San Jose McEnery Convention Center

I like this convention center because there’s plenty of parking. My fiancé and I were here to check out the Silicon Valley auto show which I thought was well put together. Every section flowed to the next so I definitely felt like I didn’t miss anything.

Came here for he Silicon Valley Auto Show. Tickets were $ 11.50 each but guess what… we didn’t even need them. We were actually able to walk right into the convention center and straight into the show rooms. No one batted an eye and while the show itself was a bit underwhelming, I was kind of bummed that so many people were able to follow me in even though I paid and they didn’t. It’s cool though because at least my girlfriend and I weren’t the only people at the show.

A small space compared to other convention centers, but it does the job! I have been here fore multiple events such as Fanime and Heroes & Villains Fan Fest. As for Fanime, the vendors take up most of the space. As for Heroes & Villains Fan Fest, it was perfect for a comic con! It had ample space for a lot of activities, vendors, and also had the intimacy where you could interact with the celebrities.

Nothing too special about this convention center. Checked out Ape here and it worked well for that size event. On the plus side, parking is pretty plentiful nearby and may even be free if you’re willing to walk 10 minutes.

i’ve been here many times for expositions and shows, namely the san jose rock ‘n roll health & fitness expo and the silicon valley international car show. this is the perfect venue for such events since there is ample space inside this venue, with the separation of rooms and exhibit halls. there’s also plenty of restrooms inside, located at various points which are convenient for visitors.
i would not, however, recommend this as a venue for a wedding or other joyous/​romantic event as it doesn’t have the look and feel for such occasions. it it, however, perfect for anything that is tech related or health/​fitness related since it is in the heart of downtown san jose in silicon valley.
parking is available underneath the convention center, but not for a cheap price, so your best bet is street parking, most of which have meters, but if you’re willing to walk a bit further, you can actually score free street parking.
alternatively, you can take the vta light rail which drops you off right in front of the convention center and avoid having to deal with the hassle of parking.

I was here for the Fanime Convention and it was a lot bigger than I imagined. The place itself was huge, accommodated everything fairly well but parking was on the expensive side (which was no surprise). I love that were were bathroom’s everywhere and large ones too. This was the first time that I did not see a line in the girl’s bathroom even during the times when the place was packed.
As for the convention itself, the merch hall and artist’s hall was filled with amazing things. The gaming one was a bit empty… I feel like things could’ve been organized around a bit better though.
The people managing lines for the merch hall were nice and directed the line effectively (no fire hazards and such.) My one problem was the check-​in downstairs. The line was looped around so much that I never once saw it full. The volunteers made someone with a limp walked the entire empty loop line and yelled at them when they tried go under (a bit rude on the volunteer’s part). It kind of made my blood boil but was told the keep quiet or risk getting thrown out. If I didn’t pay so much for a ticket, I’d give that volunteer kid a piece of my mind.
Final Thoughts: The center itself was perfect for the event, inside and out. As for the convention itself, everything was awesome except the line incident.

Great place for conventions and events. This place is kept really clean and it is huge. Plenty of rooms and space that can hold a lot of people in. Bathrooms are close by to many of the rooms so people don’t have to walk or run far when they need to go. IDK what else can be said but if you’re thinking of hosting an event or something, this could be a great place.

The San Jose McEnery Convention Center is a good facility. I attended the Big Wow Comic Fest the past few years held here.
The floorplan is good with multiple convention halls and small conference rooms.
It’s a good place to hold an event, whether a convention or a trade show.
The area has decent food options that’s walking distance too and it’s close by to hotels as well.
It’s conveniently off of the freeway and easy to access.
There’s adequate parking facilities within the convention and adjacent hotel, as well as alternative (and cheaper) parking outside in the surrounding area. I think we paid $ 20 per day and I think the outdoor lots within walking distance is around $ 5 per day.
The only downside to parking at the facility is «access» if you leave your car after hours beyond when the convention center closes, and you’ll have to sweat it out a bit ’til you figure out how to get in, then get to an open door, then get to your car (and at that point it’s easy to pay at the self-​service machine) and leave. It’s not horribly difficult but it’s not self-​explanatory, intuitive nor outlined outright.

The navigation app on my iPhone is stupid.
It kept taking me to the wrong street and I was going around in circles trying to find the damn San Jose McEnery Convention Center.
The place itself is huge and clean.
The event that I went to sucked, but, that’s a different review :)

This is a really nice venue for big events. The facility was a good location for a volleyball tournament but other sporting events would work here as well. There weren’t enough options open or available for food within the facility but there are lots of places nearby in downtown San Jose. Parking availability is the biggest downside.

Used to beautiful convention center in San Diego I find myself comparing towns again… so this one is huge but lacks personality. OK, you get the train and tons of parking but there is this feeling of isolation in downtown San Jose that I don’t like. I went to the snow bomb ski fair last Saturday and was not that impressed, although seemed pretty well organized and access to this convention center is easy, fast.

Over the past few years, I’ve been on a conference/​convention free-​for-​all…
I’ve been attending conferences from coast-​to-​coast.
Recently, I attended QB Connect in my hometown of San Jose, CA — at the McEnery Convention Center.
Well, how did the SJ convention center stack up? Quite well! Way better than the two in New Jersey, not as good as the newer Boston convention center, but nicer than the older one in Beantown. Long Beach, Santa Clara, Austin, Chicago… no, I’m not gonna rate them all right now.
Things I liked:
Easy parking
Plentiful meeting spaces
Pleasant open areas
Good signage off the freeway
Helpful staff
Location — central to hotels, bars, restaurants
Could improve:
POWER OUTLETS!!! I needed to charge my iPad and iPhone — c’mon, it’s 2014!
Small restrooms
Some dark interior spaces (like a casino… you lose track of daylight)
Expensive parking for conference ($ 20/​day)
For an older conference center, it has held up quite well.
I’m a fan — 4 solid stars!

