Courtesy Sheraton Sioux Falls
Convention center is convenient
SMMC attendees will find the center easy to use. Its 16,800-square-foot ballroom and two 16,800-square-foot exhibit halls are all on one floor, adjacent to one another, with a dozen breakout rooms around two sides.
“The layout is very simple; there are no escalators into places that you can’t see. It is very user-friendly, and we are proud of that,” Hegg said.
When the convention center opened 15 years ago, the two exhibit halls were the typical concrete caverns. Today, with the addition of versatile lighting systems, better sound systems and roll-out carpeting, the halls are often used as ballrooms. Weddings are frequently held in the exhibit halls, Hegg said.
There is free parking on every side of the center, with 3,400 total parking spaces. The center is also attached to the existing Sioux Falls Arena, which seats about 8,000.
The convention center will be connected to two major event facilities when the Premier Center opens. After the events center opens, it is likely that the existing arena will be used more for trade shows and conventions, Hegg said.
The convention center is managed by SMG, and the Sheraton is owned and managed by John Q. Hammons; but the two staffs work together.
“We communicate frequently, have regular meetings, have shared drives and work together on proposals,” said Hegg.
