2 min read April 2022 — Rick Fredette met with Invest: and discussed how the growth the county is experiencing is changing the priorities of the center. He highlighted the center’s projects in Broward County, particularly its under-construction hotel addition. “The expansion will be a game changer not just for the center but for Broward as well,” Fredette said.
What challenges are you facing today at the convention center?
The Convention Center closed February 16, 2020, for Phase 1 of the West Building Expansion Project. We opened Phase 1 with the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in October 2021. It’s our most prestigious event and the largest for Broward County. We are looking at an extended construction period for the East Addition and an 800-room headquarter hotel that will be connected to the convention center. This expansion project has attracted new convention and tradeshow business to Broward County.
What key opportunities or challenges are in front of the industry?
On the facility side, as far as upgrades to the building, we are facing increased costs related to the square footage for exhibits and pre-function areas. But it allows the building to be more flexible. The hotel will be a major game changer for us. Everyone wants to stay in the hotel connected to where the meetings are. Our demand has increased, and we are already selling through 2028.
We are starting to see movement in the associate and corporate markets. Our goal is to fill in our spaces with city-wide events that drive room nights for our hospitality partners.
How do partners help you attract businesses to the center?
We are located next to Port Everglades; there are not many destinations where you can finish the last day of meetings or events and then jump on a cruise. The port is a very important partner and driver of the economy.
We also have a heavy transient leisure business, which drives ADR. The new hotel and the commitment of the county will be a game changer for us.
ASM Global, which manages the facility for Broward County is consistently looking for opportunities to rotate conventions and tradeshows throughout their portfolio. ASM Global manages 350 facilities worldwide.
How did technology help you increase and expand your business?
During the pandemic, we saw travel restrictions and we had clients that wanted to see the building virtually. We were showing them the progress of the project and all the upgrades that were happening. We were moving full steam ahead with the project even during the pandemic. We are close to $2.5 million in IT infrastructure as far as switches and wireless access points. We are going high-tech with all the HVAC climate control, lighting controls, camera assistance and access controls for doors. We have the whole technology, and we are very far along in comparison to two years ago. If clients want to do hybrid events, we have the infrastructure for it.
How does sustainability go beyond eco-friendly practices?
We were LEED Gold status before we closed the existing building. We will maintain LEED Gold status with the West and East Expansion. Sustainability is a major priority for Broward County and for many convention and tradeshow planners.
Increasing the footprint from 600,000 square feet to 1.2 million will benefit all of Broward County by creating more jobs and an increased economic impact. Meeting planners are naturally attracted to our destination and Broward County continues to invest in the infrastructure to ensure we have first class accommodations that compliment our fantastic location.
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