Leveraging PR Strategy for Convention Center Transformations: Turning Construction into a Destination-Wide Story

Convention center transformations represent once-in-a-generation opportunities for destinations. When managed strategically, they are more than capital projects—they become platforms to elevate a destination’s brand, attract meetings, business, and engage national media. This panel session with Visit Austin, Visit Cincy, and Visit Milwaukee will explore how destinations and agency partners harness PR to maximize visibility and reposition their cities during and after convention center transformations. Renovating or expanding a convention center is a complex, multi-year endeavor. But beyond the hard hats and construction fences lies a powerful PR opportunity: the chance to tell a story of innovation, resilience, and citywide growth.

Takeaways: 

• Leverage   milestone storytelling—from groundbreaking to ribbon cutting—to generate   consistent coverage and media interest
• Design curated media activations like familiarization tours, media   dinners, and trade show press conferences to build buzz
• Expand the narrative beyond the facility to encompass sustainability, walkability, diversity, and culinary culture
• Integrated Approach of leveraging your paid media spend to help drive   earned coverage in the meetings market. 
• Maintain competitive positioning by sustaining coverage after reopening   and aligning with editorial calendars and industry event.
• Attendees will learn how to turn a construction project into a   brand-defining communications moment for their destinations.