Convention Centers: Is the Industry Overbuilt? | Hans Detlefsen and Nina Vetter | HVS Reports

Across the United States and Canada, city officials and economic development decision-makers are wrestling with the question of whether to develop new or expanded convention center assets in their communities. Many existing exhibition facilities are not operating at or near full capacity. Even as demand slowed throughout the first part of this decade, supply continued to expand, resulting in facility utilization rates near historic lows. Public policy makers, private developers, and concerned citizens wonder: Is the industry overbuilt?