Challenging Venue Requests? We Can Accommodate

For two days in October, the space at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center transformed to accommodate the largest aerospace industry conference in the Southeast.

The South Carolina Aerospace Conference and Expo connects industry, academia and government personnel to showcase the rapidly growing aerospace cluster in South Carolina. With such a unique mission, nearly 70 exhibitors, and over 600 attendees, the expo presents challenging venue needs that the CMCC has been able to accommodate going on four years. 

More than enough room for events of all sizes

This year the conference and expo included international, national and regional vendors, as well as speakers from NASA and the University of South Carolina.

With 23,700 square feet and 30-foot high ceilings in the Convention Center's Exhibit Hall, there was no doubt the CMCC could accommodate everything requested for the big event.

Plenty of space for unconventional demonstrations

One of the major exhibits at the event was hosted by Lockheed Martin, an aircraft manufacturer. The exhibit included an interactive flight demonstrator, which required a lot of logistical planning to set-up by the CMCC team.

The CMCC staff found a way to navigate the eight large crates that arrived on an 18-wheeler through the service hall to get them to the clients desired location. 

Electrical capabilities to suit all presentation needs

The client's preferred spot for the flight demonstrator didn't support the required amount of power needed to run the presentation. The CMCC staff came up with a solution to pull power from a separate location in the building which allowed them to keep the massive demonstration where the client envisioned it.

Innovative sound solutions 

The vendors for this event were set up in the Exhibit Hall which also served as the location for the keynote speaker stage. After years of partnership with the client, the CMCC Events Team knew that a quiet space for the keynote speakers was important to the event's success. The CMCC decided to create a sound barrier between the vendors and the keynote speaker stage. A thick drapery was hung from the ceiling allowing for a 30-foot wall in the center of the Exhibit Hall to help with sound.

Real-time assistance from the CMCC staff

On two occasions, the team was faced with onsite set-up changes during the conference and expo. Requests were on tight timeframes—however, the team was able to completely reset two locations to meet all the client's needs.

After day one, the client requested that the keynote speaker area be set in all 60" rounds rather than half rounds and half theater style seating. The CMCC team was able to make this change before 6:00 a.m. the next morning and before attendees arrived for the day. 

With the use of an airwall and rearranging tables, the Richland Room was made smaller for a more intimate breakout session. The CMCC team was able to troubleshoot this request in under 20 minutes allowing for a more comfortable session experience. 

Catering support for large-scale audiences

The CMCC catered breakfast each day as well as boxed lunches for all 600 attendees. A lounge using CMCC furniture in the Exhibit Hall created a comfortable seating area for the attendees while eating and networking.

Need space for your conference or special event? The Convention Center can help. Reach out for a consultation today.

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