Currently, Columbus is the fastest-growing city in the Midwest. Its development started in the 1950s, sailed into the 21st Century, and hasn’t stopped yet. What meeting and event planners will particularly like about it, however, is that it is either a one-day drive or one-hour flight from more than half of the U.S. population, making it a winner of a destination with meeting attendees and convention-goers alike, especially since it also has all the facilities, hotels, restaurants, nightspots and attractions to back it up.
For instance, according to one survey, more than two-thirds of “overnight travelers” indicated that Columbus was “exceptional” in meeting their expectations. Even the prestigious New York Times recently named it one of the best cities for members of the Gen Z population, indicating how current and up-to-the-minute this Midwest superstar can be. Next, Time magazine called Columbus one of the best cities for the millennial population to live in, and Smart Asset named it one of the best cities to “Work in tech.”
More than that, planners and organizers of all types of groups consider Columbus a leading contender as a prime destination for any upcoming group event for the following reasons:
For meetings, exhibitions, trade shows, and other group events, small or large, the versatile Greater Columbus Convention Center can accommodate almost everyone. It is a 1.8 million-square-foot facility with 373,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, 75 meeting rooms, and three ballrooms. Of the downtown’s more than 5,000 guest rooms, 2,700 are connected to the center. That’s huge!
As previously mentioned, Columbus is convenient to most of the U.S. population—within 550 miles of nearly half the nation’s population—which equals a one-day drive or one-hour flight. Once there, the compact city is accented with facilities, hotels, dining, and entertainment options—all of which are within walking distance of one another.
To add to its sophistication, high-profile companies like Amazon, Honda, and Intel call Columbus home, as do 16 Fortune 1000 companies and five Fortune 500 companies.
Also, Columbus is “green and clean.” With 253 acres of downtown greenspace and an indoor hydroponic Smartfarm at the convention center, sustainable meetings, they say, are all “a part of the Columbus’ DNA.”
Educationally, the metropolitan area is home to the Battelle Memorial Institute, said to be the world’s largest private research and development foundation; Chemical Abstracts Service, said to be the world’s largest clearinghouse of chemical information; and the Ohio State University, definitely one of the largest universities in the United States.
Accolades go on and on the softer side of Columbus, it’s a big attraction for foodies. Recently, Essence magazine named it Best Destinations for Culinary Travel in 2024. No small wonder as it is home to restaurateur Cameron Mitchell, James Beard Award-winning cookbook author Jeni Britton, Top Chef season 18 contestant Avishar Barua, 2023 James Beard Award semifinalist Chef BJ Lieberman, and several other culinary stars.
Ultimately, everyone who matters in the travel and hospitality industry has given Columbus its stamp of approval, including the PCMA Convening Leaders’ meetup in 2023. Newspaper giants like The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and the TripAdvisor website have recently named it a top destination to visit and meet!
Find out more at www.experiencecolumbus.com.
