The Cincinnati Duke Energy Convention Center recently completed at large scale remodel and makeover. You can tell money was spent upgrading this older footprint. Elm St has been closed off constructing an outside space and park. The convention center is close to downtown hotels restaurants and bars. If you're here for a conference or convention you will have a good time with everything within walking distance. read more

Wasn't impressed for the volleyball tournament I attededed. The access seemed very limited traffic to maneuver to the easiest point of access was trash, you couldn't bring in foood but everything they offered was dry nasty and stale and VERY over priced the center was big but bathrooms was only on one side of the halls the outside had a wonderful seating area and looked like what to be a bar which had it been up would had made up for the other stuff cashless option and the staff looked at you like you HAD to tip for them serving some stale food out a upright... don't blame them but come on... seating was good for the event but again OVER PRICED ruined it all Maybe other events are different can only speak for what I attended... read more

At a homeschool convention with thousands. Only one "real" food place, no options. The event lasts late and even grab and go coffee place closes before the event. They say don't bring food but are NOT prepared for an 8am-930pm event! read more

This has been the gem of shows, events etc for years. The choices of events, the concessions and esecially the site management always does such a great job. Any time you can enjoy an event at the convention center I highly recommend it. read more

Duke Energy Convention Center - Holiday Market 2023 - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Not a bad experience yet. Whether it's a custom.car show, New car show, boat and RV show or competitive dance competitions, Duke Energy Convention Center has always been great. Depending on the event, there are typically limited food and beverages available for purchase. There is also a coffee shop however it is not a Starbucks, of that's what you're looking for. It's all standard convention venue fare. Keep in mind - Writing this in 2022, COVID may affect food and beverage options. Escalators and elevators available for accessing all levels. There are plenty of parking options. But here's a tip. I almost always park right outside the venue, on the street. Unless otherwise posted, there is pay at the terminal parking right outside the venue!! Hardly anyone parks there. Would I go back? Yes. I've been going to events here for over 20 years and have never had a bad experience. read more

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I checked into this place so many times, I thought I'd be the Duke by now but I guess not. I have no energy to check in anymore. This is a massive convention center, and while in many regards it's fancy and shiny and new and you have nice views from the top two floors, it also is a little bit disorganized and not quite as smooth as some of the other Conference Centers I've been to. read more

Duke Energy Convention Center - Who's the Duke of this place? Idk it's all a blur - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

The Duke Energy Convention Center seems to be the main place for large events held in Cincy. We came here recently for Cincinnati Comic Expo and were amazed with how big this space is!! I'm not sure how long this building has been around for, but it feels like it is brand new. It's very nice, clean, and was very spacious to walk around through... I didn't feel like I was walking over top of people like some convention centers can feel! Overall we really enjoyed getting to explore this place. I'd be excited to go to any future events here! read more

The Duke Energy Convention Center (in Cincinnati, Ohio) is a large, modern convention center that is used for several large events of popular interest. I came here for an engineering conference for one whole week, with well over one thousand other attendees. The conference I attended here required the use of nearly the entire convention center, which included the use of several of the ballrooms for presentations with large audiences, and the use of dozens of the smaller conference rooms for individual presentations with smaller audiences. First, let me highlight the positives. The convention center is very clean and spacious. I really liked how it was designed with several large windows to let in the natural daylight. The layout was pleasant, allowing visitors to see multiple levels of the convention center from one perspective, and the huge escalators were made of stainless steel to allow reflection of the daylight coming in from the windows. It was also nice to see beautiful views of the Cincinnati area from the large windows on the upper levels of the convention center. Another positive is that this convention center is ideally located in the heart of Cincinnati. If you plan to attend a conference here, you will find it easy to visit without needing a rental car since there are several hotels and great restaurants within walking distance to this convention center. Now, for the negatives. If you come here for nearly the entire day, especially every day for one week, you are bound to use several of the restrooms in different areas of the convention center. Out of all the restrooms I visited, not a single restroom had toilet seat covers in the stalls. I really don't think this is very sanitary considering how many different people are bound to use these restrooms from every corner of the earth. Yuk! Another negative is that the walls seem to be unusually thin, or that they are not properly insulated for noise. While sitting in attendance in several of the conference rooms I found it a little distracting because I could often hear the presentation that was in progress immediately next door. Finally, although this convention center is in a great location in the heart of the city, allowing you to walk from your hotel (as noted above), just make sure you check over your shoulder while walking through the city. Cincinnati, like most major cities, has an unusually large number of homeless people, and some of them are a little aggressive when they're asking you for your money. This is not really a negative against this convention center, just something that you should be aware of if you end up walking to this location, like I did. Overall, I enjoyed visiting this convention center, with just a few exceptions. If you're attending a large event in the Cincinnati area, this is probably one of the better places to go. read more

