Conventional Wisdom...Pennsylvania Convention Center

By Exhibitor magazine

Pennsylvania Convention Center
Located in the heart of downtown Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Convention Center (PCC) is a landmark rife with history and spectacular architectural details. The site first served as the Reading Railroad Terminal. More than a century later, the dramatic arched roof of the original train shed sweeps over a sprawling Grand Hall. Following a LEED-Gold certified expansion in 2011, the PCC offers 1 million square feet of meeting space including seven exhibit halls, two ballrooms, 82 meeting rooms, and a 10-story glass atrium. Measuring 2.3 million square feet overall with 528,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, the venue is the 14th largest convention center in the country. 

WHERE TO SLEEP
The 1,408-room Philadelphia Marriott Downtown occupies the head house of the former train terminal and adjoins the PCC, while the smaller 179-room Aloft Philadelphia Downtown is adjacent to the center's Broad Street entrance and has a direct interior connection to the venue. More than 9,000 hotel rooms are within a 15-minute walk.

WHAT TO EAT
The PCC's third-floor Overlook Cafe offers free Wi-Fi and a convenient on-site respite. The nearby Reading Terminal Market, one of the nation's oldest food bazaars and farmers markets, is considered a can't-miss Philadelphia experience. For client dinners, Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse is a popular destination.

HOW TO GET THERE
Philadelphia International Airport is located 7 miles from downtown, and taxis charge a flat fare of $28.50 for rides to the Convention Center District. Uber and Lyft offer rides to the PCC area starting at $23 and $21, respectively. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) runs the Airport Regional Rail Line, which costs $6.75 from the airport to the station across from the PCC.