June 15, 2026 – Miami Beach, FL – The first part of FY2026 has been marked by transformative progress across the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) Campus and the surrounding Convention Center District. From continued construction of its new headquarter hotel, the highly anticipated Grand Hyatt Miami Beach, to major MBCC modernization projects and the attraction of globally recognized conferences, meetings, tradeshows and events, the award-winning MBCC, the second largest convention center in Florida, is entering a defining chapter in its evolution.

“The realization of a physically connected 800-room headquarter hotel marks a historic milestone and a real gamechanger for the MBCC, Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County,” said Freddie Peterson, General Manager of the Miami Beach Convention Center, managed by Oak View Group (OVG). “While the Grand Hyatt Miami Beach is the centerpiece of a dynamic growth phase, other important enhancements are taking shape throughout the campus. Since completing the venue’s landmark $640 million reimagining in 2020, the City of Miami Beach has continued to invest in strategic improvements that ensure the MBCC remains among the premier convention destinations in the world. From the installation of large-format LED video walls in the Grand Lobby to deployment of venue-wide Wi-Fi 7 technology, these investments reflect our commitment to innovation, connectivity, and delivering exceptional experiences for our clients and guests. Combined with exciting district-wide developments like the Lincoln Road transformation, the Miami Beach Botanical Garden reimagination, The Fillmore Miami Beach renovation, expanded hotel inventory, and improvements to neighboring cultural institutions and public spaces, this is an incredibly exciting moment.”

Building Upon a State-of-the-Art Venue: Strategic Investments Elevate the MBCC Experience
The MBCC continues to advance major capital investments by the City of Miami Beach. Ongoing FY26 investments across 31 active capital projects totaling approximately $27 million reinforce the MBCC’s long-term commitment to operational excellence and future-ready venue capabilities.

Sustainability-Focused Lighting and Energy Efficiency Upgrades 
The Miami Beach Convention Center continues to advance environmentally responsible operations, anchored by major facility-wide infrastructure improvements. Most notably, the MBCC has completed a $1.7 million project in May 2026 replacing more than 550 lighting fixtures across four exhibition halls (500,000 sq. ft.) with energy-efficient LED lights, significantly reducing energy consumption while enhancing lighting quality and operational performance. Also included in the project, are ongoing LED upgrades throughout the venue’s 84 meeting rooms, replacing older LED lights with the newest models.

With these upgrades, the MBCC is now a 100% LED facility across its 1.4 million event space, marking a major milestone in its sustainability strategy. These efforts build upon the MBCC’s broader sustainability leadership. In partnership with the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), the venue continues to support environmentally responsible practices across the meetings and hospitality industry. Recently Gold Certified for Sustainability and Social Impact by the Events Industry Council (EIC), the MBCC also maintains a 4 Green Keys rating through Green Key Global and LEED® Silver certification, supported by ongoing initiatives focused on energy efficiency, water conservation, and operational performance.

Additional programs include the MBCC’s CARE (Community Assistance by Responsible Events) initiative which donates leftover event materials back to the community. Other sustainability partners include the venue’s exclusive food and beverage provider, Sodexo Live! who operate a robust composting program that sends food waste to local farms, along with a food donation program that sees food distributed to local non-profit organizations. OVG’s responsible procurement strategy includes driving local economic impact by expanding opportunities for small, minority-owned, women-owned, and disadvantaged business enterprises within the community.

Next-Generation Wi-Fi Connectivity and Cutting-Edge Digital Assets
Smart City Networks, the venue’s exclusive Internet Technology provider, completed a venue-wide Wi-Fi 7 deployment in May 2026, making the MBCC among the first convention centers in the United States to offer this next-generation connectivity platform. In time for Consensus by Coindesk and in preparation for major upcoming events such as SIBOS and Adobe MAX in fall 2026, major network infrastructure projects have also been completed, and 460 new Wi-Fi access points have been installed to deliver enhanced speed, reliability, cybersecurity, and digital capabilities for exhibitors, vendors, organizers, and attendees.

Through its preferred partnership with global A/V leader Encore, the MBCC has expanded its ability to provide comprehensive audio/visual production, rigging, and digital event services supported by highly experienced technical teams. Encore’s extensive footprint throughout Miami Beach’s hospitality market allows for increased flexibility, responsiveness, and seamless coordination for our clients and citywide events. Encore’s major investment in state-of-the-art equipment for the MBCC ensures the most advanced A/V offerings are available to exhibitors, event organizers and meeting planners. In collaboration with OVG, Encore plans to invest in upgrades and replacements of more than 80 fixed digital LED assets in the venue by fall 2026. Four large LED video walls were installed in the West Lobby in 2025, a $1.5 million investment by the City of Miami Beach, giving customers dynamic display options that further assist with sustainability initiatives, unlock new sponsorship and revenue opportunities, cut move-in and move-out costs, and minimize wear on the MBCC. 

