Visit Pittsburgh
Three rivers, one remarkable city
Pittsburgh, PA, US
Destination profile
About Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh pairs a compact, walkable downtown with the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the first convention center in the world to earn LEED Gold certification. Meetings here come with world-class museums, a celebrated food scene and championship sport within a few blocks of the exhibit halls.
Where three rivers meet
Pittsburgh is built on the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers, and its downtown is one of the most compact in the country: the David L. Lawrence Convention Center sits on the riverfront, a short walk from more than 3,800 hotel rooms, hundreds of restaurants and a cultural district anchored by The Andy Warhol Museum, The Carnegie Museum of Art and the Frick Art Museum.
Designed by Rafael Viñoly, the convention center holds the largest column-free exhibit hall in the United States at 236,900 square feet. The building runs on 75% natural daylight, is naturally ventilated, and holds LEED Gold certification for new construction and LEED Platinum for existing building operations.
City-wide profile
Why meet in Pittsburgh
Capacity, access and planner support for Pittsburgh, at a glance.
Top reasons to visit
Why planners choose Pittsburgh
- David L. Lawrence Convention Center — 313,400 sq ft of exhibit space and the largest column-free exhibit hall in the U.S. at 236,900 sq ft
- Walkable riverfront downtown — 3,800+ hotel rooms, museums, dining and the stadium district within a short walk
- Culture and sport on the doorstep — The Andy Warhol Museum, Carnegie museums, The Strip District and three major-league stadiums
Inventory & capacity
Access & district
- Airport proximity
- Pittsburgh International (PIT) ~20 mi west, 25–30 min via I-376; 28X Airport Flyer bus ~$2.75
- Air lift access
- Pittsburgh International (PIT): 64+ nonstop destinations in 7 countries and 30 states, roughly 720 departures a day. Transatlantic: British Airways to London Heathrow daily, Aer Lingus to Dublin, seasonal Icelandair to Reykjavik. Air Canada to Toronto and Montreal; Cancun, Punta Cana and Nassau seasonal.
- District transit & walkability
- Very compact Golden Triangle: the convention center sits on the riverfront a short walk from downtown hotels, the Cultural District and Point State Park. The T light-rail is free between downtown stations, the 28X Airport Flyer runs to PIT, buses converge downtown, and the riverfront trail network plus two inclines connect to Mt. Washington.
Operations & incentives
- Labor & vendor status
- Pennsylvania is not a right-to-work state, so trade-show and stagehand labor at the convention center is union (IATSE). Levy Convention Centers is the exclusive food and beverage provider — outside food and beverage is not permitted in the building — and rigging, utilities and telecommunications are ordered through the center's event services team. Security and police staffing are arranged by the venue.
- Local taxes & fees
- Sleeping rooms carry 14% total: 6% Pennsylvania hotel occupancy tax + 1% Allegheny County local sales tax + 7% Allegheny County hotel room rental tax. The county rate includes a temporary 2% add-on tied to convention center debt that ends no later than 31 Aug 2027, reverting to 5% (12% total). Sales and use tax in Allegheny County is 7%.
- Planner incentives & subvention
- VisitPITTSBURGH convention sales and services: RFP and bid support, complimentary site inspections, housing bureau and room-block management, registration staffing, convention planning bulletins, customized maps, attendance-promotion tools and the Show Your Badge discount program for delegates. No published per-room rebate; group support is negotiated case by case. A 500-room Loews hotel directly connected to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center is in development (letter of intent signed, $418M project) and will give the center its first attached headquarters hotel.
David L. Lawrence Convention Center
Pittsburgh, PA, US
The Platinum LEED-certified David L. Lawrence Convention Center features riverfront views, flexible floorplans...
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is about 20 miles west of downtown, roughly 25 to 30 minutes by car via I-376. Downtown is served by bus and light rail, and the convention center sits directly on the riverfront trail network.
Parking
The convention center operates an on-site garage with 700 spaces and an 8-foot-1-inch clearance. Additional public garages and surface lots serve the surrounding Cultural District blocks, and most downtown hotels offer valet. The building has 37 loading docks with direct access to the exhibit halls.
