Portland, Oreg. has long been known as a leisure tourist destination, with a reputation that bills it as an eccentric place to dine, shop, and explore—and its Pacific Northwest locale means there are plenty of gorgeous waterfalls just a short drive away. But did you know it also offers a robust portfolio of meeting and convention venues? So much has developed in Stumptown since the events industry returned in full force from the pandemic, so now seemed like the perfect time to check in with this dynamic destination.
Within the last year, Portland has hosted more than 40 citywide conferences that welcomed more than 170,000 attendees. "It's such an exciting time in Portland for meeting and event planners," said Desiree Everett, the vice president of convention sales at Travel Portland. An upcoming event the DMO is particularly excited about: the Portland E-Prix, kicking off June 24. It marks the only U.S. stop on the Formula-E schedule for 2023. "It’s quite fitting for a city where sustainability, carbon footprints, and eco-friendly practices are woven throughout the fabric of the city," Everett added.
What about where to host in Portland? Well, there's no shortage of reliable, high-tech conference spaces, plus non-traditional venues that Travel Portland said are "packed with personality."
Here's a rundown of where to host (including what's new), and why event attendees are sure to love Portland...
For a sustainable conference: Oregon Convention Center
Everett says that Portland's 10,000 hotel rooms in its city center are all within two miles of the Oregon Convention Center, which spans 478,000 square feet in total exhibit space.
In 2016, the Oregon Convention Center completed an installation of more than 6,500 solar panels. It's now one of the highest-producing solar power arrays ever installed on a U.S. convention center.Photo: Courtesy of Oregon Convention Center
"Not only is Portland continuously ranked as one of the most walkable (and bikeable) cities in the country, the added accessibility from our convention center by light rail makes it that much easier for attendees to explore our robust restaurant scene, entertainment venues, and no-sales-tax shopping at their fingertips," Everett said.
The venue has a long history with sustainability, becoming the first convention center in the world to earn LEED certification for exhibit buildings in 2004 (it eventually earned LEED Platinum status in 2014). It's also the only convention center in the U.S. to have earned a level four of the Event Industry Council's APEX/ASTM Environmentally Sustainable Meeting Standards, which are now known as the EIC Sustainable Event Standards.
The Hyatt Regency Portland at the Oregon Convention Center is Hyatt's first full-service hotel in Oregon.Photo: Taggart Sorenson
The convention center is also now adjacent to the long-awaited Hyatt Regency Portland at the Oregon Convention Center, a 600-room hotel that opened in December 2019 and has 39,000 of its own square feet of meeting space.
"Its full potential has yet to be realized as convention business continues to grow, and [it's] a great option for meeting planners in terms of new offerings and proximity to convention services," Everett said.
Another new luxe property downtown, The Ritz-Carlton, Portland will debut this summer as the city's first five-star hotel. It plans to offer 207 guest rooms and a pool on its 19th floor. A 20th-floor restaurant—overseen by Michelin-starred chef Pedro Almeida—will boast panoramic views of the Cascade Mountain Range and the city below. Planners can expect decor that's inspired by the surrounding topography, and more than 16,000 square feet of meeting and office space.
The Ritz-Carlton, Portland is aiming for a summer 2023 opening.Photo: Courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton, Portland
For something cool and industrial: The Redd on Salmon
Everett cited The Redd on Salmon as one of her favorite unique off-site venues. The space is located in a remodeled industrial building in Portland's Central Eastside. It's a project that supports a variety of food entrepreneurs in the city, including B-Line—an urban bicycle delivery service—and FoodCorps, which promotes urban food education and gardening in schools.
Planners will work with Ecotrust Events if they want to host here, and they can choose from a variety of event spaces, including the main hall, which spans 8,000 square feet and can accommodate 670 standing or 450 seated guests. Want to take it outside? The Plaza & Parking space is the most expansive, offering 22,000 square feet to work with for private events. It can accommodate 2,000 standing or 1,500 seated guests.
Groups that gather here will also be part of giving back. Ecotrust Events delivers 100% of event rental proceeds back to its nonprofit initiatives.
For a sporty off-site: Rose Quarter
There's a plethora of ways to host groups both large and small in Portland's sports and entertainment district, Rose Quarter, which boasts one million square feet of rentable space. The venues in this district often play host to public and private experiences, concerts, fundraisers, business meetings, and community events. Groups can catch a Portland Trail Blazers game at Moda Center, the region's premier arena. Planners can choose from a variety of spaces like the Courtside Club for 140 guests, the versatile Sphere for 70 guests, and the standout Rose Room for up to 200 guests.
Rose Quarter is also home to the 12,000-seat Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which was the original home for the Trail Blazers and is the current home of the WHL's Portland Winterhawks. Rentable spaces at this historic venue include an exhibit hall with room for up to 185 booths and 2,200 attendees for fairs, trade shows, and exhibitions. There are also banquet rooms that can accommodate up to 600 for meetings and other corporate events.
For the foodies: Kann
Portland's culinary scene is especially unique (just check out its legendary food-cart culture), and there's no shortage of ways that groups can experience it firsthand. "Portland’s culinary scene is made up of international cuisine, fusion, local farmers, and award-winning chefs, making it the perfect melting pot of options for travelers and locals alike," Everett said.
Kann debuted in 2022 in Portland's Central Eastside Industrial District and quickly landed on a number of best new restaurants lists that year.Photo: Steve Freihon
The city has had a number of exciting restaurant openings, including fine-dining hotspot Kann, from Top Chef alum and James Beard Award winner Gregory Gourdet. In 2022, it landed on a number of best new restaurants lists, including from the New York Times, Esquire, and Bon Appetit. Here, Haitian cuisine meets Pacific Northwest bounty. Gourdet and his team serve up a menu that features delicacies like plantain brioche buns, octopus with creole sauce and avocado, and glazed duck breast with cane syrup and pineapple.
For a serene outdoor venue: Lan Su Chinese Garden
Attendees will surely want to spend time outdoors in Portland's moderate climate and its gorgeous Pacific Northwest environment. To meet this need, consider the longstanding Lan Su Chinese Garden, chock full of winding walkways and open pavilions. This Suzhou-style garden is considered a year-round wonder and takes up an entire block of Portland's historic Chinatown district. Visitors can enjoy covered walkways, bridges, koi-filled ponds, and the manmade Zither Lake, plus tea at the garden's authentic teahouse, The Tao of Tea.
The garden's event calendar is usually packed with festive public events, including paper lantern viewings, calligraphy demonstrations, and its two-week Chinese New Year celebration each winter. But private events are welcome here too. Planners can host intimate dinners for 20 guests or larger receptions for up to 250.
