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Subscribe to our newsletterApril 17, 2024
Excited About Our Convention Future
I’m Ken Paul. I’m executive director of the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority (FCCFA). I started this role in January of 2024, which marks my 25th anniversary of living and working in central Ohio. For the better part of the last two decades, I’ve worked in public service, most recently...
April 17, 2024
Columbus Making a Strong First Impression
In the first few months of 2024, athletes, fans, and reporters from across the country and around the world, made a trip to Columbus. For many, it was their first.
They came for the competition and they left in awe.
In February, Columbus welcomed the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and the Pro...
April 17, 2024
Columbus Convention Center a Leader in Sustainability
Gone are the days of sustainability just being a buzzword or an aspiration.
Sustainability has become a key standard for many event planners looking at the Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC) as a potential venue for use.
“More and more events are very particular about the types of venues they want to...
November 2, 2023
CFA Appoints Ken Paul as Executive Director
COLUMBUS, Ohio (November 1, 2023) — The Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority (FCCFA) today voted to name Ken Paul as its next executive director. He will transition into the new role in early 2024. Paul will succeed Don Brown, who served as the FCCFA’s executive director for nine years.
Paul currently...
September 14, 2023
U.S. Figure Skating Championships Coming to Nationwide Arena in January
Early next year, Columbus will break new ground as a destination for marquee sporting events when Nationwide Arena hosts the 2024 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships. It’s the first time in Columbus for the 110-year-old event.
For seven days starting Jan. 22, the country’s top skaters will compete in the final...
September 13, 2023
Deshler: A Hotelier Who Embraced the Future (and wrote a letter to it)
As central Ohio’s hospitality industry leaders celebrate the Hilton Columbus Downtown as the first 1,000-key hotel in many decades, they have a historical source of inspiration in John Green Deshler. The grandson of an enterprising businessman who snapped up the northwest corner of Broad and High streets in Columbus’ earliest...
September 13, 2023
Central Ohio Hotels Enjoy Robust Weekend, Event Trade, But Business Travel Still Lags
The past year has brought much to celebrate about the lodging industry in central Ohio. We’ve expanded the state’s premier convention hotel and hosted some of the industry’s biggest and highest-profile events. But for the 75,000 people who make their living in hospitality and the many other businesses that count...
September 13, 2023
New CFA Board Chairman Savarise Aims to Maximize Return on Community’s Investment
The new head of the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority (CFA) is clear-eyed about both the opportunities and the challenges the organization faces.
His day job — president and chief executive officer of the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association (OHLA) — gives Chairman Joe Savarise a unique perspective. Having served as...
May 31, 2023
Columbus Ranked Among Top U.S. Cities for Sports Business
Columbus’ rising prominence as a locale for sports events and sports business has been clear for some time to those paying attention. Now, it’s even less a secret, with a recent study by a leading industry trade publication that puts Columbus well within the top 50 U.S. cities for sports...
