The Broward County Convention Center sits on SE 17th Street between the Intracoastal Waterway and Port Everglades, close enough to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport that arriving exhibitors can reach the exhibit floor in minutes rather than hours.
Its recent expansion added exhibit space and a connected Omni-branded headquarters hotel, which changed the logistics picture: staff and exhibitors can now walk from guest rooms to the show floor instead of shuttling in from scattered properties across town.
The building's exhibit halls are subdividable, which means the same campus hosts everything from a full-building boat show to a single-hall regional trade show without wasted space, a flexibility that matters as much to a mid-size exhibitor as it does to a national association booking the entire footprint.
Execution priorities
- The largest contiguous exhibit-hall footprint in the market
- A connected Omni headquarters hotel for staff and exhibitor lodging
- Direct proximity to Port Everglades and FLL airport
- Subdividable exhibit halls scale from single-room bookings to full-building takeovers
The market's primary exhibit hall
Broward County Convention Center carries more exhibit-hall square footage than any resort ballroom in the area, which is why it hosts the large annual trade shows, boat shows, and association conventions that need genuine floor space rather than a meeting room.
That scale comes with scale-appropriate logistics: dedicated loading docks, marshalling yard access, and a show-management structure built for full-building takeovers rather than single-room bookings.
Registration areas and business-center-style support are typically arranged by show management for each individual event rather than offered as a standing hotel amenity, so exhibitors should confirm those details with the specific show's organizers rather than assuming a fixed set of services.
The Omni headquarters hotel connection
The expansion that added exhibit space also brought an on-site Omni hotel connected directly to the convention center, which removes the shuttle-bus dependency that used to define working a show here.
For exhibitors and crew, that connection changes the daily rhythm: early call times no longer require factoring in a drive from a beach hotel, since staff can walk from their room to the hall.
- Direct walkway between the Omni hotel and the exhibit floor
- Reduced dependency on shuttle buses for headquarters staff
- Guest-room inventory scaled to full-building show weeks
Port Everglades and the waterfront campus
The convention center sits on the Intracoastal Waterway directly across from Port Everglades, one of the busiest cruise ports in the country, which shapes both the view from the building and the traffic pattern on 17th Street during cruise turnaround days.
Freight routing and drop-off timing for a show here should account for port-related congestion on 17th Street, especially on days when cruise ships are loading or unloading passengers.
Load-in reality at the anchor venue
Because this is the largest venue in the market, load-in windows, labor jurisdiction, and dock scheduling are more formalized here than at a resort property. Show management assigns docks and time blocks, and freight arriving outside its scheduled window can wait behind other exhibitors.
Planning a booth or general session here means treating the loading dock schedule as a real constraint from the start of the timeline, not an afterthought handled the week of the show.
Scaling from a single hall to a full building
Because the exhibit halls can be partitioned, a regional trade show booking one hall operates alongside a completely separate event in another part of the building, each with its own load-in schedule, labor call, and show management contact.
That flexibility is part of why the venue anchors so much of the market's calendar: it can host a mid-size industry show one week and a full-building consumer expo the next without reconfiguring the building itself.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a hotel connected directly to Broward County Convention Center?
Yes, an Omni-branded headquarters hotel is connected to the expanded convention center campus.
How close is the convention center to Port Everglades?
It sits directly across the waterway from Port Everglades, close enough that cruise traffic affects nearby road congestion.
Is this the largest exhibit venue in the Fort Lauderdale market?
Yes, it carries more contiguous exhibit-hall space than any resort property in the area.
How far is the convention center from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport?
It is a short drive, generally under fifteen minutes outside of peak traffic.
Can the exhibit halls be booked separately for smaller shows?
Yes, the halls are subdividable, allowing multiple events to run in different sections of the building at once.
Does the convention center have on-site business or registration services?
Show management typically provides registration and business-center support during a show; specifics vary by event and should be confirmed with show organizers.