Suburban Collection Showplace reopening next month
Convention center to open at 50% capacity
Southeast Michigan’s second-largest convention center will reopen next month after being closed for a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beginning in April, the 420,000-square-foot, newlyrenovated Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi will welcome back the public for events that were postponed in 2020. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recently approved the venue to host specific trade and consumer shows to be classified as a retail setting, allowing the event center to operate at 50% capacity per MDHHS epidemic order.
The facility has eight event spaces that can be combined into one, large space or used in whatever combination to fit an event’s needs. If all eight spaces were being used at the same time, the showplace could host up to 9,665 people at 50% capacity.
In order to prepare for the re-opening, the showplace has updated their operations to incorporate more COVID-19 health and safety measures. Although those measures may differ by event, the public should expect the following protocols to be in place at all events until further notice: Guests will be able to purchase a parking pass in advance online; Guests can purchase tickets online or at the showplace’s outdoor box office; Masks will be required to enter the building; Aisles in the shows will be at least 10-feet wide and will be designated for one-way traffic with several hand sanitization stations placed throughout the lobby and show floor; and dining will be available, but will occur only in designated dining areas that will be properly socially distanced
Blair Bowman, showplace owner, said the safety of customers, participants, and team members is always the highest priority.
“Alongside our event promoters, we stand ready to abide by all government policies, health organization recommendations, and are taking all the necessary protective measures to responsibly host retail-oriented and other events permitted under the current restrictions here at the Suburban Collection Showplace” he said.
Here’s a breakdown of capacity by event space:
• Hall C: 4,036 (2,108 at half capacity)
• Hall B: 4,177 (2,088 at half capacity)
• Hall A: 5,600 (2,800 at half capacity)
• Event Hall: 4,318 (2,159 at half capacity)
• Cornerstone event rooms: 123 (61 at half capacity), 164 (82 at half capacity), 368 (184 at half capacity), 366 (183 at half capacity)
Upcoming events the calendar include:
• The Original Gun and Knife Show: April 2 through April 4 (Tickets are $8 for general admission and $7 for active military and seniors) HALL A
• The Novi Home Show: Friday, April 30, through Sunday, May 2 (Tickets are $9 to $10, children 12 and under are free) ALL HALLS
• The Foam Expo and Adhesive and Bonding Expo: Tuesday, July 13, through Thursday, July 15 HALLS A, B, AND C on
• The Oddities and Curiosities Expo: Saturday, July 17 (Tickets are $20 for VIP entry and $10 for general admission, children 12 and under are free)
Showplace staff are currently reaching out to event organizers to fill up the calendar through the spring, summer, and fall, according to McKenzie Bowman, director of communications.
A full list of events, along with dates, times, and ticket information, can be found at https://www.suburbancollectionshowplace.com/ upcoming-events.
In January, the Oakland County Health Division entered into a six-month agreement with Blair Bowman, showplace owner, to utilize the facility for COVID-19 vaccinations. Over the past few months, the county has utilized the showplace 1-2 times per week for vaccinations with the contract expiring in mid-June.