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Convention center in Denver, Colorado, US

The Colorado Convention Center (CCC) is a multi purpose convention center located in Downtown Denver, Colorado. At 2,200,000 square feet (total space) it is currently the 12th largest convention center in the United States. It opened in June 1990; the first event being the NBA draft for the Denver Nuggets. The convention center was expanded in 2004 to include several meeting rooms, two ballrooms and an indoor amphitheater. Since opening, the center hosts an average of around 400 events per year. Centrally located in the city, it has become one of Denver's many landmarks due to its architecture and is adjacent to the Denver Performing Arts Complex and is just blocks away from the Colorado State Capitol, Auraria Campus and the 16th Street Mall. The CCC is directly served via light rail by RTD's Theatre District–Convention Center station.

The Colorado Convention Center underwent a $340 million major expansion that was completed in December 2004. The expansion doubled the size of the facility to that includes of exhibit space, of meeting rooms, and of ballroom space and included the 5,000 seat Bellco Theatre. The CCC also boasts an attached 1,000 space, 3 level parking structure as well as its own RTD (Regional Transportation District) Light Rail stop. The Hyatt Regency Denver, completed around the same time as the CCC expansion, is located across 14th Street from the convention center and is one of Denver's Top Ten tallest buildings with 38 floors at a height of 489 feet (149 m). Across Welton Street, on the historic registry, is the Denver Athletic Club.

Starting in mid 2021 the convention center began construction on a new expansion project. Upon completion this will include new flexible meeting and ballroom space of approximately 85,000 square feet, 100,000 square feet of new pre function and service space, and a 50,000 square foot outdoor terrace to be located on the roof of the existing convention center which will provide unobstructed views of both downtown and the mountains. In all, approximately 235,000 square feet of usable space will be added bringing the total usable floor area to around 2.5 million when the project is completed in 2023. This would make the facility the seventh largest in the U. S. using today's convention center statistics. The expansion will be completely integrated into the existing CCC footprint and involves no outward expansion of the current facility.

A public art collection is featured throughout the interior and exterior of the convention center. The most visible work is I See What You Mean by Lawrence Argent, located on the north east side of the convention center just to the left of the main entrance on 14th Street. Erected in June 2005, the 40 feet (12 m) tall polymer concrete clad sculpture is in the form of a lapis lazuli colored bear pushing its nose and paws against the glass facade, attempting to peek inside. Its installation was part of the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs' Public Art Program. This collection is featured on many of Denver's cultural tours.

The CCC is bounded by 14th Street, Speer Boulevard, Champa Street and Welton Street. Stout Street runs underneath the building, as does the (RTD) Light Rail's Central Corridor. Currently the D, F and H lines run through this corridor's stop. The CCC is linked by a pedestrian bridge across Champa Street to the Denver Performing Arts Complex with its nine theatres. It is across Welton Street from the Emily Griffith Opportunity School. The University of Colorado Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and the Community College of Denver are all located to the west across Speer Boulevard at the Auraria Campus. The Colorado Convention Center is central to many other downtown attractions including: the 16th Street Mall, the Denver Pavilions, the LoDo (Lower Downtown) district, the Pepsi Center home of the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Crush and the Colorado Mammoth, Coors Field home of the Colorado Rockies, Denver's Downtown Aquarium, Elitch Gardens amusement park, and the Denver Botanic Gardens.