Hampton, Va.

The Hampton Roads Convention Center, in Hampton, Va., opened in May, just 20 minutes from the Norfolk (Va.) International Airport. With its sail-like canopy over the entrance, the 344,000-square-foot convention center strikes me as both efficiently and creatively designed. Its 102,600-square-foot exhibit hall is divisible into three self-contained areas, each with its own loading docks, skybox, and registration and reception areas. A 13,000-square-foot conference center with a private