Center of attention

Center of Attention

Cave City Convention Center’s versatility an asset to area

Story by JOHN CLAYTON

The nine expansive caves in Cave City, including famed Mammoth Cave, draw visitors from across the country, but the Cave City Convention Center has become an above-ground destination for tourists and locals alike.

Cave City Convention Center Director Greg Davis says the center’s adaptability has made it a gem for the region.

The 30-year-old facility has been the home to business and social functions of all types and can host as many as an estimated 1,000 people for concerts and similar events.

“Definitely, the versatility we have is important,” Davis says. “We’ve done everything in there from conferences to family reunions and other things that may come along. The thing you have to remember is that every time there’s an event, a lot of those folks come in and stay overnight, so it helps everybody — the motels and the restaurants.”

The convention center staff keeps track of monthly and yearly economic impact figures from events like annual gun and knife shows, a Bassmaster show for fishing enthusiasts, Christmas shows and gospel singings.

ECONOMIC ENGINE

The staff estimates that the convention center contributed about $190,000 in economic impact to the local economy from January to September of 2018 – significant numbers for a city of around 2,400 and for Barren County with its population of around 44,000. But Davis says there are other advantages the convention center brings that are harder to quantify, including a measure of civic pride.

“As we get other things in the area, it helps,” Davis says. “Our business just draws other businesses, and maybe at some point, if we get a sports complex in the area, then I’m sure we will have another motel, because that’s the only thing we’re lacking right now.”

Cave City Convention Center director Greg Davis oversees many events, from weddings to corporate trade shows, each year.

The convention center was built to help attract people to the area when the tourism business that depends on Mammoth Cave and the massive cave system surrounding it slows down, Davis says. Though the facility is now more than 30 years old, it continues to accomplish its mission.

MULTIPURPOSE

In addition to the auditorium, the center has its Kentucky Room for smaller meetings, and its West Hall can be used at full capacity or be partitioned off for smaller gatherings. The 462-squarefoot Sun Room is perfect for more intimate meetings. The center’s high-speed internet capabilities include enough bandwidth for up to 200 devices. “The beauty of what we have and can offer is all those breakout rooms, because you can have the main auditorium, and you can have as many as five additional meeting rooms for smaller groups if you want to break out for separate meetings,” Davis says. The center also offers in-house catering, provided by Diane White, who creates specific menus through Diane’s Catering on-site.

“The new has kind of worn off from what it was, but we still attract quite a number of overnight visitors,” Davis says. “Above and beyond that, I think it’s wonderful that we’ve got a facility in the area that can accommodate, for instance, the Glasgow-Barren County Chamber or some of the larger groups that may need a facility like we have for whatever reason.”