Spent 3 days here for Otakon 2008 last weekend, and I have to say that I'm pretty impressed with the Baltimore Convention Center. The layout is a bit wacky, but I liked that - it made the center more fun to get around, and at Otakon, where most people walk around in costume, it creates maximum exposure if you're wearing something cool. Most of the escalators were turned off, but the stairs were ok and there was a decent amount of space for the hordes of people to bypass each other safely. I remember only about 2 hallways that got really congested. LOTS of natural light, which was great for the most part, though the 4th floor with the giant windows made picture-taking difficult. The rooms were large and spacious, and everything was very clean. The staff at the center seemed very efficient. Otakon welcomed more than 26,000 people last weekend, so I would say the convention center did a good job of packing that many people in all at once and not making it feel like the walls were closing in around you. read more

I've made countless memories here since my first convention Otakon 2006 great place but it could stand some major improvements, mostly the accessibility to food and outlets , but the food part isn't really the fault on the convention center read more

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It is a convention center, not very well laid out, but it is what it is. Expect a lot of walking, and if you are handicapped, it can be a long way. Close in Parking is EXPENSIVE, so plan on that, even if you get a free ticket to get into an event there. Easy access to I-95. read more

THIS IS MY HOME! I have come here for Otakon and Baltimore Comiccon and the place is big (wish it was bigger) and amazing! The fact it connects to the inner harbor makes it a great location for conventions. I love this place and it will be forever a memory. ONLY PROBLEM? It isn't as beautiful as other conventions I have gone to and there should definitely be more staff members who care about check badges. I paid 80 bucks to be here and if someone who didn't is here I am going to get pretty upset. Another great thing is their house chips. Potato chips so good and crunchy. I always get them when I'm here cause I can't find it anywhere else. read more

Nothing too special about the convention center. It's huge, it's clean unless one of those Anime/comic con/bronycon/otakon wierdo fests are in town. read more

Baltimore Convention Center - Baltimore Auto Show - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Came here for a conference & enjoyed it. there had friendly staff, new rooms, a bridge to the Hilton for sessions taking place there. They even had some heated bleachers in the hallways for attendees to sit on and take a break (very important for me since I tend to sit down & work on my laptop after sessions to incorporate what I've learned). It was also close to other things in town. Just a tip for literature junkies: Edgar Allan Poe's grave is 11 minutes from here. read more

Baltimore has gone way down and the city government continues to accelerate the decline. They did ZERO policing of all the panhandlers near the harbor and convention site. We ended up ordering delivery our last nights at the conference as we could only walk 10-15 feet without being hindered by beggar after beggar. They get in your face and impede your path. Terrible incentive for economic development. My family didn't feel safe walking. The convention site was average with typical large spaces, tough over cooked chicken luncheons, and overpriced A/V support. Typical... seen worse and seen better. But outside the doors is what made up my mind not to return to this city or recommend a convention here. read more

Comic Con at Baltimore is really exciting. There are so many costumed characters and artists that come out. It feels a lot like Halloween but with Superheroes. read more

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The convention center was very clean and well kept. The food was also pretty great! Can't wait to return for another conference. They also had free water and drinks. read more

What to say about BCC.... you are large, clean, have a million restrooms and a map. I thought they did a good job being the host for a conference I attended back in June. The staff was friendly. Its nice that there are a lot of places nearby that you can walk to for lunch or pop over to Camden Yards for a night game after whatever you are there for. Plus, the light rail stop drops you right there if you need to use public transportation. read more

Went here for a nursing conference..This place was pretty cool. I kept getting lost because it was so huge! It has a Starbucks in it which was a plus. Also had a little cafe that serves breakfast and i believe lunch. The center also has an outdoor seating area which was nice. read more

Being on the organizational side for Otakon (a ~25-27,000 member annual event), I see a lot of the behind the scenes work at the BCC. The staff from top to bottom has done a fantastic job of satisfying the harsh demands of an event such as Otakon. However also to thank are the many union laborers as well. The customer service is really the best part of the BCC, as the facility itself shows it's age in some places (although updates happen on a regular basis). Escalators and elevators both fail constantly. And as previously stated, the layout is confusing to get to the lower halls. read more

Great venue for a show and fantastic location to the harbor area. Staff is super friendly and outgoing.

