Greater Columbus Convention Center Launches Heart of It All Partnership

The Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority and the Ohio Department of Development, through TourismOhio, have announced a destination marketing partnership centred on the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The agreement runs to 31 March 2031 and combines naming rights, advertising services and coordinated destination marketing built around the Ohio, The Heart of It All brand. Inside the building this will take the form of immersive wallscapes, digital displays and travel inspiration materials, and the central ballroom is being renamed the Heart of It All Ballroom. The rationale is reach: the convention centre receives more than one million visitors a year, giving the state tourism office a concentrated audience of business visitors who are already in Ohio for another reason. Ohio recorded 245 million visits in 2025, generating 58 billion US dollars in economic impact, supporting 447,000 jobs and producing 4.8 billion dollars in state and local tax revenue, and 93 percent of overnight visitors say they are likely to return within twelve months. Ken Paul is Executive Director of the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority. Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik said the partnership helps inspire visitors to stay longer and explore further. Sarah Wickham serves as State Tourism Director.