The Los Angeles Convention Center, expanded and renovated over several phases since it opened in 1971, sits at the base of South Park and is the anchor that most citywide exhibit programs are planned from, with L.A. LIVE's arena, theaters, and restaurants next door.
Crypto.com Arena, home to the Lakers, Clippers, and Kings, and the Peacock Theater sit inside L.A. LIVE alongside the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotel towers, giving convention-center programs direct access to hotel rooms, dining, and entertainment without a shuttle.
Beyond that core, downtown breaks into distinct districts, the Financial District's Bunker Hill skyscrapers, the Arts District's converted warehouses, and South Park's residential and hotel density, each useful for a different piece of a citywide program.
Execution priorities
- The Los Angeles Convention Center runs on an authorized-contractor list and Event Manager-led planning process that shapes every move-in.
- L.A. LIVE's JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels sit within walking distance of the convention center's halls.
- Levy and Taste LA hold food and beverage exclusivity across much of the L.A. LIVE and convention center footprint.
The Los Angeles Convention Center as the regional anchor
The convention center's West and South Halls, connected by a pedestrian bridge, give downtown the largest contiguous exhibit floor that most citywide programs are planned to fit, bigger than anything on the Westside or elsewhere in the broader Los Angeles basin, and it is the default venue for any program that outgrows a hotel ballroom or Barker Hangar.
Booking into the center means working through its Event Manager process and authorized-contractor list rather than bringing outside labor freely, and any exhibitor-facing plan should build that structure in from the start rather than discover it during move-in week.
L.A. LIVE and the hotel and entertainment layer
L.A. LIVE's mix of Crypto.com Arena, the Peacock Theater, restaurants, and the connected JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton towers turns the blocks around the convention center into a self-contained event district, where attendees can move between sessions, meals, and evening entertainment without leaving a several-block radius.
Food and beverage across much of this footprint runs through Levy and its Taste LA program, which holds exclusivity in the convention center and much of L.A. LIVE, a detail that affects catering options for any exhibitor or private event in the district.
The districts beyond the convention center core
The Financial District's Bunker Hill towers add corporate meeting and hotel inventory a short distance northwest of the convention center, while the Arts District, built out of converted industrial warehouses east of Little Tokyo, offers a different register of event space entirely, better suited to receptions and off-sites than exhibit programming.
South Park itself, the immediate residential and hotel neighborhood surrounding the convention center and L.A. LIVE, has grown considerably with new apartment towers, adding hotel and short-term housing capacity close to the halls.
Access and freight into downtown
Downtown sits at the junction of several freeways, the 110, 10, and 101, which makes freight access relatively direct compared to the coastal Westside, though the convention center's own dock schedule and the surrounding street closures during major shows still require move-in windows confirmed well ahead of time.
Metro's B and D subway lines and several bus routes serve downtown directly, giving attendee transportation options that most of the Westside, outside a few Expo Line stops, does not have.
Building a downtown program
A full downtown program typically centers exhibit and general-session work at the convention center, houses attendees at the JW Marriott, Ritz-Carlton, or a Bunker Hill property, and uses the Arts District or South Park for an off-site evening event distinct from the main show floor.
Frequently asked questions
What is the primary exhibit venue in downtown Los Angeles?
The Los Angeles Convention Center, connected to the L.A. LIVE entertainment district, is the region's primary exhibit-hall venue and the default choice for programs that need real booth square footage.
Which hotels are closest to the convention center?
The JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE and the Ritz-Carlton, both part of the L.A. LIVE complex, sit within walking distance of the convention center's halls.
Does the convention center allow outside catering?
Food and beverage across much of the convention center and L.A. LIVE footprint runs through Levy's Taste LA program, which holds exclusivity, so outside catering options are limited within that footprint.
How does the Arts District differ from South Park for events?
The Arts District's converted warehouses suit receptions and off-site evening events with an industrial character, while South Park is the dense hotel and residential neighborhood immediately surrounding the convention center itself.