CLEVELAND (Oct. 3, 2018) – Northeast Ohio’s 2018 meetings and conventions calendar closes on a high note with more than 50 events and 23,000 associated visitors throughout October, November and December. In 2018, Destination Cleveland helped bring approximately 290 meetings and conventions to the region.
“Each year we are continuing to see more interest from planners to make Cleveland their meeting or convention destination,” said Mike Burns, senior vice president of convention sales and services at Destination Cleveland. “By hosting events in 2018 like PCMA’s Education Conference and ConferenceDirect’s CDX18 Fall Conference, Destination Cleveland was able to change perceptions of the area with those who identify and recommend destinations. This helps to fill the pipeline with future meetings and conventions.”
Highlighted below are several meetings throughout the fourth quarter that have significant attendance, chose Cleveland as a host city because of visitor-related developments in Downtown Cleveland or are returning to Cleveland to host a meeting or event. The estimated economic impact of just the 11 events listed below is more than $19 million.
Oct. 3-5
Foundation Software User Conference
About: Foundation Software, Inc., which produces job cost accounting and construction management software, will host its Users Conference to promote networking for Foundation Software’s staff, clients, vendors and partners from around the country. New product demos and educational opportunities will be provided. Attendees will also enjoy an evening event held at The Corner Alley on East 4
th Street.
Significance: Foundation Software, Inc. first held this conference in Cleveland in 2017 and chose to return in 2018.
Estimated Attendance: 600
Headquarter Hotel: Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Tower
Primary event venue: Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland
Oct. – Dec.
Hockey Time Productions Youth Hockey Tournaments
About: Hockey Time Productions will host its Rock ‘N Roll Cup Tournament Series over five weekends throughout Northeast Ohio this fall. The Rock ‘N Roll Cup Tournament Series brings boys and girls teams from Detroit, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Erie, Columbus, Toledo, Dayton, Cincinnati and Southern Ontario to Cleveland.
Significance: The Hockey Time Productions’ tournament series provides a stream of business throughout the year, including five weekends this fall season (Oct. 4-7; Oct. 19-21; Nov. 2-4; Nov. 23-25; Nov. 30-Dec. 2) – each bringing 1,000 attendees to the Northeast Ohio region.
Estimated Attendance: 1,000 per tournament (5,000 total)
Headquarter Hotel: Various suburban hotels
Primary event venue: Various arenas throughout Northeast Ohio
Oct. 7-11
The Wildlife Society Annual Conference
About: The Wildlife Society’s annual conference will bring members from across North America to Cleveland this fall. The conference will feature more than 950 educational opportunities and more than 40 networking opportunities for attendees. Visitors can also go to a reception at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, explore various areas of Cleveland Metroparks and take a field trip to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.
Significance: Planners chose Cleveland as the location for this convention due to downtown developments as well as the unique venues that the city has to offer.
Estimated Attendance: 1,500
Headquarter Hotel: Hilton Cleveland Downtown
Primary event venue: Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland
Oct. 13-14
The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) International Cat Show
About: The CFA International Cat Show is one of the largest cat shows in the nation, bringing in breeds from around the U.S., Europe and Asia. The competition will include 16 categories as cats vie to become the “best in show.” Visitors can shop at the show’s Meow Mall, listen to pet education sessions, meet and greet famous felines or adopt a cat of their own.
Significance: Planners chose Cleveland as the location for this event due to amenities available at the I-X Center.
Estimated Attendance: 750
Headquarter Hotel: Cleveland Airport Marriott
Primary event venue: I-X Center
Oct. 16-20
Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Annual Convention
About: The AAU, which is dedicated to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs, will be hosting its annual convention in Cleveland. The event will feature executive committee meetings for various sports and education sessions. Special convention events for attendees include a tour of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a reception at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Significance: Planners selected Cleveland for this convention based on the space and amenities available at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown.
