Cincinnati Travel and Things to Do Guide

Welcome to our Cincinnati meeting planning guide — a Cincinnati city guide for meeting planners. The riverfront city of Cincinnati is more in demand than ever as a top Midwest destination for conventions, trade shows, and conferences. Meeting planners can take advantage of the fact that Cincinnati has many of the same features and attractions of major metropolitan centers such as New York and Chicago but does not involve the headaches of big city travel or the same price tag. Plus, with a location only 500 miles away from 60% of the U.S. population, guests will not feel the least bit inconvenienced by an invitation to this Midwestern city.

Renovations at the city's main meeting space, Duke Energy Convention Center, have propelled it to the position as the Midwest's best-in-class center. With 200,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, the center is capable of accommodating 75% of the existing convention, conference, and meetings market in the United States. Guests also enjoy its convenient downtown location, just a few blocks from many shopping and entertainment attractions and within walking distance of Cincinnati meeting hotels with over 3,500 sleeping rooms.

In addition to the convention center, Cincinnati offers large and unique meeting facilities, including Music Hall, which recently underwent a $143 million renovation. It is located in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, the largest historic district in the United States. Host an unforgettable reception for up to 500 guests at the Music Hall's lavish Springer Auditorium, home of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Opera. Invite 75 people to dinner among the unique exhibits of the UnMuseum at the Contemporary Arts Center, which was hailed by The New York Times as one of the most important American buildings constructed since the end of the Cold War. Consider welcoming guests at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, home to three prominent city museums that offer flexibility in their event spaces. These Cincinnati event venues are just the tip of the iceberg; Newport Aquarium, Anderson Pavilion at Smale Riverfront Park, the French House, and The Transept all offer magnificent spaces that can be transformed for any affair.

Cincinnati is home to numerous Fortune 500 companies and two Fortune 100 companies. Proctor & Gamble, American Financial Corporation, Duke Energy, The Kroger Co., and Macy's have headquarters in the city. The University of Cincinnati and Xavier University are there as well, while Miami University and Northern Kentucky University call the greater metropolitan area home.