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I have attended the same four-day conference in other cities and Cincinnati hosted us very well. It was a 6-minute walk from my hotel, which let me save money on transportation. Pedestrians enter from S or E side; the loading area is on the N side. The top floor had good views of the Ohio River. Smoothly organized conference. The conference organizers paid for Wi-Fi, which worked well. Concerns: 1: There were more audiovisual problems than usual. About 20% of speakers had problems with advancing slides or switching on the audio system clipped to their chest. Sometimes monitors went blank, especially in Junior Ballroom C. It may help to give more instructions and training to each session chair or to each speaker, and to double-check equipment. 2: In breaks, it was hard to get a coffee or a snack. Perhaps keep the first-floor Starbucks concession open longer. Keep two staff members on each coffee cart or provide a vending machine. That will increase revenue and support people who are hungry or diabetic. Look forward to future events here! read more

The site chosen for the 2016 Flying Pig Marathon Exposition. This center has a lot of floor space and the exhibit hall fit perfectly for the race. In typical fashion for most marathon exhibitions the elements of commercialism were ever present: people (including us) were funneled through Flying Pig concessions in order to obtain their race shirts. Notably, Proctor and Gamble (P&G) gave away free wash detergent and feminine hygiene products. I had expected toothpaste but perhaps that's next year. The race swag included a shirt, poster, P&G bag, and 13.1 magnet if you were signed up for the half. I always appreciate race food samples which I can try on expo day because it's not good to experiment with new food items on race day, and depending on your metabolism perhaps not even the day before race day. One of my favorites was Nuun energy drink. read more

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I would give this place 3 stars for the actual center itself: it is large, sufficiently equipped with technology, plenty of panel rooms, and overall a decent layout on all floors. However, they receive 1 star for the disgusting behavior of security staff during the conventions that take place. I understand that times are tough, but there is no excuse for security to treat convention attendees like we're subhuman when we enter a door. This past weekend I heard no less than 25 curse words from security at anyone that wasn't ready for the metal detector the moment they walked in the convention center. I watched CHILDREN be told to "f*cking move" down the assembly line of metal detectors. I also encountered several Duke Energy Convention Center employees who told sitting convention guests to put their masks on... while they were eating and drinking. It wasn't kind either, more of a shout and "get your mask on now!" The shouts were so loud from security through the first floor of the convention center that guest services of the convention I attended told me they had already received "several" complaints of poor treatment. This is apparently nothing new. Also, please instruct your staff on how to handle guests with disabilities- especially Autism. It is not easy for us to navigate a large convention center security line, and I personally freeze when yelled at. Please be kinder. read more

Duke Energy Center is a multi-level convention center that is home to many events through out the year. I have been to the MLB All Star game expo, Everything Pets expo, Flying Pig Expo, Home Show, Jurassic Dinosaur event, and many more. Most recently I attended Winter Beerfest with a group of friends. It is a spacious venue with plenty of modern, clean restrooms. The acoustics are good as it doesn't get overly noisy. I haven't noticed much of a change here during the years, other than a few small remodels, but it is a good place to attend any event. read more

Day three of three of the FREE Wellness Event! Wow what a wonderful event... educational panels, exercise classes and TONS of samples read more

Duke Energy Convention Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Surprised I haven't left a review before after coming to the center a number of times through my past 14 years in Cincinnati. This is the largest space in the region for large conferences, events, so you never know what you might find in the center. Cincinnati Wine Festival, Cincinnati Beer Fest, ArtWorks breakfast, Flying Pig Marathon Expo, CincyTech Big Breakfast are just some of the events here. Be prepared to walk as the place is huge, variety of bathrooms, right outside the expo space on each floor. Note they don't have free wifi, told its just too big & too expensive to provide free wifi for events here. read more

I have been here on many occasions, usually for a fest of some sort. Most recently was for the Cincy Beerfest the first Saturday in February. I really think this is the best venue for this type of event. I, as a volunteer, enjoy seeing all the people wandering by and chatting and just generally having a good time. I am hoping to volunteer for the Wine festival in march, which is a little "fancier". The center staff are wonderful to work with, because they typically want everyone to have a good time. read more

