Towering hotels, expansive ballrooms and shiny new finishes — upgrades to convention centers involve more than just a new coat of paint.
That’s because convention centers are more than just gathering spaces. The events they attract generate millions of dollars for their local economies and plenty of exposure for additional tourism. Improvements to convention centers promise to draw in more business, create more jobs and give meeting attendees a seamless meeting experience.
Here are six convention centers undergoing upgrades in small-to-midsize markets across the country.
Bradenton Area Convention Center
Palmetto, Florida
The Bradenton Area Convention Center first opened in 1985 just off the Manatee River on Florida’s west coast. It’s the only convention center of its size within the 150-mile stretch between St. Petersburg and Naples, Florida, and is conveniently bookended by both the Tampa and Sarasota Bradenton international airports. Nearby, Anna Maria Island offers sugar-white sand beaches for attendees and their families to explore in between meetings. Its rich offerings for leisure travel are also what make it a great fit for corporate meetings, which is why the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau announced an expansion was underway in 2024.
Efforts to improve and expand the convention center began with the addition of a connected hotel, the Palmetto Marriott Resort & Spa, a 252-room hotel with a 3,000-square-foot spa, which was completed in 2024. Next up, the convention center’s $54 million expansion will add a grand ballroom seating up to 850 banquet-style as well as a climate-controlled connecting walkway to the hotel. That’s in addition to two large outdoor spaces and the existing 32,000-square-foot exhibit hall, which will be getting new paint and epoxy during the renovation. The improved convention center will total 90,000 square feet of rentable space, in addition to 10,000 at the adjacent Marriott.
“It’s in the urban core, the Bradenton Palmetto Corridor that’s going through redevelopment,” said Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area CVB. “To be able to add a convention center remodel, it’s going to stimulate the downtown area with up to $30-$40 million of economic stimulus.”
bradentongulfislands.com/venues/convention-center
Bloomington Convention Center
Bloomington, Indiana
In the heart of Bloomington’s walkable downtown, the Monroe Convention Center — soon to be renamed the Bloomington Convention Center — is already a standout thanks to its distinct place in Indiana history. Built as a Ford Model T assembly plant and showroom in 1923, the existing convention center opened in 1991 with 24,000 square feet of event space. In 2024, the city announced an expansion was moving forward.
“It’s a unique venue, one that has a rich history located in downtown Bloomington, and it’s always been a place for people to gather with the newest and latest things,” said Talisha Coppock, the convention center’s executive director. “The new building will add modern amenities, provide a larger space for current events and attract new events.”
The expansion, slated for completion in February 2027, will consist of a second building across the street from the existing convention center, connected via skywalk. The building will be LEED Silver certified, with an emphasis on sustainability, and is expected to include a 27,000-square-foot exhibit hall, divisible into eight sections, and two smaller breakout rooms.
Coppock added that the expansion will perfectly serve conferences of up to 600 attendees and showcase Bloomington’s booming arts and culture scene.
Following the completion of the second building, smaller renovations will take place at the existing convention center to upgrade the space; this phase of the project is expected to be complete by July 2027. The convention center’s name is also expected to change to the Bloomington Convention Center.
The Corbin Center
Corbin, Kentucky
Located in southeastern Kentucky near one of the state’s most beautiful outdoor attractions, Cumberland Falls, the city of Corbin is set to expand its meeting offerings with improvements to its convention center. The existing Corbin Center offers more than 19,000 square feet of space, including a multipurpose room that’s divisible into four sections and has a capacity of up to 360 attendees. The expansion, which will break ground in the coming months, will add an additional 15,000 square feet of connected meeting space, consisting of a convention hall and breakout rooms. The convention hall will accommodate up to 500 attendees banquet-style and bring the total convention center space to over 34,000 square feet.
In addition to the expansion, the existing Corbin Center will be undergoing cosmetic renovations. The 7,000-seat Corbin Arena, also owned by the city of Corbin, is a short drive up the hill from The Corbin Center. Its 100,000 square feet of space provides additional accommodation for large events and trade shows. The arena is set to receive cosmetic renovations in the near future.
