increased in the future.
The facility was designed and constructed to be the most technologically advanced center in Latin America. It can provide broadband and wireless Internet connectivity, video conferencing, and simultaneous language translations, among others throughout the center. All meeting rooms and ballrooms are equipped with Ethernet connection and capabilities. It also has a Business Center which assists business guests and attendees by providing computer and typewriter rental, printing, secretarial service, copying, fax transmission and receipt, package shipping, office products, and other services. A Central Security Office is located within the center, and provides 24 hour security and medical assistance, and modifies it services depending on the activities' and organizers' needs. The Center also has inhouse catering, concessions and cleaning services for any and all activities.
The Puerto Rico Convention Center won the Prime Site Award of Excellence, one of 64 sites selected from the U.S. and Canada. Voted on by meeting planners and other industry members and awarded by Facilities Media Group, publishers of Facilities & Destinations magazine, the Prime Site Award is an annual recognition of special achievement. "Winning the Prime Site Award is particularly fulfilling for the SMG and Puerto Rico Convention District Authority team because facilities must be nominated by users in order to be considered for these awards", said Thom Connors, senior regional vice president of SMG, the facility's management company. "To be selected within the first year of operations is an acknowledgment of the extraordinary effort made by the Puerto Rico Convention team to create a world-class operation during what essentially was its start-up phase."
The Puerto Rico Convention Bureau (PRCB) has received four top meeting and convention industry awards, including Meetings & Conventions’ 2006 Gold Service Award, Successful Meetings’ 2006 Pinnacle Award, Corporate & Incentive Travel's 2006 Award of Excellence and Association Meetings’ Inner Circle Award.
