China Readies Its Largest Convention Center

China next month plans to officially open its largest conference venue, the China National Convention Center, a 5.3 million-sq.-ft. complex located amid Beijing's 2008 Olympic venues.

The complex includes 387,500 square feet of exhibit space across six halls, 250,000 square feet of meeting space with 70 breakout rooms, a ballroom that can seat up to 3,000 and a plenary hall with theater-style seating for 6,000. The complex also features two 14-floor commercial towers, more than 1,000 parking spaces and direct links to Beijing's main subway lines.

The venue served as the main press center, international broadcasting center and site for fencing and pistol-shooting competitions during the Olympics. The center, owned and operated by the state-owned Beijing North Star Co., since was renovated to accommodate convention activity.

Walkways link the center with two hotels: the 420-room CNCC Grand Hotel and a 337-room InterContinental. Three others—the North Star Continental Grand Hotel, the Crowne Plaza Parkview Wuzhou Hotel and the Beichen Huiyuan Service Apartments—also will house attendees.

The center this year reported it already had booked 173 events for the venue's first five years of operation—expected to bring 320,000 attendees to Beijing—including 56 international and 66 national association congresses, and several government and corporate meetings.