Pittsburgh Gets Back to Business

PITTSBURGH – Thanks to a strong partnership throughout the local hospitality community, large business events and meetings have returned to Pittsburgh, bringing with them visitors, an economic boost to the region and more jobs for Pittsburghers.

On deck to move into the David L. Lawrence Convention Center (DLCC) is Rubber Division, American Chemical Society’s International Elastomer Conference (IEC), scheduled for Oct. 4-7. Nearly 1,500 attendees are expected, with more than 150 companies and organizations exhibiting at the expo. This is Rubber Division’s fourth visit to Pittsburgh and first since 2016.

“We are thrilled to welcome the International Elastomer Conference back to Pittsburgh,” VisitPITTSBURGH President & CEO Jerad Bachar said. “Rubber Division has been committed to hosting this meeting in Pittsburgh, as they truly believe in the power of in-person meetings.”

Large business events, like the IEC, mean big business for the Pittsburgh region. The NAFA Institute & Expo, held at the DLCC last month, marked Pittsburgh’s first large business event since March 2020. This one piece of business brought 900 attendees into the region, with 94% originating from outside destinations and an estimated 57% flying into Pittsburgh, resulting in $883,000 of direct visitor spend and 423 direct jobs supported.

“NAFA I&E demonstrated that Pittsburgh is indeed ready to again welcome large business events,” Bachar added. “The entire Pittsburgh tourism community opened its doors and provided safe, clean environments for attendees to gather, network and rest. We were happy to deliver Only in Pittsburgh experiences to the attendees, including a Welcome Reception at Heinz Field, and we hope many will make a return trip to Pittsburgh soon.”

Backed by ASM Global’s VenueShield Environmental Hygiene Program, the DLCC’s 1.5 million feet of meeting and exhibit space allowed for an abundance of spacing and provided NAFA with flexibility and options that kept attendees’ health and safety top of mind.

“The David L. Lawrence Convention Center has long stood ready to welcome back large business events thanks to the abundance of space, natural air ventilation system and comprehensive hygiene initiatives implemented through the VenueShield Program,” DLCC General Manager Tim Muldoon said. “And, because of NAFA I&E, we were able to give 181 building and LEVY employees a combined 4,854 hours of work.”

“This was our first live event since 2019, and the whole city and the Convention Center went out of their way to make sure we all felt safe and that the event went off without a hitch,” Bill Schankel, CEO of NAFA Fleet Management Association, said. “We were thrilled to get back in-person; it’s really important to us, and we couldn’t have picked a better city to start with.

“Our experience with planning our first event in two years was great. The hotel community, VisitPITTSBURGH and the Convention Center all went above and beyond. Our members and exhibitors all felt welcomed to the city, and it was a great overall experience.”

As of Oct. 1, nearly 30 business meetings and events are scheduled for Pittsburgh through the end of the calendar year including Society of Actuaries 2021 ImpACT Conference in October, Emerald EDspaces 2021 in November and Pittsburgh Japanese Cultural Society 2021 Tekko in December.

About the David L Lawrence Convention Center
Pittsburgh’s environmentally smart, LEED® Platinum Certified David L. Lawrence Convention Center located in Pittsburgh is owned by the Sports & Exhibition Authority of Allegheny County. This 1.5 million-square-foot facility features 313,000 square feet of exhibit space, 37 loading docks, 53 meeting rooms and a 31,000-square-foot ballroom. The building’s dynamic architectural design is like no other convention center, offering breath-taking views, open terraces and a suspended roof structure.

About LEED®
LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System ™ is a feature-oriented rating system that awards buildings points for satisfying specified green building criteria. The six major environmental categories of review include: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation and Design. Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels of LEED green building certification are awarded based on the total number of points earned within each LEED category.

MeetPITTSBURGH, a division of VisitPITTSBURGH, is the premier entity that connects event professional clients with local thought leaders, industry partners and legacy initiatives.