Ocean Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ocean Center |
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|---|---|
| Location | Seabreeze Historic District |
| Operator | Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau |
| Inaugurated | October 5, 1985 |
| Renovated | 2009 |
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Construction cost
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$82 million (2009 renovations) |
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Classroom-style seating
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16 (Ocean Room) 8 (Clyde Mann Suite) |
| Banquet/ballroom | 896 (Ballroom) |
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Theatre seating
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9,312 (Arena) 8,020 (Basketball) |
| Enclosed space | |
| • Total space | 205,000 square feet (19,000 m2) |
| • Exhibit hall floor | 93,028 square feet (8,642.6 m2) |
| • Breakout/meeting | 34,507 square feet (3,205.8 m2) |
| • Ballroom | 53,979 square feet (5,014.8 m2) |
| Parking | 3 lots, 1389 total spaces |
| Tenants | |
| Daytona Beach Sun Devils/Breakers (SuHL/SHL) (1992–96) Daytona Beach Hawgs (NIFL) (2005) Daytona Beach Thunder (AIFL/WIFL) (2006–07) Daytona Beach ThunderBirds (af2) (2008) |
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The Ocean Center is a large convention center located in Daytona Beach, Florida. It's a huge place where many different events happen. In fact, it's the fifth largest convention center in all of Florida.
Contents
What's Inside the Ocean Center?
The Ocean Center has a massive 205,000 square feet (19,000 m2) of space for meetings. This includes 42,000 square feet (3,900 m2) in the main arena for exhibits. There's also a 14,000 square feet (1,300 m2) Ballroom and 32,000 square feet (3,000 m2) of meeting rooms. A newer Exhibit Hall adds another 94,695 square feet (8,797.5 m2) of space. It has tall ceilings, a big drive-in door, and six loading docks. Plus, there's 100,000 square feet (9,300 m2) of outdoor space for parking or exhibits.
The Ocean Center got a cool new entrance thanks to a $3 million grant. This money helped create a Cultural Information Center (CIC). It made the lobby 51,635 square feet (4,797.0 m2) bigger with more places to gather. The CIC also has new restrooms and snack areas. It shows off art from the "Arts in Public Places" program. You can see permanent and visiting art from all over Volusia County here. The new entrance also has a fresh look and a special mural. This mural changes to match the events happening at the center.
The main arena is super flexible for different events. It can seat 6,176 people for ice hockey games. For basketball, it holds 8,362 fans. If you're going to the circus, there's room for 7,184 people. Ice shows can host 7,380, and wrestling events fit 8,582. For concerts, the arena can hold up to 9,440 people. The Ocean Center also hosts banquets, trade shows, high school graduations, and many other events.
A Look Back in Time
The Ocean Center first opened its doors in 1985. Back then, it had 60,000 square feet (5,600 m2) of exhibit space. It also had 18 smaller rooms for different groups. The first concert was on October 3, 1985. Christian pop singer Amy Grant performed for 2,938 people. Two days later, John Denver was the grand opening act. He sang to a crowd of 7,368 fans.
Fun Events and Shows
The Ocean Center has hosted many famous acts and exciting events. You might have seen The Harlem Globetrotters here. Other popular performers include Lipizzaner Stallions and Larry the Cable Guy. The Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus have also visited. The Miss Teen USA Pageant and WWE Live have taken place here too.
The fun, furry characters of Sesame Street have often performed at the Ocean Center. They had many shows in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. In October 1997, the Ocean Center hosted the Nice n' Easy U.S. Figure Skating Classic. Famous skaters like Tara Lipinski and Michelle Kwan competed. The event was later shown on ABC. The Ocean Center also hosts The Passion Conferences with worship singer Chris Tomlin.
Many big music stars have played concerts here. These include Gloria Estefan and Eric Clapton. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers also performed. More recently, Pitbull (with Enrique Iglesias), Maroon 5, and Ariana Grande have rocked the stage.
The Ocean Center has been a big part of professional wrestling history. In 1996, World Championship Wrestling held their Bash At The Beach event here. At this show, Hulk Hogan, a huge fan favorite, surprised everyone. He turned into a "bad guy" (called a heel) and helped create the famous NWO group. This moment changed wrestling forever!
Years later, in 2010, Hulk Hogan turned "heel" again at the Ocean Center. This happened during Impact Wrestling's Bound for Glory event. He helped Jeff Hardy win a championship. This led to the formation of another group called Immortal.
On June 29, 2019, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) held their Fyter Fest event. This was AEW's second big pay-per-view show.
Sports Action
The Ocean Center has hosted many exciting sports events. It was home to the 1988 Trans-America Athletic Conference men's basketball tournament. Some Bethune-Cookman University basketball games are also played here. The Harlem Globetrotters often visit the arena. The Land of Magic Basketball Tournament is also held here.
The National Cheerleaders Association and the State Cheer and Dance Competition have been hosted here for over 20 years. Many Volleyball Competitions also take place at the Ocean Center. These include the Daytona 100 Volleyball Competition and the Florida Volleyball Festival. Gymnastic Tournaments are also held here, such as Ace Gymnastics and Pan American Gymnastics.
In 2015, the Geico Endurocross series started its championship here. This happened during Daytona Bike Week. Cody Webb won the main event.
Ice Hockey History
The Daytona Beach Sun Devils played hockey games at the Ocean Center. They were part of the Sunshine Hockey League from 1992 to 1995. In 1995, the team changed its name to the Daytona Beach Breakers. They played in the Southern Hockey League. Both the team and the league stopped playing after the 1995-96 season.
Other Cool Events
- Daytona Beach Garden Show - This is an annual event held in March. It's co-sponsored by local garden clubs and the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
- Daytona Beach Home Show - Another annual event, usually in October. It's co-sponsored by the Pilot Club of Daytona Beach and the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
- National Reptile Breeders Expo - This event happens every third week of August for three days. People can see and buy reptiles at this expo.
- National High School Drill Team Championships (http://nhsdtc.thenationals.net) - This event has been held here since the building opened. It usually takes place the first weekend in May. High school Junior ROTC teams perform military drills and ceremonies. About 4,000 people attend this three-day competition.
- National Youth Football Championships (http://football.thenationals.net) - This event is held annually on American Thanksgiving weekend. Youth football and cheerleading teams from across North America compete. It includes a youth cheer competition and an awards ceremony.
- Florida Federation of Colorguards Circuit (http://ffcc.org/) - This is an annual championship for Winter guard and indoor percussion ensembles. Teams compete for placement in different divisions. The FFCC state championship is planned to stay at the Ocean Center through 2023.
