Ringed by seven rolling hills in the southwestern corner of Ohio, Cincinnati faces south toward Kentucky across the Ohio River and is just a few miles east of the Indiana border. Greater Cincinnati encompasses the city itself, noteworthy for its 19th century architecture; its suburbs, rich in theme parks and golf courses; Northern Kentucky, home to the region’s primary airport and several large meeting spaces; and the casino hotels of nearby Indiana.
The metro region has become the largest in Ohio.
Although the area has an abundance of attractions and meeting space, a central location and accessibility, perhaps Cincinnati’s greatest asset is its dedication to the highest quality of service.
In post-convention evaluations conducted in 2008 by the Cincinnati USA CVB, average ratings for attendee experience of the city came in at 4.9 out of 5, and the CVB’s website features testimony from dozens of planners for events made successful by the efforts of its staff.
At a time when budgets need to go farther than ever before, service of this caliber is priceless. Cincinnati’s current tagline is “Plan for More,” which means planners can expect to get more service for their money and attendees can expect to be dazzled by the attention they receive.
“When you have challenging economic times like we’re experiencing now, it shines a bright light on the subtle, intangible things that set one destination apart from another,” says Julie Calvert, vice president of marketing and strategic development at the CVB. “If you rely strictly on rates or attractions, economic realities make those features less relevant. In Cincinnati, we’ve always focused more on customer service, honesty, attention to detail and making every customer feel like their event is the most important one we’ve ever hosted. Planners have really responded to that genuine commitment to service and it really makes the Cincinnati USA experience a special one.”
Planners can experience this attention to service and detail during the CVB’s “More in 24” familiarization programs. These scheduled events invite planners to visit for a 24-hour taste of what Cincinnati can offer events. Each “More in 24” event has a different theme that showcases unique aspects of Cincinnati’s culture and resources. The next events are scheduled for October.
It all comes back to service, according to Calvert.
“Meeting planners put a lot of faith in our team to deliver memorable events, so we don’t leave anything to chance,” she says. “For planners, it’s about aggressive responsiveness and attention to every detail. For attendees, it’s about being more welcoming at every interaction, more energizing with great theater, dining, shopping and attractions, and more compact to minimize transportation costs around the city. It’s a holistic approach that really resonates with our customers.”
Dynamic Downtown
Eminently walkable and conveniently condensed, Downtown Cincinnati is a planner’s dream. There are 3,000 hotel rooms and 5,000 parking spaces within a three-block radius of the convention center. The entire area is clean, safe and rife with entertainment and shopping opportunities, from jazz clubs to sports stadiums. Just a few of the accolades it’s earned recently include laurels for “Best Walking City” and “Top Fun City” as well as awards for attractions and nightlife.
“Visitors to Cincinnati are always excited to see the city’s great amenities in a nice, compact downtown area,” Calvert says. “Cincinnati’s new Fountain Square Entertainment District is the centerpiece, and within a few short blocks you can find world-class shopping with Tiffany and Co., Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy’s, professional baseball and football, great restaurants, theater and the arts. And thousands of hotel rooms are within a short walking distance as well, from the Westin and Hyatt to the Hilton and Millennium.”
At the center of the universe is Duke Energy Convention Center. Expanded in 2006, the facility is now large enough to accommodate 75 percent of U.S. meetings. It offers 200,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 40,000-square-foot ballroom and more than 30 meeting rooms with convenient skywalk connections to the 486-room Hyatt Regency Cincinnati, the 456-room Westin Hotel Cincinnati and the 872-room Millennium Hotel Cincinnati, which together add another 86,000 square feet of meeting space.
The Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza is another major downtown meetings hotel. A National Historic Landmark built in the 1930s in the French Art Deco style, the property features 561 guest rooms and 40,000 square feet of meeting space. Nearby Garfield Suites Hotel has 152 suites and 12,000 square feet of meeting space.
Downtown is thick with arts venues that can double as splendid off-site selections. Aronoff Center for the Arts comprises three theaters seating 2,719, 437 and 150, respectively, as well as a lobby large enough for receptions of 1,000. Its 3,500-square-foot Alice F. and Harris K. Weston Art Gallery is also available for events. The stunning Music Hall, built in 1878 and today a National Historic Landmark, can seat 3,516 in its auditorium or host events in its 20,000-square-foot ballroom.
