Hawaii Convention Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hawaii Convention Center |
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| Address | 1801 Kalakaua Avenue |
| Location | Honolulu, Hawai‘i |
| Coordinates | 21°17′25″N 157°50′09″W / 21.2904°N 157.8357°W |
| Owner | State of Hawaii |
| Operator | AEG |
| Opened | 1998 |
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Construction cost
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$200 million |
| Enclosed space | |
| • Total space | 1.1 million square feet |
| • Ballroom | 35,000 square feet |
| Parking | 690 spaces |
The Hawai‘i Convention Center is a huge building in Honolulu, Hawaii. It's a special place where big meetings, shows, and events happen. Located on the island of Oahu, it's the largest center of its kind in Hawaii. You can find it just west of the famous Waikiki beach area.
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Building the Convention Center
Building the Hawai‘i Convention Center cost about $200 million. It was finished in 1997 and opened its doors in 1998. This center has a lot of space for events, including a huge ballroom and areas for exhibitions.
The State of Hawai‘i owns the building. A company called AEG Live, based in Los Angeles, helps manage it.
Design and Style
The Hawai‘i Convention Center was the biggest "design-build" project ever done by the State of Hawai‘i. This means one team designed and built the whole thing.
The design process started in 1994. A company called LMN Architects designed the building itself. Another company, Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo, designed the inside. They used patterns from traditional Hawaiian quilts and nature to decorate the interior.
Exciting Events and Shows
Many cool events happen at the Hawaii Convention Center each year. These include the annual First Hawaiian International Auto Show, where you can see new cars. The Miss Hawaii competition also takes place here.
Other popular events include the Honolulu Festival and Kawaii Kon. Kawaii Kon is a big convention for fans of Japanese animation and comics.
In November 2011, the center hosted important meetings for APEC United States 2011. About 10,000 people came to Honolulu for these meetings. The center also hosted a public hearing about the Korean Air Flight 801 crash in 1998.
Sports and Games
The convention center is also a great place for sports! It has enough space for many different games. You can find:
- 28 courts for volleyball and badminton
- 18 courts for basketball
- 11 courts for futsal (which is like indoor soccer)
Awards and Recognition
The Hawai‘i Convention Center has won many awards. It has received the Prime Site Award for twelve years in a row. In 2010, it won an Inner Circle Award for being a "Top Convention Center."
It also won a "Best in Business Travel" award. The International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) even voted it the most beautiful convention center in the world!
