Conventions and Meetings

Louisville: Unconventionally Smart About Conventions.

In 2008, the Louisville Convention&Visitors Bureau’s convention development department exceeded its sales goals in every category. Sales leads to potential new clients were up 6.6%, and room nights were up 13.8%. On average, every convention delegate spends $965 while in Louisville.

Because of the unique, and state-of-the-art, characteristics of the Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC), 12 significantly large conventions have been retained. Each of these conventions average nearly 4,000 hotel rooms on its peak attendance night. The Bureau’s goal is to add at least one new convention each year while retaining our existing client base.

Louisville’s other convention center, the Kentucky International Convention Center (KICC), hosted 15 groups that utilized over 1,000 hotel rooms during peak attendance.

It’s not just about the size of our meeting facilities. We have the knowledge too. In partnership with the Kentucky State Fair Board staff, we use intellectual properties research and logistical analysis to align the needs of convention and trade show clients with the capabilities of the city’s two premier convention centers. The individual hotels in the area are also utilized for meeting space. This past year, in fact, we experienced a growth in single-property bookings. We expect growth in the small-meetings market – the sector driving the single-property bookings.

Economic Impact Documents

Convention Delegate Surveys