In July 2016, the Republican National Convention (RNC) will descend on Cleveland for
the third time in the city’s history. National
political conventions are the Super Bowl of
the meetings industry — it just doesn’t get
any bigger and better than this for a destination. More than $2.7 billion has been invested
into reinvigorating Cleveland’s tourism infrastructure, so the RNC’s 50,000-plus attendees will find a completely transformed city.
“Cleveland is a world-class city that has demonstrated their ability to provide our next
presidential candidate with a launching pad
to the White House,” said Enid Mickelsen, site-selection chairman for the RNC.
Beyond a revamped downtown that
provides a modern and walkable tourism
infrastructure, Cleveland offers a winning
combination of experience — the city has
successfully hosted a variety of major events,
like the Gay Games — and warm eclecticism
that has media outlets like Travel + Leisure,
the Los Angeles Times, and Fodor’s all calling it a top travel destination. Cleveland also
beat out some serious contenders for the
RNC hosting gig, including Cincinnati, Dallas,
Denver, Kansas City, and Las Vegas.
Quicken Loans Arena is the primary host
of the four-day-long RNC, but Cleveland’s new
downtown convention center is ideal for all
kinds of groups. The FirstMerit Convention
Center of Cleveland and Global Center for
Health Innovation is unique in that it’s a hybrid
facility that is one part convention center,
one part health-care educational center. The
750,000-square-foot FirstMerit Convention
Center of Cleveland has 225,000 square feet
dedicated to exhibit space, plus 93,000 square
feet of meeting space that breaks down into 35
separate meeting rooms. Its 32,000-square-
foot ballroom comes with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook Lake Erie.
Connected to the convention center via
underground concourse, the Global Cen-
ter for Health Innovation touts itself as the
only facility in the world
completely dedicated to the
future of health care. Numer-
ous spaces showcase the
latest in medical technology,
product development, and
research; and each of its four
floors represents a different
health-care-related theme.
The Global Center for Health
Innovation has allocated a
large portion of its space
and programming to education, providing a valuable
new training center for the
many medical groups who
convene in Cleveland. Event
space within the Global Center for Health Innovation
includes an 11,000-square-
foot junior ballroom and a
glass-enclosed atrium space.
Within walking distance
of the convention center
are multiple new downtown
hotels, including a new headquarters hotel, the 600-room
Hilton Cleveland Downtown.
The property will offer 55,000
square feet of meeting space
and beautiful views of Lake
Erie when it opens in June
2016. For more of an artsy,
boutique vibe, the 156-room
Metropolitan at the 9 neighbors the newly revamped
Playhouse Square Theater
District; and in January 2016,
Kimpton will open the 133-
room Schofield Hotel with 3,800 square feet
of event space. Ideal for the RNC, the 484-
room Westin Cleveland Downtown is just a
few blocks from Quicken Loans Arena. By the
end of 2016, 18 hotels in downtown Cleveland
will offer close to 5,000 guest rooms.
Don’t underestimate Cleveland’s cool factor. This is the home of LeBron James and
birthplace of the term “rock ’n’ roll,” after
all. Fortunately for planners, it’s never been
easier to integrate Cleveland’s one-of-a-kind
assets into their meetings and events. For
Cleveland
This transformed convention city will host the RNC in July
Coming soon When it opens in June 2016, the 600-room
Hilton Cleveland Downtown will become the FirstMerit Convention Center of Cleveland’s new headquarters hotel — just
in time for the Republican National Convention in July.
