Downtown development, independent spirit drive Ohio’s capital city AT A GLANCE
As the city celebrates its 200th birthday this year — known as “200Columbus The Bicen- tennial” — Columbus is making a big commit- ment to its future as a nationally recognized destination for both leisure and business travel. Already home to well-established arts and culinary scenes and some of the coun- try’s most popular attractions, Columbus is investing more than $200 million in revamp- ing its hotels and meeting space. In addition to these new developments,
Columbus was recently named fourth among America’s top 10 shopping cities as well as one of the nation’s leading markets for gay travel. Meeting planners love that the Greater
Columbus Convention Center is centrally located in the High Five, a five-mile stretch of vibrant arts and entertainment districts along High Street. One of these neighborhoods, the Short North Arts District, has earned praise from national media outlets for its funky gal- leries, lively bars, and hip restaurants. Columbus’ well-connected network of
meeting facilities, hotels, and arts and enter- tainment districts makes it a convenient yet entertaining destination for meeting attendees. With a renewed commitment to the meetings and tourism industry, Ohio’s capital city is quickly emerging as the desti- nation of choice for trade shows, conventions, and corporate meetings.
• Total space: 1.7 million square feet • Total exhibit space: 410,000 square feet • Total ballroom space: 74,000 square feet • Total meeting rooms: 65 • Connected or adjacent to: Seven hotels, 3,000 on-site parking spaces, and the 20,500-seat Nationwide Arena
Hotels
• Total rooms in Downtown Columbus: 3,800 • Total rooms adjacent or connected to the Greater Columbus Convention Center: 2,100
Attractions
• Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (No. 1 zoo in U.S.)
• Center of Science and Industry (No. 1 science center in U.S.)
• Nationwide Arena, home to the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets
• The Short North Arts District • Historic German Village
Air transportation Port Columbus International Airport, serving visitors with 157 daily departures to 34 airports, is just 10 minutes from downtown. Major carriers include Air Canada Jazz, AirTran, American, Continental, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, United, and US Airways.
CityFiles
Columbus Rising Meeting planners and attendees will find more than 200 restaurants and bars within walking distance of the Greater Columbus Convention Center.