Since opening our doors 15 years ago, the Salem Convention Center has received an overwhelming amount of praise, accolades and awards from event attendees, civic leaders, community members and event professionals alike! Why is this? We believe it's our commitment to going above and beyond to create an event experience like none other. Add in our dedication to sustainability, clean and inviting meeting rooms, stunning architecture, and a desirable location in the heart of downtown Salem, it's no wonder that people seem to love The Salem Convention Center! To celebrate 15 years of serving the Salem, Oregon community and this region, we thought this would be the optimal time to share 15 things people love the most about The Salem Convention Center. #1- The Salem Convention Center staff and partners bring a level of professionalism that is unsurpassed. The staff at The Salem Convention Center has accommodated hundreds, if not thousands of unique events and has years of irreplaceable experience at all levels of event management. At every turn, you'll find experienced, friendly and professional service that has stood the test of time. We're confident that our staff is going to blow you and your guests away. “Large 300 person corporate event...The venue was the perfect choice. The staff attentive, sharp on detail, plated food service was delicious. Partnership they have with Allied video topped off the most professional event in Salem. Thank you!” - Google Review February 2020 “We were blown away by the courteous, prompt service anticipating our every need. This attention permeated every level of staff. Any request, no matter how large or small, received full and immediate attention. In addition, the entire SCC was decorated in a festive holiday fashion. Your staff were always efficient, friendly and respectful. Thank you.” - Local Review, Dec 2019 “My experience with Salem Convention Center couldn't have been better! The staff was super helpful, friendly, and quick. At all points of the process from deciding when, where, what my party would entail to the very end and billing they proved themselves to be customer service oriented and very helpful. I would highly recommend them and consider using them for a future event as well.” - Local Review, January 2019 #2- We run a tight ship when it comes to cleanliness and aesthetics! The moment you walk through our doors, you will be greeted with an open and inviting space featuring natural lighting, museum-quality art along with impeccable design and interior furnishings. The clean, attractive contemporary design and Pacific Northwest-inspired architecture is one of the most desired features of our facility. #3- We're attached to one of Salem's most desired hotels! Event-goers and organizers have frequently told us how much they appreciate the convenience of having the award-winning 193-room The Grand Hotel in Salem and Bentley's Restaurant attached to our facility. #4 We are committed to reducing our carbon footprint with renewable energy and sustainable business practices. The Salem Convention Center was designed from the ground up to be environmentally sustainable and energy-efficient. Fifteen years later, we are still choosing to take actions that will preserve the natural resources of our planet for future generations to enjoy. Our facility has successfully adapted multiple renewable energy systems to power our events and day-to-day operations. In addition to being one of the first buildings in Salem to earn LEED-EB Silver Certification, The Salem Convention Center has been recognized by the United States Green Building Council, Oregon Business Magazine on the 100 Best Green Workplaces in Oregon list. #5. We have earned the respect and trust of event professionals, organizers, and presenters from all over the region. Event planning professionals and organizers have often raved about our facility and services have come back year after year. In fact, the Salem Convention Center has been named Best Oregon Convention/Conference Venue by Northwest Meetings & Events magazine readers three times! “I go to a lot of convention centers, not only as a customer, but as an organizer. This convention center is among the top two or three in the country. Highly recommend placing your event here if you want professional service and nice facilities.”