CINCINNATI — The City of Cincinnati has selected ASM Global to open and operate the Duke Energy Convention Center (DECC), which is currently undergoing a $240 million renovation. The 750,000-square-foot facility closed for construction on July 1.
Once renovations are complete, DECC will feature upgraded meeting space and ballrooms, an expansive rooftop terrace and major improvements to building systems and technology, making it more energy efficient. The project will add 12,000 square feet to the exhibit hall. Plans also call for the construction of a two-acre park and outdoor convention area.
The convention center is slated to reopen in January 2026. Prior to closing for renovations, the venue hosted 63 events in 2024 with more than 292,540 attendees combined.
DECC will be part of a new convention district in the city. Plans include a $480 million new convention headquarters hotel, which is being constructed on an existing surface parking lot just south of the convention center. Once completed, the hotel will feature 800 rooms, as well as 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting space with junior and senior ballrooms, 15,000 square feet of retail space, a pool and outdoor amenity deck.
“The operations and management of the reinvented DECC will be a key part of our ability to attract new conventions and drive economic impact,” says Julie Calvert, president and CEO of Visit Cincy, the city’s travel and tourism agency.
DECC originally opened in 1967 as the Cincinnati Convention-Exposition Center, and has undergone several renovations and expansions in the decades since.
ASM Global is a development and full-service venue company based in Los Angeles.
— Channing Hamilton