Beautiful facility. Honestly, if I wasn't here to take the Bar exam, it'd probably get four stars...but I'm jaded. The Starbucks upstairs had workers, but wasn't open for some reason. Very disappointing. read more

Not much to say. It's your basic convention center. We went to the Auto show. It was well laid out. I did wish there were a few more options for food but what was there was decent. More clear signage for the restrooms would have been nice. read more

2013 Tuerk Conference will be held April 9, 2013. I've been every year for the past 7 years. Great place to network, meet up with other Professionals - from prior Employment or gain insight for future Employment opportunities. Great location for such a large Event. The food could be slightly better; however it's central to soooo many places to dine in the heart of downtown. Let's not forget the stress free workless day and you get at least 6 CEUs out of the way. I'm always excited to attend... read more

This is an enormous space that really can't function without signs and directions. The space feels empty and cold -- neither is a matter of engineering -- it's a matter of interior design. The center seriously lacks for signs and comfortable seating, so that one has the feeling of being lost at all times. Simple signs that direct one between floors, for example, would be so easy to furnish but are missing. As it is, you can be at one end of the center and not know where a set of rooms are on another floor all the way at the other end because there are simply no signs. Likewise, there are no signs to restrooms when they are not within sight. Machines, vendors, or kiosks supplying water or coffee would be, again, a simple, addition. Without these minor comforts, the space is unsatisfying, not living us to the great potential the space clearly has as a -- what else? -- convention center! read more

I've only gone here for Otakon, aka NERDCON. The venue itself is very big. Actually, too big. to get from one side to the other, prepare yourself for the walk of a life time. While yes, you need a large space to contain the thousands of nerds that flock there for their sacred journey to the promised land, they need to get their shit together. The staff is pretty useless when it comes to helping people. And the fact that half of the time, the escalators in this place are never working kinda sucks too. Maybe I'm just jaded from the "HARDCORE OTAKU", but I'm really over this place. read more

Worked a show here, they were on top of their game when it comes to getting your road cases back.

I swear I want to give it 5 stars but I can't because in a few of the lecture rooms that I was in I was sweating that to the point where it was so hot I had to get up and just leave otherwise I would get a pounding headache. Came for the first time for a 3 day stay for ICNA during Memorial Day weekend and there were so so many people; but it actually kind of went smoothly and you figured out the place after a couple of hours. Outside the center, there are numerous numerous hotels located across the huge street, The Cheesecake Factory, and a mall but they don't call them that, they call it a shopping center cuz when I ask them where the mall was they said they didn't know what I was talking about. LoL there is a huge space open I guess it is the pier where you could grab a boat and go to a restaurant on the other side or just go relax and soak up the Sun and look at the water it is beautiful. Oh yes I going back to the convention center it is huge huge huge huge the main floor of the first floor or whatever it is held the bazaar with hundreds of different business is coming to sell their stuff. On the same floor they were able to accommodate a prayer space for all of us I mean that's how big it was and there were thousands of people coming to this event. Please Baltimore Convention Center make sure that AC is working during the summer I'm coming back every May for ICNA read more

Meeting rooms are hot. Convenient to many hotels, but temperature very uncomfortable

Been coming here for years, and every year I wonder how they manage to squish nearly 30,000 people in such an oddly-organized space. It's like a labyrinth of narrow hallways and escalators -- many of which randomly become stairs -- and trying to get from one side of the venue to the other can be a real trial when everyone's out and about. The space is very linear, so it's nigh-impossible to bypass major choke points. Major pluses: Lots and lots and lots of natural light and open air. Plenty of restroom & water facilities. Hall space on the bottom floors are VERY big. Location is great -- on the beautiful inner harbor, surrounded by lots of food stops and a variety of hotels. Major minuses: Poor layout. Escalator service seems a bit uneven. Elevators are spaced very far apart, making it a bit difficult for people with limited mobility. No convention-wide PA system, so there's no way to address everyone if there's an emergency (lost child, etc). Yep, Otakon is here. All of Baltimore knows it when we swarm in every year, haha. And every year I wonder how we're going to fit in this space, but we do somehow. read more

I tend to find convention centers a bit overwhelming and confusing to navigate. However, the Baltimore Convention Center was realloy easy to navigate and centrally located to food, shopping, and several hotels. What a nice change from all the convention centers that are located in the middle of nowhere. The Hilton directly connect to it so if you're looking for a place to stay where you don't have to step outside, that's the place for you. The Sheraton and the Hyatt are a quick dash outside from the convention center (however, that dash would not be fun fun if were cold or rainy). The only complaints I have are that they only had one coffee stand open for a large convention which resulted in very long lines in the morning. Also the chairs were very uncomfortable because the seat was barely padded. read more

We attended a Sport's Convention here. It was a nice center, roomy and nice facilities. Several choices of eatery places with a large seating area to eat and organize your things. read more

It a large convention center with broad spaces and smaller separated spaces. It was adequate.

