The building we usually utilize for meeting space was booked, and I considered the Salem Convention Center to be a good replacement. I was not disappointed with the space! The room we were placed in (Santiam 6) had ample room for my group of 35, and could have seated many more in a hollow conference square.
My group is a major coffee drinking crew (aside from myself), and when I was told that the $35/gal coffee was weak - I immediately found the banquet coordinator. He poured a cup of coffee and said it didn't look weak to him, but they re-brewed the service anyway. The second batch was just as weak.
Fortunately our meeting started at 10, and many were able to be held over til we had lunch served at noon. We had the taco salad bar and it was GREAT! The fruit was amazing, the salad was great, and the "fixins" were perfect.
We also had a last minute person want to join by phone, and I appreciate the tech guy's help in getting it set up with little notice. However, our phone attendee hung up prior to the introductions ending because she couldn't hear more than every third word. I understand they have a better conference phone available, but for a $50 phone line rental and a $50 phone rental, I would think phone attendees should be able to hear a bit more on any set up.
Overall, I think I could recommend the SCC with the added warning to avoid ordering coffee, and to be very aware of what you might need. The room cost was cheaper than the venue I usually utilize (by around $50), but with the added costs of projector screen and media cart (I was able to bring my own projector and laptop), and phone rental costs - it ended up costing much more than my usual space.