MOBILE, Ala. — The Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center has been ranked the best convention center in Alabama by BusinessRate, a business-ranking company, Mobile Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis announced this week.
Cheriogotis shared the recognition in his Friday, Oct. 30, newsletter, saying the ranking was based on customer satisfaction and review performance.
How the ranking works
BusinessRate analyzes Google reviews to compare businesses within a specific category and geographic area. Its rankings reflect what customers say in those reviews rather than evaluations by convention industry professionals or trade groups.
That means the ranking is a measure of public sentiment from people who have attended events, worked shows or otherwise visited the facility and chosen to leave a review. It does not weigh factors such as total exhibit space, number of events booked or economic impact.
Credit to operators and tourism partners
The mayor credited Oak View Group, which manages the convention center for the city, and Visit Mobile for their work attracting conventions and serving visitors.
Oak View Group, often known as OVG, is a sports and live entertainment company that manages arenas, convention centers and other public venues across the country under contracts with local governments. Visit Mobile is the city’s official convention and visitors bureau, responsible for marketing Mobile as a destination and recruiting meetings, conventions, sporting events and leisure travelers.
Convention business typically depends on cooperation between the building’s operator, which books and runs events, and the visitors bureau, which markets the city to meeting planners and helps coordinate hotel rooms and other services for groups.
About the convention center
The convention center sits on the downtown waterfront at 1 South Water St., along the Mobile River. It is named for Arthur R. Outlaw, a former mayor of Mobile.
- Total space: 317,000 square feet
- Exhibit halls: 2
- Ballrooms: 2
- Meeting rooms: 16
- Address: 1 South Water St., Mobile
The facility hosts conventions, trade shows, banquets, graduations, consumer expos and community events throughout the year. Its downtown location puts it within walking distance of hotels, restaurants, Mardi Gras parade routes and the Dauphin Street entertainment district.
Why it matters for downtown
Cheriogotis said the convention center draws large groups of visitors each year who spend money at downtown hotels, restaurants and other businesses, supporting the local economy.
Convention visitors are especially valuable to a city’s hospitality industry because they often stay multiple nights, eat out for most meals and arrive on weekdays, when leisure travel tends to be slower. Their spending also generates lodging and sales tax revenue for local governments.
The mayor said the recognition could help attract more visitors and build on the city’s tourism momentum. Positive online reviews can factor into decisions by meeting planners and attendees choosing among competing destinations, particularly for regional and state association gatherings that rotate among cities.
The ranking comes as downtown Mobile continues to see investment along the riverfront, including new hotel and residential projects, and as the city works to grow its share of the meetings and events market in the Gulf Coast region.
