Anaheim Convention Center
45 reviews
Stanton, CA
"Where the heck is Stanton? That's what I said when my bro wanted to take me here for my bday. I got there first and seriously felt like I…" read more »
9 Reviews for Anaheim Convention Center
I went for CHA (Craft and Hobby Association) here and it was huge! I think I preferred CHA in Vegas which seemed much more organized and manageable (although, I guess it was getting crowded there so that's why they moved it to this larger hall). Where the hell was Martha Stewart speaking anyway?
Because CHA covers a wide range of crafts, most of the things I wanted to see were located near each other but every now and then, you'll run into something odd like the rifle cozie lady next to some scrapbooking paper booth.
This convention center has hooooorible food that I was forced to eat for several days. I tried various kiosks but they were pretty much all the same slop with a different color sauce. It was too much of a hassle to try to leave and go somewhere else (not that I really wanted to go to the only walking distance option- Downtown Disney).
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A nice place to conference (currently here for the Sungard Higher Education Summit) but misses the 5-star mark on one major account.
Outside of the meeting rooms/exhibit halls, how much would it take to get a place to sit inside this facility? They tout their free WiFi (which, for laptop-toting fiends like myself is quite handy while on the road), but it's hard to use when you're crumpled up in a corner trying to avoid the flow of 8,000 of your closest friends.
However, minus that complaint, I'm impressed at how easy it is to navigate. Despite the high number of attendees, it is easy to get from one floor to the next and to move seamlessly from the CC to the Hilton Hotel next door (for those lucky enough to be located next the convention center vs. us bus-dwelling shuttle folks).
Now I can only translate everything I've learned into action items when I get back to the office...that'll be the true test!
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Well, shit, I finally made it to the NAMM (aka North American Music Manufacturers) show at the beautiful Anaheim Convention Center. What did I see there? Wellll.....
THE USEFUL:
- Parking was very easy if you show up early. If you show up late don't despair, there's only 500 hotels all over the area with gigantic parking lots. Your ass is covered.
- The staff and even the Security guys were very helpful and friendly. I was waiting to get "Punk'd", it was too copasetic for comfort.
- The phone signal inside the Convention Center was very low. My wife and I tried sending texts to each other across the hall and didn't get them until ten minutes after we sent them. This is pretty frustrating if you're lost in a big clusterf*ck like the NAMM show.
THE FUNNY:
- I was in the world's biggest Guitar Center. All I could hear was either bad metal guitar or geriatric blues-dude guitar (think "Ghost World" bar scene). Every old creep thought he was Stevie Ray Vaughn. Well, he's dead, just like Buddy Hackett.
- Ten years after quitting the music biz and sound men are still the most arrogant assholes on the planet. They all walked around with a big Peavey-sized cabinet up their ass.
- Celebrities galore graced the NAMM show: Paul Stanley, Mick Mars, my wife said, "What the fuck am I doing here? I might as well be back at work". (She makes clothes for metal bands) Paul Stanley had more make-up on than an old Jewish lady on Fairfax.
THE COOL:
- Every instrument was represented there, they even had see through ocarinas (WTF?). Is there a more lesbian instrument than a see-through ocarina?
- I'm not a big violin lover but the electric violins were insane, some of them were shaped like jet fighters and some were in cubist Picasso shapes. Wild!
- The best guitar maker was Johnson Guitars, who showcased axes shaped like shotguns, AK-47s, Gumby, King Tut hieroglyphics, you name it, these crackers were off the hook!
- There were multicolored saxophones, multicolored music stands, it was every bit a feast to the eyes as it was to the ears.
I finally made it to the NAMM show, and I had fun. I hope I never go back there again!
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I've been here both as a lookie-loo and an exhibitor. First time was for one of those Home Shows... there's always a booth there that sells powdered dip mixes where you add the bag to a tub of sour cream and enjoy. The samples are always delicious, and I buy a bunch, and then they sit in the back of the cupboard for a year until I find it and throw it out. Then the next Home Show comes, and I repeat the cycle... lol...
