Centre Bank Center

What Centre Bank Center does

Central Bank Center (operated by Lexington Center Corporation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(4) corporate agency of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government) manages a multi-venue entertainment and convention campus in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. The portfolio comprises three core facilities: Rupp Arena (a 23,500-seat arena that is home to the University of Kentucky Men's Basketball through a 15-year Right of Use Agreement running through 2033), the historic Lexington Opera House (built in 1886 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, hosting Broadway touring productions and local theatre), and the newly expanded Central Bank Convention Center (100,841 sq ft of exhibition space, a 25,080 sq ft ballroom, and 26,756 sq ft of meeting space completed in November 2021 as part of a $241 million capital project). Related assets include The Shops at Lexington Center and Triangle Park.

The underlying technology stack is venue infrastructure rather than software: a $15 million center-hung LED video/audio/scoreboard array, LED ribbon boards, HD corner screens, wireless internet for patrons, mobile ticketing through Ticketmaster, fully cashless concessions accepting Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, and Google Business View 360-degree virtual tours. No proprietary AI/ML or platform-as-a-service technology is disclosed.

The business operates an event-driven GTM across multiple revenue streams: ticket sales (concerts, Broadway shows, UK basketball, family and comedy events), venue rentals (conventions, trade shows, corporate meetings, private events), naming rights and sponsorships (Central Bank, Lexus, Kroger), concessions and premium hospitality (operated by Levy, with offerings such as Rupp Club Experience, Bravo Boxes, Loge seating, Central Bank Loge, and Lexus Loge Club). Oak View Group Facilities holds an exclusive Event Booking agreement covering non-UK programming, providing access to Live Nation's national touring pipeline. Approximately 1.3 million patrons attend events across the complex annually, generating significant local economic activity - the expanded convention center is projected to add $58 million in annual regional economic impact. Customer segments span general-admission live entertainment consumers, corporate and association convention planners, and enterprise tenants anchored by University of Kentucky Athletics.

Name

Centre Bank Center

Legal name

Lexington Center Corporation

Website

https://centralbankcenter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Central Bank Center, operated by Lexington Center Corporation (a not-for-profit government agency of Lexington-Fayette County), manages a multi-venue entertainment and convention campus in downtown Lexington, KY comprising Rupp Arena (23,500 seats), the historic Lexington Opera House, and the expanded Central Bank Convention Center, serving 1.3 million annual patrons through ticketed events, venue rentals, concessions, and naming rights.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Entertainment and Convention Venue Operations

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

akta.pro primary industry

Convention & Exhibition Centers (Public Convention Centers, Civic Centers) (THAHAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conference Centers & Dedicated Meeting Venues (THAHAAAB), Venue & Facility Reservations (Private Rooms, Event Spaces) (HSACALAJ)

Keywords

• Live event venues
• Convention center operations
• Arena management services
• Performing arts hosting
• Entertainment venue rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Event Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticket sales for concerts, Broadway shows, sports events, and family shows through Ticketmaster and the box office. UK basketball games and other major events drive significant ticket revenue.
2. Venue Rentals: Rental of convention center exhibition space, meeting rooms, and performance venues for corporate events, conventions, trade shows, and private functions.
3. Food and Beverage Concessions: Levy Food & Beverage operates all concessions including main concession stands, specialty dining (Skyline Chili, Chick-fil-A, City BBQ, Kroger Korner), and Wildcat Walk Thru. Revenue from food, beverages, and alcohol sales during events.
4. Sponsorships and Naming Rights: Naming rights agreement with Central Bank, corporate sponsorships, and advertising opportunities including LED signage, ribbon boards, and venue naming.
5. Premium Hospitality Experiences: Rupp Club Experience including premium seating, private club access, complimentary food/beverages, and exclusive parking. Central Bank Loge and Lexus Loge Club premium options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Central Bank Center operates a multi-venue entertainment and convention complex in downtown Lexington, Kentucky, comprising Rupp Arena (23,500-seat arena), the historic Lexington Opera House (1886), and the expanded Central Bank Convention Center. The company sells tickets to concerts, Broadway touring productions, family shows, comedy, and University of Kentucky men's basketball; rents exhibition halls, ballrooms, and meeting space to corporate and association event planners; and operates premium hospitality experiences (Rupp Club, Loge Clubs) and food and beverage concessions through partner Levy. Programming is delivered via Broadway Live season subscriptions, the Lexington Theatre Company, and LEXPO exposition services.