This place is huge! But it has always been comfortable for the events I've attended. It's usually very well staffed so you can always find someone to ask a question (because you could easily get turned around). Everything here feel clean and very well maintained. My favorite events? Kroger's Wellness Festival, The Food and Wine Festival and the Pig Run festivities! Parking can be a challenge. All the rates go up. So be prepared to drop a little money and stay all day! read more

It was my first time visiting the Duke center and I went for the Auto Expo show. It is a fairly nice convention center, it is not spectacular by any means. It did a great job of accommodating and organizing the event and it was spacious! Easy to access restrooms. And it had some nice food vendors along with a singing musical duet who was actually really good! Overall, I had a pleasant experience and looking forward to other events that will be hosted here. Thanks for reading, go find that Perfect Taste! ;) read more

Duke Energy Convention Center - Cadi - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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This is a quite nice convention center. Tons of space, quite clean, and good proximity to parking and other downtown resources.

This is a decent venue. The entrance frontage is all about the address and not the convenience. I have been here for a car show, and most recently a 10/2018 Kroger Wellness festival. The main front entrance is great if you are doing an Uber/Lyft drop off. Nice entry area. First/main floor box office, padded seating area, escalators, bathrooms. There are also 2 drink vending machines at $3.50 a clip. Once inside the main hall you see a 4 story open space with lower spaces on each side. This is because smaller meeting rooms and banquet size spaces are upstairs, accessible from the outside elevators. There is also a large first floor event room with a stage. I would estimate the room seating capacity at about 2500. They held a concert in this room each of the 3 nights for this Wellness festival, although only about 1000 chars were set up. Inside the main hall there is 2 nice, automated, men's and women's restrooms in the far corners. I also noticed an ATM not too far away from them. There is a roll up shutter concession stand that houses LaRosa's Pizza and probably standard concession items. Look around to find the recycling bins. Outside the large hall, there are restrooms a short walk from the escalators on each floor. Since I made a lucky choice of parking on the 3rd level of a connected parking garage, the skywalk entry was easy. That entrance displayed a flying pig statue and some tables and chars. No smoking signs were abundantly displayed. The cigarette butts on the ground were also abundant. I agree with all other reviews that mention the walking layout. Entering from my garage or the one next to it, still created the entry -walk down the very long hall to the front - enter the event. I understand that any ugly parking garage out front on that costly prime real estate is unwarranted, but event entry can have multiple entrances like most(Reds, Bengals, USBank) do. Summary: Bring walking shoes. Park in the skywalk garage. Eat before you come unless it's a banquet. read more

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I love this place but I wish it had more art. I went for the ArtWorks Alum breakfast and I have to say it was awesome! The video, lighting, sound, stage and backdrops were all executed fantastically! I kept thinking how clean the technical aspects of the place were. Very, very organized and left me impressed. There were at least 1,000 people in attendance and there was still so much room. The temperature was perfect and the breakfast was simple but sophisticated. I was so engaged I didn't take a single picture of it! Great venue. I've been here multiple times but I think this was probably the most memorable experience I've had here. Not so humbly submitted, Michael C. read more

Duke Energy Convention Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Duke Energy Convention Center is located in downtown Cincinnati. Covering two city blocks bounded by Elm Street, 5th Street, 6th Street, and Central Avenue. I've been to many events held at this Convention Center. Cincinnati Wine Festival, Cincy Winter Beerfest, Bridalrama Showcase - Cincinnati Wedding Show, Cavalcade of Customs, Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon and more! All have been a great experience. This convention center is spacious and pretty big. There are three levels, featuring over 750,000 square feet Level 1 features all Exhibit Halls, Level 2 features three meeting room blocks and access to Cincinnati's Skywalk System, and Level 3 features the largest and most exquisite ballroom in Cincinnati. Garage/Street parking available. Hotels nearby for out of town guests. My favorite is seeing the Cincinnati Sign light up at night. read more

Wow -- what a place! I've been to many convention centers and by far this one rocks my socks. I usually don't review convention centers, but the Duke Energy Convention Center has a few things that makes it stand out from some other places I've been to for conferences: (1) It's well-organized and laid-out. Everything is labeled and there are signs everywhere directing you how to get from point A to Z. (2) Cell phone friendly. Forget your iPhone charger? Not to worry, Duke Energy Convention Center has free cell phone charging stations. (3) Great facilities. Conference rooms are spacious and comfortable and well equipped with great surround sound systems. I just came back from a conference in Cincy in early October 2012, so I really wanted to review this place because it was one of those places that left a good impression. I probably won't be coming back here again for a conference (after all, there are so many convention centers throughout the USA) but I was happy to have spent 3 days here! read more