A 113-room, dual-branded Marriott property, a Fairfield Inn-TownePlace Suites, is currently under construction adjacent to The Corbin Center. The hotel is slated for completion in late 2025 and will be connected to The Corbin Center’s expansion via a covered walkway.
“We’ll be the only facility on Interstate 75 between Knoxville and Lexington with a hotel sitting adjacent to it,” said Bruce Carpenter, The Corbin Center’s executive director. “We feel like it will open up a lot of opportunity.”
Three Rivers Convention Center
Kennewick, Washington
The Three Rivers Convention Center in Kennewick, Washington, is located in the southeastern corner of the state, just three hours from Portland and Seattle. It opened in 2004 and currently consists of 13 total meeting spaces across 80,000 square feet. The convention center recently broke ground on an expansion that will more than double its size.
“This is a project we’ve been working toward for many, many years,” said Sybil Young, director of sales and marketing for the convention center. “We’ve had recurrent events needing more space and growth so they could expand without needing to leave our community. It also drives a significant amount of economic impact in our area, including hotels, shopping and restaurants that will benefit from this space.”
The expansion will add approximately 115,000 square feet to the existing facility, including a 60,000-square-foot exhibit hall divisible into four smaller spaces, as well as 5,000 square feet of meeting space. The expansion’s design and planned upgrades to the current convention center will ensure a seamless flow throughout the entire finished facility. The project is slated for completion in late 2026.
In addition to its 112-room SpringHill Suites on one end of the center, a new, 162-room hotel with a rooftop bar will be added for additional economic impact.
threeriversconventioncenter.com
Pasadena Arena & Convention Center
Pasadena, Texas
Pasadena, Texas, is one of the most populous suburbs of Houston, and like many Texan suburbs, it’s fast-growing. The city’s economic development corporation is hoping a renovation and expansion of its convention center and municipal fairgrounds will help draw additional sports, entertainment and corporate events, as well as additional economic impact, to the area.
“Here in southeast Harris County, there’s not a facility of this sort that can hold the capacity and versatility of the needs we have here,” said Julianne Echavarria, marketing manager at the Pasadena Economic Development Corporation. “Our industry partners are needing a bigger space to bring more expos, conferences and meetings. With this facility we’re looking at servicing all our neighboring communities. This is a partnership for everyone.”
The existing Pasadena Convention Center & Municipal Fairgrounds are about 50 years old and host a variety of local and sporting events. The city’s vision is to transform it into the Pasadena Arena & Convention Center. Plans include modernizing the existing convention center with interior design upgrades and additional A/V, as well as adding a 7,600-square-foot arena to bring the total square footage of the facilities to 200,000.
The project, which broke ground in 2024, is expected to be completed in the summer of 2026.
Sharonville Convention Center
Sharonville, Ohio
Located in the Cincinnati suburb of the same name, the Sharonville Convention Center is conveniently located off Interstates 75 and 275. The center was recently renovated, unveiling its $24 million expansion in early 2024. In addition to extra space, the convention center was awarded LEED certification for its sustainable features, making it the largest LEED-certified venue in the Cincinnati area. Planners looking for eco-friendly options will be impressed with the Sharonville Convention Center’s commitment to sustainable practices, from a recycling program to conscious design choices that limit energy and water use.
“We noticed a gap in our market, where there was no space for those who needed less space than the smallest ballroom in Cincinnati’s convention center, but were too large for what we had,” said Jim Downton, the center’s executive director. “So, we doubled our exhibit space to attract that business, and it has.”
The remodeled convention center doubled its exhibit hall, bringing it to 40,000 square feet. It also offers a 14,000-square-foot ballroom that can seat up to 1,000 at banquet rounds, as well as an 8,200-square-foot junior ballroom. Additional breakout rooms and a few smaller banks of meeting space can be configured to fit an event of any size. The facility features over 1,000 parking spaces for complimentary parking. Additional upgrades included new signage, technology and a projection wall at the main entrance.
The facility also introduced the Northern Lights Bar and Grill, a full-service restaurant, on the exhibit floor for added convenience and service to attendees. The renovation has also resulted in the addition of two nearby hotels, including one that connects to the convention center, and a brewery and restaurant across the street.
