CINCINNATI — Cincinnati tourism officials are launching a new initiative to ensure the region can secure large events during the temporary closure of the Duke Energy Convention Center.
Meetings Made Cincy launched Wednesday by bringing large vendors together under one roof for event planners in various industries. The goal is to showcase the region’s other venues and highlight all the Tri-State has to offer.
“The convention center is closed. We know that,” said Julie Calvert, president and CEO. “We are not out of the convention business. Very much alive, very much strong.”
The convention center will close for 18 months later this year to undergo a $200 million renovation. Construction is set to start July 1 and wrap up at the end of 2025.
Vendors at Wednesday’s event include Delta Airlines, the Sharonville Convention Center, Rhinegeist Brewery Private Events, 3CDC and several major Cincinnati-area hotels.
The Sharonville Convention Center just doubled its exhibit space after renovations.
Calvert said the event is a way to pull together the region’s venues and opportunities under one roof. She said attendees include event planners in industries like health care, education, business and more.
Wednesday’s event was a kickoff to the broader initiative, which Calvert said will include more events like this one.
Proponents of the convention center renovation say the region is losing money from large events due to outdated facilities. Critics have voiced concern that the temporary closure will quiet downtown.
“We're going to miss some city-wide convention business,” Calvert said. “But that really is at a minimum. We’re really looking towards the future.”
Calvert said a study estimated that the renovations will bring in $48 million a year in new convention business. In the meantime, she pointed to other downtown draws like the area’s music venues, theaters, arts and culture.
In the interim, she encouraged planners to consider Cincinnati.
“We’re a city that's in constant change,” she said. “That's good because we're growing and we're vibrant.”
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