Cincinnati has completed a $264 million renovation of its downtown convention center, part of a broader effort to attract larger meetings and conventions amid rising competition among mid-sized U.S. destinations.
The former Duke Energy Convention Center has reopened under a new naming-rights agreement with Cincinnati-based First Financial Bank, serving as the anchor for a $800 million convention district that includes expanded meeting space, upgraded infrastructure, and a 700-room Marriott headquarters hotel slated to open in 2028.
Secondary destinations are increasingly investing in large-scale convention upgrades as planners look past traditional first-tier cities, where costs are higher and availability is tighter.
Several mid-tier destinations, including Louisville, Salt Lake City, and Kansas City, have recently advanced convention district improvements, underscoring how competition is expanding well beyond the largest U.S. cities.
In total, Cincinnati is investing $800 million to create a convention district. In addition to the convention center renovation and a new hotel, a new two-acre park was built next to the convention center and will be used by groups for receptions, parties, food trucks, and more.
Goal is to Attract New Groups
For Cincinnati, limited headquarters hotel inventory has historically limited its ability to secure larger citywide conventions.
“The goal wasn’t just to modernize the building; it was to fundamentally change what Cincinnati can offer planners,” said Rodney Faulk, general manager of the First Financial Center, managed by Legends Global. “With the scale of the exhibit space, the new ballroom, and the hotel coming online, we can now pursue events that simply weren’t realistic for us before.”
The renovated facility offers approximately 200,000 contiguous square feet of exhibit space, a 40,000-square-foot main ballroom, and additional ballrooms and breakout rooms supported by energy-efficient systems and redesigned streetscapes intended to better connect the venue to surrounding downtown amenities.
Across the street, the planned 700-room Marriott headquarters hotel, connected via skybridge, is intended to address longstanding room-block limitations that have prevented Cincinnati from consistently competing for larger conventions. The property will also add substantial meeting space.
The timeline, however, presents a near-term challenge. With the headquarters hotel not expected to open until 2028, Cincinnati must compete for new business before the full convention package is complete, a gap that could slow booking momentum.
Still, the renovation gives Cincinnati the physical capacity required to pursue a broader range of national meetings.
