The Rhode Island Convention Center is in downtown Providence and functions as one of the more well run mid sized convention venues in New England. I found the building modern, clean, and laid out in a way that made navigation straightforward once I was inside, which is not something every convention center of this scale manages consistently. The main floor is large enough to handle substantial expos and trade shows without feeling compressed, and the configuration adapts well to different event types. I have seen the venue host everything from Comic Con and car shows to cheer competitions, volleyball tournaments, flight simulation expos, and oddities markets, and the flexibility of the space is a genuine operational strength. Restrooms are well placed throughout the building, and cleanliness was consistently maintained even during the high attendance event I attended. Staff were helpful and visible, which mattered when I was navigating a large event for the first time. The downtown Providence location works in the venue's favor for most visitors. Hotels are walkable, local restaurants are accessible, and the surrounding neighborhood is well maintained. Getting into the parking garage can be confusing given the highway interchanges nearby, so arriving with that in mind and allowing a few extra minutes is sensible. For events in the New England region, it is a reliable and comfortable venue that tends to handle logistics well. read more

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I've been to Rhode Island Convention Center numerous times in the past for cheer competitions that were held here! They've got a sky bridge, connecting the convention center to the Omni hotel and Providence Place Mall... I always thought that was super cool. After competing, we would all walk over to do some shopping. The convention center itself is pretty large, I'd say. I definitely have gotten lost a few times when trying to find the right rooms to go to. I always enjoyed going to events here. Very spacious and never had any issues. For parking, there are street parking spots, which I prefer since it avoids the parking garage fee but parking garage is always convenient. read more

The Rhode Island Convention Center is an exposition center in downtown Providence. I can't believe I had not written a review about it, so here it goes.......Opened in 1993, it is the largest convention center in Rhode Island, with about 130,000 square feet of exhibition space, including a 100,000-square-foot exhibit hall. It is connected by sky bridges to the Amica Mutual Pavilion, and the adjacent Omni Hotels Omni Providence Hotel (formerly The Westin). The ground level features a main exhibition hall with 100,000 square feet, and the upper level has a ballroom and meeting halls. The building has a five-story glass front with a large space outside the meeting rooms and exhibit halls where visitors can gather and mingle. The center is operated by the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority, which also operates the Amica Mutual Pavilion and Veterans Memorial Auditorium. The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2021 resulted in the cancellation of most of the shows and concerts normally hosted by the convention center, including the Rhode Island Comic Con (a major draw). The state of Rhode Island paid to rent the facility for emergency measures; the main exhibition space was utilized for a COVID field hospital, and the garages became the home for a testing laboratory and drive-through testing site. This role enabled the center to remain profitable despite the decline in normal programming. The Convention Center hosts nearly 250 events each year. Examples include the Rhode Island Comic Con, dance competitions, and trade shows such as the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association Expo, the New England Regional Turfgrass Foundation, the Providence Boat Show, the Baby Show, and the Business Expo. I have been to the Convention Center, many times, sometimes for an event but most of the times because the Visitor Center, where I volunteer is located on the main floor. Parking is plentiful around the center. On Sundays, most of the street parking in Providence is free, so that's a plus. The center is walking distance to most attractions in downtown Providence, Federal Hill, the East Side and the Capitol Hill area. read more

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The mayor of providence is having a complimentary luncheon dancing for seniors. There were all kinds of street performers, and it was a real happening. The convention center is attached to our hotel. read more

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Really nice place for a convention. I was there for the 2014 Eastern Region PLRB and had an absolutely trouble-free visit. There are well marked North and South parking lots that both funnel you into the Convention Center. The building is connected to the Omni Hotel, Providence Place Mall, and other nearby attractions by a series of well marked skywalks, so it's really hard to get lost. The Convention Center complex is beautiful, with huge open spaces. sweeping escalators, and a bank of full height glass windows to let the light in and showcase downtown. The meeting rooms were well marked, the breakfast service was very good, the meeting rooms were comfortable and easily located. Parking was $12 for most of a day. Yay, I'm a fan. read more

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Went to the Providence Art Show recently as a participant of a Yelp event. The convention center is conveniently located across the street from the Providence Place mall. The art show was huge and there was a moderate audience present. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available for sale, as well as faddish snacks. Some of the exhibitors allowed photos of their art, others did not, so you had to ask, and it limited my photos significantly. I would recommend the show organizers come up with a general policy next time. read more