Product overview

Central Bank Center (formerly Lexington Center Corporation) is a not-for-profit venue management organization operating a portfolio of entertainment venues in Lexington, Kentucky. The company manages three core venues: Rupp Arena (a 23,500-seat sports and concert arena home to University of Kentucky Basketball), the historic Lexington Opera House (built 1886), and the expanded Central Bank Convention Center. Programming is delivered through Broadway Live season subscriptions, The Lexington Theatre Company productions, and exhibition services via LEXPO. Premium hospitality offerings include the Rupp Club Experience and Loge box seating. Food and beverage services are provided through a partnership with Levy. The venues collectively welcome approximately 1.3 million patrons annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Broadway Live: Broadway touring productions presented at the Lexington Opera House
• Variety Live
• Rupp Club Experience
• LEXPO
• Lexington Theatre Company

Products and services

• Rupp Arena A 23,500-seat multi-purpose arena and premier sports and entertainment venue, home to the University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team. Hosts concerts, family shows, and special events including the annual Sweet 16 Boys High School Basketball Tournament.
• Lexington Opera House A historic performing arts center built in 1886, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Hosts Broadway productions, concerts, comedy, ballet, and special events as the home venue for The Lexington Theatre Company's Broadway Live season programming.
• Central Bank Convention Center (Lexington Convention Center) The expanded Lexington Convention Center featuring over 100,000 sq ft of exhibition space, a 25,080 sq ft ballroom, 26,756 sq ft of meeting spaces, and pre-function areas. Used for trade shows, conventions, corporate meetings, and private events.
• Broadway Live & Variety Live Season Subscriptions Season subscription programming series at the Lexington Opera House featuring touring Broadway productions and variety shows, presented by The Lexington Theatre Company in partnership with Oak View Group. Subscribers save up to 40% versus single tickets, receive priority seating, and may use flexible monthly credit-card installment plans.
• LEXPO Exposition Services Comprehensive exhibition and trade show services including offsite rentals and an online exhibitor portal for planning and managing trade shows and expositions at the Central Bank Convention Center.
• Rupp Club Experience and Loge Clubs (Central Bank Loge, Lexus Loge Club) Premium hospitality packages at Rupp Arena that combine premium tickets, private club-level or box seating, dedicated garage parking with private entry, complimentary chef-driven hors d'oeuvres and non-alcoholic beverages, private cash bar, coat check, and exclusive restrooms. The Central Bank Loge and Lexus Loge Club add semi-private box seating with full bar service.
• Levy Food & Beverage Concessions Food and beverage concessions operated by Levy at the Central Bank Center complex, featuring main concourse concessions, specialty local offerings including Skyline Chili, Kroger Korner, Chick-fil-A, City BBQ, Taylor Belle's Soft Serve Ice Cream, and the Wildcat Walk Thru. Operates on a fully cashless basis accepting all major credit cards and mobile payments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.3 million patrons annually across all venues
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Central BankcoreOthers · 16 January 2019Landmark naming rights agreement rebranding Lexington Center to Central Bank Center. Central Bank secured naming rights for the venue complex as part of the $300 million expansion project.
• Messer Construction CompanyminorOthers · 28 June 2018Awarded $241 million contract to build new and expanded Lexington Convention Center. Three-year construction project beginning July 2018, scheduled for completion November 2021.
• Oak View Group FacilitiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2018Three-year exclusive Event Booking agreement for Rupp Arena (excluding UK athletics). OVG Facilities focuses on event programming, creating new programming, attracting diverse national tours, and enhancing fan experience. Strategic alliance with Live Nation provides access to major touring productions.
