Experience the Renaissance.

Meetings and Conventions

Philadelphia is one of the hottest meetings and conventions destinations in the nation. As the proud host of the 2000 Republican National Convention, from July 31-August 3, 2000, Philadelphia will welcome more than 45,000 participants, including 15,000 national and international journalists. One year later, ASAE Philadelphia 2001, the nation's premier association management conference and exposition, will be held from August 4-7. The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) will hold its 50th Anniversary Meeting in Philadelphia from January 8-11, 2006. These major meetings follow the July 1999 Meeting Professionals International/World Education Congress in Philadelphia.

Pennsylvania Convention Center 

The Pennsylvania Convention Center has more than 440,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 30,000-square-foot ballroom, and 52 meeting rooms with an additional 120,000 square feet, totaling 610,000 square feet of function space. The PCC has become one of the convention centers most capable of hosting any show that requires many PCs and high-speed Internet connections. An expansion project now in the planning stages would increase exhibit space by more than 220,000 square feet, and would add a 60,000-square-foot ballroom and more than 40 breakout rooms.

The PCC, which is connected indoors to a Hard Rock Cafe, Reading Terminal Market, Kinkos and Philadelphia Marriott Hotel, just completed an $860,000 upgrade of all fiber-optic and copper wiring in the building. Next Generation Technology is now available with high-speed Internet access including ISDN and T1 lines, OC3 (T3) connectivity, and fiber-optic and copper cable allowing for easy plug-and-play. It is one of the few convention centers in the United States to offer such state-of-the-art technology to its customers.

Hotels

Philadelphia offers more than 30 available hotel brands with many price options. More than 17,000 rooms are available in the Philadelphia area, including 10,000 rooms in Center City downtown Philadelphia--8,000 of these rooms are within walking distance of the Pennsylvania Convention Center, with an additional 3,000 within half a block. In fact, there are more committable rooms available for conventions than any other major destination. Philadelphia has seen the largest hotel boom of any non-gaming city in the nation with the addition of more than 4,000 rooms in the last two years. Just opened in grand style are the new Loews Philadelphia, The Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia, Sofitel, and Hilton Garden. Still to come is the Hampton Inn just across from the convention center and the Hyatt at Penn's Landing on the waterfront slated to open in December 2000.

Attractions

Visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Franklin Institute Science Museum, the Philadelphia Zoo, the Academy of Natural Sciences Museum, Independence Seaport Museum, and the New Jersey State Aquarium, and you will gain a true education of Philadelphia and the world around you. Using your CityPass, the pay-one-price booklet that contains tickets to these Philadelphia attractions, you can enjoy a savings of 50 percent off the box-office price at these hot attractions. Pick up a CityPass at the Philadelphia Visitors Center at 16th Street and John F Kennedy Boulevard or at your first destination.

Coming Soon

Coming soon to Philadelphia ... Independence National Historical Park, the home of the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, will soon have a new visitors center (2001), new Liberty Bell Complex (2001), and National Constitution Center (2002). A new Family Entertainment Center on the waterfront at Penn's Landing is slated to open in 2002 and the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts Center on the Avenue of the Arts is expected to open in 2001.

Arts and Entertainment

Although Philadelphia proudly honors our nation's strong heritage, it is by no means stranded in the past. When you visit this celebrated city, be prepared for more than a history lesson. Visitors can always enjoy a full complement of performing arts, from classical music and opera, to ballet and modern dance. For outdoor recreational opportunities visit Fairmount Park. From walking to biking and blading to hiking, you will find trails and scenery to your heart's content. Philadelphia is a great place to visit year-round because there is always a full lineup of special events including fireworks, parades, festivals, and dynamic sporting events.

To book your association's next meeting or convention in Philadelphia, call toll-free (800) CALL-PHL or visit www.pcvb.org on the Web today.