With groundbreaking events, award-winning initiatives, and strong economic impact, the MBCC ends the year stronger than ever.
Photo courtesy Miami Convention Center
In 2025, the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC), South Florida’s largest convention center has welcomed over 537,000 guests across 143 regional, national, and international events with over 12,000 exhibitors. Hosting an exciting mix of events across Medical, Health/Fitness, Finance, Fintech/Technology, Education, Sports, Arts & Culture, Special Events, and Corporate verticals, the MBCC drew hundreds of thousands of visitors and generated robust economic impact for South Florida. This included global tech and business conventions such as AdobeMAX, which generated $25M of economic impact (according to the GMCVB), and iConnections, as well as the debut of the international sports competition Premier Padel and RaquetX, and annual favorites such as Art Basel Miami Beach, Cosmoprof, Miami International Boat Show, Florida SuperCon, and many others. Some other highlights from the year included Discover Boating, Miami International Boat Show, America’s Food & Beverage Show & Conference, JIS Miami, and WHX Miami.
“2025 was yet another milestone year for the Miami Beach Convention Center, marked by exceptional events and strategic investments that strengthen our campus, our community, our destination, and our future,” said Freddie Peterson, General Manager of the Miami Beach Convention Center, managed by Oak View Group (OVG). “We are incredibly honored and proud of the recognition received, but even more proud of the partnerships, innovation, and especially teamwork that made it possible. Our close collaboration with the City of Miami Beach and the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) remains vital to everything we do. Looking ahead to 2026, we are focused on delivering memorable experiences, driving economic impact, and continuously setting the standard for world-class meetings, events, tradeshows, and conventions.”
The Miami Beach Convention Center, owned by the City of Miami Beach and operated by Oak View Group, has continued to strengthen its position as one of the nation’s premier destinations for meetings, conventions, and events driving economic impact, supporting local businesses, and contributing to Miami Beach’s reputation as a world-class hub for culture, travel, and innovation. The MBCC underwent a transformative $640 million renovation, completed in 2020, and now features 1.4 million square feet of versatile event space, including a stunning 60,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom, 500,000 square feet dedicated to exhibitions, 84 breakout rooms, four junior ballrooms, and nine acres of lush green areas such as Pride Park and Collins Canal Park. New highlights like the 1920s-inspired Rum Room restaurant and the Venu private event space, along with ongoing investments, such as $19 million in capital projects in FY25 and a cutting-edge $1.5 million LED walls installation in the Grand Lobby, demonstrate the MBCC’s unwavering commitment to innovation, technological advancement, and exceptional service. Looking ahead, the MBCC Campus is entering into a new era with the highly anticipated Grand Hyatt Miami Beach, an 800-room hotel connected by skybridge set to open in 2027.
A Banner Year for Awards and Industry Recognition
The MBCC is closing out 2025 with an exceptional slate of industry accolades that underscore its reputation as one of the nation’s premier event destinations. This year, General Manager Freddie Peterson was honored as the 2025 South Florida Tourism Professional of the Year by the Advisory Board of Miami-Dade Public Schools’ NAF Academy of Hospitality & Tourism (AOHT), celebrating his leadership and longstanding commitment to excellence. The MBCC also earned top recognition across the meetings, conventions, and hospitality industry, including Skift’s Best Convention Center & Other Venues distinction, IAVM’s Venue Excellence Award, Exhibitor Magazine’s Centers of Excellence Award, the Prime Site Award from Facilities & Destinations, the Distinctive Achievement Award from Associations, Facilities & Destinations, and the Silver Stella Award from Northstar Meetings Group. Together, these honors reflect the MBCC’s continued innovation, operational excellence, and vital role in positioning Miami Beach as a world-class hub for business, culture, and global events.
Championing Sustainability and Community Impact
Sustainability and responsible event stewardship continued to be a priority for the MBCC, earning some of the industry’s highest honors for environmental performance and social impact. The MBCC was awarded the prestigious Gold Certificate for Sustainability and Social Impact from the Events Industry Council (EIC), recognizing its comprehensive approach to reducing its environmental footprint while advancing community-focused initiatives. The MBCC also received a 4 Keys Rating from Green Key Global’s Green Key Meetings program, underscoring its leadership in implementing sustainable operations, energy efficiency, waste reduction, and green meeting practices. Sodexo Live!, MBCC’s exclusive food provider, aligns with the city’s resiliency goals through sustainable initiatives, including a successful composting program to convert waste to soil for local farms, an onsite herb & vegetable garden to promote sustainable kitchen practices, and food donation initiative. With these milestones, the MBCC reaffirms that sustainability is not just a goal but a guiding principle, one that will continue to drive their work heading into 2026.
