The Pine Bluff Convention Center is a
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 ...
located in
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff is the eleventh-largest city in the state of Arkansas and the county seat of Jefferson County. It is the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff Combin ...
at One Convention Center Plaza.
Available Facilities
Arena
*An 8,500-seat multi-purpose
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 ...
featuring of space and a ceiling height. The arena hosts local concerts and sporting events, including
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 ...
,
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
,
auto racing
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...
,
wrestling
Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
, and
rodeos
Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaq ...
, as well as conventions, trade shows, circuses, dances and banquets for the area. There are 5,000 permanent seats, and the arena can hold up to 2,500 for banquets and 1,296 classroom-style. The arena has four concession stands and four restrooms along its concourse, and 5 dressing rooms. The arena's loading truck can accommodate four trucks.
Banquet Hall
*A banquet hall, seating up to 2,000 theater-style, 1,400 for banquets and 1,000 classroom-style. It is used for trade shows, conventions, banquets, luncheons and other special events. It is divisible into four smaller rooms and is served by a modern full-line kitchen. The banquet hall is unique in that it is lit by tracks of colored lights. Adjacent is a meeting room.
Theater
*A 1,899-seat theater used for concerts, opera, Broadway shows, recitals, ceremonies and other special events. The theater's 93'3"-by 47' stage can accommodate 600 theater-style, 450 banquet-style and 300 classroom-style. The theater also contains 5 dressing rooms at stage level.
In addition, the Convention Center also contains three VIP suites, and a storage area.
Sports
*The Convention Center is also home to the
Arkansas Rivercatz of the American Basketball Association..
Notable events
* On January 13, 2001
Extreme Championship Wrestling's last ever event before the promotion shut down was held at the convention center.
Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame
The Pine Bluff Convention Center features the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame, with artifacts and memorabilia of entertainers from
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
.
Celebrities highlighted include singer
Johnny Cash
John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...
, author
John Grisham
John Ray Grisham Jr. (; born February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas) is an American novelist, lawyer and former member of the 7th district of the Mississippi House of Representatives, known for his popular legal thrillers. According to the Am ...
, musicians
Levon Helm
Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm (May 26, 1940 – April 19, 2012) was an American musician who achieved fame as the drummer and one of the three lead vocalists for the Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. H ...
,
Jimmy Driftwood
James Corbitt Morris (June 20, 1907 – July 12, 1998), known professionally as Jimmy Driftwood or Jimmie Driftwood, was an American folk music songwriter and musician, most famous for his songs "The Battle of New Orleans" and "Tennessee Stud" ...
,
Art Porter Jr.,
Jim Ed Brown
James Edward Brown (April 1, 1934 – June 11, 2015) was an American country singer-songwriter who achieved fame in the 1950s with his two sisters as a member of the Browns. He later had a successful solo career from 1965 to 1974, followed by a ...
,
Charlie Rich
Charles Allan Rich (December 14, 1932July 25, 1995) was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. His eclectic style of music was often difficult to classify, encompassing the rockabilly, jazz, blues, country music, country, sou ...
,
Collin Raye and
Tracy Lawrence
Tracy Lee Lawrence (born January 27, 1968) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Atlanta, Texas, and raised in Foreman, Arkansas, Lawrence began performing at age 15 and moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1 ...
, actors
Jerry Van Dyke
Jerry McCord Van Dyke (July 27, 1931 – January 5, 2018) was an American actor and comedian. He was the younger brother of Dick Van Dyke.
Van Dyke had a long and successful career mostly as a character actor in supporting and guest roles on pop ...
and
Billy Bob Thornton, and producer
Harry Thomason
Harry Zell Thomason (born November 30, 1940) is an American film and television producer and director, best known for the television series ''Designing Women''. Thomason and his wife, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, are close friends of President Bill ...
. Elvis Presley September 7 an 8th 1976. Admission is free.
See also
*
List of convention centers in the United States
This is a list of convention centers in the United States by state or insular area.
By state Alabama
*Bald Rock Lodge ( Cheaha State Park)
*Bessemer Civic Center
*Birmingham–Jefferson Convention Complex
*Bryant Convention Center (Tuscaloos ...
References
External links
Pine Bluff Convention CenterArkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame- official site
*Map to Pine Bluff Convention Center:
Indoor arenas in Arkansas
Sports venues in Arkansas
Concert halls in the United States
Convention centers in Arkansas
Theatres in Arkansas
Music venues in Arkansas
Buildings and structures in Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Tourist attractions in Pine Bluff, Arkansas
Sports in Pine Bluff, Arkansas
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