Oregon Convention Center
Making the World’s Most Useful Convention Center Website
The Oregon Convention Center is a prominent institution of the West Coast, one of only two LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certified convention centers in the US. When the OCC approached OMBU, however, their website was failing them: it looked outdated and the site content was lacking and often incorrect due to the lack of effective content management tools.
The OCC first engaged OMBU for a guided Discovery phase, to figure out how to organize, design and build a web presence that communicated the OCC’s prestigious yet friendly brand, and guided audiences to the information they need.
With that information, OMBU designed and implemented a sleek, modern, mobile-friendly and easy-to-navigate website that showcases the modern, sustainable and progressive institution.
The OCC website is our front door and delivers exactly what we are – a place where things happen, modern, exciting, sustainable and service oriented. OMBU created a very successful site for us on time and on budget.Matt Pizzuti, Deputy Director
Insights
Get people what they need quickly
The Oregon Convention Center’s audiences fall into three groups: visitors, exhibitors and event planners. To help each audience find their relevant information quickly, we designed a prominent audience bar that whisks visitors into content areas curated for their needs.
We also promoted the most important links for each audience so, with one tap, exhibitors can order services, planners can view floor plans, and visitors can find parking.
And we identified a small number of resources that anyone should be able to find immediately. For example, parking in the busy Lloyd District can be tricky, so we promoted parking and a handful of other key links to the very top, and made them especially prominent on mobile.
I’m hungry! What can I eat?
During Discovery, we learned a significant share of the convention center’s revenue comes from the concessions located throughout the building. However, the venue hours follow events, so it can be challenging for a visitor to find out whether their favorite coffee shop is open.
So we devised the one-tap “Eat Now” feature. This unique function integrates with the convention center’s existing scheduling system to help hungry convention-goers quickly find the food options currently open around them.
OCC is people
During the project, we were acquainted with much of the OCC staff. From the OCC administration, to operations and A/V, catering, security, everyone we met was passionate and professional. It became clear to us that OCC’s greatest asset is its team. So we looked for an opportunity to showcase this on the website.
Throughout the site, we highlight staff faces and provide direct contact information where possible. And we implemented a real-time web chat, not with a bot, but with the expert and passionate members of the OCC staff. When members are available to help, they can sign in to support visitors with real-time answers and the human touch that makes OCC so special.
