NRG Center facts for kids
The NRG Center is a huge building in Houston, Texas, USA. It's a special place called a convention center. This means it's designed to hold big meetings, shows, and events. It's part of a larger area called NRG Park, which also includes the NRG Astrodome and NRG Stadium.
Many exciting events happen here all year long. For example, parts of the famous Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo take place at the NRG Center. The building first opened its doors on April 12, 2002, with the Houston Auto Show. It was originally known as the Reliant Center, but its name changed to NRG Center on March 12, 2014.
Contents
What's Inside the NRG Center?
The NRG Center is a really big place! The main floor for events is about 0.25 miles (400 m) long. The whole building is 1,532 feet (467 m) long and 590 feet (180 m) wide. That's a total area of about 1,400,000 square feet (130,000 m2)!
It has a huge exhibition space of over 706,000 square feet (65,600 m2). This space can be divided into 11 different halls. These halls can be different sizes, from 40,000 to 168,000 square feet (3,700 to 15,600 m2).
The center also has 61 meeting rooms. These rooms can be set up in over 100 different ways! The two biggest meeting rooms are 17,000 and 22,000 square feet (1,600 and 2,000 m2). Each meeting room has its own sound, lighting, and internet connections.
There are also many loading areas for trucks and a large space for shuttle buses. The building has modern technology, including high-speed internet and fiber optic cables. This helps with live broadcasts and showing things on 120 TV screens around the center.
Events and Uses
The NRG Center hosts some of Houston's biggest events. Besides the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, many other large conventions and trade shows happen here.
Some popular events include:
- The Offshore Technology Conference
- The Reliant Park World Series of Dog Shows
- The Nutcracker Market
- The Houston Auto Show
- The International Gem & Jewelry Show
- The Vans Warped Tour
- The Houston Gun Collector's and Antique Show
- The Houston Boat, Sport, and Travel Show
Helping During Hurricanes
The NRG Center has also been used as a safe place for people during emergencies. In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina, the center welcomed thousands of people who needed shelter. Again, in 2017, after Hurricane Harvey, the NRG Center became a shelter for many people.
WrestleMania Axxess
From April 2 to April 5, 2009, the NRG Center hosted WrestleMania Axxess. This was a special event where fans of World Wrestling Entertainment could meet their favorite wrestlers. It was part of the excitement leading up to WrestleMania XXV, which happened at the nearby NRG Stadium.
Offshore Technology Conference (OTC)
Since 2003, the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) has been held at the NRG Center. The OTC is a very large event. It focuses on new technologies for finding and producing energy resources from the ocean. It also covers ways to protect the environment while doing this. Tens of thousands of people attend this important conference each year.