The RnR San Jose Expo was located here, and it’s conveniently connecting two major hotels: Hilton & Marriott. The expo was great, and the convention center is really nice. there is parking below and parking lots surrounding the center for a nominal fee (you’re in DTSJ after all).
I don’t know if I’ll be back up there, but at least the convention center left a nice lasting impression on me. :) Plenty of bathrooms and trash cans, places to sit, very clean and lots of nice air conditioning. :)

The Rock N Roll Expo was located in the convention center. Luckily, my hotel room was just across the street and was very convenient and safe to walk to and from. The train system also stops right in front of the convention center, which is totally convenient for those traveling from outside the city.
The convention center is beautiful and big. There is a big sculpture out front and great restaurants surrounding the area for those looking for a nice meal following conferences or events. Note: There is no «fast food» with the exception of Subway which is about a block away. Everything is mostly fine dining and they don’t open until 5pm.
The space is nice and big for the expo I attended. Very modern and clean. Very easy to navigate and not much traffic in the area, which is a nice change from San Diego or LA!

Nice modern venue for HUGE conferences. Everything was nice and sleek looking, befitting of how cool Downtown San Jose is growing to be.
Went here for the San Jose Rock N Roll 10k/​Half Marathon health expo. This was the first expo of it’s kind I attended. The air conditioning felt amazing in the hot weather, and is a major reason why this review is getting at least four stars =P
All five stars were eventually deserved because the health expo was awesome! Actually really enjoyed seeing some of these vendors because of the deals (bought a pair of nice insoles for my pained feet here). Overall there was just a lot of value to the San Jose Rock N Roll, I’ll definitely attend next year too.
The only other time I’ve been here was for an auto show (can’t remember that one too well).
A+

I felt like a kid at the candy store the second I got my wristband. Thanks to Goldstar for the half off entrance fee! The line at Will Call wasn’t an issue for me but then again it was probably because I arrived 25 minutes early. I’m never late.
Thought to myself that I may be the first to go in because things seemed quiet however, that assumption went down the drain the second I saw the long ass line to get in. Folks in line has checked in and got their wristbands; damn them for being earlier than me. Quest Nutrition came out to pass the «free sample cards». I can’t understand why since Quest was giving one bar away per individual and the «sample card» wasn’t needed.
The line to get in went by rapidity fast. Before I knew it, I was at my first booth. I read what they had to offer and was in awe of their pull-​up bars (contest galore throughout the event). Next to this booth was Quest. I don’t just like this particular brand but I love it. Quest Bars are healthy and literally guilt free. I live by their hashtags via IG: #onaquest #cheatclean
I’m always on a quest for a better me.
Had a great time talking to the folks from just about every booth and I learned a lot. I tried flavored egg whites (hella good). I now can’t wait for the UFC Gym that will open in Sunnyvale in September. Please note that this gym will be opened 24 hours, has a kids’ center, kids’ workout area (jiu jitsu, kickboxing, etc.) to the usual gym machines and equipment a plus classes: Krav Maga, Muay Thai, etc.
Have always loved Pure Protein bars but I was stoked when I saw the new line: baked protein bars. They are not like rubber like the majority of the bars. The Met-​RX Protein Pancakes were delicious and as guilt-​free as possible. It tastes just like regular pancakes.
Watched endless CF competitions, the Strong Man competition, and met so many great trainers and reps from
. I was there by myself 90% of my time there so I was given lots of samples (one sample per person) and was approached frequently…
Next year, I am bringing my kids. It is very important to me that my kids are active. I did not know parents would bring their kids to this thing but I saw quite a few and they were all not new to the fitness world. I love that.
Love LVFT. Love Quest. Love this event!!!

Went here for BlogHer this past weekend. I kind of want to complain how huge it is but last year we were at McCormick in Chicago, which was much bigger. So …
I stayed at the Fairmont which was a quick five minute walk from the center. I liked that there seemed to be a lot of outdoor spaces to take a break at, and the center itself is very pretty, though the executive area, which we used as the expo hall, gave off a bit of a concrete/​cement vibe.

I love to go here for some of the conventions like Furry Con and FanimeCon. I love how they did the new expansion and look in front of the convention center. Even have some polls that light up at night.
I miss the fountains in front with balls around that my wife and other people sat on.

From Fanime, car shows to high school graduations, this Convention can hold them all!
The convention center is easily accessible in a multitude of ways and is a large venue. With two levels and various halls, the convention center is perfect for any kind of event, convention or any other social gathering. It’s always kept clean, is spacious and air-​conditioned. There’s plenty of access to restrooms and have small cafes nearby.
Parking is decent as you can park at the Hilton or any other Public Parking structure nearby for little to no pay.

Went to the Community Grand Opening on Thurs 10÷10÷13. Many vendors — got a VTA gray bag, some candy, cookies.
Some snacks to eat: hot dog w/​bun cut up, cut up pretzel, cut up churro, some tator tots, bottled water, some lemonade or black tea, coffee, tea bags.
Went to the 5:30pm first Bugs Bunny Symphony II — Silicon Valley Symphony played the music to Bugs Bunny cartoons. That was fun.
Heard some speeches from Team San Jose, Mayor Chuck Reed, Councilmember Sam Liccardo, & another guy. They also turned on the Idea Tree — public art. That was ok, doesn’t work that great to me. Looks good though.
Silicon Valley International Auto Show is coming January 9 – 12, 2014!