BY GREGORY A. HALL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON -- As the November opening of the Northern Kentucky Convention Center nears, officials say everything's on schedule.
"It's finally upon us," said Covington City Manager Greg Jarvis. "I guess those of us who've been around a long time feel especially proud of this project."
The $30.5 million regional convention center was bogged down in political fighting and a tight state budget until finally being approved in 1995.
While anyone can attend the unofficial opening -- the Country Craft Peddler show Nov. 6-8 -- the formal grand opening won't be until Feb. 19-21. The main event will be a Four Tops concert during a gala dinner reception Feb. 20.
"This is going to be our ultimate opportunity to toot our own horn," said Kathy Ivie, the center's marketing director.
Already, about 50 groups have been lined up for events at the center through 2002. The Northern Kentucky center, aimed at attracting midsized groups, offers 50,000 square feet of exhibit hall space; the Albert B. Sabin Convention Center in Cincinnati has about 160,000 square feet. The Sharonville Convention Center has 28,000 square feet of event space in eight rooms.
The craft show, to feature the work of a variety of artists and craftspeople, used to be at the Drawbridge Estates in Fort Mitchell. Mr. Jarvis, who also is a convention center board member, said the city is working with the facility's officials on a daily basis to prepare for the first shows. "We're also gearing up for increased police presence down there as well as public works (and) maintenance," he said.
The November show and other events leading to the gala weekend are what people in the industry call a "soft opening," essentially a period to work out the kinks.
Those will have to be worked out for the first event of the gala weekend, a Friday tour for travel writers, meeting planners and others in the industry.
"Hopefully they'll go back to all their publications with lots of good things to say," Ms. Ivie said.
Former Gov. Brereton Jones, who was in office when the project was approved, and Gov. Paul Patton are to attend the Feb. 20 ribbon-cutting. That will be followed by the dinner gala, at which people will be asked to wear black and white. Not necessarily formal wear, Ms. Ivie said, just something black and something white.
The following day, the center will be open for a public family day with games and rides, she said. "It's sort of welcoming everybody into our new neck of the woods."
N.Ky. extends hospitality
"This is going to be our ultimate opportunity to toot our own horn.' -- Kathy Ivie, marketing director
