Convention Centers in Washington State Guide

Washington State has convention centers and expo venues on both sides of the Cascades: a multi-building convention center in Seattle, convention centers in Tacoma and Spokane, convention centers in the Tri-Cities and Yakima, and fairgrounds and event center halls from Lynden to Moses Lake. Below are Washington convention centers and expo venues that already have ready-made floor plans in Map D's Venue Library, grouped by region and linked to their venue pages so you can open a plan and start your booth layout. After the list you will find how to choose the right kind of hall, what to ask before you sign and how to turn a venue plan into a show floor you can sell.

Dimensions in this article come from the plans drawn in Map D's Venue Library, not from official venue specifications, so confirm every measurement, column, door and utility location with the venue before you sell a single booth.

How to Use This List of Washington Convention Centers

This is not a ranking and not a complete directory of every venue in Washington. It is a working list of venues with plans drawn in Map D's library, so you can see the approximate shape of a hall and test a booth layout before your first site visit. Where a venue has more than one plan in the library, such as different buildings, levels or halls, they are listed together.

Each venue page in the Map D venue directory shows the drawn floor plans for that building with their dimensions in feet and a preview of each plan. Choose a hall, select Use This Floor Plan Free, create a free account, and the plan opens in the editor as your starting canvas, ready for booths, aisles, labels and sponsor areas. Treat every plan as a starting point: halls get renovated, airwalls move and service corridors change, so check the drawing against the venue's current plan.

Seattle and Puget Sound Convention Centers

The Puget Sound region suits shows that rely on air travel and a large local audience. Seattle's convention center has more than one building in the library, and Tacoma has both an exhibit level and a ballroom level, which matters when you want an exhibit floor and general sessions close together.

• [Seattle Convention Center (Arch)](/venues/seattle-convention-center-arch-seattle/), Seattle: the drawn plan measures about 187 x 307 feet. The library also has plans for the Summit building (the drawn plan titled "Level 2 - Flex Hall B-C" measures about 158 x 245 feet) and a Seattle Convention Center listing (the drawn plan titled "Level 5" measures about 379 x 152 feet), so compare the plans to see which space fits your booth count.
• [Greater Tacoma Convention Center](/venues/greater-tacoma-convention-center-tacoma/), Tacoma: the drawn plan measures about 285 x 215 feet. The library also has a plan for the Grand Ballroom (the drawn plan titled "Level 3" measures about 238 x 155 feet) and a listing under the name Tacoma Convention Center (the drawn plan titled "Hall D" measures about 211 x 296 feet).
• [Kitsap County Fairgrounds - Pavilion](/venues/kitsap-county-fairgrounds-pavilion-bremerton/), Bremerton: the drawn plan measures about 252 x 160 feet.
• [Northwest Washington Fairgrounds](/venues/northwest-washington-fairgrounds-lynden/), Lynden: the drawn plan measures about 524 x 427 feet.

In a multi-building or multi-level venue, decide early whether the show floor, registration, sessions and food will share one level. Splitting an expo across buildings can work, but you need clear signage and a reason for attendees to walk to every hall. Our guide on how to plan a multi-hall trade show covers the trade-offs.

Southwest Washington

• [Clark County Event Center](/venues/clark-county-event-center-ridgefield/), Ridgefield: the drawn plan titled "Hall C" measures about 263 x 213 feet.

Event center and fairgrounds halls like this suit consumer shows, home shows and regional expos that want easy drive-in access and parking.

Spokane and Eastern Washington

Eastern Washington venues often host agricultural shows, outdoor and hobby expos, regional association meetings and consumer shows. Several have a convention center paired with an arena or dome, which can suit shows with a large display area or a concert or rodeo tie-in.

• [Spokane Convention Center](/venues/spokane-convention-center-spokane/), Spokane: the drawn plan titled "Ballrooms And Meeting Rooms" measures about 283 x 246 feet.
• [Three Rivers Convention Center](/venues/three-rivers-convention-center-kennewick/), Kennewick: the drawn plan measures about 245 x 192 feet. The library also has a plan that includes the Toyota Center (the drawn plan measures about 384 x 267 feet).
• [Yakima Convention Center & Yakima Sun Dome](/venues/yakima-convention-center-and-yakima-sun-dome-yakima/), Yakima: the drawn plan measures about 516 x 543 feet.
• [Benton County Fairgrounds](/venues/benton-county-fairgrounds-kennewick/), Kennewick: the drawn plan titled "Building 2" measures about 167 x 124 feet.
• [Grant County Fairgrounds](/venues/grant-county-fairgrounds-moses-lake/), Moses Lake: the drawn plan titled "Commercial Building" measures about 111 x 137 feet.