Outside Opportunities
The suburbs to the north of Cincinnati are home to one of the region’s largest meeting spaces as well as multiple theme parks. The buzz around Sharonville Convention Center’s new expansion project is growing. The facility is set to more than double its current exhibit space from 27,000 square feet to more than 60,000 upon completion in 2011.
“This expansion has been needed for many years, as thousands of events have been turned away from this very desirable location over the years due to the lack of available space,” says William E. Greiner, executive director of the Sharonville Convention Center. “This expanded center, combined with the 22 hotels in Sharonville and many area attractions, is an ideal site for conventions, trade shows and corporate events. The center is conveniently located 15 miles north of downtown Cincinnati at the intersection of I-75 and I-275.”
Larger meetings hotels in the area include the 275-room Cincinnati Holiday Inn I-275 North; the 233-room Embassy Suites Cincinnati Northeast Blue Ash; the 200-room Crowne Plaza Hotel-Blue Ash; the 192-room Marriott Kingsgate Conference Hotel at the University of Cincinnati; and The Atrium, with 140 guest rooms.
Just across the river from Cincinnati in the towns of Newport and Covington, Ken., riverfront hotels, event venues and attractions await groups. Northern Kentucky Convention Center offers 110,000 square feet of exhibition space along the riverfront. Meetings hotels include the 236-room Radisson Hotel Cincinnati Riverfront, with 10,320 square feet of meeting space; the 321-room Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter, with 9,000 square feet; and the 155-room Holiday Inn Cincinnati-Riverfront, with 3,500 square feet.
The area around Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport also presents a number of choices, including the Holiday Inn Cincinnati-Airport, with 17,000 square feet of meeting space; Hilton Cincinnati Airport, with 8,700 square feet of meeting space; Sheraton Cincinnati Airport Hotel, with 7,000 square feet of meeting space; and Hyatt Place Cincinnati Airport/Florence.
Groups looking for things to do won’t have to look hard. Newport on the Levee entertainment district presents dining, shopping and nightlife, including the Newport Aquarium, its star attraction. River cruises are another popular option, with many leaving from both sides of the river.
Off-Site Adventures
The Cincinnati area’s abundance of activities encourages groups to multitask and mix business and pleasure. It’s easy to combine an outing or team-building day with a meeting or banquet at dozens of top attractions.
Planners can get things rolling or make a splash at one of Greater Cincinnati’s many theme parks. Coco Key Water Resort is a 65,000-square-foot indoor waterpark connected to Sheraton Cincinnati North Hotel, which offers 257 guest rooms and 18,000 square feet of meeting space. Kings Island presents 80 roller coasters and other rides 24 miles northeast of the city and can provide catered picnics for groups as large as 5,000. The nearby Great Wolf Lodge combines a 401-room hotel with a 40,000-square-foot conference center and an indoor waterpark for a full-service experience. Coney Island, located in Cincinnati, boasts more than 50 classic rides along with a 15,000-square-foot, open-air pavilion for private events.
For groups that might enjoy testing their luck, riverboat gaming opportunities are a short drive into Indiana. Just 20 minutes from Cincinnati in Lawrenceburg, Argosy Casino and Hotel offers 300 guest rooms and a 4,000-passenger riverboat casino with 2,600 slot machines and more than 70 table games. Less than a one-hour drive south, Belterra Casino Resort and Spa offers 600 guest rooms and 33,000 square feet of meeting space. Grand Victoria Casino and Resort by Hyatt in Rising Sun has 201 guest rooms, many with views of the riverboat casino or golf course, and a 12,000-square-foot ballroom.
Golfing is one pastime no one needs luck to enjoy in Cincinnati, and you don’t even need to leave the city limits for two of the area’s best courses. Legendary Run Golf Course offers group golf outings as well as a brand-new, 8,000-square-foot clubhouse and a pub restaurant with a private dining room. Vineyard Golf Course, part of the Hamilton County Park District, offers shotgun packages for as many as 144 people. Its Sweetwine Banquet Center can accommodate 150 people.
For More Info
Cincinnati USA CVB 513.621.2142 www.cincyusa.com
Northern Cincinnati CVB 513.771.5353
www.cincynorth.com
Northern Kentucky CVB 859.261.4677
www.nkycvb.com
