Kentucky Expo Center Unveils Expansion Renderings

PHASE I: A rendering shows the 350,000-square-foot multi-purpose building at the Kentucky Exposition in Louisville that will break ground in 2025. (Courtesy Kentucky Venues)

Facilities hosts 370 events a year

Renderings have been unveiled for the Kentucky Exposition Center’s renovations, the $180 million Phase I of which will give the Louisville facility — home of the massive Kentucky State Fair and a pair of major Danny Wimmer Presents festivals — a new 350,000-square-foot multi-purpose building.

The space will be able to accommodate livestock competitions and equine events, trade shows and sporting events. The location is directly east of the existing Broadbent Arena and north of the facility’s west wing, according to Kentucky Venues, which operates the facility.

Ground is expected to be broken on the project in 2025 and funding is in place or close to it, says David Beck, president and CEO of Kentucky Venues.

“We hold about 370 events a year,” Beck said said of Kentucky Venues’ two Louisville facilities, the Kentucky Exposition Center near Louisville International Airport and the downtown Kentucky International Convention Center.

“Last year we had about 7.2 million people come through our doors — over 900,000 downtown, and about 6.3 million through the exposition center — and we have grown to the point that we now have some clients use both properties at the same time because we’re out-growing our space.”

The current exposition center has about 1.2 million square feet of climate-controlled, contiguous space and the facility has considerable outdoor event space as well.

“We can host a lot of large groups in our facility,” Beck said. “We also have a lot of events that need outside space, not just for parking, but for exhibits and demonstrations and events too.

Beck likes to say, “We can do a table for two or a table for 15,000.”

“But we have some of the largest shows in the country and even around the world. We own six shows that we own and operate.”

The stock in trade of the Kentucky Exposition Center is largely livestock and agriculture industry-related events.

“I often talk about (how) we’re the largest classroom in Kentucky, because many of our events are youth-oriented. Many of them are educational,” Beck said.

Sporting events have seen explosive growth coming out of the pandemic, Beck said.

“In addition to shows that we have in agriculture, we’ve seen huge growth in all types of sporting events, from fencing to basketball, volleyball, all different type of archery. It’s really been amazing to see. That was one of the first major transitions we saw coming out of the pandemic, was the large number of sporing events that were taking place. And so, with a large space like ours, we can accommodate those, and some of those even use both properties at the same time.”

Beck says he looks at the expo property the way he looked at his farm when he was in ag, and posed the question: “What’s the best use of every acre or square foot of the property?”

Phase II of the renovations, to the tune of $213 million will see the redevelopment of the center’s West Wing, West Hall, and Pavilion. The result will be a connected 249,000-square-foot multi-purpose building with exhibit space, large pre-function areas and new meeting rooms.

Food and beverage operations will also be included in Phase II.

Beck says support from the Kentucky state government is strong and the funds are either secured or nearly so.

Already underway are $76 million in improvements to gates, some of which are 50 years old. All will be modernized and made uniform eventually, with new POS systems and climate control for employees working in those areas. Other infrastructure enhancements like backup power, which proved to be a major need when the facility was struck with an untimely power outage, are also in the works, Beck said.