Convention Center Posts Solid Growth

Things are looking up at Ontario Convention Center.

Conventions, meetings, number of attendees and revenue from food and beverage all went up between last year and 2014, according data released this week by the convention center.

The facility, which is managed by SMG Worldwide Venue Management in suburban Philadelphia, reported a 47 percent year-over-year increase in conventions in 2016, along with a 17 percent increase in meetings, a 34 percent increase in overall attendees and a 27 percent jump in food and beverage revenue.

Of those four categories, only meetings are expected to decline this year: the rest are expected to grow in 2016 and to continue doing so in 2017, with meetings expected to resume their growth next year as well.

“It confirmed what we already knew,” said Sue Oxarart, communications director for the convention center. “But when we saw the numbers that confirm it it was still pretty satisfying. We’re very pleased.”

Much of the increase in activity can be attributed to the strategic plan that Michael Krouse implemented shortly after he took over as the convention center’s president and chief executive officer in 2012, Oxarart said.

“The economy has improved, and I’m sure that helped, but the strategic plan was aimed at increasing conventions and everything else that drives the local hotel business,” Oxarart said. “The idea was to make the convention center do what it was originally meant to do, and it seems to be working.”