Three large organizations have chosen to hold their annual conferences at the expanded Los Angeles Convention Center, Mayor Karen Bass’ Office announced Saturday.
The American Speech-Language Hearing Association will host its convention in Los Angeles in 2031, bringing approximately 15,000 people to the city; the American Geophysical Union will come here in 2032, bringing some 25,000 people; and the International Association of Chiefs of Police will hold its Annual Conference and Exposition here in 2037, bringing about 15,000 people.
City officials said that without the $2.6 billion expansion project — which will connect the West Hall with the South Hall and add 190,000 square feet of exhibit hall space, nearly 40,000 square feet of meeting room space and 95,000 square feet for a multi-service room — the downtown facility would not have had enough square footage to host the events.
“The City Council and I approved the LA Convention Center to revitalize downtown, boost tourism, attract larger conventions and create good-paying jobs for Angelenos. The benefits of this investment are already being realized,” Bass said in a statement Saturday.
“These three conferences will bring 55,000 people to LACC who will stay at hotels in our city and visit our local businesses, generating nearly $100 million of economic impact. Our City Tourism Department and their partners worked to successfully bring these significant conferences to Los Angeles now that the Convention Center modernization and expansion will provide the amount of space that they need for their events.”
The Mayor’s Office added that the three events are expected to deliver approximately $3.4 million to the city’s General Fund.
“We are excited to bring the ASHA Convention to Los Angeles and the expanded LA Convention Center in 2031, and to cultivate lasting collaborations with the city’s hospitality community in the years to come. We look forward to seeing how the expansion will elevate the attendee experience and open new avenues for engagement,” said Krista LeZotte, senior director of convention and meetings for ASHA.
“With the confirmation of the LA Convention Center expansion, AGU is thrilled to announce our Annual Meeting will come to the City of Angels and the new LA Convention Center in December of 2032. We are looking forward to bringing the world’s largest gathering of Earth and space scientists to this state-of-the-art facility in this world class city,” said Vicki Hawarden, vice president of meeting and events for AGU.
“From dynamic workshops and real-world case studies to a robust exhibit hall showcasing the most advanced tools in law enforcement, IACP 2037 will deliver the high-impact programming our members rely on to lead with excellence. We look forward to welcoming our community to Los Angeles for an unforgettable experience that will inspire, inform, and empower,” said Vincent Talucci, executive director and CEO of IACP.
The expansion project is being built through a phased-delivery approach, with construction leading up to the 2028 Olympic Games, pausing for that event, then continuing through completion as soon as 2029.
City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo said the city will finance $3.06 billion for the project. Controller Kenneth Mejia has estimated the total cost will be much higher at $5.9 billion when borrowing costs are included.
City Council members Katy Yaroslavsky and Nithya Raman have opposed the project, citing concerns over the high costs and impacts to city services and homelessness response.
The Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association has also criticized the project.
“The City Council is threatening to saddle L.A. taxpayers with decades of debt payments to pay for a Convention Center expansion that they’re rushing to approve in time for the Olympics. It’s completely unfair to the taxpayers to put this unaffordable vanity project ahead of all the important priorities placing demands on the city’s budget,” the association said in a statement last year.