LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas— Ongoing projects at Little Rock’s Statehouse Convention Center will ensure visitors see and feel modern amenities at the 220,000-square-foot facility. More than half of the nearly $9 million facelift is complete, with the entire project set to wrap up in summer 2025.
Visitors to the convention center will immediately notice the new interior updates in the Atrium. The center’s primary entrance was completely remodeled from floor to ceiling and now boasts two LED walls, which will help guests learn about what’s going on not only inside the convention center, but also what’s going on in and around Little Rock.
Just past the Atrium, new airwalls are being installed in the 18,362-square-foot Wally Allen Ballroom. These allow the space to be flexibly divided into as many as five separate rooms, accommodating space needs in increments as small as 1,817 square feet, with privacy and soundproofing. The entire ballroom now features programmable LED accent lighting and overhead lighting that can be controlled by users with basic or advanced interfaces.
By the end of the project, the ballroom and pre-function space will feature new carpet and wall coverings. Updated furniture has already been installed for many areas in the convention center, and another update includes conversion of payphone banks to workstations with charging ports for electronic devices.
The most notable changes to Level 1 are the look and feel of meeting rooms as well as the Gallery Hall outside the Governor’s Halls, the facility’s exhibition hall. Like the rest of the facility, all lighting has been updated to LED. New carpet, freshly painted walls and updated shadowbox décor have brightened the corridor that leads attendees to the 80,167-square-foot exhibition hall and other meeting areas.
Guests will notice updated electronic wayfinding and signage on every floor of the facility. In addition to room names, an alphanumeric designation is being added to each meeting room to make it easier for guests to navigate the center.
Network enhancements have also been made throughout the entire facility, providing increased bandwidth and advanced security measures. That means faster internet speeds with a more secure connection in meeting rooms – features that will soon reach every part of the facility.
“The Statehouse Convention Center is a do-all, be-all facility, and it’s in the heart of our vibrant downtown on the banks of the Arkansas River,” said Gina Gemberling, president and CEO of Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The LRCVB operates the convention center along with Robinson Center, Ottenheimer River Market Hall and Pavilions, First Security Amphitheatre and multiple parking structures. As the city’s destination marketing organization, our unique selling proposition is to offer turnkey services for group meetings by offering a single point of contact for site selection details, including hotels, meeting space, parking and event services.”
Another benefit the Statehouse Convention Center offers group meetings is the attached 418-room Little Rock Marriott hotel. The hotel also includes 40,000 square feet of meeting space and serves as the convention center’s exclusive food and beverage provider. The facility is also near several other downtown hotels.
Originally constructed in 1980 on the sites of the historic Grady Manning Hotel and Marion Hotel, the Statehouse Convention Center underwent a 117,000-square-foot expansion in 1999 to its current size. Today, the facility hosts hundreds of events for local, state and national organizations each year and serves as the centerpiece for LRCVB’s convention recruiting efforts.
For more information, visit littlerock.com/statehouse-convention-center.
