Dena'ina: open on schedule.

• Author: Cutler, Debbie
• Position: From the Editor - Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center

This months marks the official grand opening of Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center, located in downtown Anchorage in close proximity to the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts and the Egan Convention and Civic Center.

The 215,000-square-foot center, a $103 million facility, is designed to be "the most significant convention facility in the far northern portion of the United States," according to the Anchorage Civic & Convention Center District Web site.

Now completed, it boasts a 26,000-square-foot ballroom that has the capacity to hold 140 booths, 2,000 banquet seats and 2,800 theatre seats. The exhibit hall, according to the Web site, will accommodate 250 trade show booths, 3,500 banquet seats and 5,000 theatre seats.

It was designed by Rim Architects and LMN and will "showcase the spectacular scenery of Alaska while taking advantage of the low sun angle during the winter and the drawn-out sunsets during the summer," the Web site stated.

CONVENTIONS BOOKED

Alaska Business Monthly was one of the first to celebrate in style at the new Dena'ina. On Sept. 29, we held our annual Top 49ers luncheon, featuring the Top 49 Alaskan-owned and -operated businesses in the state. This year was a banner year when it was announced two Native corporations broke the $1 billion mark, historically only an accomplishment of Arctic Slope Regional Corp.

The first pubic event at the new convention center was held Sept. 18, a monthly luncheon put on by the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau. The first national convention was held Sept. 21-25 by the Port Authority Convention.

Many more are scheduled: Alaska Travel...