The Anaheim Convention Center first became a meetings and conventions destination in 1967, and the original construction consisted of the domed Arena, which stands on Katella Avenue, an Exhibit Hall and Meeting Space. Since those early days, the Anaheim Convention Center has completed a total of 6 expansions plus several cosmetic renovations to update the Convention Center. Five of the major expansions provided additional exhibit hall and meeting room space. While the 5th expansion, completed in January 2000 resulted in a complete transformation of the Anaheim Convention Center and surrounding campus, the most recent expansion, completed in January 2013, was the Grand Plaza, a 100,000 square feet of exterior space offering meeting planners the opportunity for large outdoor gatherings including alfresco dining, concerts, receptions, exhibitions, meetings and more. The Grand Plaza's singular design makes it unique among outdoor event venues and extremely versatile to accommodate almost any event.
The Convention Center had a groundbreaking ceremony for the 7th expansion on April 21, 2015. This will add 200,000 square feet of flexible space, which can be used for exhibits, meeting rooms or ballroom functions. This upcoming expansion will also include a parking structure with 1,400 spaces. While the Anaheim Convention Center is already the largest convention center on the west coast, this new expansion will increase potential exhibit space beyond the 1 million square foot mark.
The Anaheim Convention Center houses 815,000 square feet of exhibit space, already the largest exhibit facility on the West Coast, which will increase to 1.15 million square feet by May 2017. All halls are directly accessible from the spacious lobby/registration pre-function areas.