Miami Beach Convention Center earns meeting awards across the board in 2022

(MIAMI BEACH, FL) November 21, 2022 – As 2022 comes to a close, the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) is looking back on a successful year of large-scale national and international events, high-profile staff and leadership additions and promotions, accelerated sustainability and DE&I programs and — with all that and more — five awards recognizing the MBCC and its destination as an industry leader. 

The MBCC is being recognized for its ongoing expansion and improvements to its outdoor spaces and extensive campus after having completed a three year, $620-million-dollar reimagination in late 2018. The convention center stands as one of the most advanced venues of its kind in North America, with 1.4 million square feet of flexible event space, the largest ballroom in South Florida and approximately 10 acres of open green spaces encompassing Collins Canal Park and Pride Park featuring hundreds of trees and a magnificent century-old Stranger Fig Tree. The MBCC Campus includes two new event spaces soon to open: 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, while a new connected headquarter hotel, a Grand Hyatt is slated to open in late 2025. 

To start, Northstar Meetings Group, the premier online platform for business and sports event organizers and related professionals, awarded MBCC a 2022 Silver Stella Award in the “Best Convention Center: Southeast” category. This is an honor that can only be given to the top convention centers in the southeastern U.S. who achieve excellence across all aspects of the meeting and events sector. Representing six regions globally, this year’s gold, silver and bronze winners in 16 categories were judged according to their food and beverage program, professionalism, sustainability initiatives, amenities and more. 

Just last month, MBCC was named one of EXHIBITOR magazine’s “2023 Centers of Excellence,” joining an esteemed list of the 30 highest-rated convention centers hosting events and trade shows in North America. To be included, MBCC was evaluated in five categories — facility and functionality, location and accommodations, service and execution, expansions and upgrades and, finally, awards and industry participation — and put up against major convention centers from all corners of the U.S. and Canada. As a result of this deserved recognition, MBCC was featured in the October/November 2022 issue of EXHIBITOR magazine and added to an exclusive portal of top convention centers on the EXHIBITORXchange website. 

When Smart Meetings magazine released its 2022 Smart Stars “Best Conference Center” list for venues in the U.S., MBCC made the top 16. Coined a “planner’s choice award,” Smart Stars recipients are chosen according to the actual experiences Smart Meetings readers, most of whom are meeting and events professionals and vendors, have had at these venues. To celebrate their success, award recipients are featured in both the June 2022 print issue of the publication and on an interactive website dedicated to delivering successful event solutions. 

Meeting industry magazine ConventionSouth also included MBCC on its 2022 Readers Choice Awards list for Florida. Voted on by over 8,500 readers, this recognition is only given to those convention centers in the southern U.S. who are deeply committed to professionalism and world-class customer service. 

Rounding out the list, the MBCC earned a coveted spot on the list of Prime Site Facilities & Destinations “2022 Awards of Excellence: Southeast.” The venues included are considered leading convention and exposition centers in North America. 

"We are humbled by this recognition by peers and clients in our industry, and so proud of our hardworking, dedicated team who consistently give clients and visitors exceptional service,” said Freddie Peterson, General Manager of the MBCC. “Our first-class venue in a world-class destination is a product of the unwavering dedication and commitment of our MBCC teams from OVG360 Venue Management, Sodexo Live!, Smart City Networks, Everlast Productions, First Class Parking and other contract partners. Most importantly, all of this is not possible without the tremendous support from the City of Miami Beach and the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. As always, it’s all about delivering exceptional events, driving excellence in customer service and venue management while creating memorable experiences.” 

The Miami Beach Convention Center is located at 1901 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139. For more information, visit www.miamibeachconvention.com or follow Miami Beach Convention Center on Facebook and @miamibeachcc on Instagram.

 

Media Contact:

DeepSleep Studio | [email protected] | (305) 877-1031

 

Images and interviews available upon request. 

 

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About Miami Beach Convention Center 

Re-imagined following a $620-million-dollar renovation, the expanded 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, $7.1 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 new 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 earned Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™ Facility Accreditation, the gold standard for facilities and venues worldwide, and LEED® Silver Certification as part of the venue’s $620-million-dollar expansion project, which includes many environmentally friendly features.  

  

About OVG360

OVG360, a division of Oak View Group, is a full-service venue management and hospitality company that helps client partners reimagine the sports, live entertainment, and convention industries for the betterment of the venue, employees, artists, athletes, and surrounding communities. With a portfolio of more than 200 client partners spanning arenas, stadiums,  convention centers, performing arts centers, cultural institutions, and state fairs around the globe, OVG360 provides services, resources, and expertise designed to elevate every aspect of business that matters to venue operators. Service-oriented and driven by social responsibility,  OVG360 helps facilities drive value through excellence and innovation in food services, booking and content development, sustainable operations, public health, public safety, and more.