EXHIBITOR Magazine again names Baird Center to 2027 Centers of Excellence list.
MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Baird Center has done it again. For the third year in a row, EXHIBITOR Magazine has named Milwaukee’s convention center to its 2027 Centers of Excellence list, cementing its place among the best event venues in North America.
Each year, EXHIBITOR Magazine recognizes a select group of convention centers that set the standard for design, service and innovation. This year, 25 venues across the United States and Canada made the list, and Baird Center is once again among them.
“Earning this recognition three years running tells us that the standard we set for ourselves is the one planners expect,” says Peggy Williams-Smith, interim president and CEO of the Wisconsin Center District. “It takes a whole team to deliver that consistently, from our staff on the floor each day to the partners who help us keep raising the bar. Their pride and professionalism are what make Baird Center’s Bold. Proud. Experience Obsessed. approach real.”
The Centers of Excellence program evaluates venues on five key criteria: Facility design and functionality, location and accommodations, service and execution, expansions and upgrades and overall recognition. Evaluations draw on feedback from event organizers and exhibit managers who have recently hosted events in each venue, so the honor reflects both hard data and firsthand experience.
EXHIBITOR Magazine praised this year’s honorees for taking an active role in an event’s success and ability to consistently exceed customer expectations.
For the Baird Center team, a repeat win is a reminder that the building is about more than meeting space. It stands for Milwaukee’s growth, collaboration and hospitality, and it is where the city welcomes the world.
“Planners have a lot of choices, and this honor tells them Milwaukee delivers year after year,” Williams-Smith says. “That consistency is something our entire Milwaukee community can be proud of.”