- Google Review November 2019 “I have come here for several company events over the past 2 years and have not been anything less than impressed. These folks do a fantastic job making sure everything is put together the way it needs to be, the establishment is clean, and the staff members are always welcoming and professional. If you are looking to have a personal or corporate event, then I would recommend the Salem Convention Center.” - Posted by a professional photographer on Google Review, 2019 “We hosted our industry conference with the Salem Convention Center in January 2020. They made the whole process so easy. The staff is very professional and quick to respond to all needs. The catering was delicious and helped us take our event to the next level. We were pleased with every aspect and highly recommend this venue.” - Local Review, Jan 2020 #6 We have delicious catering! Inspired by sustainable, local farms and ingredients, our on-site chefs and catering team will bring the Northwest's freshest seasonal offerings to your table. Whether it's a selection from our extensive menu or a special menu tailored to your specific needs, our staff is here to cater your perfect meal. “The kitchen produced meals and snacks that wowed our guests and kept everyone fueled throughout the day. I couldn't have asked for a more professional and caring environment.”- Local Review, Oct 2019 “We had such an awesome time for our large group event again this year. The food was terrific and the staff was pleasant!” -Google Review November 2019 “The Italian Buffett was outstanding. Our guest loved the food and again the servers were so friendly and helpful. We will most certainly hold another event here sometime soon. “ Local Review March 2019 #7. Our central location cannot be beaten! Salem, Oregon is not just central to the Willamette Valley region, we are central to Oregon, making this area an ideal place for out-of-towners living all over the region to gather. Just off I-5, event attendees will have no problems finding our facility. “Great location for meetings. Prompt service and beautiful location.”- Google Review December 2019 “Easy parking, downtown, convenient, nice architecture, large conference rooms.” - Google Review November, 2019 #8- Our space can accommodate wedding ceremonies and receptions of all sizes and tastes. The Salem Convention Center offers a number of beautiful spaces for weddings. Whether your guest list is 10 people or 800, our open and spacious design gives us the ability to customize just about any wedding- whether it's small, medium or large. Our wedding and event “dream team” will also work with each engaged couple to create the wedding they envision according to their tastes and unique desires. “I had my wedding at the Salem Convention Center and it was so BEAUTIFUL! Sarah made everything come together and I had no stress! The wedding was wonderful, beautiful, amazing! I would definitely recommend the Convention Center, and Sarah, to anyone thinking about getting married or having any kind of party!”- www.weddingwire.com “Sarah and the staff at Salem Convention Center were amazingly helpful, organized, and friendly. Our wedding was a success. Thank you to everyone for helping. “- Local Review Feb, 2020 “We decided to have our small wedding in the Marion Room at Salem convention center. Sarah, the catering manager, was exceptional throughout the whole process and never left me with any questions unanswered. They did everything they could possibly do to make sure our wedding day was amazing- and it was! I highly recommend staying here and also hosting your event here! The entire staff was friendly and accommodating. 10/10!” #9 We are an “all-under-one-roof” facility which means we take care of every detail from start to finish so you can relax knowing we've got your back! When you book an event with The Salem Convention Center, you're not just getting an attractive space to host your party. You're getting on-site event coordinator, full catering services, tables, chairs, centerpieces, linens, a professional banquet staff to set up and tear down the room, large dance floors, entertainment staging and complete audio-visual services. It's practically a no-brainer! “The staff is amazing! From planning the event to the day of, everyone is so friendly and extremely helpful! They do so much for you. You don't have to worry about the excessive details or feel like you are doing everything by yourself. They accommodate all your needs. The most work I had to do was set up the decorations and take them down. The staff took care of the rest. Every request I made before, during, and after the event was fulfilled. Great staff! Great location! Beautiful ballrooms!” - Google Review 2019 “We recently held a reception and board meeting at the Salem Convention Center. From start to finish, we received excellent customer service. The meeting space and food was exceptional. We will not hesitate to return.” Local Review May 2019 #10 Our partnership with Allied allows us to provide the best AV/Tech support in town! The Salem Convention Center is proud to partner with Allied Video Productions (AVP) to help meet the needs of businesses and organizations that book their events in our facility. As part of your all-inclusive package, we will support your audio-visual needs; whether it's simply a single microphone for speeches or special lighting, video presentations on the big screens, sound support, artistic direction and much more. Guests can also rely on having access to high-speed Wi-Fi throughout