Baird Center expansion delivers major economic impact in first year
Baird Center expansion delivers major economic impact in first year
Milwaukee built it and they came. Year one marked by unprecedented growth.
Milwaukee built it and they came. Year one marked by unprecedented growth.
Before the doors opened to the expanded and modernize Baird Center, few would have predicted the magnitude of its immediate impact. Despite tremendous expectations, it was still unclear if the venue would deliver on its promise to make Milwaukee a premier destination for meetings, conventions and events.
Then May 16, 2024, finally arrived and this big, beautiful new building opened for the first time to the world.
Some questions hung in the air: If you build it, will they come? Will events, big and small, fill the 52 meeting spaces, ballrooms and exhibition halls? Will crowds from near and far come to see this $456 million investment and patronize the businesses inside and outside the building?
A year later, the answers are crystal clear. The first year of the new and improved Baird Center was one for the record books.
“When you compare before and after the expansion, you wouldn’t be able to recognize us,” Wisconsin Center District President and CEO Marty Brooks said. “Today, we can push the limits of what Baird Center can do as one of the premier convention centers in the country. Our economic impact in year one proves this investment’s value for us and the community. That will continue to grow more and more as we showcase the best in hospitality and entertainment that Milwaukee and Wisconsin have to offer.”
For comparison, Baird Center welcomed a total of 119 events in 2023, 101 in 2022, 111 in 2019 and 119 in 2018. Even without the expansion being open for much of 2024, it still hosted 174 events.
“In 2023, meetings and conventions generated an economic impact of $5.9 billion across the state. The expanded Baird Center presents an opportunity to grow this critical tourism sector,” said Wisconsin Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers. “The state-of-the-art expansion is already getting national attention and turning Milwaukee into a hub for large-scale gatherings. Baird Center visitors put more cash in the tills for hotels, restaurants and shops throughout the Greater Milwaukee region, and more meetings means more business opportunities for suppliers and service providers. Congratulations to the Wisconsin Center District on an exceptional first year for Baird Center and here’s to many more.”
That economic impact for year one is upwards of an estimated $200 million already. According to Visit Milwaukee, just the events they have booked have generated an economic impact of $174 million and more than 192,000 hotel room nights.
Add in the myriads of events booked in-house by the WCD sales team, and the boost to the greater Milwaukee and Wisconsin economies is already exceeding expectations.
"The Baird Center has translated into bigger conventions and thousands of out-of-state and international visitors,” President of MMAC Dale Kooyenga said. “More visitors mean more business for our hotels, bars, restaurants and other amenities. That elevates the Milwaukee brand. Increased business means more jobs, and it goes on and on. We look forward to its impact on our city and region for years to come."
Beyond just welcoming more people through its doors, these visitors for sports tournaments, enthusiast conventions and countless other types of events also brought foot traffic to businesses throughout the city, county and region.
This was showcased in just the last couple of months. Between the end of March and early April, Wisconsin Center District venues had three consecutive weekends with more than 40,000 attendees. Events like Adepticon, Midwest Gaming Classic and Anime MKE set new attendance records and showcased Milwaukee to thousands of first-time visitors.
These crowds ventured to nearby establishments to support downtown’s thriving community and helped visitors explore some of the city’s best treasures.
“These events, and just events in general, are happening more frequently at Baird Center and it’s been fantastic for us,” said Bobby Wiltgen, owner of Cream City Concepts the operators of Who’s on Third and Oak Barrel Public House located on Vel R. Phillips Avenue. “We see more people with convention badges and big party bookings. Coming out of COVID, Baird Center has made a tremendous difference. Bigger events, more frequent events, more prestigious events. We’re seeing overflow and continuous traffic. It’s just good for downtown in general.”
This influx of out-of-town visitors has also benefited area hotels. Mark Flaherty, managing partner at Jackson Street Holdings which operates three downtown hotels: Westin Milwaukee, Milwaukee Marriott Downtown and SpringHill Suites by Marriott, said that he has seen a big boost for his properties already from Baird Center events.
“It’s been really, really positive for us since the expansion of Baird Center last year,” Flaherty said. “We’ve seen increased occupancy that’s been growing pretty much every month. Our hope now is that Baird Center and that area keeps growing. It was a big investment, nearly half a billion dollars. It’s been worth it and we will all see the difference it makes even more in the next two years.”
