MacEwan Conference & Event Centre

This evening, I was at a gala event at the MacEwan Conference Center this evening. The last time I was at this venue was a of years ago for the Decidedly Jazz Danceworks black tie gala, so this evening I was reaquainted with this venue for the first time in a few years.
Here are my pros and cons for the MacEwan Conference & Event Center in my opinion:
Pros:
–The space is visually appealing. the walls in the conference center are brick, which gives this space a very funky, industrial look.
— the space is huge — todays event had a trade show component which easily accommodated about 20 trade show vendors, as well as a dinner with 160 seats, plus another larger area that accommodated a showcase of products and services.
— The AV for all the presentations, fashion shows and audio for microphones were without incident
— University of Calgary is right on the c-​train, so those who wish to leave their car at home have another viable option.
Cons:
— underground parking for MacEwan Conference Center is $ 2.50 per half an hour. Attending this event cost me an additional $ 15 in parking
— University of Calgary is not a central location
— Since I have never attending the University of Calgary, finding MacEwan Hall was a challenge.
— Once in MacEwan Hall, finding the venue was challenging.
— In my opinion, the meal was palatable, but there was room for imporovement. The buns were quite stale (but the butter for the bread was perfect — it was not solid, so it was easy to spread), the soup was flavorful, but quite oily. The stuffed chicken was dry, but it was tasty. Would rather have it a bit dry, rather than undercooked. On a positive note, everything was piping hot (which makes me feel safe), and the dessert was fabulous.
All in all, if I was having an event that hosted a large number of people, there are good reasons to consider this venue. However, much like any venue, the pros and cons need to be weighed, based on the purpose of your event.