Anaheim Convention Center History

Anaheim Convention Center History. The 1960s. , In 1960, a group of 61 Anaheim business people calling themselves the Anaheim Visitor and Convention Bureau organized to see what they could do to make the city a year-round tourist destination. Their goal was to better capitalize on the huge success of Disneyland which had opened in 1955. Their solution was to build a convention center that could help fill hotel rooms throughout the year, not just during spring and summer vacation season. , Conventions were big business but some industry insiders were skeptical of Anaheim's plans. Until that time, convention goers tended to be middle-aged men who were interested in getting away for a few days to blow off some steam. Chicago, New York, and Las Vegas were the top convention cities in the nation. Could a family oriented convention center survive? If the Anaheim Convention Center were to succeed it would have to tap into a market many thought didn't exist. Much as they had gambled on the success of Disneyland a decade before, in 1964 City leaders accepted the challenge and took the giant step of approving plans for a convention "arenatorium" and exhibit complex to be designed by Adrian Wilson and Associates. They issued $14.7 million in revenue bonds for the construction of a facility that would sit on 40 acres of land across Katella Avenue from Disneyland. The facility was developed by the Community Center Authority, a joint-powers agency of the Anaheim Union High School District and the City of Anaheim. , Del Webb Construction Co., which also constructed Anaheim Stadium, was selected to build the new complex. In February 1965 Tom Liegler was appointed Director of both Anaheim Stadium and the Convention Center and in May 1965 the groundbreaking ceremony was held. The original 375,000 square foot facility was comprised of an arena having 5,500 permanent seats and could be expanded to hold up to 9,100 patrons depending on the function and set-up, a 100,000 square foot exhibit hall, 25 meeting rooms including a multipurpose theatre/ballroom, kitchen facilities that could feed up to 5,000 attendees and 2,045 parking spaces. , The 13th Annual Orange County Home and Decorator Show, produced by George Colouris, was the first event to take place in the exhibit hall of the new facility. The popular consumer show was held June 30-July 9, 1967 and became an annual fixture in the Convention Center that continues to this day. , The Anaheim Convention Center officially opened its doors with a formal dedication on July 12, 1967. The opening ceremony began at 10AM with the descent of five parachutists who brought a special proclamation to Mayor Pebley from the Chamber of Commerce followed by a performance of the Disneyland Band and the Anaheim Choraleers, daylight fireworks, and a sky filled with hundreds of white pigeons and thousands of orange balloons. That evening, the Tommy Walker produced festivities continued with famed Boston Pops maestro Arthur Fiedler conducting the Orange County Symphony Orchestra accompanied by the Southern California Mormon Choir and the famed "Dancing Waters". , A distinct advantage for the newly opened facility was the 5,500 hotel and motel rooms within the immediate area that had been developed to accommodate the millions of visitors to Disneyland. The new Convention Center, combined with the hotels, the efforts of the professional team assembled to manage the facility and the Visitor and Convention Bureau, tourist attractions, and the wonderful Southern California weather, all combined to make the Anaheim Convention Center a great success from its inception.