Home of the nation’s largest convention center and the kind of connectivity that gets groups in and out with ease, America’s midsection is growing in meeting venues and popularity.
As planners grapple with restrictions and uncertainty on an international level, domestic locations can be keystones of reliability. With a central location easily accessible from much of the country, the Midwest checks in with convenient airlift and an expanding universe of meeting and event facilities.
So if you’re meeting “in the middle,” here are the top 10 convention centers and conference venues in the country’s heartland.
It may be home to the 2.6 million-sf McCormick Place but in Chicago, all eyes are on the coming Obama Presidential Center, opening in spring 2026 on the South Side in historic Jackson Park. Debuting there this fall will be the Home Court athletic and conference center, a 45,000-sf multipurpose center boasting an NBA-sized basketball court. The 19-acre campus also will include a museum and library as well as a great lawn for events.
In Cincinnati, construction on the upcoming Convention District is in full swing, with the Convention Center (currently closed during construction) on track to reopen in January 2026. Visit Cincy also expects to announce the new headquarter hotel soon, with construction beginning shortly thereafter.
Des Moines’ premier Iowa Events Center recently welcomed a new 10,000-sf junior ballroom following the conversion of a museum in the former Hy-Vee Hall, which has rebranded as the EMC Expo Center, and in addition to the new junior ballroom offers 100,000 sf of exhibit space and eight breakout meeting rooms.
On the horizon in Des Moines, look for the former Art Deco-era Butler Mansion to become the Italian-American Cultural Center in 2026, offering a 12,000-sf two-story hall for private events. Construction will begin this June with completion expected by October 2026—in time for Italian Heritage Month.
Detroit remains the premier convention hub in Michigan, with Huntington Place Convention Center undergoing a significant expansion which—when completed in 2027—will include a connected 600-room JW Marriott Hotel and offer a direct route to the Riverfront and downtown Detroit.
Detroit real estate developer Bedrock has unveiled The Department at Hudson’s, a collection of more than 15 meeting and event spaces totaling 56,000 sf within Hudson’s Detroit, the city’s largest ground-up development in half a century. Once complete—with a projected 2027 opening date—the two-building Hudson’s Detroit complex will include the Detroit Edition and the Residences at The Detroit Edition along with the new global headquarters of General Motors.
Heart of the state and the thriving capital of Indiana, Indianapolis had record-setting tourism numbers in 2024 according to Visit Indy, with $3B underway in projects including the 6th expansion of the Indiana Convention Center, which with the addition of a 50,000-sf ballroom, will be among the nation’s top 10 largest convention centers. Scheduled for a fall 2026 completion, the project also includes a connecting 800-room Signia by Hilton, a new junior ballroom and a signature ballroom.
On the way in Kansas City, KS is the American Royal Campus which will span nearly 100 acres and celebrate the region’s deep agricultural roots with barbecue competitions, livestock shows, and immersive educational exhibits focused on food and farming—all just minutes from downtown KCK.
On its way to hosting MPI’s World Education Congress this June, St. Louis, MO will be showing off the newly enhanced America’s Center, whose recent $256 million expansion features a new 72,000-sf exhibit hall, increasing the total exhibit space to 574,000 sf.
The other half of the Twin Cities, St. Paul is the state capital and is home to a convention complex that includes the Saint Paul RiverCentre, the Roy Wilkins Auditorium and the Xcel Energy Center arena. Renovations are planned for all three venues along with the proposed addition of a 650-room hotel, though a definite timeline had not been announced at press time.
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