My first time as an exhibitor was for the 2007 OC Autoshow. Not a bad show, but definitely small beans compared to the LA Autoshow or some of the other larger metro events. Still, not too shabby. Regardless of the crowd, my feet were still achin' after 10 hours of standing around.
As for the facility itself, It's a lot bigger than I had thought. Lots of brushed aluminum and glass on the outside give it a modern look. Event staff was friendly, and on a plus note, if you get bored, Disneyland is across the street.
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I used to work for a cable modem company and every year they would send me to the Western Cable Show. If you've never been it's basically an expo for basically anything that has to do with cable. Hardware, software and channels. That's right Channels. HBO, Showtime, Comedy Central, Playboy, etc. So as you can imagine, it's just a huge party. Free shwag, hot booth girls and drinking martinis in the middle of the day. What's not to like? I've also hit the NAMM show a few times courtesy of Gibson Guitars and it's basically the same thing except for the music industry. RAWK
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Oh Anaheim Convention Center, while I was not fortunate enough to attend something "cool" within your cleverly planned infrastructure, I thoroughly enjoyed our oddly consummated relationship this weekend.
You served me well during my stint at the "Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development" conference. You guarded my car, provided reasonably sanitary bathrooms, and guaranteed endless pitchers of plastic-y tasting ice water for each "meaningful" conference session. Your expostion hall was plainitively packed with suprisingly attractive vendors willing to provide free pens and more free pens. Your powerpoint presentation capability was much appreciated...mostly by those marginally-intellectual presenters who failed miserably at keeping me awake and alert throughout the majority of the day.
Our one day stand was great. Maybe we'll reunite again on a random march morning for something intriguing and inviting...like the California Teachers' Association conference. I'm counting the days.
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I attended the annual Cookie Lee Jewelry Convention at the Anaheim Convention Center the weekend before last. (yes, yes y'all, I sell jewelry. let me know if you need some new accessories to complete your outfit!) It was my time at the Convention Center and I was quite pleased with the venue. First of all, it was HUGE! I attended a 4 hour training in one of the many meeting rooms. The air con was up a bit high, but that's too be expected in a place like that. After my training classes, I went to eat lunch down in "Hall B" which was huge!! The catering crew provided friendly service and the food was quite yummy! Kudos that the tables were set pretty with flowers too!
The huge Arena where the General Sessions took place was very accomidating and SPACIOUS. Oh, and it sure carried the accoustics well. With thousands of women attending a jewelry convention, it got pretty loud in there. It was so. much. fun!
Overall, I thought the Anaheim Convention Center was great! The public restrooms were clean. The venue staff were friendly and helpful. And it was in a central location close to the Disneyland Resort and luckily, my motel was situated directly across the street. I'd definitely suggest having an event at the Convention Center. AND, I'm looking forward to attending Convention next year! Go Cookie Lee Jewelry! And Go Anaheim Convention Center!
*surprised no ones review this yet.... oh well*
Holy cow this place is HUGE! Like the size of the moon huge.(note the exaggeration) There's an upstairs, downstairs, up more stairs, through my stairs, every where! There's so much space you could throw a rave in here.... hint, hint. It's the largest convention center on the West Coast and one of the largest convention centers in the world. See I told you it was BIG!
I go here every year for the NAMM convention. No not Vietnam! It stands for National Association of Music Merchants. Aka the place where musicians go to drool over new gear, meet musicians, the gods themselves, and hopefully get some free shit or an endorsement. There's so much room you really feel overwhelmed walking around the convention.
The food here is not all that great. Get yourself some drinks and that's it. You're better off going back to your hotel and ordering room service or a pizza. They also have bars located through out the convention so I can get drunk while walking around. Besides it numbs the pain from my feet. Which reminds me, wear comfortable walking shoes! The ground is cement but they lay down carpet every where but it's still not enough.
Parking fills up very quickly here. If you don't arrive early you'll wind up walking a HUGE city block or more waaaay across the street. And believe me it's not a fun walk on top of walking around the convention.
God damn my feet hurt.
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