Other technical upgrades underway include $300,000 point of sale (POS) terminals replacement for the venue’s exclusive food & beverage provider Sodexo Live! as well as the upcoming installation of new, permanent and portable café options in the lobby and second floor and upgrading kitchen equipment.

Grand Hyatt Miami Beach Construction Progress
Construction continues to advance on the Grand Hyatt Miami Beach, a transformative $600 million headquarter hotel project, that will connect to the Miami Beach Convention Center via a climate-controlled skybridge. Developed by Terra and Turnberry, the 17-story property, slated to open in late 2027, represents one of the most significant hospitality and convention infrastructure investments in Miami Beach history.

Featuring 800 guest rooms (including 52 suites), four floors of meeting and ballroom space, a rooftop pool deck, restaurant and bar concepts, and retail offerings, the hotel will further elevate the MBCC’s competitiveness in attracting large-scale conventions, trade shows, and international business events.

In the coming months, the project will reach several key construction milestones, including the official topping-off ceremony and the installation of the glass skybridge linking the hotel directly to the MBCC. A live webcam shows the ongoing construction progress.

Accelerated Success in Hosting Leading Global Events and Conferences
South Florida’s largest convention center welcomed approx. 500,000 guests across 140 regional, national, and international events during the first part of FY26. Major returning events included Art Basel, Cosmoprof, the Miami International Boat Show, and Seatrade Global, alongside an expanding lineup in 9 key business verticals events across medical, health/fitness, finance, fintech/technology, education, sports, arts & culture, special events, and corporate meetings. The year kicked off in the national spotlight with the hosting of the College Football Playoff Fan Central event. Furthering Miami Beach’s evolving health and wellness brand image, Hyrox and Premier Padel attracted a global crowd of fitness enthusiasts. Fintech-focused events like eMerge and Consensus reinforce the destination’s reputation as a key financial hub. Medical sector programming is highlighted by the upcoming return of the World Health Expo Miami June 17-19, 2026.

Upcoming 2026 programming highlights include the return of Florida Supercon July 10-12 and SIBOS, one of the world’s premier financial services conferences coming to Miami for the first time, September 28-October 1. The premiere event is projected to provide an economic impact of $40 million to the region. The Jupiter Entertainment, Media and Sports Festival will also be hosting its global gathering at MBCC for the first time, October 7-9. The highly anticipated return of the Adobe Max Creativity Conference is slated for November 10-12, bringing an estimated $25 million in economic impact. The annual Art Basel show is scheduled for December 2-6, 2026, a major global event attracting over 80,000 visitors from around the world to the MBCC and driving wide-ranging economic impact for the entire destination.

Awards and Industry Recognition
The MBCC was recently named “Best Managed Convention Center 2026” by Business View Magazine as part of its annual Best in Business Awards program. The recognition reflects the venue’s continued operational excellence, customer service standards, strategic innovation, and leadership under OVG’S General Manager Freddie Peterson, the City of Miami Beach and the broader MBCC team.

Rum Room and Venu Celebrate Third Anniversary
Nestled in Collins Canal Park and directly across from the MBCC, the Rum Room and Venu, the MBCC Campus’ on-site restaurant and private event venue operated by Sodexo Live!, recently celebrated their third anniversary with an Earth Day-inspired celebration highlighting locally sourced ingredients, signature cocktails, and sustainable hospitality practices. Since opening, the concepts have become popular gathering destinations for MBCC guests, local residents, private events, and community celebrations, further enhancing the MBCC campus experience and reinforcing its commitment to hospitality, culinary innovation, and guest engagement.

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About The Miami Beach Convention Center & Campus 
Re-imagined following a $640-million renovation, the award-winning MBCC includes a new 60,000 square-foot Grand Ballroom, four junior ballrooms, almost 500,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space, an expanded Grand Lobby, pre-function areas that are bathed in natural light, up to 84 breakout rooms, approximately 800 roof deck parking spaces, almost 2,100 miles of cabling to support all IT communications, more than $10.2 million dollars’ worth of art curated by the City of Miami Beach Art in Public Places program and a six-acre (Pride Park) and three-acre (Collins Canal Park) public green spaces that can serve as incremental event space. The MBCC Campus includes two event spaces: Venu, a space for elegant private events and upscale meetings, and Rum Room, a 1920s restaurant with an enticing tapas-style menu and local South Florida rums. The MBCC is proud to have achieved the Gold Certificate for Sustainability and Social Impact from the Events Industry Council (EIC), and LEED® Silver Certification as part of the venue’s $640-million expansion project, which includes many environmentally friendly features. A new connected headquarter hotel, a Grand Hyatt, is under development and slated to open in 2027. www.miamibeachconvention.com