The New Medical Mart

In the News :: February 1, 2011

FROM MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS: Last month, the Cleveland Medical Mart & Convention Center broke ground on what is expected to be the new cornerstone of the city's convention and medical communities. The complex, to open in 2013, will be feature an exhibition hall, a convention center and a medical mart with permanent showrooms. The exhibition and convention facilities will be below ground, under the historic Cleveland Mall. The convention facility will include about 230,000 square feet of exhibition space, divisible into three event halls, under a 30-foot-high ceiling. A separate 32,000-square-foot column-free ballroom also will be able to accommodate exhibits.

In addition, the convention center will offer 60,000 square feet of meeting space divided among some 50 meeting rooms, the largest of which will seat up to 2,400 people. Rooms will be equipped with wireless Internet and high-definition monitors for streaming videoconferencing, and some will have specialized facilities for medical training or hands-on education sessions. 

Both the convention center and the ballroom will link directly to local medical institutions via videoconferencing and satellite, making it possible for attendees to virtually observe the hospital operating room and research lab.

The medical mart portion of the complex will include an estimated 120,000 square feet of permanent showroom space available for major medical manufacturers and service providers. The mart will provide medical organizations with some 65 spaces to rent on a permanent basis as offices, reception areas or additional exhibit space.

Cleveland itself is home to the acclaimed Cleveland Clinic, while Northeast Ohio features more than 600 health-related organizations, including 60 hospitals, and 27 universities that account for more than 20 medical education programs.

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