LAYTON -- If a theater seating type arrangement were set up in the original and expanded Conference Center, nearly the entire population of Fruit Heights could meet together. That's because 4,500 seats could be placed in the 85,000 square feet of convention and exhibit space now available at the expanded facility, here. The newest space, which includes purpose-built exhibit space, will be unveiled Friday at 3 p.m. during a ribbon cutting ceremony. Ascent Construction of Centerville was the general contractor, and GSBS Architects of Salt Lake City designed the facility. The public can have a look-see during the free Northern Utah Recreation Expo which runs from 5-9 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. Saturday.

"There will be more than 40 exhibitors, but over 50 booths with some exhibitors having multiple spaces," said Scott Lunt, Conference Center general manager.

"I don't know any place (in Davis County) that has this kind of space," he said, referring to everything from intimate meeting rooms to the grand ballroom to the new Eclipse Exposition Hall.

The addition, which doubles the center's size and includes trade show space, took about a year to build and is opening its doors less than four years after the original facility opened.

"It's quite timely. The demand for expo space has been big...these are new dollars that are waiting to come to Davis County," said Wilf Sommerkorn, the county's Community & Economic Development director.

"Business has had to be turned away because the existing space just wasn't enough for their needs."

As previously explained by Lunt and Davis Convention & Visitors Bureau CEO Barbara Riddle, many groups needed both a place to hold meetings and another spot to house related vendors and exhibits.

Some groups flat out decided the Conference Center couldn't meet their needs while still others found the need was there after holding meetings there.

Riddle and Lunt both have groups committed to the new space, including some for later this year.

The first group using the new space, called TEAMS, brought about 800 people from across Northern Utah for leadership training meetings.

"It went very well," Lunt said of their event. "They were there both Friday and Saturday, April 25 and 26..

"We were really pleased. The meeting planner (now) wants to be here every month with this group," Lunt said.

At the same time the new exhibition space was being "broken in," the Meridian Ballroom was hosting the annual Davis Education Foundation Gala, which brought about an equal number of people to that side of the facility.

Friday's event will see the facility's new concession stand open, enabling those attending the Expo to grab a hamburger, pizza, hot dog, soft drink, or the like, Lunt said.

The Expo is intended to show off the new 25,000 square-foot Eclipse Expo Hall, with its 30 foot ceilings and durable floors that can handle full-sized semi trucks and trailers, and more.

A lot of the new space's technology won't be visible to the naked eye, because it's buried.

But as County Commissioner Alan Hansen joked, recently, about being able to languish in a hot tub, the necessary plumbing and wiring is in place.

Increases in staff will be slight, with much of that in the form of servers and other support service staff, as needed for single large or multiple big events, Lunt said.