David L. Lawrence Convention Center

Saw the auto show with friends. I’m not a fan of cars, but I was happy that they gave out so many reusable tote bags. Even though I don’t like automobiles, it was funny seeing my husband and his friend fawn all over the machinery. Oh boys and their toys. The convention center is a really nice space though and this place always has interesting events going on. It’s nice that they hold the auto show in the winter when everyone’s in hibernation so people can get out of their caves.

I went to the Wizard World Comic Con and had a blast. They had everything from VIP booths, Comic stands and collectibles. The place is HUGE so give yourselves a couple of hours if you plan on going to an event here. Parking is 5 to 12 dollars next door.

Nice place, huge facility. Not enough/​big enough bathrooms. The cleanliness of the bathrooms is less than desirable. I have never been to a convention of this size where water and coffee was not offered free of charge. Two bottles of water 6.00… Not sure if is an option the organization didn’t ask for or if it is just general practice for the facility. I am not asking for bottles of water just a place to fill a cup. Clean the restrooms once in a while when 5000 people are attending a conference… A few minor changes would earn this place another two stars.

This place is huge! I love the amazing views of the river. Everything is clean and there are many employees constantly walking around picking up trash and keeping things clean in general.
It is strange that there are so few bathrooms. Many times the bathroom was full because there are only a couple stalls.
We didn’t have to park so I’m not sure about any of that. Overall it was a good venue.

Meh, it’s a clean and modern convention center, but as is often the case, everything is a bit over-​priced and lower quality. Coffee was disgusting brown water. They over-​charged us by billing for things we didn’t order or get, and it took multiple times asking them to fix it.

I’ve seen the convention center many times from downtown or across the river, and have been there to catch Megabus. Yesterday and today, I finally received the opportunity to see the inside of it for the International Science and Engineering Fair.
The space is massive and airy, with huge windows and balconies looking out onto the Allegheny River. The space is sleek and well-​designed, with several floors of large and small rooms and the amenities necessary for a large conference or meeting. Many of the previous reviews talk about food or craft focused events, but it works just as well for a scientifically focused event such as a science fair or convention.
Because of the huge nature of the space, the center is ideal for large meetings attracting hundreds of people. Even for ISEF, which has an attendance of around 5,000, it seemed large. The Westin nearby is ideal for midsize to smaller events.
I can’t speak to the parking situation, but the convention center is convenient to transit options from Oakland, Shadyside, and Squirrel Hill, as well as other areas of the city. It’s also convenient to several of the downtown hotels, such as the Westin, Renaissance, and Hotel Monaco, as well as many restaurants along nearby Penn Ave.
Overall, I had an enjoyable time as a guest at the convention center for ISEF, and am happy that I finally received the opportunity to see the interior. I hope to return for another event to check it out again soon!

Stopped in today to pick up our race packets (Pittsburgh Marathon, Half Marathon and Marathon Relay… etc) and to browse around the running related booths.
Our event was up on the second floor. The space is absolutely gigantic. The expo room itself is quite vast and so is the space outside of the main room. The event was quite crowded, but due to the size of the place, you had plenty of room to get around without shoulder bumping people constantly. They have glass windows all along the one side overlooking the river. In addition, there are some balconies you can go out on to take in the views. I like the views (I know the river is brown) but it is still something I enjoy.
I am amazed at how clean this place is for how many people are there. The bathrooms were also really clean as well.
They have a rather large parking garage as well. Though parking is ample, it can get filled. And since it is downtown, the parking is expensive.

Shhh this convention center is a secret. This convention center is great, but there are rarely any events held here. I have been here for 3 separate conventions, and the center has tons of space. The only thing that could make the convention center better is more events!

Most who will read this likely don’t have a choice of whether to use the convention center or not, but what the heck…
PROS:
— This place is HUGE! Pretty sure they could have two massive conventions going on at the same time, and you’d never know.
— Nice views of both downtown and the river.
— Nicely equipped rooms for speaker sessions.
CONS:
— I could have worn a sweater (in July mind you) and still have been cold.
— The layout is not convenient. I felt like I walked more inside the place than my walk from my hotel about ¾ of a mile away. They could really use a more obvious entrance that isn’t on the opposite side of downtown. Thank goodness our convention had good signage inside.
Overall not great, but not bad. Could be better, but a fine place to have a conference, especially if you need a lot of space.

