Conventioneers are allured by the Pittsburgh's accessability, its relatively low costs, low crime rate, and variety of attractions. The new David L. Lawrence Convention Center is the cornerstone of convention and tourism business in the region. It spans three city blocks in one corner of the Golden Triangle between the Cultural District and the Strip District, offering 313,400 square feet of exhibit space, 236,900 square feet of which are column-free; a Grand Ballroom that can hold up to 4,000 attendees; 51 meeting rooms, two 175-seat lecture halls, and a secondary exhibit hall; a 12,000 square foot main kitchen; 37 convenient loading docks; and pedestrian walkways to nearby hotels with 3,000 rooms available and to a riverside park and trail. Heinz Field, PNC Park, and Mellon Arena are also available for conventions and meetings. The Pittsburgh ExpoMart in Monroeville, about 9 miles from downtown, has 106,000 square feet for groups up to 2,000, and is connected to the Radisson Monroeville hotel, which offers additional flexible meeting space for groups of 10 to 600.
Clusters of hotels—old and new, and economy and luxury—are located around the airport, the Oakland university and hospital complex, Monroeville and other suburban locations, near the stadiums on the North Side, and downtown. Major downtown hotels include the Omni William Penn, Pittsburgh's oldest hotel with original 1916 grandeur and 596 guest rooms; the 616-room Westin Convention Center and the 182-room Courtyard Pittsburgh, which both connect to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center; and the Hilton, downtown's largest hotel with 713 rooms and more than 40,000 square feet of meeting space. Others include the Ramada Plaza Suites, Marriott City Center, and the Renaissance in the newly renovated 1906 Fulton Building. Also within walking distance to downtown are the Sheraton Station Square on the South Side, and the Priory and SpringHill Suites on the North Side.
Convention Information: Greater Pittsburgh Convention and Visitor's Bureau; 4 Gateway Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15222; telephone (412)281-7711; toll-free (800)359-0758