• University of Kentucky AthleticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 201615-year Right of Use Agreement ensuring Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball plays at Rupp Arena through 2033. UK controls multimedia rights, souvenir sales, and has greater role in concessions, catering, and parking. LCC receives $1.9 million yearly base payment for 28 events.
• Learfield Sports (Media Partner)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 27 July 2015Rupp's media partner providing LED ribbon boards on upper arena fascia at cost of $800,000. Part of the $15 million technology upgrade package.
• Levy (Hospitality Partner)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIndustry leader in delivering dining and hospitality experiences. Levy operates all food and beverage concessions including main concession stands, specialty dining options (Skyline Chili, Chick-fil-A, City BBQ, Kroger Korner, Taylor Belle's Soft Serve), and Wildcat Walk Thru.
• TicketmastercoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial authorized ticket sales agent for Rupp Arena events. Provides online ticketing platform, mobile tickets, and prepaid parking integration. Only authorized secondary ticket agency.
• Hunt Brothers PizzaminorOthersConcession partner offering Hunt's Brothers Pizza at arena events.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Duke Energy Convention Center: Recently expanded convention center in Cincinnati operated by the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. Closely comparable to the Central Bank Convention Center on exhibition-space scale, ballroom offerings, and the post-expansion competitive dynamic for mid-Atlantic and Midwest convention business.
• Bridgestone Arena: ~17,000-seat Nashville arena operated by OVG/Poe Companies for the Nashville Sports Authority. Direct same-region competitor for touring acts, anchors the Nashville Predators (NHL), and serves as a benchmark for premium-hospitality and arena programming economics.
• Heritage Bank Center: ~17,000-seat arena in Cincinnati, OH operated by Nederlander/ASM Global. Comparable mid-tier regional arena hosting concerts, family shows, and arena-scale events with shared touring-content pool and similar market-positioning challenges.
• The Kentucky Center: Performing arts complex in Louisville hosting Broadway touring productions, opera, ballet, and concerts. Directly comparable to the Lexington Opera House component of Central Bank Center in terms of Broadway touring programming and competition for tour routing in Kentucky.
• KFC Yum! Center: 20,000-seat arena in Louisville, KY operated by ASM Global for the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau. Functions as a comparable in-state multi-event arena with similar university basketball, concert, and convention scheduling dynamics to the Lexington market.
• Gainbridge Fieldhouse: ~17,000-seat arena in Indianapolis, home of the Indiana Pacers, owned by the City of Indianapolis and managed by the Indiana State Fair Commission. Closely comparable in governance structure (public/quasi-public ownership), college/professional sports booking, and concert hosting.

Broad incumbents

• Oak View Group (OVG): Global venue management, programming, and entertainment infrastructure company founded in 2015. Currently serves as Central Bank Center's contracted booking/management partner; comparable as the broader portfolio operator and Live Nation alliance counterparty across 300+ venues globally.
• ASM Global: Largest venue-management company globally, formed from the AEG Facilities + SMG merger, managing 350+ arenas, stadiums, theaters, and convention centers. Directly comparable as both a competitor for venue-management contracts and a structural peer for revenue mix, premium-hospitality monetization, and convention-center operations.

Regional players

• Nashville Municipal Auditorium: 9,600-seat historic arena in downtown Nashville currently operated by OVG. Comparable as a legacy municipal venue competing for mid-sized tours and convention overflow events in a nearby regional market with similar mixed programming.
• Kentucky International Convention Center: Recently $207M-renovated convention center in Louisville, KY. Directly competes with the Central Bank Convention Center for in-state and regional association meetings, trade shows, and corporate events — a same-state competitor with a more urban hotel base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/centralbankcntr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Centre Bank Center