Estimated Attendance: 500
Headquarter Hotel: Hilton Cleveland Downtown
Primary event venue: Hilton Cleveland Downtown
Oct. 22-24
2018 Cleveland Clinic Medical Innovation Summit
About: Cleveland Clinic Medical Innovation Summit brings together thought leaders and decision makers in the healthcare community to discuss the state of medical innovation and look at future developments. This year’s summit will specifically focus on “Disruption: Reimagining Healthcare,” and sessions will include a “StartUp Showcase,” the top medical innovations of 2019 and keynote speakers former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives John Boehner and author Dr. Elizabeth Rosenthal. An evening reception will be held at House of Blues.
Significance: The Medical Innovation Summit is repeat business for Cleveland, and, as time has gone on, the conference has been able to grow due to the capacity of the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland.
Estimated Attendance: 750
Headquarter Hotel: Hilton Cleveland Downtown
Primary meeting venue: Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland
Oct. 26-28
National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Fall Regional (Region IV) Conference 2018
About: NSBE is one of the largest student-governed organizations based in the United States, comprised of more than 500 chapters from around the world. Region IV of the NSBE will host its annual fall conference in Cleveland, which will include a variety of workshops, company tours and a career fair for attendees.
Significance: Planners had been interested in holding this conference in Cleveland and were impressed by the bid put forth by the Westin Cleveland Downtown.
Estimated Attendance: 950
Headquarter Hotel: Westin Cleveland Downtown
Primary event venue: Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland
Oct. 29
American Evaluation Association (AEA) Annual Conference
– Nov. 3
About: The American Evaluation Association (AEA) annual conference will host evaluators, evaluation scholars, students and evaluation users from around the world. Demonstrations, roundtables, skill-building workshops and think tank sessions will be offered for attendees. Meeting-goers will also get to enjoy a taste of Cleveland with a food truck lunch at the convention center.
Significance: The connectivity of the Hilton Cleveland Downtown and Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland was a big draw for the meeting’s planners.
Estimated Attendance: 3,000
Headquarter Hotel: City wide*
Primary event venue: Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland
Nov. 4-9
2018 Violin Society of America Annual Meeting and Competition
About: The Violin Society of America focuses on promoting the art and science of making, repairing and preserving stringed musical instruments and their bows. The society’s competition concentrates on the tone of the instruments and workmanship of both instruments and bows. The annual meeting will feature presentations about different facets of stringed instruments, including acoustics, craftmanship, innovation and techniques, as well as exhibits with rare and new instruments.
Significance: The Violin Society of America held this event in Cleveland in 2012 and chose to return for this 2018 competition.
Estimated Attendance: 1,000
Headquarter Hotel: Renaissance Cleveland Hotel
Primary event venue: Renaissance Cleveland Hotel
Nov. 7-11
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) National Convention
About: The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) national convention serves as one of the country’s largest gatherings of Hispanic STEM students and professionals. Educational sessions, networking opportunities, a career fair and various competitions are included in the convention’s agenda. Attendees can also participate in tours of the Cleveland operations of companies like Rockwell Automation, Lincoln Electric, Cargill Inc., Saint-Gobain and DuPont.
Significance: Planners chose Cleveland based on the attractive meetings package with Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, hotel offerings and activities available for attendees.
Estimated Attendance: 3,300
Headquarter Hotel: City wide*
Primary event venue: Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland
Dec. 1-4
Blockland Solutions Conference
About: The Blockland Solutions Conference is one of the first blockchain education conferences to provide experiential learning through hands-on coding and real-world problem solving with a focus on solutions for business and government applications. The conference will feature more than 50 case study and learning sessions, as well as internationally recognized speakers who are thought leaders in blockchain technology.
Significance: The Blockland Solutions Conference is one facet of the community-wide Blockland movement, which illustrates that Cleveland is serious about building a blockchain ecosystem in which companies will want to start or grow their businesses.
Estimated Attendance: 1,000
Headquarter Hotels: Hilton Cleveland Downtown and Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Tower
Primary event venue: Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland
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ABOUT DESTINATION CLEVELAND: Destination Cleveland is Cleveland’s convention and visitors bureau. This private, non-profit organization’s mission is to drive economic impact and stimulate community vitality for Greater Cleveland through leisure and business travel. Cleveland welcomes 18 million visitors annually. For more information, visit www.thisiscleveland.com.
*Citywide conventions utilize three or more hotels in the region