Wear comfy shoes this place is tremendous you will do lots of walking bring a bottle of water

Huge Convention Center. Your best hotel to stay while here is the Hilton because of it's "connecting" above ground tunnel that bridges you over to the Convention center in no time. read more

I love this place. I've been here a half dozen times in the past 5 years for the Baltimore Comic Con and for Otakon. Both events rock. Otakon is the bigger of the two events. The BCC crowd isn't on average quite as youthful as the Otakon crowd although you will see lots of young kids and families at both events. read more

No WiFi. Also, do whatever you can to get food elsewhere. You may ONLY consume food prepared by the nasty catering company - you cannot bring in outside food. The catering company will serve you leftovers but charge you full price for them. Avoid the food!!! read more

This place is huge! You will never be in want of restrooms here...they are everywhere, it seems. Staff very friendly and helpful. Food offered here was quite pricey, but walk a block and you will find Subway or Jimmy John's and the Pratt Street Ale House is across the street if you need a beer after all that walking. read more

Attended my daughter's Cheer compition (Mid-Atlantic Championship). It was a really nicely run comp with lots of people and was well organized. The Center was a very comfortable and inviting place to have a comp. The only thing i would like to see more of is more food places in the convention center. Will definitely like to attened more events here as this is only my second time here in the last few years as i went to the Baltimore Tattoo Convention in its 1st year and loved it. read more

It's a large convention center. Does have plenty of bathrooms. Never had any food from here though so I can't say much about that.

Just got home from the Baltimore tattoo convention! The BCC was very nice and clean! The staff members were extremely friendly for the most part, one bartender even gave me a free bottle of water because he said he noticed how long I was getting tattooed and I looked like I was in some pain! Haha. That water cost like $8 bucks and I got a free bottle... sweeeet. BCC is a nice size overall and is located right in the center of shopping and plenty of food stops. There are also bathrooms at every corner which are very accessible! My only complaint would be lack of food choices within the convention center if you plan to be there all day. Great venue, will return in the future. read more

It's a great convention center. But hospitality isn't great... Did they forget to turn on the air conditioning... I came to a convention not a sauna. read more

Very nice place but confusing as heck. Lots of bathrooms:) oh yeah freezing AC in there so bring a sweater.

Ah, the good ol' BCC, my vacation spot for a weekend out of the year. Yes folks, here's another review from an Otakon-member. I've been going to the BCC since about '04 for the yearly anime convention, and at first I was amazed by just how ginormous this place is. It got to a point where I was taking motrin tab's in order to keep my feet and knees from screaming at me for doing so much walking around. They've done many, many renovations and upgrades to the center, though most are cosmetic from what I have seen, though most notable is the connecting bridge to the not-so-new Hilton. (that'll be my next review)! The staff are relatively friendly, and attempt to put up with all the nerdiness that we bring down upon Baltimore every year. Although, I can't say much more good things. The food is like paying ballpark prices, the escalators and elevators are -constantly- malfunctioning, and within the first day, most of the machines have already been cleaned out (talking soda, candy, and ATM's). In all, not a bad place considering how much they put up with every summer. read more

