American Legion selects Cincinnati for 98th National Convention

The American Legion, the nation’s largest veterans’ service organization with more than 2.4 million members in 14,000 posts worldwide, has selected Cincinnati, Ohio, as the site for its 98th National Convention in August 2016.

The Indianapolis-based American Legion, which was chartered by Congress in 1919 with a focus on service to veterans, service members and communities, will bring more than 9,500 attendees to its 2016 convention. The convention will use more than 18,400 hotel room nights and inject upwards of $15 million into the Cincinnati, Ohio, economy according to American Legion officials. This will make it one of the largest convention bookings in the history of Cincinnati.

“The American Legion is known the world over for its commitment to our veterans and our communities, and we couldn’t be more honored to host this venerable organization in 2016,” said Dan Lincoln, president and CEO of the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Not only will the win have a profound economic impact on the region, but it also illustrates the power and potential of effective collaboration between Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati.”

The Cincinnati CVB partnered with the Northern Kentucky CVB to bring this convention win to the region. The Cincinnati USA region beat out cities such as Los Angeles, Detroit and Columbus, building on its successful track record in attracting and hosting sought-after meetings and conventions.

After site inspections of the four finalist destinations and final presentations by each city earlier this month, Mike Walton, National Convention Chairman, notified the Cincinnati team that it had been selected.

“The American Legion has had a powerful presence in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky from the very beginnings of our organization after World War I,” said Walton. “The history is there, and from the beginning of the bid process, the Cincinnati USA team brought great energy and enthusiasm while addressing every detail to ensure that our attendees have the very best convention experience in 2016.”

As with most of the region’s high-profile convention wins over the past several years, Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory was instrumental in helping the region put its best foot forward.

“The 2016 American Legion convention will attract influential leaders, sparking important dialogue that will be especially relevant in a presidential election year,” said Mayor Mallory. “Cincinnati is establishing itself as both a top convention destination and a place where leading organizations come together to exchange ideas and make our communities stronger. It’s exciting to be part of that process – educating people about all the things that make Cincinnati great, and at the same time driving new visitors and new dollars to the region.”

The Cincinnati USA CVB is coming off of its strongest convention booking results in more than a decade in 2010, its sixth straight year of growth in its two most important industry metrics: future hotel room bookings and the related economic impact conventions bring to the region, which reached a six-year high of $59.6 million. The 2011 year is shaping up to be even better – including conventions for LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens), the Prince Hall Shriners and the Elks – and future year bookings are strong, including the World Choir Games in 2012, the National Fraternal Order of Police Conference in 2013 and the National Urban League Annual Conference in 2014.

“On behalf of Hamilton County, we are proud to host this prestigious and honorable group of American heroes,” said Greg Hartmann, President of the Hamilton County Commission. “The commitment we as a community made to invest in the expansion and renovation of the Duke Energy Convention Center, and now the Sharonville Convention Center, is truly enabling our region to compete for, and win, convention business time and time again.”