The National Conference Center

The National Conference Center
NCC

NCC logo and aerial view
Former names Xerox International Center for Training and Management Development (XICTMD)[1]
Xerox Document University[2]
Location Leesburg, Virginia
Coordinates 39°05′37″N 77°29′03″W / 39.09357°N 77.48428°WCoordinates: 39°05′37″N 77°29′03″W / 39.09357°N 77.48428°W
Owner Oxford Capital Partners
Type Conference Center
Construction
Built 1973
Opened 1974
Renovated 2002
Expanded 2007
Construction cost $55,000,000 (1974 dollars); $244,078,400 (2008 dollars)[1][3]
Website
http://www.conferencecenter.com

The National Conference Center (NCC) is a corporate training facility in Leesburg, Virginia. It hosts over 14,000 individuals per month and comprises 265,000 square feet (24,600 m2) of meeting space, one of the largest in the region.[4] The center contains 250 conference rooms, an athletic facility, and 917 guest rooms.

The building was built in 1974 as the Xerox Conference Center at a cost of $55 million. It was designed to assist in copier and technology training for company employees. It was designed by Vincent G. Kling & Partners, and has been managed by ARAMARK Harrison Lodging since its inauguration. In 1994 Xerox permitted outside organizations to use the grounds. The center was sold to Oxford Capital Partners in 2000. Two years later, the Center completed a $29 million renovation, in order to ameliorate its training operations. The current design implements "living learning modules", a series of color-coded buildings; underground tunnels; a ballroom; and walking trails.[1]

History

The Center was built by Xerox in 1974 under the name of Xerox International Center for Training and Management Development. It was later changed to Xerox Document University when an additional building was added. [5] )[4][6] to train employees in copier technology and equipment. In 1994 Xerox opened the facilities to other corporations, and sold it to Oxford Capital Partners in 2000 as part of an exit from the hospitality industry.[6] In part this exit was due to a continuous under-capacity in event bookings, despite such events as the National Veterans Golden Age Games being hosted at the site.[7][8] Since its opening in 1974, it has been run by ARAMARK Harrison Lodging, a management services company.[9]

Renovation

Following a $29 million renovation, it was reopened in 2002 to service a wide range of corporate training needs.[2] The Center is composed of several buildings which are color-coded (blue, purple, red, orange, and yellow) into "living-learning modules".[1] A network of underground tunnels connect the main buildings and attached West Belmont Ballroom, constructed in 2007.[10]

Facilities

Interior view of walkways at the National Conference Center.

The Center was originally situated on 2,265 acres (9.17 km2) of land in Leesburg, Virginia.[1] Through subsequent sales and subdivisions, the current complex sits on 110 acres (0.45 km2) of the original land.[7] Among its 265,000 square feet (24,600 m2) of meeting space are the 16,500 square feet (1,530 m2) ballroom, an 5,000 square feet (460 m2) athletic facility and 250 conference rooms.[11] The remainder of the nearly 1,200,000 square feet (110,000 m2) of the facility include 917 guest rooms (up from 863 rooms in the original facility) and common areas.[7][12] These facilities were converted from Xerox's dormitory style accommodations, which included shared bathrooms. The Center retained the confusing navigational layout of the Xerox era, which was allegedly intended to encourage team building among participants.[6] The distinctive brutalist architecture was also retained, despite extensive renovations.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Von Eckardt, Wolf (1975-02-08). "Raising a Cheer for Old Xerox U." (Fee required). ProQuest Historical Newspapers Database (The Washington Post Company). p. D1. Retrieved 2008-10-15.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "The National Conference Center at Lansdowne: A New Name and $29 Million In Improvements for Mid-Atlantic Region's Premier Meeting Place". PR Newswire. 2002-01-17. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
  3. ↑ "CPI Inflation Calculator". Bureau of Labor Statistics. September 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-31.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Loudoun Community Events Week". Washington Post. 2005-11-17. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
  5. ↑ http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2001_4th/Nov01_XeroxU.html. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Marr, Kendra (2008-01-14). "Conference Center in Va. Tries to Cast A Wider Net". Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Schafer, Sarah (1999-02-11). "Xerox to Sell Leesburg Campus" (Fee required). ProQuest Newspapers Database (Leesburg, Virginia: The Washington Post Company). p. V.01. Retrieved 2008-10-15.
  8. ↑ "Loudoun in Brief" (Fee required). ProQuest Newspapers Database (Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company). 2000-07-09. p. V.04. Retrieved 2008-10-15.
  9. ↑ "Management Services". Aramark. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
  10. ↑ Biggs, Alicia (2007-12-10). "Region's Largest Conference Center To Open In Lansdowne". Leesburg Today. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
  11. ↑ "International Association of Conference Centers – North America". IACC. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
  12. ↑ "The National Conference Center". NCC. Retrieved 2008-08-04.

External links

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