Salt Palace Convention Center | Mountain America Expo Center
A Tourism Award
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
Visit Salt Lake - 2024 Year in Review Luncheon
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.
ASM Insights
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.
Art and Soup Charity Event
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.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chef Diego Cardenas
SERVINGS: 6-8 PREPPING TIME: 30 MIN COOKING TIME: 45 MIN
INGREDIENTS
- 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.
Staff highlights
Service Awards
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
QUARTER 2 EVENTS
MOUNTAIN AMERICA EXPO CENTER
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
SALT PALACE CONVENTION CENTER
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
Let’s get social
Salt
Mountain America Expo Center
Palace Convention Center
saltpalacecc
Salt Palace Convention Center