Central Kentucky
VisitLex.com; @VisitLEX—Lexington is a “pretty perfect place” for a meeting, says Marci Krueger-Sidebottom, vice president of sales and service for VisitLEX. “We are an easy-to-get-to location and have first-class facilities and unique attractions, including 18 renowned bourbon distilleries nearby. We are the ‘Horse Capital of the World,’ where visitors can explore hundreds of Thoroughbred farms, meet horse-racing legends and future superstars, and experience the historic beauty and pulse-pounding thrill of races at Keeneland. All this, and more, makes Lexington an appealing option for conventions and meetings of all types and sizes.”
Meeting attendees who bring their families will find much to do in Lexington, Krueger-Sidebottom adds. “Enjoy equine activities, like visiting Kentucky Horse Park, with live shows, horseback and pony rides, and the International Museum of the Horse, or family-friendly museums, like Aviation Museum Kentucky, Living Arts and Science Center, and Lexington Children’s Museum.” A new option is Bluegrass Division of Railbird Explorers, offering guided tours throughout horse and bourbon country using a railroad-based pedal-powered vehicle.
Lexington’s Central Bank Center features 100,000 square feet of exhibition space, 16 meeting rooms, 11,000 square feet of flexible event space, and 24,300 square feet of ballroom space. It connects to the 20,500-seat Rupp Arena and is within a few blocks of more than 1,200 hotel rooms, more than 75 restaurants, the city’s distillery district, and numerous theaters, shops, and galleries. Next to the center, Gatton Park on the Town Branch is a nine-acre downtown park set to welcome visitors in 2025 with trails, a recreation lawn, and amphitheater to accommodate 5,000 people.
Two hotels are connected to the Central Bank Center. Hyatt Regency Lexington has 366 guest rooms and 26,000 square feet of function space to accommodate 900 guests theater style or 650 for banquets. Hilton Lexington/Downtown has 369 guest rooms and 19,276 square feet of event space, with a maximum banquet capacity of 500 guests. Two blocks from the center, the 218-room Lexington Marriott City Center has 11,171 total square feet of event space, with a theater capacity of 495 people.
Other hotels with event space include The Campbell House Lexington, Curio Collection by Hilton, with 250 guest rooms and flexible event spaces to host a 600-person reception, including 16 newly renovated meeting, pre-function, banquet, and exhibit spaces; and Marriott Lexington Griffin Gate Golf Resort & Spa, with 407 guest rooms and 45,144 total square feet of function space to accommodate 800 guests banquet style.