This has to be one of the nicer convention centers I’ve been to. Parking was easy and but not cheep at $ 10. It is located right in the river with large floor to ceiling windows that make the already large space seen even larger.
There are several floors to this place and I was only on the 2^nd for the Farm to Table tasting event here last night. The set up was nice and not once did I feel packed in like sardines. The area was closed off by curtains so we couldn’t see the great view this place offers but it was still a very functional space.
The event itself offer lots and lots of great food and wine to taste and purchase if you felt so inclined. There were a few standouts at this event. Nemicolin with there pork belly from foot print farm and grits was just amazing. So much so that I plan on making a trip out for a tasting in the next few months. Letrec here I come. Also I purchased 2 bottles from R wine cellar. Both bottles are there spiced wine. Also got a Tuscan herb infused olive oil from the enchanted olive. Amazing!!!
Overall this I had a great experience and won’t think twice about coming to another event here. Might take my boy to the dinosaur event this weekend. We’ll see.

I was lucky enough that the conference I had to attend (which changes cities every year) was in Pittsburgh the year I gave a seminar! I really enjoyed riding the bus downtown to the Convention Center everyday, and the venue is really beautiful. Located right on the river, the balcony views from the upper tiers of the center are pretty fantastic. Furthermore, the maze inside was pretty easily navigable– this was really important to me because I had to get in and out of rooms quickly as seminars started and stopped every 20 minutes. Compared to other venues I’ve been to across the country, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center stacks up well. It was great to see Pittsburgh showcased in such a great light.

The Convention Center is beautiful, and offers a stunning view from their floor-​to-​ceiling windows facing the river. It’s clean, modern, and centrally-​located with access to a variety of restaurants on Penn Avenue.
A parking garage is attached, however, it’s almost ALWAYS full for a big event. If you plan to park there, get there early. And don’t wait in the line at the paystations, you can pay with a credit card at the exit and a receipt will be printed on your ticket. Otherwise, you can park in the Pittsburgh Parking Authority garages over by the Greyhound Station on Penn.
There IS an ATM on the first floor of each side; had an employee tell me there were not any in the Convention Center, but that is def not true.
The Convention Center is LEED certified and has won awards for being totally green. Here is my gripe — totally green, but still using paper towels and old-​fashioned hand dryers in the bathrooms? And heaven-​forbid you want to bring your own bottle and fill it up with water at a fountain, those fountains are few and far between (and the water in the bathrooms is set to a warmer temp for hand-​washing). Come on, Convention Center!

Over the past five years, I’ve been to this convention center four times and have enjoyed each time here. It’s an impressive and well maintained building that provides both locals and out-​of-​towners with a good impression of the city.
The first time at the center, I lived in NC and was attending a big work event here. I was very impressed by the architecture of the center but sadly wasn’t in an area where I could see beautiful views of the city.
After moving to Pittsburgh, I came for the annual home show and auto show. Though I liked both shows, the auto show was a bit more impressive. I hear that the home and garden show is a must-​attend!
Finally, I came here for the Boden liquidation sale yesterday. The views from the line to enter (where I sat for a looong time) were absolutely stunning! The section of the center overlooked the river and the North Shore with a bridge flanking both sides of the view. I didn’t mind the wait just because I could admire the view. I look forward to coming back for the home and garden and auto shows in 2014!

The staff was all very helpful, very clean, great view of the city and close to a lot of great restaurants. Love the atmosphere.

This place is easy on the eyes… it’s actually quite lovely.
From a functionality standpoint, I’ve seen better, however.
I come here every year for the expo for the marathon and it’s decent for that. However, the bathrooms are way too small and for some reason, the sink in the men’s room throws water everywhere so the floor is wet.
Wet bathroom floors are not my bag, baby. You never know if it’s water or something more sinister.
Nicer cans would net this place another star.