It’s been a memorable first year for the Baird Center expansion. From the Republican National Convention and Connect Marketplace to Badger Region Volleyball and the return of Trainfest to downtown the size and scale of the events Milwaukee can host took a tremendous leap forward. Judging by the events booked for the second half of 2025 and beyond, this trend should continue into the foreseeable future.
Then May 16, 2024, finally arrived and this big, beautiful new building opened for the first time to the world.
Some questions hung in the air: If you build it, will they come? Will events, big and small, fill the 52 meeting spaces, ballrooms and exhibition halls? Will crowds from near and far come to see this $456 million investment and patronize the businesses inside and outside the building?
A year later, the answers are crystal clear. The first year of the new and improved Baird Center was one for the record books.
“When you compare before and after the expansion, you wouldn’t be able to recognize us,” Wisconsin Center District President and CEO Marty Brooks said. “Today, we can push the limits of what Baird Center can do as one of the premier convention centers in the country. Our economic impact in year one proves this investment’s value for us and the community. That will continue to grow more and more as we showcase the best in hospitality and entertainment that Milwaukee and Wisconsin have to offer.”
For comparison, Baird Center welcomed a total of 119 events in 2023, 101 in 2022, 111 in 2019 and 119 in 2018. Even without the expansion being open for much of 2024, it still hosted 174 events.
“In 2023, meetings and conventions generated an economic impact of $5.9 billion across the state. The expanded Baird Center presents an opportunity to grow this critical tourism sector,” said Wisconsin Tourism Secretary Anne Sayers. “The state-of-the-art expansion is already getting national attention and turning Milwaukee into a hub for large-scale gatherings. Baird Center visitors put more cash in the tills for hotels, restaurants and shops throughout the Greater Milwaukee region, and more meetings means more business opportunities for suppliers and service providers. Congratulations to the Wisconsin Center District on an exceptional first year for Baird Center and here’s to many more.”
That economic impact for year one is upwards of an estimated $200 million already. According to Visit Milwaukee, just the events they have booked have generated an economic impact of $174 million and more than 192,000 hotel room nights.
Add in the myriads of events booked in-house by the WCD sales team, and the boost to the greater Milwaukee and Wisconsin economies is already exceeding expectations.
"The Baird Center has translated into bigger conventions and thousands of out-of-state and international visitors,” President of MMAC Dale Kooyenga said. “More visitors mean more business for our hotels, bars, restaurants and other amenities. That elevates the Milwaukee brand. Increased business means more jobs, and it goes on and on. We look forward to its impact on our city and region for years to come."
Beyond just welcoming more people through its doors, these visitors for sports tournaments, enthusiast conventions and countless other types of events also brought foot traffic to businesses throughout the city, county and region.
This was showcased in just the last couple of months. Between the end of March and early April, Wisconsin Center District venues had three consecutive weekends with more than 40,000 attendees. Events like Adepticon, Midwest Gaming Classic and Anime MKE set new attendance records and showcased Milwaukee to thousands of first-time visitors.
These crowds ventured to nearby establishments to support downtown’s thriving community and helped visitors explore some of the city’s best treasures.
“These events, and just events in general, are happening more frequently at Baird Center and it’s been fantastic for us,” said Bobby Wiltgen, owner of Cream City Concepts the operators of Who’s on Third and Oak Barrel Public House located on Vel R. Phillips Avenue. “We see more people with convention badges and big party bookings. Coming out of COVID, Baird Center has made a tremendous difference. Bigger events, more frequent events, more prestigious events. We’re seeing overflow and continuous traffic. It’s just good for downtown in general.”
This influx of out-of-town visitors has also benefited area hotels. Mark Flaherty, managing partner at Jackson Street Holdings which operates three downtown hotels: Westin Milwaukee, Milwaukee Marriott Downtown and SpringHill Suites by Marriott, said that he has seen a big boost for his properties already from Baird Center events.
“It’s been really, really positive for us since the expansion of Baird Center last year,” Flaherty said. “We’ve seen increased occupancy that’s been growing pretty much every month. Our hope now is that Baird Center and that area keeps growing. It was a big investment, nearly half a billion dollars. It’s been worth it and we will all see the difference it makes even more in the next two years.”
It’s been a memorable first year for the Baird Center expansion. From the Republican National Convention and Connect Marketplace to Badger Region Volleyball and the return of Trainfest to downtown the size and scale of the events Milwaukee can host took a tremendous leap forward. Judging by the events booked for the second half of 2025 and beyond, this trend should continue into the foreseeable future.