Meydenbauer Center earned the 2026 World MICE Awards’ top convention centre honors in North America and the United States, following a Center Hall renovation.
Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, Washington, has won two 2026 World MICE Awards: North America’s Best Convention Centre and United States’ Best Convention Centre.
The U.S. category included 11 nominees. Meydenbauer Center won over Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex; Coastal Convention Center at Fontainebleau Miami Beach; Georgia World Congress Center; Jacob K. Javits Convention Center of New York; Las Vegas Convention Center; Massachusetts Convention Center Authority; McCormick Place; Pennsylvania Convention Center; Q Center; and Seattle Convention Center. In the North American category, the listed nominee was Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The official 2026 winners list names Meydenbauer Center as the winner of both awards.
World MICE Awards winners are determined by online voting. The awards invite votes from the MICE community, industry experts and consumers; industry votes are weighted twice as heavily as public votes.
"We are honored to be recognized by the MICE Industry our commitment to excellence. This award reflects the hard work, dedication, and exceptional customer service our team delivers every day," said Tim Carr, Chief Executive Officer at the Meydenbauer Center. "We understand that successful events are about creating memorable experiences, building strong relationships, and making every client feel valued and supported. Our team takes tremendous pride in anticipating our clients’ needs, exceeding expectations, and helping bring their events to life. These awards belong to them. Their commitment to service is what sets us apart, and I thank each of them for representing our venue and our community so exceptionally well.”
Center Hall renovation brings a refreshed event experience
This summer, Meydenbauer Center completed a major renovation of Center Hall, following its last comprehensive update in 2009. The redesign brightens the space with a lighter palette, warm wood-look feature walls and angular details that connect Center Hall with the center’s lobbies and fourth-floor meeting rooms.
Custom wood entry portals frame the entrances. A new LED feature wall can display event colors across the wall or create moving color displays for event branding.
Renovation reuses materials and recycles carpet
Meydenbauer Center recycled 3,500 square yards of carpet removed during the renovation. The project also retained the copper mesh ceiling and existing aluminum Alusion panels, incorporating the panels into the new LED feature wall. The panels are recyclable and contain recycled post-industrial and post-consumer aluminum.
Elsewhere in the facility, Mohawk’s Lichen Community Collection modular carpet is installed in upper-level lobby spaces, a meeting room and the theater. The collection is Living Product certified and NSF 140 Platinum certified, and uses EcoFlex One backing.
About the Meydenbauer Center
Meydenbauer Center opened in 1993 as the Greater Seattle area’s second largest convention facility. Meydenbauer Center was built to grow and sustain Bellevue’s economic vitality. The Center includes 54,000 square-feet of event space including 36,000 square foot Center Hall, and nine meeting rooms totaling 12,000 square-feet. Also included is a 2,500 square-foot Executive Conference Suite as well as a 410-seat performing arts theatre. Meydenbauer Center is owned and operated by the Bellevue Convention Center Authority (BCCA), a public development authority. The seven-member BCCA Board is appointed by the Bellevue City Manager and confirmed by city council.