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This is a beautiful venue with multiple floors, nice seating nooks in the corners near floor to ceiling windows, and easily accessible facilities on each side of the building. Catering is amazing as well, great presentation, fresh ingredients, and staff continuously keep the areas clean and well maintained during an event. Bottom floor is an official Providence visitors' center, where you can go for information on the local scene, grab some maps, etc. Conveniently at the entryway so you don't have to venture too far inside. Great location in the heart of the city, and there are many good restaurants, cafes, and hotel options for visitors with varying budgets. Only qualm is the incredibly slow internet access when you're there for official business. Pro-tip: bring a personal wifi device if you have some heavy duty email/attachments to meddle with during your visit. read more

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This is a smaller convention center that has an awkward layout. It is probably better for smaller business conventions rather than larger events with tons of people wearing cosplay and carrying accessories as they do here at RICC. Some areas do get very congested particularly near the interior escalators by the upper floors. Food options were limited. Adequate bathrooms. read more

This is the place for large gatherings and events. For being such a small state - we are fortunate to have this center. Everything is laid out in a way that makes sense logistically. Bathrooms, cafes and food areas are plentiful. The center sets everything up for from seating, lighting, sound, video, screens and projectors. read more

I am here right now for the kids fun fair an absolute ripoff $20 per person just to get in and then to actually do anything there is an added cost been here five minutes spent $76 insane don't waste your money take the kid to the mall they will hAve more fun. read more

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Took two hours to get out of the garage. Most of the time without moving. We called the police and they said there were multiple reports. But since management only opened one gate with a broken credit card reader, and no cash allowed, there was nothing the police could do. I phoned management and got hung up on. Don't park there. read more

I attended a conference here for the second time. I was favorably impressed this time just like last time. The facility is well kept, modern and rather pleasant. The exhibition floor and meeting rooms are a good size for a moderate-sized conference. The proximity to the train station allows out-of-town access via public transportation. Downtown Providence is a great spot for an event. Within walking distance are several good restaurants and shops for diversion. The Providence Place Mall is connected via skybridge to the Convention Center providing access to some lovely retail stores and eating establishments. There are a sufficient number of good hotels to support conference events. All of this goes together to offer an agreeable convention experience in Providence. read more

This is really a great place for events. In is large and yet it can be divided into smaller venues. The lobby can accommodate so many vendors and food vendors as well as the ticket windows. I love that you can park in the parking garage and take the elevator and just walk into the convention center. I struggle with walking and this makes it so much more convenient for me. The cement floors are kind of difficult to walk on so if you do have trouble walking or bad knees like I do then wear some comfy soft shoes and you will be feeling much better. We went for the camping and RV show and had a delightful time. We were able to pull right up to the front door to put our purchases into the car and found that very convenient as well read more

I can't think of anything that takes it down a star, so it gets 5! Spacious, clean, and all of our needs were met while at a conference earlier this month. No complaints... except maybe that the chocolate candy stand on the first (or is it second?) floor is not worth your money. Everything LOOKS good but doesn't taste good. Save your money. This is probably not the convention center's business, though. read more

Great event center, had come here for the bourbon street event and was done well. Better to park at the mall and walk across. Large well maintained space with clean restrooms. read more

Connected to the mall so you can park there and skip the price at the convention center. Small enough with decent food options. Just went to the auto show here this week read more

What's not to love about the RI Convention Center? It's small, it's clean, they sell fudge and all sorts of sweet treats on the second floor, and it's connected to one very nice shopping mall. So if the onsite cafe doesn't strike your fancy you can easily make way to Providence Place. Putting the Verti in the garage on Sunday cost me $10 for all day 'special event' parking. Hopefully you'll luck out too for your event. read more

When I visited here for the Rhode Island Comic-con AT THE Rhode Island Convention Center (RICC), few things I liked. This place was large and spacious, Offered many rooms for the conventions topics. Otherwise was a clean facility with a unique and interesting building design. The food was decent, albeit a little pricey (not surprising). For alcohol, they ran out of angry orchard which is a little surprising for me that you just run out of something. Oh well, such is life. It was my wife that was disappointed. I still had my options. Of course what I failed to comprehend was the security check point between the RICC and the Dunkin Donuts Center (DDC). You could go from the RICC to DDC with no problem. But to go from the DDC to RICC you had to pass through security again. The connector didn't allow any one outside to get in. This didn't make any sense. On the last day, the connector was made a 'one way' and people had to exit DDC, walk around the building, and enter through the main entrance to RICC. It was kind of silly/annoying/inconsistent. But yes, there is security complete with metal detectors to pass through. I felt this wasn't too terrible an inconvenience to pass through as they got people through as quickly as possible. The parking structure connected was actually designed very well, between that and the security and Providence PD directing traffic, allowed for a fairly smooth exit. read more