I got to admit this convention center has a great view of the river! Most centers don’t have a view at all, so I was very impressed with this one!
As far as convention centers go, this one was roomy, easy to navigate, and very clean! They even had accessible outdoor locations for those wanting to smoke (which I don’t condone) or those just needing some fresh air (which I do condone.)
The only down side I had to this convention center was the waterfall in the middle of the road, under the overpass, beneath the convention center. The echo of the falling water made it very hard to hear yourself let alone the people you’re walking with.
Overall great location, easy to walk to from many parts of downtown Pittsburgh, and one of the better convention centers I’ve been to.

How do you review a convention center? Let’s go with aesthetic. It’s gorgeous! I mean, let’s be honest. they can be pretty blah. But I love that it’s on the river and they actually take advantage of it! The whole thing is pretty much one giant window overlooking the river. I’m always there clicking pics of the city skyline.
So how about talking about actually attending some things here? I’ve been to a handful of conventions here and it’s been really well set up. The Home and Garden Show is incredible! It’s just floors and floors of exhibits. I thought maybe we’d spend an hour there, but you could easily spend hours or even days!
I’ve also spent some time at the Farm to Table Conference and Handmade Arcade. Both have also been really well set up. I like that theirs a good amount of room to walk between aisles. Especially when it gets crowded.
I’ve also attended a nice dinner here once and the transformation the room makes between conference and evening affair is surprising. They really do make an effort to not make it seem like a generic convention center. Believe, I’ve seen some ugly ones!
The only issue you’ll run into is parking. I’ve been there a couple times when even a little bit into an event the parking at the actual convention center is full. Not too bad though because there’s close parking in the Strip for cheaper!
So go take in the view… and I guess some kind of show!

A friend and I came here last month for a car show and had a pretty good time. The place is ginormous! It’s also clean, and that’s pretty much all I can say about it. We didn’t eat there, so I can’t comment on the food. The convention center is probably underutilized. I’d like to see a big comics convention come here for instance.

We have held Anthrocon, Pittsburgh’s 7^th largest annual event, at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center since 2007. The venue is nearly perfect for a convention our size (5000 people). It is nice to have so much space in Halls A, B, and C without any annoying support pillars to get in the way. The building’s greatest strengths are a very good mix of space, everything from small breakout rooms all the way up to the massive halls (which can be separated or opened up to yield a space the size of an aircraft hangar). The greatest strength, though, is the location. The scenery is gorgeous and the people of Pittsburgh are among the friendliest and most welcoming that I have ever encountered. The staff at the convention center are also top notch. I cannot say enough good things about them. Some event organizers are wary of union-​run venues but rest easy: I find the union members at the DLCC to be extremely accommodating, professional and easy to work with.
The only drawback is the lack of attached hotel rooms. There is only one adjoining hotel, the Westin Convention Center, and they have fewer than 600 rooms available. If you have a large event, and it is raining or you have attendees with reduced mobility it can be a challenge to make them walk several blocks.
For one-​day events or multi-​day events with a hotel-​room requirement of fewer than 600, the DLCC is the perfect spot. If they could only add more hotel rooms, it would make the convention center the absolute best in the country.

I have little experience with convention centers other than this one and another one in Philadelphia. However, there are some good things to be said about this one. First is the enclosed walkway between the Westin and the Convention Center. If you’re staying at the Westin, this walkway is great for a rainy day or if you don’t wish to go out into a hot, humid outdoors. In the convention center, the corridors and halls are spacious. There are quite a number of well-​maintained restrooms. On one side of the convention center, the balcony overlooking the Allegheny River offers a great view and a chance to get some air.
Downsides: The connection between the Westin walkway and the convention center is a slow elevator, which you have to take one level up/​down. This problem could’ve been solved by having the walkway be one level higher from the 3^rd floor of the Westin. Parking is expensive in this area. We expect that for a city setting but you’d have to go out a few blocks to find anything under double digits per day.