New and Renewed Partnerships Elevate Venue Capabilities
The MBCC announces a new pilot program with Key Transportation Worldwide as their preferred ground-transportation partner, delivering seamless and reliable travel solutions for conventions, conferences, and large-scale events. As part of the Hoffmann Family of Companies, Key Transportation is Miami’s largest full-service transportation company and brings expanded resources, deep expertise, and the proven ability to support complex event programs with confidence. Key Transportation also offers a full complement of dedicated on site coordinators working together with planners, and professional chauffeurs delivering the level of service the MBCC expects, Key Transportation ensures polished, dependable execution from planning to closing day.
This year, the MBCC also entered into a new three-year strategic agreement with Encore as its preferred AV, rigging, and digital services partner, bringing in substantial investment to upgrade AV infrastructure, enhance rigging systems, modernize digital assets and branding, and elevate overall quality assurance.
Additionally, the MBCC renewed its partnership with Smart City Networks, extending it through 2029, and securing a $1.35 million investment that will introduce Wi-Fi 7 capabilities, bolster cybersecurity, expand network redundancy, and deliver new smart-venue enhancements. Together, these partnerships will help the MBCC continue to deliver a seamless, cutting-edge experience for event organizers, exhibitors, and guests.
Keeping the MBCC at the Forefront Through Strategic Capital Investments
The MBCC made major strides in capital improvements this year, supported by $19 million in ongoing investment from the City of Miami Beach across 21 active projects designed to keep the venue at the forefront of innovation. Several transformative upgrades were completed in FY2025, advancing the MBCC’s infrastructure, technology, digital capabilities, safety and security systems, and cybersecurity.
Four new LED video walls were installed in the West Lobby, giving exhibitors dynamic display options that reduce marketing waste, unlock new sponsorship and revenue opportunities, cut move-in and move-out costs, and minimize wear on the facility. The MBCC also completed a comprehensive wireless network upgrade, strengthening coverage across exhibit halls, lobbies, pre-function spaces, and connecting Rum Room and Venu on a unified fiber network to deliver a seamless guest experience. In addition, the center expanded its security footprint through a $250,000 investment in partnership with Honeywell, adding 41 new security cameras, bringing the total to 596 throughout the Convention Center, and adding 165 strobes for a Convention Center-wide total of 1,724.
Looking ahead to FY2026, the MBCC is preparing to advance an ambitious slate of additional capital projects that build on this year’s momentum. Upcoming improvements include replacing point-of-sale (POS) terminals, installing new LED lighting throughout the exhibit halls, completing an exhibit hall roof replacement, introducing new permanent and portable café options in the lobby and second floor, upgrading kitchen equipment, and installing a new exterior marquee to welcome guests. These capital projects will ensure that the MBCC continues to deliver a best-in-class venue experience for exhibitors, attendees, and the broader Miami Beach community.
District-Wide Enhancements Set the Stage for Miami Beach’s Next Chapter
The broader MBCC District is also poised for a transformative year ahead, with several new hotel openings in 2026 and major upgrades planned that will further elevate the experience for visitors, exhibitors, and the Miami Beach community. A centerpiece of this momentum is the long-anticipated Grand Hyatt Miami Beach, which officially broke ground on May 16, 2025 and is slated to open in late 2027. This 800-room hotel, directly connected to the Miami Beach Convention Center via a climate-controlled skybridge, will bring 52 suites, four floors of meeting and ballroom space, a rooftop pool deck, a restaurant, bar, and retail offerings to the district. With financing secured and construction now fully underway, the hotel represents one of the most significant investments in Miami Beach’s tourism and convention infrastructure.
Beyond the Grand Hyatt, the surrounding district is preparing for several additional enhancements designed to support a more vibrant neighborhood. Projects on the horizon include the Lincoln Road Mall Revitalization, and the upcoming renovation of the Miami Beach Botanical Garden. Together, these improvements will help create a more connected district that strengthens Miami Beach’s position as a world-class destination for meetings, conventions, and business travel.