the building. “Partnership they have with Allied video topped off the most professional event in Salem. Thank you!” - Google Review February 2020 “Each year the tech support by Julia is a show-saver. This year a presenter requested at the very last minute to include an audio feed as part of her presentation. Julia was unflappable and calmly made it happen. The audience and the speaker were very happy; so was I! Tina was great to work with in helping me coordinate the event and Yo kept the catering aspects running smoothly. Everyone was friendly, professional and very good at what they do.” - Local Review- Feb 2019 #11. Our impressive collection of museum-quality art featuring Oregon artists. One of the many features that make us stand out from other event venues is the extraordinary collection of sculptures and paintings we have in our permanent collection. The beautiful art that you see throughout our facility and around the downtown area did not happen by accident, it is part of a carefully curated collection of public art that is here as a result of the City of Salem's unique partnership with the Oregon Artists Series Foundation (OASF), a non-profit organization dedicated to benefiting our community by placing art in public places. #12 - We're walking distance to Oregon's State Capitol, Willamette University and other attractions in Historic Downtown Salem. From historic buildings to stately homes with a fascinating past, Salem, Oregon is steeped in history. Many of Salem's top attractions are located within easy walking distance of the Salem Convention Center. Whether you are here for a meeting, convention or social event, we hope you will find some time in your busy schedule to take a break and explore the many refreshingly unique destinations that make this city “the most Oregon part of Oregon”. #13 Free Parking!! If you're attending an event at the Salem Convention Center, you can relax knowing there are multiple FREE and EASY parking options for you to choose from and most are a very quick walk to the Convention Center. Here's a list of the best parking options for Salem Convention Center guests: FREE! Salem Convention Center – Complimentary Underground Parking. Enter from Liberty Street FREE! Pringle Parkade – Complimentary Roof Top Parking 325 High Steet SE (Southeast of the Convention Center). Enter from High or Liberty Streets FREE! Chemeketa Parkade – Complimentary Parking. 300 Chemeketa Street NE (3 blocks North on Commercial). Enter off Commercial Street just south of Chemeketa Street #14 When we say we have flexible meeting spaces, we mean FLEXIBLE! We will bend over backward to accommodate your needs. Booking an event at The Salem Convention Center means you will have access to a range of flexible and beautiful spaces to choose from. Whether your reunion is planned for 50 or 500 guests, we will help you choose the perfect space to create a memorable experience for all who attend. “The staff are great. They will bend over backward to accommodate special dietary needs or weird set-ups. The food is excellent and the overall costs are so reasonable. I love this place!” -Local Review March 2019 “When we learned our dance recital was double booked at the local theater, we contacted everywhere in Salem for an alternative venue. Tina worked magic to keep us on the same weekend, and on budget! The staff set up and tore down, they were helpful and everything was perfect! We are beyond grateful to SCC for a terrific recital.” - Local Review May, 2019 #15- The flexible meeting spaces were designed with your needs in mind. “The space was airy and light the acoustics well you could hear a pin drop when it got silent and you could hear across the room very very easily...we have had many a function there in all the different size rooms and it is very convenient for everyone. There is a wide range of food and there was a selection for everyone. The best part was I was able to get more than one cup of decaf coffee with cream...check it out if you have an event coming up they are set up for things from a small gathering to a large event to an actual convention.” - Google Review, 2019 “Large conference rooms equipped with good presentation media. We had a wonderful breakfast.” - Google Review 2019 “The meeting room we reserved was comfortable and well equipped, the food was excellent, the overnight room rates were reasonable, free parking a plus, and the staff service was outstanding. Sarah and her team were always available and responsive. Thank you for helping make our board meeting a success. We will be back!” - Local Review Dec 2019 Not sure if we could have said it better ourselves! Thanks to all of the businesses, non-profit organizations and individuals who have trusted us through the years with their important events and life milestones. Your support has helped us evolve into one of Oregon's premier venues for meetings, social events, weddings, conferences and conventions.
