On May 16, 2024, Baird Center opened its $456M expansion, doubling its size to 1.3 million total square feet. The expansion ushers in an exciting new era of accessibility, innovation and unrivaled event experiences.

Baird Center is an engine for economic growth in the region. The expansion project is projected to support 2,300 jobs throughout Wisconsin and expanded operations will bring in an additional 100,000 unique visitors annually to the city of Milwaukee. Due to the increased meeting rooms and exposition space, Baird Center will be able to accommodate multiple, simultaneous and overlapping events. With double the space, inclusive features and state-of-the-art amenities, Baird Center showcases Milwaukee as a world-class destination for visitors from around the world.

Baird Center offers 52 state-of-the-art breakout rooms, 300,000 contiguous square feet of exhibition space, the stunning rooftop Baird Ballroom with city views and inclusive amenities like gender-neutral bathrooms. The expansion and modernization project introduced thoughtful attention to sustainability with a water retention system, solar roof panels, and bird-friendly fritted glass; contemporary amenities including dedicated quiet rooms, all-gender restrooms, Mamava pods, sensory rooms and bags and KultureCity certification; and surpassed its diversity, equity and inclusion goals of 25 percent minority-owned businesses, five percent women-owned businesses and one percent disabled veteran-owned businesses contributing to its construction.

To revitalize downtown Milwaukee, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce spearheaded the drive in the 1990s to replace the outdated convention hall of the Milwaukee Exposition Convention Center and Arena (MECCA) with a larger meeting space. A team of six firms developed the 633,000 square foot Flemish and German-inspired Midwest Express Center, which opened in 1998.