Highlighting the event will be the presence of His Eminence Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi, the Prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education at the Vatican. Cardinal Versaldi will celebrate mass on Tuesday, April 3 at the DECC and will convey greetings from Pope Francis at the opening general session later that day. Additionally, the Most Reverend Frank Caggiano, Bishop of Bridgeport, will be the event’s keynote speaker, also on April 3. Press credentials can be obtained on-site at the DECC.
NCEA, the largest private professional education association in the world, works with Catholic educators to support ongoing faith formation and the teaching mission of the Catholic Church. Membership includes more than 150,000 educators serving 1.9 million students in Catholic education. Cincinnati is home to more than 100 Catholic schools and twice as many parishes.
“It is my pleasure to welcome all attendees to the 2018 NCEA Convention, within the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, and City of Cincinnati—all of which we trust will inspire and delight,” said Susan Gibbons, director of educational services and superintendent of Catholic schools for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. “Catholic schools within the Archdiocese of Cincinnati are proud of our almost 200 years of providing excellence in Catholic education. We are honored to host our guests in the Queen City and provide NCEA a place for sharing best practices and faith formation and academics.”
Hosting the NCEA Annual Convention & Expo is a result of a strong, collaborative effort between the Cincinnati USA CVB, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, the Duke Energy Convention Center and various other entities, and reflects the large Catholic presence in the Cincinnati region.
“We’re proud to be hosting the NCEA, which will bring over 4,000 visitors and generate more than $2.4 million in visitor spending. We know that connecting our local communities and partners with meetings and conventions is a powerful way to attract future convention business,” said Michael Laatsch, interim president and CEO of the Cincinnati USA CVB. “And that is certainly true with NCEA – Catholic faith and education are an integral part of so many families across our region. Hosting this signature event in Catholic education and welcoming prominent faith leaders from around the globe to Cincinnati is happening because of that community connection.”
The NCEA Convention & Expo is the largest, private-education association gathering in the country. Participants come from many avenues of Catholic school education, including elementary and secondary school teachers, superintendents, principals, presidents and board members. The event features more than 230 professional development sessions, carefully prepared daily liturgies, networking opportunities and an Expo Hall showcasing more than 260 of the latest educational products and services. To learn more, visit www.NCEA.org/convention.
About the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau is a sales, marketing and service organization whose primary responsibility is to positively impact Hamilton County's and the City of Cincinnati's economy through convention, trade show and visitor expenditures. The travel and tourism industry traditionally has been a $5 billion industry in Cincinnati USA, employing 77,000 people in a variety of fields and bringing 26.1 million visitors to the region annually. Visit www.cincyusa.com for more.