The space is large, but there is not a lot of seating outside of event rooms and two of the food service areas. Be prepared for a lot of walking and standing. There is a maximum number of people that can fit, however, and the event I attended was close to it. If you're at an event that large, there will likely be traffic flow problems and long lines. The overall space is kept fairly clean, though I know cleaning staff at any convention venue can get a bit overwhelmed with larger events which causes them to fall a bit behind. Plus, the general public can often be somewhat inconsiderate when it comes to properly disposing of their trash, which makes it harder on cleaning staff during larger events. The lower expo rooms can also get a little dusty and dry. However, the building itself is slowly starting to show its age. It is starting to appear dated and tired, but still well-maintained. I would still recommend altering an costume to include shoes if you're attending a costumed event like Bronycon, Otakon, or Comic Con, but that's both a safety and hygiene issue. Walking barefoot in any public place can lead to a multitude of problems including injury and infection and can also be against event or venue policies. It does get very warm in certain areas because of the sheer amount of floor to ceiling windows creating a greenhouse effect, and this is exaggerated ten fold when those areas get crowded with large numbers of people. But I did not experience the higher temperatures inside windowless interior rooms that were not packed to capacity. And I was there in August. It was insanely hot outside. The food options leave a little to be desired. The pulled pork sandwich when I visited in 2012 was actually quite good, so I ordered it again during my visit in 2013. This time, it was loaded with grease, and actually made me nauseous after only a few bites. I was unable to finish it, and I avoided it for the rest of the weekend. I'm not sure if it was because I got a scoop from the bottom of the pan or if it was just that greasy overall this past year. I also happen to be a picky eater, so I'll leave further interpretation about food up to the next visitor. EDIT: This past year there was an inordinately high number of panhandlers near the convention center. I've gotten used to the street vendors with their food and "ice cold water" and cheap dollar toys trying to get in my face and sell me things. However, at an event this past summer, I was actually physically grabbed by someone looking for cash. Considering the time of night and that I was only with one other person, and the grabbing person was with about four other people from what I could see, it was very unnerving. It's the first time in the 5 years that I've been traveling to Baltimore that I've had this happen to me, and it really ruined my night. I understand they were just trying to get my attention, but there are other ways to do that which do not involve physically touching another person, let alone actually grabbing and pulling on someone's arm. I ended up making sure I was back in my hotel by nightfall for the rest of the weekend, as I was nervous to travel without the crowds that are around in the daylight. read more

I like that we can gather and find common shared issues and likes at the convention. I attended events like Cyber/IT, Motor trend car show, health and fitness expo. read more

Pros: Awesome exterior look including walkways and seating areas, reasonably clean, convenient location with connections to hotels, decent security, lots of bathrooms, a couple vending options, and just a big place. Cons: Large, exhibit hall lighting (bright but difficult to deal with for extended periods), meeting rooms were more dim and not super updated, could have used more restaurants nearby. More details: - It took 10 minutes of walking from my room in the Marriott (across from the connected Hilton) to my booth in Exhibit Hall A. Not a problem, but that meant it took 5 minutes to get from my booth to any of the meeting rooms when I needed to run something up to a colleague. - The wooden ship models were an awesome touch. - This convention center was nice in that it had some vending machines, a Starbucks (whose hours I could never figure out), and was close to a Jimmy John's and Chipotle, plus a couple other sit-down places. - Convention services are expensive af. Not a hit on this center at all, but fwiw, our three booth spaces didn't even come with any chairs, so we had to order on site at $30 each, aka more than a plastic folding chair is even worth. - Very close to inner harbor, so I could work a full day and then go do some touristy stuff afterwords without having to schlep to the hotel in between. - On my first arrival into the center and again the next morning (basically when I didn't have a badge on or it wasn't in plain sight), security greeted me politely, but then waited an odd amount of time to ask if I had a badge, which made for a strange interaction. It would be much smoother and less awkward if they greeted and then asked to see your badge, all at once, rather than giving you side eye while they tried to figure out if you were supposed to be there. Not a complaint, just an observation. Overall: I'd call this a neutral to positive convention center experience. Wouldn't have any issues going back here, wouldn't jump at the chance, either. What would have made it a five star review: Better exhibit hall lighting, cleaner bathrooms, another fast-casual restaurant or two, and more straightforward security. read more

This convention center is huge, so huge its very easy to get lost. There are so many sets of stairs, escalators and hallways leading to so many rooms. I think they need a few more large "you are here" maps. I really enjoyed the ballroom with lighting that kind of looked like sparkling water or stars on the ceiling. It was beautiful. I only saw it when the room was dark, and it was perfect. There are many places to eat with a variety of choices. I will say that security could have been better, I paid $80 for my event and I was surprised to see a bunch of drunk Orioles fans and the occasional homeless person had snuck in and were getting in the way. read more