Kentucky Expo Center

Name

Kentucky Expo Center

Legal name

Kentucky State Fair Board

Website

https://kyexpo.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Convention and Exhibition Venue Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAHAAAA

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

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Conference & Convention Venues (Convention Centers, Civic Centers)

SECONDARYTHAHAAAL

Convention Campus & District Operators (Integrated Venue Districts)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Conference & Convention Venues (Convention Centers, Civic Centers)

SECONDARYTHAHAAAF

Sports & Arena Event Venues (Stadiums, Arenas)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Conference & Convention Venues (Convention Centers, Civic Centers)

Keywords

• Convention center venue
• Exhibition space rental
• Trade show hosting
• Event venue services
• Arena and meeting rooms

Headquarters

HQ city

LOUISVILLE, KY

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Venue Rental and Event Hosting: Revenue generated from hosting trade shows, conventions, concerts, sporting events, and public exhibitions. The venue offers various spaces including exhibit halls, arenas, meeting rooms, and outdoor areas for event organizers to book.
2. Food and Beverage Services: Oak View Group serves as exclusive food and beverage partner providing catering services for events
3. Parking Services: Parking fees ranging from $12 standard rate to $10.60 online, with premium reserved parking options

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Kentucky Exposition Center is a state-owned large-scale event venue in Louisville, Kentucky that rents out 1.2 million square feet of contiguous indoor meeting and exhibit space (including Freedom Hall, Broadbent Arena, exhibition halls, and 54 flexible meeting rooms) and 300 acres of outdoor festival grounds to event organizers, trade show producers, concert promoters, and sports associations. Supporting services include parking (via ParkMobile), on-site exhibitor services (utilities, material handling, IT), exclusive food and beverage catering through partner Oak View Group, and event planning support.

Product overview

The Kentucky Exposition Center operates as a unified venue facility offering comprehensive event hosting services across its 1.2 million square feet of indoor meeting space and 300+ acres of outdoor space. The core venue is organized around multiple interconnected facilities: Freedom Hall and Broadbent Arena serve as primary indoor arenas with flexible seating capacities ranging from 6,600 to 19,169; the exhibition halls (North Wing, South Wing, West Wing, East Hall, and Pavilion) provide large contiguous exhibit space for trade shows and exhibitions; 54-56 flexible meeting rooms accommodate smaller gatherings; and the Highland Festival Grounds offer expansive outdoor event space. The venue supplements its core hosting capabilities with integrated service modules including parking (via ParkMobile), exhibitor services (booth setup, utilities, IT), food and beverage (via Oak View Group), event planning support, and digital advertising. The facility hosts major recurring events including the Kentucky State Fair, North American International Livestock Exposition, Bourbon & Beyond, Louder Than Life, Equip Exposition, and Mid-America Trucking Show. Currently undergoing a major $393 million expansion and renovation project that will add a 350,000-square-foot multi-purpose building and redevelop existing wings, positioning it as the fifth-largest convention center in the nation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Highland Festival Grounds: An outdoor festival area at the Kentucky Exposition Center that hosts major music festivals including Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life.

Products and services

• Event Venue Rental Rental of 1.2 million square feet of indoor meeting space and 300 acres of outdoor space for hosting public events, trade shows, conventions, concerts, and sporting events. Sold to enterprise and association event organizers.
• Freedom Hall Multi-purpose arena with flexible seating capacity from 6,600 to 19,169 depending on configuration, hosting concerts, sporting events, conventions, and assemblies for event organizers and promoters.
• Broadbent Arena Multi-purpose arena venue hosting equestrian events, livestock shows, concerts, and sporting events including MMA and basketball tournaments, with flexible seating capacity.
• Meeting Rooms 54 to 56 flexible meeting rooms ranging in size from 590 square feet to a maximum of 25,000 square feet, available for conventions, conferences, and corporate events.
• Exhibition Halls Extensive exhibition halls including North Wing, South Wing, West Wing, East Hall, and Pavilion spaces for trade shows, exhibitions, and large-scale events, offering 1.2 million square feet of contiguous meeting space.
• Highland Festival Grounds Outdoor festival venue area spanning over 300 acres with permanent driving lanes and green space, hosting multi-day music festivals including Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life.
• Parking Services Parking facilities including Gold Lot, Silver Lot, and Purple Lot options, with online pre-purchase through ParkMobile, accessible parking at Lot B, RV/bus parking, and in/out passes for multi-day events.
• Exhibitor Services Full menu of in-house services for exhibitors including booth cleaning, material handling, freight services, air/water/drainage/gas utilities, indoor and outdoor electric, and IT services, available through the online ordering portal.
• Food and Beverage Services Exclusive food and beverage services provided by Oak View Group (OVG) covering catering, concessions, and premium hospitality across 40,000 square feet of food and beverage operations for event clients.
• Event Planning Services Professional event planning support including dedicated event managers, sales team assistance, an event planning guide, and venue services coordination for booked events.
• Digital Signage Advertising Advertising placements on digital signage displays at the venue's gates, reaching over 1.7 million annual visitors for exhibitors, sponsors, and event partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked 8th out of 30 facilities for exhibition space by Wall Street Journal
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Danny Wimmer Presents (DWP)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 April 202510-year partnership secured to keep Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life music festivals at Kentucky Exposition Center's Highland Festival Grounds through 2035. In 2024, these festivals drew nearly 400,000 attendees and generated $33 million in economic impact.
• Oak View Group (OVG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Oak View Group selected as exclusive food and beverage partner of Kentucky Exposition Center. OVG is a global leader in live event venue development, management, and premium hospitality services.
• The Utility Expo (formerly ICUEE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 July 2020Committed partnership through 2029. The Utility Expo is the second-largest trade show in America with $84 million total estimated economic impact. Partnership began in 1987 when show required indoor and outdoor exhibit space for equipment demonstrations.
• Louisville TourismcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerClose partnership for destination marketing and convention sales. Louisville Tourism assisted with GBAC accreditation application and supports venue promotion.
• Kentucky General AssemblyflagshipOthersDirect appropriation funding for $393+ million expansion and renovation project. Includes $180 million for Phase I multi-purpose building and $213 million for Phase II.
• Louisville Sports CommissioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership providing 'one stop shop' for event rights holders. Working partnership among Kentucky Venues, Sports Commission and Louisville Tourism attracts youth sports tournaments.
• Hatfield MediaminorOthersLouisville-based marketing agency and website design company that developed and maintains the Kentucky Exposition Center website.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/kyexpocenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/kyexpocenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/kyexpocenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kentucky-expo-center

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Kentucky Expo Center