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Cincinnati’s convention center has been reimagined, filled with natural light and a new floorplan totaling 750,000 square feet.
If I had to choose three adjectives to describe my trip to Cincinnati in August, hosted courtesy of Visit Cincy, they would be new, new, and new. That applies to almost everything I experienced in three short days in the destination, from its event spaces, large and small, to its hotels, sporting venues, attractions, and beyond.
Perhaps the biggest and most exciting addition is the facility formerly known as the Duke Energy Convention Center, re-opening in January 2026 after a 1.5-year “reimagining,” as officials put it. (At press time in late 2025, they announced the center is negotiating with new sponsors for naming rights.) And although technically it’s not a new build, considering that the facility was taken down to the studs, “it’s close,” said the facility’s director of sales Bob Lewis during our hard-hat tour. Modern and light-filled, the center’s new floorplan will span a new grand total of 750,000 square feet. Moreover, it will become the centerpiece of a burgeoning convention district that, thanks to over $800 million in investment, is reshaping the entire downtown experience for the Cincy convention-goer.
Less than a mile away from the convention center is another new venue: the just-opened Mercantile Immersive, which bills itself as “the city’s first 360-degree, multi-sensory event space,” where floor-to-ceiling LED panels create an experience inspired by the Las Vegas Sphere. A bit farther afield are two more impressive new venue options: the Sharonville Convention Center, which recently completed a $24-million renovation, and the Lindner Family Tennis Center, where we spent an afternoon taking in the Cincinnati Open and touring the new facilities, on the heels of a year-long, $260-million renovation.
Adding to this booming development is the pipeline of more than 3,400 new hotel rooms planned for the county. That includes the 700-room Marriott hotel, which, when it opens in 2028, will connect to Cincinnati’s convention center via skybridge and offer more than 62,000 square feet of meeting space. In addition to that shiny new headquarter hotel are plenty of cozier options that make ideal settings for corporate and smaller groups. That includes the 106-room Lytle Park Hotel, Autograph Collection, a AAA Four-Diamond historic property tucked away within the Lytle Park Historic District on the edge of downtown, where we enjoyed cocktails al fresco on the terrace during a late-afternoon happy hour. Or the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza Downtown, another AAA Four-Diamond property that also holds a National Historic Landmark designation — a distinction that came as no surprise the moment I entered its Gatsby-esque, French Art Deco–style lobby and restaurant, The 1931, where one’s eye can easily get lost among murals stretching two stories tall.
The Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame is one of the city’s newest attractions.
Besides what’s new in Cincy, I discovered another through line of the trip — Cincy’s past. This came into full view when we visited the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the nearby Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame, which opened in 2023. (Fun fact — the Cincinnati Music Festival is one of the longest running Black music festivals in the U.S.). At the former, our passionate guide led our group through a series of exhibits that told powerful stories about the network of secret routes and safe houses that helped enslaved African Americans escape to freedom — Cincinnati was a major Underground Railroad hub. And at the latter, we were treated to a behind-the-scenes storytelling of how the “edutainment” attraction — part museum and part interactive experience — came to life by its charismatic founder, Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reece. Visitors can scan QR codes to hear from legendary local Black artists and then boogie along (in augmented reality) with them via giant LED screens — which we spent a fair amount time doing on our last afternoon. In true Cincy form, the experience deftly blended both old and new.
If craft beer is your thing, Cincinnati has you covered.
Brew Town
In the 19th century, German immigrants turned Cincinnati into a beer hub, opening more than three-dozen breweries and, below them, a network of underground lagering cellars and tunnels. Today that tradition lives on in the dozens of new craft breweries that populate the city, many of which have become just as popular for their culinary creations. We got a taste of a few during our fam trip including:
Moerlein Lager House — Our final lunch of the trip, this working microbrewery and casual restaurant (above) in Smale Riverfront Park (convenient to venues like the Great American Ball Park, Paycor Stadium, and Heritage Bank Center) serves up hearty, German-influenced dishes — like local sausages served “Cincy style,” topped with chili, cheese, and onions.
Alcove by MadTree Brewing — In the hip and buzzy Over-the Rhine neighborhood, Alcove is just one of several spaces around the city from local craft brewery MadTree that offers capacity for private events. Standouts from our dinner, held in the Alcove’s cozy and quiet Gathering Room, included Flamin’ Hot Polenta bites (made with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos) and steak frites, which I washed down with a Dreamsicle (an orange and vanilla ale).
Jennifer N. Dienst is senior editor at Convene.
For More Information: VisitCincy.com