Exhibitor Group has named the Owensboro Convention Center a 2025 Centers of Excellence Award winner.
The accolade comes from Exhibitor Group, which produces both EXHIBITOR magazine and Find It Marketplace — the buyer’s guide to trade show products and services. The company launched the initiative “to identify and recognize North America’s best convention centers for trade shows and events,” according to a release.
“Being named one of EXHIBITOR Magazine’s 2025 Centers of Excellence is an incredible honor for the Owensboro Convention Center, and I am deeply grateful to our exceptional team for their unwavering commitment to excellence,” said Jeff Esposito, Convention Center General Manager. “This recognition underscores the dedication of our staff, partners, and the entire Owensboro community in delivering world-class experiences for trade shows and events. We take immense pride in our facility and will continue to elevate the standard for service, innovation, and hospitality for all our clients and visitors.”
Tim Ross, Public Events Director with the City of Owensboro, echoed Esposito’s sentiment.
“I am beyond proud of the devotion to excellence that Jeff Esposito and his team have demonstrated to all of our clients again this past year,” Ross said. “For more than a decade, we have strived to set the bar for exceptional trade shows and events in our region, and our team continues to fulfill that commitment to all of our clients and visitors.”
Applicants were evaluated using an objective algorithm weighted to reflect how EXHIBITOR magazine readers value a variety of variables. The evaluation process also includes a survey of event planners, show organizers, and exhibit managers who have recently hosted (or exhibited at) events within each facility, as well as a review of entrants’ event spaces, selling points, and innovations conducted by a panel of corporate exhibit managers.
“The Centers of Excellence Awards allows exhibit managers to identify exhibitor-friendly venues that make their experiences at trade shows and events smooth and successful,” said Emily Olson, editor of EXHIBITOR magazine. “The facilities awarded have proven their ability to host trade shows and events of all sizes while providing world-class service and state-of-the-art accommodations.”