Thanks to yelp, I got to check out the RICC for the Providence Tattoo Convention. Thanks, yelp! I'm going to concentrate more on the RICC than the Tattoo Convention, mostly because I'm a runner (when I'm not ill) and the RICC is where a lot of 5k's start. The bathrooms are always clean, and it's connected to the Westin, which means it's also connected to PPM! Shopping AND 5k's? Count me in. For parking, it can be a hassle, but I have always parked in PPM for easy in/easy out, and it's not much more different as far as price compared to the RICC parking, or parking lots. We're quite lucky to have this little gem here in Providence, as yes, Boston has the Hynes Convention Center, but it's big and expensive and hard to get to. read more

Travel information here. Mr. Peanut and I went into the Visitor Center end of the building. Some Attendants (I've noticed) hummer about visitors with dissabilities and make sexual comments. read more

Rhode Island Convention Center - Visit. RI - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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This convention center has several levels and cafe/concession areas. The top level includes a luxurious ball room, and the rest of the facilities are probably more than what you would expect of a medium size city convention center. I have attended everything from trade shows to fancy dinners and have always been satisfied. The convention center is connected to the Dunkin Donuts Center (sports arena), Omni Hotel (former Westin), and the Providence Place Mall which are all enormous buildings. So if you have to come here for a convention from out of town you should be happy with the convenience, parking for day visitors can be pricey in the garage. read more

I was in RI for a conference that was held at the Convention Center. Essentially, I lived here for 3 days. The Convention Center was clean, but there were some definite space issues. Our conference set up the sign-in tables in the main room, but there simply wasn't enough room for people to move past with the long lines. I imagine the fire department would not have liked to see the crowds that blocked entryways. The same was true for each of the rooms I was in for the conference. Tables were crammed into the room, and people had difficulty entering and exiting the rooms. Many folks were taking notes and trying to read materials during the conference, and the lighting was quite poor. The conference center was clean, and the bathrooms were well stocked. My complaints were those of cramped space. read more

While getting into the RICC was a bit of a headache for me, once I actually got in there, I was impressed. It's hugeness isn't as overwhelming as a lot of convention centers I've been into, and I was especially happy to see so many windows not only letting in the natural light, but showing off our beautiful downtown. The staff who works there are all very friendly and helpful, and the building is beautifully maintained. Now if they would just make the whole parking fiasco less of a fiasco... read more

The Rhode Island Convetion Center is one of the main locations where Providence Roller Derby Girls go to have our bouts! They have always been great to work with and very accommodating!! We love them! read more

As far as event centers go this is one of my favorite for many reasons. It's very close to where I live which is a bonus for us Rhode Islanders who don't travel far. Parking is cheap if you know where to go. It's huge and you can wait inside before an event which is great when it's hot or Cold. They do a great job moving people in and out of there quickly. There is ample restrooms and for larger events portapotties. Not everyone's favorite but necessary when your cramming five hundred people in one room. I generally go there for beer fest which in itself has the potential to be a disaster to keep clean. They have staff all over the place that are very visible. They are constantly picking up empty cups cleaning spills changing trash etc. The bathrooms could be a little cleaner. If they were that would boost this place to a five star. In all It's a great place to go to an event and I'm glad it's nearby. read more

Great venue with ample space and cheap parking next door. Well maintained, and a great spot for any convention or event.

I've only been here for Beerfest. I can't say anything bad about it, big open space which is good for a room full of drunk people. I will be going back for the subsequent beerfests. read more

I've been here more in the last 2 years than I ever thought I would be and I couldn't be happier about it! I've been to so much Roller Derby here! As a fan and as a skater. Northeast Derby Convention is coming up this month actually and I'm super psyched for that! I was here for my boyfriends Graduation! I was here for the annual Auto Show! I was here volunteering at the Tattoo Expo! My Aunt works here and she met her soon to be husband here! A really beautiful fantastic place! I'm always amazed at how huge empty rooms can be transformed into spectacular events. GREAT TIMES HAD HERE AND MORE COMING SOON! read more

