Complejo Ferial de Puerto Rico, is a 3,000-seat indoor

arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...

and

convention center A convention center (American English; or conference centre in British English) is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typica ...

Ponce, Puerto Rico Ponce (, , , ) is both a city and a municipality on the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government. Ponce, Puerto Rico's most populated city outside the San Juan metropolitan area, was founded on 12 August 1 ...

. It is intended to be used primarily for

trade shows A trade fair, also known as trade show, trade exhibition, or trade exposition, is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services, meet with industry partners and cu ...

, conventions and

sporting events Sport pertains to any form of Competition, competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and Skill, skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to specta ...

. It opened in June, 2012. One of the first pre-inauguration activities was a set of

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

pre-match games. Its official inauguration was subsequently set for September 2012. However, its official inauguration took place on 11 October 2012. Variously known as Centro de Convenciones de Ponce, Centro de Convenciones de Ponce Juan H. Cintrón, and Complejo Ferial de Puerto Rico Juan H. Cintrón Garcia, the center was built to serve the local as well as the international business market. The Centro de Convenciones de Ponce was named after former Ponce Mayor Juan H. Cintrón García. Centro de Convenciones de Ponce is unique among other

s in

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

for the flexibility of its interior spaces. It is owned by the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce.

History

Construction of the structure started on 20 October 2008, under the administration of Mayor

Francisco Zayas Seijo Francisco R. Zayas Seijo, also known as Ico (born 4 October 1951), is a former member of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives and mayor of the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico. During his 4-year mayoral term, Zayas Seijo established the Mariana ...

. The building design was commissioned to architect Fernando Gonzalez Diaz and his architectural firm Urban Venture Group. Urban Venture Group with their consultants; Pedro Dario Del Nero (structural engineer), Jorge Ledón Webster (mechanical engineer), Ricardo Rodriguez Del Valle (electrical engineer), Alfred J. Longhitano (codes) and Manuel Quilichini (civil engineer), formed the team that developed the Architecture and Interior design of "Complejo Ferial de Puerto Rico". The structure was built by local Ponce construction company Venegas Construction. It was ordered by the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce at a cost of $41 million

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

, excluding its access roads and parking lot. These engaged an additional $3.9 million. Some 400 workmen labored in the construction of the structure.

Management

The Center is managed by a public municipal corporation independent of the Municipal Government but which reports to it. The corporation is headed by a five-member governing board. According to current by-laws of the municipality, one of the members of the governing body must be the municipal finance director, and the other four members are appointed by the mayor. The primary objective in creating a municipal corporation for the management and administration of Centro de Convenciones is "to exempt it from being bound by the bureaucracy required by the Law of Autonomous Municipalities" One of the obligations of the new corporation is to sign a long-term contract with an operator for the administration and day-to-day operation of the Center. Various companies were mentioned as potential managers and interested parties, including SMG Worldwide Entertainment and Convention Venue Management, Intertrade Development Group, and Grupo Serralles, owners of the Ponce Hilton Resort and Casino. In the end, Intertrade Development Group was chosen as the operator.

Features

The building is a two-story structure. The main exhibit hall features 120,000 square feet of exhibit space. The main exhibit hall can be structured into 16 smaller and independent mixed-used rooms to simultaneously accommodate various activities, such as conventions, concerts, weddings, and corporate meetings. Each of the 16 rooms will have its own independently controlled climate and sound systems. The property also features a planned parking lot with capacity for 700 vehicles. There is also an area with a view of

Rio Portugues Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil. Rio or Río may also refer to: Geography Brazil * Rio de Janeiro * Rio do Sul, a ...

with a capacity for 300 persons. The Puerto Rico Senate voted to name this structure "Centro de Convenciones de Ponce Juan H. Cintron" in honor to the Ponce politician.

Notable events

An international design festival, Boom Fair 2013, took place during August 2013. A cardiovascular health symposium, sponsored by

Hospital Episcopal San Lucas A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...

, followed on 24 August 2013.''Magno evento en Centro de Convenciones.''
La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 31. Issue 1551. Page 26. 21 August 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013
Archived.
/ref>

References

External links