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Positive momentum for Cincy’s travel, tourism industry is palpable | Opinion

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2 months ago

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Julie Calvert
 |  Opinion contributor

The year was 1967. The Cincinnati Bengals were awarded a franchise from the American FootballLeague. Cincinnati City Council had just approved the creation of Riverfront Stadium and constructionwould begin just a few months later. Cincinnati Gardens was hopping as the home of Oscar Robertsonand the NBA’s Cincinnati Royals. Johnny Bench made his Major League debut, and the pieces of the BigRed Machine were slowly falling into place. The first issue of Cincinnati Magazine was hot off thepresses. “I’m a Believer” by the Monkees topped the charts.

And the region celebrated the grand opening of the Cincinnati Convention-Exposition Center downtown.At the time, the building was unmatched for its size and flexibility. The 95,000 square feet of exhibitionspace, 27 meeting rooms, and dock area featuring hydraulic lifts allowed Cincinnati to host events thatother area venues could not handle. The total cost of construction was $10 million, or roughly $93million in today’s dollars.

Fifty-seven years later − as we celebrate National Travel & Tourism Week from May 19-25 − the regiononce again finds itself at an exciting and pivotal crossroads. The once unmatched Convention-ExpositionCenter − now known as the Duke Energy Convention Center (DECC) − will close July 1 for a more than$200 million improvement that will reimagine and transform the space into a more attractive andcompetitive site for meeting planners and conventioneers across the globe.

The groundbreaking for a new downtown headquarters hotel will follow shortly, with 800 keys and80,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. Plus, A new comprehensive study is looking into thepossibility of a new state-of-the-art arena.

The positive momentum for Cincy’s travel and tourism industry is palpable. And our growth mindset as abusiness community is sparking new opportunities with companies locating to the region, peoplemoving here, movies being filmed here, conventions and high profile events being scheduled here, andvisitors flocking here to experience everything from one of our sports teams, the Cincinnati Open tennistournament, Flying Pig Marathon, Cincinnati Music Festival, Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame, andthe nation’s largest art and light show BLINK.

To amplify that momentum, Visit Cincy launched “Meetings Made Cincy,” a campaign designed toencourage our local decision-makers and influencers to keep their industry and association meetingsand events right here in Cincinnati. The impact will be profound, from driving new visitors and dollars tothe region to supporting our hospitality workers while the convention center is closed. With so many HamiltonCounty unique venues, ballrooms, hotels, attractions, and services, Visit Cincy is emphasizing that ourregion is still open for business, and ready to find the right location or any event while the convention center is offline.

Through every visitor experience and touchpoint, it’s the professionals in our local hospitality industrywho will leave the first and last impressions. These professionals hold one out of every 10 jobs in ourregion. And together, they help us realize more than $5 billion in annual visitor spending and taxrevenues exceeding $1 billion. Is there a meeting you plan or attend that would be a perfect fit for ourregion and support this industry that’s so vital to our regional success? Check outwww.visitcincy.com/meetingsmadecincy to learn more and get started.

If 1967 ushered in a new era of tourism and convention success for Cincinnati, then 2024 will likewise beremembered as a landmark year. A year when more of us get involved to make our region thrive whenevery week feels like National Travel & Tourism Week, and when “I’m a Believer” still rings true for ourdestination.

Julie Calvert is president and CEO of Visit Cincy.

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