We went to a dog "show" there this weekend. The convention center looked really nice, until we got into the exhibit hall. They had the dog show and the vendors packed into the same room. You could barely move or even look at any of the vendors. There was no way to see anything with the dog show because people were packed watching it. There was only standing room, so nothing was visible. This would have worked a lot better had they put the show in one room and the vendors in another. It was very claustrophobic this way. We paid $8 each to get cramped into this tiny room and not really get to enjoy some of the stuff that was there. I'd be very hesitant to go to any events here in the future. read more

RV Show..Quick in and out. Nice small display of RV's. Date night But 1/1 free tickets. Total $10 not bad! read more

The Rhode island Convention center (RICC) is also known as "Dunkin' Donuts Center or Arena." I was Exposition Manager for an event, NoiseCon16, in June 2016. The RICC staff was helpful and a pleasure to work with. However, and the reason for this piss-poor review is the Food & Beverage (F&B) department. Specifically: 1- I ordered a vegan event and was assured it was but it wasn't. 2- Drinks were by drink ticket, each ticket could be used for different price drinks, and staff was to sort tickets and bill us accordingly. After more than two weeks after the event I have not received a valid invoice after perhaps 20 e-mail reminders from me. I would never hold an event there that required F&B. read more

Attended a conference here for the first time. Easy to find, easy to park (in the garage), affordable parking ($12 for the day), great location near shops and eateries. Easy access to Rte. 95. Clean .. only one minor negative, the air in some of the conference rooms seemed stale/warm but the hallways and open areas were comfortable. Great venue for an attendee, can't vouch for it as a conference provider. read more

I attended the Terrorcon '14 a couple weeks ago that was help at this facility & enjoyed the ease of access from the direct access to the Hotel I stayed at. read more

I attended a large team meeting at the convention center. The rooms were well kept and comfortable. We ate lunch there through their catering department. The chicken salad sandwich was very good. The salad was fresh and tasty. The only disappointment was the minestrone soup. It was luke warm at best. Overall, the convention center is a nice place to hold group meetings. read more

Huge and well placed in town. Some great food in the area also.

I've been here at least twice, and it's always been for the regional event with other partners in my Market America franchise business. The location's right in the middle of the city, if I'm not mistaken. I took the bus from NYC and we were unloaded here, so to speak, so I figured it's really the center LOL...The Convention Center is not exactly humongous as other convention centers I've been to, but it's clean, neat and looks interesting. The bathrooms I've been to inside have been clean, generally. From inside, you can take the route to cross to a nearby huge shopping mall via the bridge (the type of which I've seen the first time in Hong Kong)....and I know there's another entrance inside that leads to the Dunkin Donuts stadium (or something like it)---am not sure of its exact name, but I know there's a sports stadium next to this convention center. This time, for some reason, they didn't open this entrance. But anyway, I'm happy being here. It's where our franchise business winners have gathered to teach, coach everyone of us in the business to grow more as excellent entrepreneurs in due time. read more

Very nice space - attended for athe AAVLD trade show and was very pleased. The location is central to the city and there are many hotels nearby within walking distance as well as eating establishments and even a shopping mall. read more

Well. Going here for an event gave me a greater appreciation for the Javits Center. We attended the Festival Fete Holiday Market. Paid ten bucks to park, and five each as an entrance fee. Felt kinda ripped off. It was pretty small - only half the space was open (halls C&D), but overall, this is a pretty small space for a convention center. Not that I attend loads of conventions, but I've been, like I said, to the Javits many times, and to the one in Philadelphia, which is huge! This felt kinda dinky. And all it really was, was stalls with people selling their handiworks. They did have a childrens' choir singing, but that was all the entertainment I saw. There were some beautiful things for sale (as well as some "eh" things, and some hideous things [tie-dye person, I'm talking to you!]), but I didn't really find anything that insisted that I be parted from large amounts of money. At least not at this moment... I did take some cards to look at the websites of some of the more tempting items... read more

As far as convention centers go, I've been to my fair share. Houston, New York, Washington, Seattle, Houston... They all really start to blend together. Including this one. It's like a convention center, except THIS ONE is in Providence. So there you have it. read more

Park on level 4 east for the most convenient access to the convention center. Parking is only $12, which I find affordable, but maybe that is because I live in Boston. The location is ideal right off 95 and connected to the Providence Place Mall. Who doesn't love shopping and work combined! This was the first convention center that I had been in that was actually not freezing. read more