The First Financial Center

Downtown Cincinnati’s Completely Reimagined Convention and Meetings Venue

Cincinnati’s downtown convention center reopened a $264 million development to become the Midwest's best-in-class center in January 2026. It will accommodate 75 percent of the existing convention, conference, and meetings market in the United States.

The completely reimagined Center features modernized meeting rooms, upgraded ballrooms and renovated exhibit hall and pre-function space. In addition, a new expansive rooftop terrace on the third level provides stunning views of Cincinnati's downtown skyline. Major improvements were made to building systems and technology making it much more energy efficient.

The development pours over the Elm Street Plaza, a new, two-acre park and outdoor convention area convenient for event activations and relaxing breakouts.

Get to know the space

Every element of the First Financial Center was designed with the experience in mind, featuring:

Gross Square Feet: 750,000, including setup and support space
Exhibition Space: 200,000 contiguous square feet
Grand Ballroom: 40,000 Square feet, one of the largest in the Midwest
Additional Ballroom: 16,930 square feet to comfortably host smaller groups
Brand New Rooftop Terrace
Meeting space: 30 deluxe breakout rooms with flexibility to accommodate 24 to 4,100.
Loading Dock: 17 berths and three semi-truck portals that lead directly to exhibition space
Full-service banquet kitchen: 5,000 served in a single seating
Levels: 3, multi-level concourse provides easy access to exhibit space, meeting rooms, and ballroom levels.
Skywalk access to the brand new, 700-room Marriott Headquarters Hotel
Extended outdoor space with seamless flow to the new Elm Street Convention Plaza
Ample branding opportunities inside and out with LED signage outside of meeting rooms and a huge 76' LED wall
Ample parking with a new $28M garage across the street with 780 spaces.

Latest Images of the Space

Cincinnati Convention Center Prefunction Space

Explore the New Floor Plans

Explore the new First Financial Center

New Management Company

Legends Global has been selected to launch and operate the reimagined Cincinnati Convention Center. The Center joins Legends Global’s extensive convention and conference portfolio — the largest in North America and worldwide.

Dan Hoffend, Legends Global’s executive vice president, convention centers, said, “We are honored that the City of Cincinnati has entrusted Legends Global to unveil and share the new DECC with clients the world over and drive unprecedented growth for the venue. This is a watershed moment in the history of Cincinnati convention business, and we are ready for the moment." Read more. Update: as of 9/2025 ASM global is now ‘Legends Global'

Award-Winning

The Convention Center is a 2024 Exhibitor Magazine Center of Excellence Award winner (4 years in a row!) and voted by meeting planners as a Top 30 Convention Center Prime Site Award Winner for twelve consecutive years.

Welcoming destination

First Financial Center takes its place in Cincinnati’s skyline by welcoming meeting delegates and visitors with its brand-new iconic CINCINNATI sign. Next to the 320-foot Cincinnati sign, there is a 70' by 26' video board. This creates even more branding opportunities on the separate video board next to this iconic CINCINNATI sign.

New CINCINNATI Sign

Compact footprint

Located in the heart of downtown Cincinnati, the First Financial Center is within a fifteen-minute walk to 3,200 hotel rooms and 5,000 parking spots. Attendees and exhibitors alike will be energized by dozens of new restaurants, nightlife options and destination shopping just steps away from the Center. Four new hotels have opened within the past couple of years, and a future 700-room downtown HQ hotel is planned.

Social responsibility

Through the company-wide Legends Global Acts program, the First Financial Center, is committed to being a leader in sustainability, diversity and community. The Legends Global Acts program helps to create better workplaces, a diverse workplace, and beautiful local communities.

High-tech specifications

The First Financial Center, managed by Legends Global, works to provide planners with the latest technology and outstanding customer service for meetings and conventions.