Salt Palace Convention Center | Mountain America Expo Center
Tourism Award
Visit Salt Lake Luncheon
ASM Insights
Art and Soup Charity Event
Chefs Corner
Flip the Strip
Sustainability
Staff Highlights
Event Highlights
Upcoming Events
Socials
Rick Medina, Director of Facilities at Mountain America Expo Center, has been honored with the 2024 Tourism Award from the South Valley Chamber. While Rick is honored to receive this award, he would like to acknowledge that this wouldn't have been possible without the dedication and support of his team
Through their commitment to excellence and consistently delivering exceptional event experiences, Mountain America Expo Center has built a strong, lasting connection with the community, supporting tourism growth in the valley
Team members from the Salt Palace Convention Center and Mountain America Expo Center had the pleasure of attending the VSL Luncheon at This Is The Place Heritage Park, where we joined 200 industry peers for an afternoon of inspiring and insightful discussions.
Our incredible host welcomed leadership to the stage to celebrate accomplishments and share key takeaways from this year’s combined annual review. They reflected on the progress we've made, highlighting economic impact, strengthened partnerships, and advancements in sustainability With clear goals for 2025, we’re excited to continue driving growth and innovation in the tourism industry and Salt Lake City through our incredible partnership with Visit Salt Lake.
The 2025 Q1 ASM Global’s Customer Satisfaction Survey results are in and we are proud to share that Mountain America Expo Center and the Salt Palace Convention Center ranked top 2 in the “large venue” category!
This survey collects feedback from event organizers and clients on their overall experience, providing insight into our performance. Mountain America Expo Center earned a perfect 100% Overall Experience rating with the Salt Palace Convention Center right behind them with a 93% Overall Experience rating.
These results are a reflection of our teams dedication, hard work, and the hospitality we bring to every event. Thank you to everyone who continues their committment to venue excellence.
We're delighted to announce that our in-house catering partner, Sodexo Live, received their 5th consecutive win in the Art and Soup Charity Event. This year, Yaneira Cardenas’s delicious Pina Colada Cake took the stage and won “Best Dessert.” From incredible soups to delightful desserts, the Sodexo Live team continues to impress with their creativity, passion, and culinary excellence Congratulations to the Sodexo Live team on this well-deserved recognition.
SERVINGS: 6-8 PREPPING TIME: 30 MIN COOKING TIME: 45 MIN
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
- 6-8 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips
- Optional Toppings: Shredded cheese, sour cream, and diced avocado
Toast & Rehydrate Chiles: Toast ancho and guajillo chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant Soak in boiling water for 20–30 minutes, then chop
Sear Chicken: Brown chicken in olive oil over medium-high heat (5–7 mins) Remove and set aside
Sauté Aromatics: Cook diced onion over medium heat until soft (5 mins) Add minced garlic and cook 1 more minute.
Add Spices & Chiles: Stir in cumin, smoked paprika (optional), salt, pepper, and chopped chiles. Cook 1–2 minutes.
Simmer: Add chicken, broth, and water Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for 20–25 minutes
Add Chipotle: Stir in minced chipotle peppers Simmer 5 more minutes
Fry Tortilla Strips: Fry tortilla strips in ½" vegetable oil until golden (2–3 mins/batch) Drain on paper towels.
Serve: Ladle soup into bowls. Top with tortilla strips, micro cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
Mountain America Expo Center completed the Flip Your Strip program with Salt Lake County, taking a significant step toward water conservation. The Flip Your Strip program promotes sustainable landscaping by replacing traditional grass strips with drought-tolerant plants, reducing water waste, and cutting long-term maintenance costs With the help of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), $2 million was funded to 5 facilities, including Mountain America Expo Center, in Salt Lake County to replace old landscaping with localscapes.
104,750 square feet was converted to waterwise landscaping
Estimated 2.39 million gallons of water saved annually
87,400 square feet of sprinkler systems converted to drip irrigation
134 existing trees preserved and 59 new trees planted
Over 5,000 drought-tolerant shrubs added
We are thrilled to be a part of an incredible program and to be a part of a more Sustainable Salt Lake.
14,853
15,675
8,430lbs Approximately 7,025 meals. lbs lbs
1,491
- 141,768 lbs
Cardboard: 62,353 lbs
Wood: 37,466 lbs
Food Waste: 29,243 lbs
Mixed Recycling: 8,300 lbs
Glass: 2,829 lbs
Metal: 858 lbs
Plastic: 420 lbs
Carpet: 300 lbs
MAEC - 25,562 lbs
Cardboard: 20,664 lbs
Mixed Recycling: 2,590 lbs
Wood: 1,445 lbs
Food Waste: 400 lbs
Plastic: 330 lbs
Glass: 106 lbs
Metal: 27 lbs
5 years of Service
Bryan Howser Operations Assistant Supervisor
Chandelle Lee Operations Staff
Katie McAdams Event Technology Specialist
Seth Tetteh Operations Staff
Casey Anderson Sales Manager
Morrighan Berry Event Technology Coordinator
1 year of Service 3 years of Service
David Simmons Operations Staff
Kelli Pacheco Sales Manager
Cody Dubois Engineer
Chris Campbell Zero Waste Coordinator 30 years of Service
Manny Rosado Guest Services Supervisor
First Quarter Promotions
Dirk Parker Operations Manager
Jason Vargas Full Time Guest Services Agent
Jordan Rausch Operations Assistant Manager
Dillon Anderson IT Manager
Sebastian Castaneda Lead Telecommunications Technician
Event Highlights
80
Total Number of Events
7
Total Number of Sporting Events
$102 Million
Total Economic Impact
9,616,957
Total Square Footage Booked
Triple Crown Volleyball Western Invitational
Square Footage Utilization: 258,0000 sq. ft.
Big Mountain Jam - Rocky Mountain Jam & Great Salt Lake Classic
Square Footage Utilization: 258,000 sq. ft.
Development Program National Championships
Square Footage Utilization: 251,080 sq ft
Melaleuca National Convention
Square Footage Utilization: 539,880 sq. ft.
2025 Pattern Conference
Square Footage Utilization: 203,660 sq ft
The College Board AP Reading
Square Footage Utilization: 665,100 sq ft
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