Ron King, General Manager, Broward County Convention Center

May 2026 — In an interview with Invest:, Ron King, general manager of the Broward County Convention Center, highlighted how the center’s expansion and the addition of the connected Omni hotel are repositioning Greater Fort Lauderdale for a new caliber of meetings and conventions. “We are evolving into a different type of convention product. We are getting a little more sophisticated, and we are attracting more sophisticated clients,” King said.

How would you describe demand for meetings, conventions, and events in Greater Fort Lauderdale today?

Demand is expanding, and I think that with the convention center expansion and, of course, the addition of the Omni hotel that is connected, we really offer a unique package right here on the water. We also have a 6-acre plaza with outdoor space and a restaurant that is being built and will be operated by Omni. That creates something very unique for meeting planners, attendees, and guests.

We are evolving into a different type of convention product. We are getting a little more sophisticated, and we are attracting more sophisticated clients. We are seeing more medical and professional conferences trying to book at the convention center, and that is a very positive thing.

The whole reason we have a convention center is for economic impact. Certain sectors tend to spend more money within Fort Lauderdale than others, so it is exciting to see that evolution into the next step of conventions for Fort Lauderdale.

How has the expansion strengthened Broward’s position as a destination for national and international events?

This expansion has been transformative. I have worked at several convention centers, and with this expansion, this really is the most amazing convention center that I have had the privilege to manage.

There was a time when a convention center was really just a concrete box. People would come in, go to their hotel, go into the convention center, have breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the convention center or hotel, and then fly out. They never really got a feeling for the destination or the city. What makes this different is that the facility now really leans into what Fort Lauderdale is all about.

We have weather, outdoor spaces, the Intracoastal Waterway, and we are right near the cruise terminal, so you see the cruise ships in port. Clients and attendees really like that. They like making that connection with the vibe of a facility and the city around it.

We now have a huge ballroom of more than 60,000 square feet with interactive LED color-changing lights and windows that open onto the Intracoastal Waterway. We also have four ballrooms in total, which means we can do events of many different sizes and even host multiple events at the same time. We are not limited to one event in the facility. We can do five or six events at one time and really maximize the opportunity for Fort Lauderdale and Broward County.

How do you work with Visit Lauderdale and other partners to attract events to the region?

On what we would consider a citywide convention — something that uses more than one hotel — Visit Lauderdale really takes the lead. It is out there marketing and selling the destination and putting together the package of hotels along with the convention center. It is a key partner for us.

We also work very closely with the hospitality community, especially Omni, since it is attached to the convention center. We have a very strong relationship there. When I was in Dallas running the Dallas convention center, we opened an Omni hotel connected to that facility as well, so I know how powerful that relationship can be. Here in Fort Lauderdale, it is the same. If an event is not citywide and just involves us and the Omni, we can work seamlessly together. They can use our space, and our clients can use theirs. The attached hotel rooms create a really strong collaboration.

Beyond that, there are partners across the market who understand that this is about raising the tide for Fort Lauderdale overall. It takes all of us working in the same direction to pull this together.

What role does technology play today in hosting successful conferences and large-scale events?

Technology is moving so fast right now that it can be hard to keep up, but it is absolutely central to the event experience.

On the audio-visual side, what can be done today is completely different from what was possible even five or 10 years ago. For example, our ballroom has natural light and large windows facing the Intracoastal. Years ago, if you wanted a strong AV, the room had to be dark so people could see the projectors. That is no longer the case. The technology has improved to the point where you can have beautiful natural light and still deliver a strong event experience.

Technology also plays a role in wayfinding. We are using digital signage and interactive tools, and we are even looking at solutions that would allow a guest to use an app on their phone to navigate directly to the general session for their specific event. Airports and hospitals are already doing some of that, and we are exploring how to bring that into the convention center experience as well.

Artificial intelligence is also becoming part of the operation, from maintenance programs to broader system management throughout the facility. On the food-and-beverage side, there is now technology that allows a guest to place an item like a drink or a snack on a machine, have it recognize the product automatically, charge them, and let them move on without a cashier. So technology is definitely at the cutting edge of what we do.

What does Fort Lauderdale already have in place to strengthen the convention ecosystem, and what still needs attention?

One of the biggest strengths is the overall accessibility and feel of the destination. The airport is only a few minutes from the convention center, and as someone relatively new to Fort Lauderdale, I love the airport. It is easy to navigate, and that matters a great deal for convention attendees. From there, guests arrive in an area where they immediately see the cruise ships, the water, and the atmosphere of the destination.

What sets Fort Lauderdale apart is really the vibe. Every city can say it has great restaurants, and Fort Lauderdale does. But beyond that, it is a true melting pot, especially when you look at the cultural influences that shape the food, nightlife, and visitor experience. It has a little bit of the Caribbean, a little bit of the city, and all of that mixes together in a way that feels very natural and low-key.

As for what still needs attention, we need to make sure that the convention market gets the recognition it deserves. Everyone — from the public to hotels to restaurants — needs to understand what this market can mean with the infrastructure that Broward County has now invested more than $1.3 billion in. That investment creates an opportunity to build what is, in many ways, a relatively new convention industry for the county.

Continual improvements in infrastructure also matter. Airports, transportation, and hospitality assets all have to keep evolving. With tourism, conventions, and entertainment, you have to keep growing and reinventing yourself. Otherwise, you become stale.

What role do you see the convention center playing in Broward’s economic growth over the next three to five years?

Now that there is both the convention center and the Omni, and Broward County has spent more than $1.3 billion to create this, I think there is a real shift underway from Fort Lauderdale being viewed primarily as a tourism destination to also being seen as a convention and business destination.

That shift matters because it can bring in more sophisticated groups that spend more money in hotels, restaurants, and throughout the community. I think we will see an upsurge in the quality of the hotel market moving forward as other properties respond to what the Omni brings into the market.

As an economic driver, convention centers are really magnets. We do not typically make profits as a convention center, but what we do is bring people in from the outside. They fly in, use taxis or rideshare, stay in hotels, eat in restaurants, and all of that creates jobs, taxes, and opportunities for everyone. Then they leave, and the next group comes in.

I think the convention industry is going to rise within the consciousness of Fort Lauderdale, and I think that is going to have a major long-term economic impact on the county.