Central Bank Center’s goal is to create and execute unparalleled events from conception to completion. Central Bank Center offers a team of experts dedicated to world-class hospitality and service. With the convention center’s unique history and amenities built for the future, the new $300 million expansion – completed in 2022 – features 100,000 square feet of contemporary exhibit space, 16 meeting rooms, 11,000 square feet of flexible event space, and a 24,300 square-foot ballroom. Our sleek, modern design, combined with warm, wooden details and a nod to our Kentucky heritage through limestone accents and reclaimed wood from local thoroughbred farms, create a space that is flexible and innovative but also familiar and inviting.

Located in the heart of our safe, walkable downtown Lexington – within easy walking distance of over 1200 hotel rooms, 75 restaurants, numerous theaters, shops and galleries, the distillery district and a wide variety of nightlife – the Central Bank Center offers smalltown charm with big city amenities.

The iconic Rupp Arena, located inside Central Bank Center and home to the University of Kentucky Basketball program, offers seating for up to 20,500 with approximately 50,000 square feet of club space and expanded concourses that can be utilized for convention center events when not in use for an Arena event. Nearby, the historic 900-seat Lexington Opera House, built in 1886, is a jewel-box setting for concerts, touring Broadway shows, comedy shows – including two recently recorded Netflix comedy specials – or even your next meeting or special event. Our unique combination of venues presents opportunities for groups to reimagine their events while coordinating with the same team of Central Bank Center event planning professionals.

Our hospitality partner, Levy Restaurants, emphasizes Lexington’s station as the center of Kentucky culture and bourbon country and recognizes the various influences that make up our local culinary scene. Senior Executive Chef, Chris Ross, a native Kentuckian known for his unique take on traditional southern menus, and his team create a food and beverage experience unlike anything in our region, an experience that visitors crave long after they have left Central Brank Center.