DETROIT
With the close of the successful 2016 North American International Auto Show, the Cobo Center announced the completion of its five-year transformation totaling $279 million, noted a record number of new meetings and conventions in 2015, and is preparing for the debut of Cobo Square this spring.
The new gathering spot is the capstone of the renovation. The adaptive reuse design of the old arena incorporates 45,000 square feet of outdoor flex space, which includes a large terrace now called Cobo Square. Starting this spring, the terrace will be used for programming that includes art fairs, exercise and yoga, biergartens and other elements designed to connect Cobo Center to the community and the downtown Detroit culture. It also infuses activity into the center between major events.
“I think the most important part of the reinvention of Cobo Center was the adaptive reuse of the old arena,” said Thom Connors, regional vice president of SMG and general manager of Cobo Center. “By cutting part of it away and creating a new atrium, it really tied the whole renovation together and gave the view from the main concourse out to the river and across to Canada. It brings people down to the newer, improved south side of the building and the majesty of the river.”
And the major events at Cobo Center show a strong return on investment, according to the facility, with 85 hosted in 2015 compared with 35 in 2010, a gain realized while the building was under construction. The updated convention center includes over 200,000 square feet of meeting space across 100 rooms.
The renovations include new tools for planners to draw attendees to their events, namely:
- The broadcast studio, one of the few in the country in a convention center, serves as a broadcast command center for events, uplinks satellite signals for a managed facility live global broadcasts and has a sound-stage used for webcasting and taped feeds.
- The 160-foot by 30-foot digital sign on the exterior of Cobo Center overlooking Washington Boulevard and Jefferson Avenue used to highlight events.
- Massive renovations and an increased spotlight on Detroit has resulted in dramatic increases in attendance for international events like the Aluminum Show which returned late last year, the Intelligent Transportation International Conference which had greater attendance in Detroit than in Tokyo, and the NAIAS which had $30 million more in economic impact from 2015.
“In the automotive engineering and manufacturing areas, we’re now back on the map as the place to hold your meeting or come and host a tradeshow,” Connors said. “Some of them are now permanently re-established at Cobo Center as a result of this successful reinvention and renovation of the facility.”
Larry Alexander, CEO of the Detroit Metro CVB, also mentioned that the city and convention center are “not done yet” and will strive to stay ahead of the curve for meetings with continued improvements.