I recently attended the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated Great Lakes Regional Conference at the Duke Energy Convention Center, and I must say, it was an exceptional experience from start to finish.The convention center itself provided a perfect venue for our event, with spacious rooms and excellent facilities. The layout was convenient, making it easy to navigate between sessions and networking areas.The catering service was simply outstanding. The food was delicious, and the variety offered catered to all dietary preferences. The service staff were attentive, ensuring that everyone's needs were met promptly and with a smile.A special shoutout to Terrie Z for her exceptional kindness and professionalism. Her warmth and dedication truly enhanced our experience, and we are grateful for her outstanding service.Overall, I cannot recommend Duke Energy Convention Center highly enough for hosting events. Their attention to detail, excellent catering, and exceptional staff make them a standout choice for any conference or gathering. We look forward to returning in the future. read more

Bring a sweater; these guys like to crank up the air conditioning! A huge facility for whatever conference you may be attending, but conveniently located near a lot of fun things to see downtown. Whoever designed the building did it in such a way that all stair/escalator traffic is funneled to the same side of the building (with the exception of emergency exits, of course), which can get a little frustrating when trying to get somewhere fast. If the food service is the same as when I was there, you'll be well-fed. The quality varies per meal, but there's usually something for everyone. It's a convention center; take it for what it is. read more

Really nice convention center, I have only been here for the outdoor show and the car show (AKA Cincinnati Auto Expo) but really nice space, clean, friendly people/ staff there, lots of food options. Really love it. read more

The Convention Center is just a regular Convention Center for the most part. I have been here for several events in the past and it is always well organized and has good signage so it is easy to get around. It feels however, big box, plain and corporate in most cases. Today, I was here for the 2014 Pink Ribbon Luncheon. I was most pleasantly surprised! This is a wonderful and amazing benefit and definitely supports a great cause! I was very happy to be a part of the day. I really think that the Duke Energy Convention Center did a wonderful job. The decorations were beautiful and so elegantly done. The Convention Center had completely transformed into a PINK paradise, it was a completely different feel today. I must say Chris Collinsworth and his foundation did an AMAZING job at putting this event together! I will definitely be back next year. Thank you to the Duke Energy Center for having enough staff onsite today! Kudos to you!! I saw a ton, and I mean a ton of Convention center staff walking around and helping everyone get to where they needed to be. That was very helpful! The only thing I think could have been improved upon was the Silent Auction tables were directly outside the doors to get into the auditorium for the luncheon and it created a bottleneck, to the point where you could not get to some of the silent auction items to really see them up close. If there was somewhere else to move those tables a little further back, that would be wonderful. Overall a wonderful day and a great event hosted by the Convention Center! Super friendly folks! read more

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An essential part to any great modern downtown is the convention center, and Cincinnati's Duke Energy Center is no exception It first opened in 1967 as the Cincinnati Exposition Center, and only ran between Elm and Plum Streets, was 2 levels, and had a modernist look of that era. 20 years later, it was expanded past Plum, given a third floor with a ballroom, and completely renovated with a post-modern look, in time for Cincinnati's bicentennial, and named after Dr. Albert B. Sabin, inventor of the polio vaccine. A good facility, but as the 1990s passed, other convention centers surpassed Cincinnati's in size, stealing business from the Queen City. One proposal to attract the Summer Olympics to Cincinnati included a massive westward expansion past Central Ave. and over I-75, to house an event venue - that never happened, but the need to expand was there, and the City of Cincinnati sold off naming rights to Cinergy to help finance a bold yet much smaller expansion to Central Ave.. As the Cinergy Center was nearing completion of expansion and interior renovation, the energy company was acquired, and became Duke Energy Center. The renovation and expansion gave the Center a great sense of color and flow between the spaces. This facility is where the biggest exhibitions are held, from the usual shows (home & garden; sports & travel & boat; auto expo) to major national conferences. It's connected to the Skywalk with two hotels directly (the Millennium more so), though the skywalk has lost some of its connectivity as some buildings came down, and downtown tries to become vibrant on street level. But the Center is very walkable from much of downtown anyhow. One of the most dramatic spaces is the Grand Ballroom on the third floor, with an amazing tapestry in the ceiling. I also really enjoy the promenade between floors toward the west of the center, which also afford views to the west, and east into the center of downtown and Carew Tower. It's simply a great building - not the most amazing one designed by a starchitect - but a staple of downtown Cincinnati - especially when approaching from the West or coming off I-75... the cincinnati sign. read more

