CHICAGO — Trade Show Executive’s October 2024 Pardon Our Dust report explicates on 14 venues midway through construction, as well as 25 projects currently in the works. Adding prime exhibit space is a focus for those that have broken ground, as 882,619 square feet (sf) is scheduled to be added, while 533,254 sf of meeting space and 346,440 sf of flex space is also in the plans for these additions.
Looking ahead to 2025, the Dayton Convention Center in Ohio will premiere its expanded facility in Q1. The expanded space will feature 35,000 sf of meeting space and 18,000 sf of flex space. In the spring, the Gaylord Pacific Resort & Casino in Chula Vista, Calif., is scheduled to debut, offering 140,049 sf of prime exhibit space, 52,302 sf of meeting space and a 4.25-acre water park. In Florida, Ocala’s World Equestrian Center intends to conclude construction and unveil its 80,000 sf of new meeting space in the summer. Also in Florida, the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center is expanding in Q4, growing its meeting space to 215,000 sf and its flex space to 201,435 sf. Closing out the year in December, the Las Vegas Convention Center will complete its reconfiguration with the new and improved floorplan to feature 2,449,337 sf of prime exhibit space.
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The National Western Complex in Denver is expected to finish construction during 2025, however an exact date has yet to be established. Once complete, the venue will feature 852,350 sf of prime exhibit space, 24,773 sf of meeting space and 20,000 sf of flex space. Georgia’s Savannah Convention Center is also working on an expansion, however the development has been delayed and the opening date remains to be determined. The expansion will raise the available space at the facility to 200,000 sf of prime exhibit space, 114,000 sf of meeting space and 65,000 sf of flex space.
Related. Colorado Convention Center Expansion Highlights: Big and Small
While 2025 is shaping up to be a busy year, 2026 will have no shortage of expansions opening their doors. Cincinnati’s Duke Energy Center is targeting July 2026 as its completion date for the venue’s new event space, with specific square footage metrics forthcoming. Also scheduled for summer 2026 is the opening of the expanded Pasadena Convention Center & Municipal Fairgrounds in Texas. The enlarged venue will have 61,000 sf of prime exhibit space and 10,000 sf of meeting space. In Indianapolis, the Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil Stadium will be adding 50,000 sf of flex space in Q4. Lastly, Landers Center in Southaven, Miss., will be expanding to 75,000 sf of prime exhibit space, 45,000 sf of flex space and a still to be determined amount of meeting space during 2026.
Check out the full Pardon Our Dust report in the October issue of TSE Magazine.
Subscribe to receive a copy today at https://tsx.magserv.com/cgi-bin/subscribe.
To submit a venue for consideration in TSE’s Pardon Our Dust report, email Carson Stoolmiller at carsons@tradeshowexecutive.com.
