Workers from nearby office buildings lunch on the broad lawn, friends sit on park benches to catch up over coffee, joggers crisscross a network of paths, and just below, groups get down to business in the new 750,000-square-foot Cleveland Convention Center.
“This gives Cleveland what it’s always wanted—a great downtown park space,” says Dave Johnson, public relations director for the convention center and the adjacent Global Center for Health Innovation, as we stood in the doorway of the Global Center, looking out over the green space and toward Lake Erie beyond.
Meetings Focus joined a recent press trip to Cleveland to see some of the hottest new group developments in town, including the new park and group facilities.
While technically underground, the convention center is filled with natural light, and the large ballroom affords views of Lake Erie and FirstEnergy Stadium. The center’s highlight is a 230,000-square-foot exhibit hall that can hold up to 1,000 trade show booths.
The $465 million project opened early and under budget in June, and is conveniently situated near downtown, Cleveland’s bustling Public Square and hotels that include the 441-room Renaissance Cleveland, which is about to celebrate its 100th anniversary and offers more than 64,000 square feet of function space.
All of the meeting rooms have back-of-house access to minimize disruption during setup, takedown and meal service.
For a city that “didn’t have a sellable convention center for more than 30 years” this is a big change, says Mike Burns, senior vice president of convention sales and services for Positively Cleveland, the city’s CVB.
“It’s attractive and functional, and it doesn’t get more convenient for groups than having an outdoor opening reception on the lawn,” Burns says.
Progress has been made on the plans for an adjacent 650-room convention center hotel, he adds. The brand has not yet been announced, but the hotel will make the city even more of a major meetings destination.
The Cleveland region is already a medical hub, and the addition of the Global Center is expected to attract the largest medical conferences and trade groups. The Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) is an anchor tenant, leasing an entire floor and aiming to drive innovation and collaboration between medical technology companies. PageBreak
Johnson reports that about 50 percent of the events booked at the convention center though 2014 are related to medicine.
The convention center complex has spurred several other developments locally and is expected to boost tourism, which Positively Cleveland has been preparing for. The CVB conducted a series of market research surveys and created a destination development team two years ago, with the goal of improving public perception of Cleveland and facilitating a friendly environment deserving of the $2 billion infrastructure investment. Part of this is the city’s Travel Backers program, which offers monthly hospitality classes to local taxi drivers, baristas and other front-line industry workers that can positively impact a visitor’s experience during their stay.
Meanwhile, upgraded attractions include the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland, the Greater Cleveland Aquarium and the Museum of Contemporary Art, and there are several new hotel projects taking shape.
The 484-room Westin Cleveland is slated to open in April 2014 following a $64 million transformation. On our hard hat tour in June, the building was taking shape but the interior was still clearly a construction zone. However, the debris and equipment scattered about did not detract from the fantastic views overlooking the lake and convention center’s green roof.
The Westin property will offer 20,000 square feet of meeting space, including 22 meeting rooms, each named after a type of orchid from the Cleveland Orchid Society, as well as an upscale steakhouse.
Meanwhile, the Aloft Cleveland downtown opened in June as part of the $275 million Flats East Bank neighborhood redevelopment. The 150-room property offers 3,000 square feet of meeting space—unique for an Aloft hotel. A large patio is available for outdoor events, and there are plans to add restaurants, a boardwalk, public parks and entertainment options to the neighborhood. PageBreak
Apart from all the new developments, visitors can still enjoy the long-standing perks of meeting in Cleveland: walkability, a hub airport, delicious local restaurants and breweries, and a number of charming neighborhoods, including University Circle, which is home to the Cleveland Clinic medical center and the InterContinental Cleveland, with 11 meeting rooms, 8,000 square feet of exhibit space and 300 guest rooms. For groups drawn to PlayhouseSquare, the city’s renowned theater district, the renovated Wyndham Cleveland at Playhouse Square offers 205 guest rooms and 13,000 square feet of function space.
Beyond downtown, the International Exposition (IX) Center hosts industrial shows, fairs, trade shows and exhibitions with more than 1 million square feet of exhibit space on a single floor.
The privately owned facility is the largest expo center in the region and has a unique history, as it was built as a bomber-wing assembly plant in the 1940s and served as a weapons and military tank manufacturing plant through 1957.
Nowadays, the lower level is filled with 26 meeting rooms, and the versatile main convention floor is home to the world’s largest indoor Ferris wheel. The IX Center is a full-service facility, offering creative event options, including custom arena-style seating and full-service “restaurants” that can be built-out on the trade show floor.
“Now is a great time to be in the meetings industry in Cleveland,” says Brad Gentille, president and CEO of the IX Center. “There is just so much positive activity, and the IX Center has much to gain from an increased awareness of Cleveland.”