Well, not too much to say here. It's very big. It has that cool reflected light CINCINNATI sign on the West side of the building. Duke Energy Convention Center is home to some of my favorite annual events including:: Beerfest Flying Pig (related events) Celestial Ball ...and many more! On my last visit I noticed that the convention layout was a bit of a fire trap. From one side of the convention center, the North, routes to any sort of exit (emergency included) were completely blocked. You had to walk to the other side of the convention center, through hundreds of people, to get out of the building. That should probably be fixed in the future. read more

I have been to a number of conferences, special events, and most recently Beerfest. I think my biggest complaint is the lack of free WiFi. I realize that it is a great moneymaker for the DECC, but it would really be a great feature that might lead to further business. The place is HUGE and it is easy to be lost in the generic hallways and different rooms. Try to memorize some placemarkers or something to help. Parking can be difficult if you are trying to save money. It might entail walking a number of blocks depending on the popularity of the event. I think the busiest event I've been to here was the Cavalcade of Custom's car show followed by the Sport and Boat Show. Oh, there are often multiple trade shows going on so make sure you aren't admitted into the wrong hall. I like walking by the second level windows and looking down to the main hall. It's a cool perspective and good way to find someone that you may have lost. Bathrooms are frequently close by and tend to be clean and large in size. There was a line for the men's but, hey, I would expect that. The maintenance/custodians are very quick to clean messes and general trash. At Beerfest this was definitely a good thing. read more

Duke Energy Convention Center - 3rd floor area - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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My husband and I attended a convention here comprising several days. To start, I never saw the Starbucks concession open. The facilities are clean and well maintained. The food is beyond horrible. Unseasoned, dry and bland for starters. They fried what appeared to be Cornish game hens. The biscuits were served cold. The servers aren't always dressed appropriately. The water tastes like metal. I am amazed. This afternoon's chicken was inedible as it smelled spoiled. Cafeteria food at my old high school was better than this. These people should embarrassed to serve food this bad. It's actually a waste as most of it went uneaten. The AC just be turned to 50 degrees so we were all freezing. Breakfast is served cold much like the other meals I've had to experience here. read more

Duke Energy Convention Center - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I recently attended the Wellness Your Way Festival at the convention center. It is always exciting to attend events here and this was no exception. I like the convenient passenger pick-up and drop-off area and the many entrances into the building. There is a lot garage parking nearby some of very reasonable at $6.00 for all day and some less reasonable. The main floor exhibition area is of sufficient size. This was especially true for the Wellness Festival which was divided into 3 different sections of health and wellness information, services & activities. The restrooms are of sufficient size and fclean and modern. They are well signed and in very convenient locations. There is a big entrance hall with a round service counter for excellent customer service. The employees that I saw & personally encountered were professional and friendly! The floor layout for my past events & the Wellness Festival here were set up for good people traffic flow. I hope to return for another fun event soon. Until next time be kind to each other! #yelpcincy #dukeenergyconventioncenter read more

Duke Energy Convention Center - Wellness Your Way Festival! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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The food tasted like cigarettes. I was not pleased with the concessions, if I could give negative stars I would. More than several consumers of the food stated the same thing and were not pleased. read more

The Duke Energy Center is huge and can be surprisingly elegant. I was amazed how some of the ballrooms were able to be dressed up--definitely not your typical convention center. They also have a wonderfully staffed information booth with friendly people ready and willing to point you in any direction you need to go--inside or out. However: 1. Fed-ex doesn't pick up there...which can be very inconvenient since the closest location is the Hilton about 4 blocks away. 2. There was a very pungent chemical smell present for most of the 5 days I was at an event there. It was like the fumes from carpet cleaning that just lingered on and on. 3. NONE of the food brought in/made by the convention services was remotely impressive. Most was downright bad. Eat before you come if you have any choice whatsoever. read more

This is a solid convention center. There seem to be enough bathrooms to accommodate everyone who was at the event. With 3 floors, this convention center is large enough to accommodate huge, main events. The main floor is a wide open space & could be easily customized for any event. There are several lots & structures in the vicinity to park at. Fees vary based on the event. The one we parked in was directly behind the center. It was cash only. read more

