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The award-winning Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC) is one of the busiest convention centers in North America — surrounded by the Short North Arts District, a hip, culture-rich area centered on N. High Street.
Credit: Photo Courtesy Feinknopf Photography / Brad Feinknopf
Convention centers around the country all sing this song. But the award-winning Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC), one of the busiest convention centers in North America, has receipts.
Located in the midst of a vibrant entertainment district, the GCCC is surrounded by the city’s clean-and-green urban core, providing visitors with easy access to hundreds of local restaurants, shops, galleries, and hotels.
Nestled in the heart of downtown, the freshly minted GCCC — which had a $140 million makeover in 2017 that added 47,000 square feet of exhibit and meeting space — boasts a total of 1.8 million square feet, four exhibit halls with 373,000 square feet of exhibit space, three ballrooms, and 75 meeting rooms.
While it’s never OK to mention Ohio State University without the “THE” in the front, it’s equally important to note that one of Columbus’ reputation pillars is that it is a green-and-clean community — thanks to the work the City of Columbus has done to develop forward-thinking sustainability practices, both municipally and regionally, in order to conduct business events, popular celebrations, tourism activities or other community endeavors that best protect and preserve the natural environment.
These programs extend into the LEED Silver-certified Greater Columbus Convention Center as well, where the facility uses a single-stream recycling program to make it easy for attendees to be environmentally friendly, as well as an automated and integrated HVAC system and LED lighting that are easily monitored and controlled from one location. The most visible program is the indoor, hydroponic Smartfarm that grows produce for the center’s food stands and catered meals, with leftovers donated to local charities.
Within walking distance of the GCCC is a list that includes a National Hockey League hockey arena, Minor League Baseball stadium, Major League Soccer stadium, the famed North Market, nationally renowned music venues, theaters, services, parks and more.
Further, the GCCC offers diverse tastes — with more than a dozen food and drink offerings throughout the Center. The Discovery Cafe offers gourmet fare with local flair and the CBUS tap room, while the South Cafe & Marketplace features a potpourri of quick-service cuisine, from pizza to sandwiches and more.
To say the Greater Columbus Convention Center is second to none is hardly marketing speak; the stack of receipts more than backs that claim — but visitors truly have to experience it to believe it.
Learn more about planning your next event in Columbus at ExperienceColumbus.com/meet.