Dena'ina and Egan: your local civic centers: plan your meeting now!(CONVENTION SPECIAL SECTION)

• Author: Kamm, Demse

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For more than two years, the Anchorage community has eagerly been watching the Dena'ina Center ascend into its position in the downtown Anchorage skyline. From the ground-breaking to the present day, the colossal 200,000-square-foot building continues to open the Alaska convention market to more and more meeting planners, making Anchorage a contender for conventions previously out of reach due to the city's convention capacity. But the in-state potential for the facility is what makes the Dena'ina Civic & Convention Center a truly Alaska facility.

From the unique northern design elements to the expansive Exhibit Hall, from the million dollar view of the Chugach Mountain range to the streamlined staging capabilities, the Dena'ina Civic & Convention center will revolutionize Alaska's meetings, tradeshow and events marketplace.

However, this new facility isn't the whole story. As the Dena'ina Center nears completion, the Egan Center, too, has undergone a $3 million facelift. These sister facilities make multiple in-state conventions, events and tradeshows possible. Tied together by a color scheme that reflects the seasons of Southcentral, the palate of the Egan will mirror that of the Dena'ina, allowing delegates and event-goers to experience a seamless transition from one building to the next. The connectivity continues outside the buildings as well, with heated sidewalks and covered walkways connecting the pedestrian-centric corridor between the buildings.

Together, these two beautiful facilities can house several small groups or one large in-state group of up to 5,000 delegates to experience Anchorage's Big. Wild. Life.[TM]. The Anchorage Convention Centers combine to increase Anchorage's convention capacity by more than 300 percent making the Anchorage market more competitive than ever to the Lower 48, international meeting planner and in-state event organizers.

But, out-of-town meeting planners and event coordinators are not the only ones who will benefit from these facilities. The "civic" portion of the meeting business is an essential component to both venues, and subsequently, the city's success. Local organizers make more than 75 percent of bookings to the Egan. These local organizations, festivals and exhibitions are already taking advantage of the potential that the increased space of the two centers offers their businesses. Many feel the increased capacity will provide for increased revenue streams by...