I've been to a couple different ballrooms at Duke Convention Center. The venue is massive; I imagine it could easily contain several hundred-thousand people in it's multiple rooms. That being said, it seems like I'm always walking forever to get to my event's room. Duke Convention Center spans the width of two city blocks and is multiple stories. I think I've counted at least three escalators here. There are plenty of exterior doors to this place, however it seems like I've only been able to enter through the main section on Elm Street. With most of the parking being at the opposite end of the building, guests walk two blocks east to the doors, enter the Convention Center, then once inside, walk the same two blocks west. Repeat again upon exit. The venue itself is very modern and clean. The expo area has had everything from home improvement booths to car and boat shows. The upstairs ballroom has a huge stage and A/V setup. The ceiling also has an artistic swirl, cloud-like decor. It's pretty majestic. The parking situation near Duke Convention Center leads me not to patronize exhibits here as often as I'd like. Parking is too costly, and anytime a convention is in town, $3.00 lots become $10.00 or more. read more

If you're throwing some sort of event, and need a space, ginormous or small... Duke is probably you're place. This place is massive! And I'm pretty sure I haven't seen all of it... The main floor and exhibition hall has so much room that you could host just darn near anything! I went most recently for the car show and it's not any stretch to say that there were well over 300 cars, not to mention booths set up in this hall alone. The second floor has an over look to see everything going on on the first floor as well as separate meeting rooms, for smaller events/gatherings. The third floor has one main ballroom type room that is still pretty massive and actually really pretty... minus the psychedelic carpeting. Really? You have the gorgeous tapestry on the ceiling and walls and you thrown down what looks like someone threw up a clown from the 60's on the floor? There's a few more smaller conference rooms up here as well. Getting into the building is kind of the difficult task. There's windows all over the building and you're not sure what's a door and whats not and which of 6 sides you're supposed to go in. But once you're inside it's pretty cut and dry with one main escalator going up to the 2nd and then straight up to the 3rd which is nice. All in all, especially for larger events this is the place to get. And I know Duke probably... doesn't have much to do with the pricing.. but some of their events are a bit ridiculously priced, just an fyi. read more

Duke Energy Center is nothing out of the ordinary for me. If you have an event here it feels very corporate and stale, but it is always very organized and efficient. I have been here for a number of different events and they have always been fun and engaging. A few of my favorite include the pet expo every year, beerfest, winefest, and any of the holiday themed shows are always a plus! The best part about this place is if you are looking for a venue to host an event they have different halls that fit almost anyone's needs. It's in a great location and almost everyone knows where it is. A Cincinnati landmark and an important part of our city, this place is great. read more

I have written several reviews about convention centers now. I should probably start a list. What I always point out about convention centers is how vital they are to business in the surrounding area. A good convention center facilitates the economy. I came to the Duke Energy Convention Center for the Flying Pig Marathon Expo. I could write a review in itself about the expo but I will leave that for my marathon review. This convention center fulfills all the needs that a convention center needs to have. It is large and easily accessible. Parking down the street was only $5 and it is connected to the Millennium Hotel. This is perfect for people who are visiting from out of town and who are either staying at the neighboring hotel or need a quick easy place to park. The center is modern, clean, and well organized. read more

Came here for a conference and was impressed by the size of the venue, as well as the set-up. Our event welcomed about 1300 people and the venue was set up with a huge stage, very large screens, 2 side benches as you would find in a sports stadion and a flat middle section. In the back of the room there were comfy lounge chairs for conversations. I loved the set-up. The staff was very friendly too, when I had to find some painkiller for a colleague they immediately guided me to the first aid room. Perfect service. Still, although I really liked it, I'm not really in love with this buidling, outside or inside, it's just so big and gray. Inside, the carpets could be replaced with a more modern alternative. read more

I've been to a lot of conventions over the years and Duke Energy Convention Center has it DOWN PAT! Here are a few things that really stood out for me. 1) Everything is WELL LABELED! This is a MUST for out-of-towners. Duke has this down to a T. If you got lost here, it's because you are simply stupid; that's how easy it was to get around this monstrosity. 2) Very cell phone friendly. Loved how there wasn't a dead zone in the entire building and there were more than enough outlets to charge your phone if need be. 3) Comfortable meeting rooms. I hate being frozen out during workshops and Duke kept the rooms at a very comfortable temp without freezing me out. 4) Super clean facility. Whether it was the bathroom to the Starbucks to the Vendor Hall to keeping the water coolers full, the Staff at Duke were efficient, friendly, and beyond professional. If you are looking for a large facility to rent for a convention, I can't recommend Duke Energy Center enough. We had over 1200 attendees and there was MORE THAN ENOUGH ROOM for all of us and then some. Well done Cincinnati! read more