Note that a plan titled for ballrooms and meeting rooms suits a conference with a tabletop or small booth exhibit more than a freight-heavy trade show. Ask the venue which spaces support heavy displays.

How to Choose a Washington Venue for a Trade Show

1. Size the Floor From Your Booth Count

List the booth sizes you plan to sell and how many of each. As a planning assumption, booths often take a little under half of the gross hall area once aisles, entrances, registration, food and lounges are added; your ratio depends on layout and fire code. Use standard trade show booth sizes, the trade show aisle width guide and the booth capacity calculator to translate exhibitors into square feet.

2. Exhibit Hall, Ballroom or Fairgrounds Building

• Exhibit hall: Concrete floor, high ceiling, docks and floor utilities. Best for big booths, machinery, vehicles and contractor-handled freight.
• Ballroom: Carpet, airwalls, chandeliers or lower rigging points and catering on site. Suits tabletop exhibits beside a conference and sponsor showcases.
• Fairgrounds or event center hall: Flexible and often lower cost, with drive-in doors and outdoor space. Check heating for winter shows and what power is available.

3. Weather, Freight and Load-In

Western Washington shows should plan for rain during move-in, with covered marshaling where possible; Eastern Washington shows may face winter road conditions or summer heat depending on the date. Ask about docks, drive-in doors, marshaling yards and whether exhibitors can hand-carry. Then publish an exhibitor move-in schedule, and if the venue uses an official contractor, work through our questions to ask a general service contractor.

4. Fire Code and Utilities

Mark columns, exits, fire equipment and electrical access on the plan before you number booths, and check the fire marshal floor plan requirements for what to show on your submitted layout.

5. The Real Cost

Ask for every cost line, not just rent: exclusive services, labor, security, cleaning, catering minimums and move-in days. See how much it costs to rent a convention center for a checklist of items to request in each quote.

Questions to Ask a Washington Venue

Take this list to the site visit, along with our full list of questions to ask an event venue.

1. What are the exact usable dimensions of the space we would rent, and can you send a current CAD or PDF plan?
2. Where are the columns, exits, utility ports and fire equipment, and which areas must stay clear?
3. How many docks and drive-in doors are available to us during move-in and move-out, and who schedules them?
4. Which services are exclusive to the venue (electrical, internet, rigging, food, cleaning), and what do they cost?
5. What are the floor load and ceiling height limits for exhibitor displays?
6. Is there a food and beverage minimum or a hotel room block tied to the rental?
7. Are move-in and move-out days charged at the full rate?
8. What other events are in the building on our dates, and how will docks, parking and signage be shared?

From Venue Plan to Booth Layout

1. Open the venue in the Map D venue directory and choose the plan closest to the space you will actually rent.
2. Check the drawn plan against the venue's current plan and adjust walls, columns, doors and service areas.
3. Block out registration, food, lounges, stages, emergency exits and fire equipment clearances before adding booths.
4. Lay booths and aisles in standard sizes and number them in a logical order so exhibitors and staff can find them.
5. Price booths by size and location, mark sponsor and premium spots, and hold booths for returning exhibitors.
6. Send the layout to the venue and the fire marshal for review before you open booth sales.

When the layout is approved, event floor plan software keeps one current map for sales, operations and exhibitors. Comparing West Coast options? See fairgrounds in California and Las Vegas trade show venues, or the lists of convention centers in Texas and convention centers in Georgia.

Common Mistakes When Picking a Washington Venue

• Booking a ballroom level for a show that needs forklift delivery.
• Using an old plan without asking for the venue's current drawing.
• Ignoring weather in the move-in plan, from rain on the coast to winter roads inland.
• Splitting a small show across buildings so that each hall feels empty.
• Selling booths before the fire marshal has reviewed the layout.

Where Map D Fits

Map D is floor plan and booth sales software for organizers. Starting from a venue plan saves the time of tracing a hall from a PDF: you open the plan, then add booths, aisles, sponsor areas and labels in the editor. When the layout is ready, paid plans let you publish an interactive map, share it with exhibitors and sell booths online. Map D does not book venues or replace the venue's official plan, so keep the venue and the fire marshal in the loop on every revision.