Downtown Denver’s convention center is having a big year, so far.

The Colorado Convention Center booked a record number of groups in 2025, exceeding pre-pandemic numbers.

Visit Denver, the city’s tourism and official convention agency, announced Tuesday it expects nearly 277,500 attendees to visit downtown’s main convention center by the end of year, creating nearly $672 million in economic impact.

In 2019, it saw about 254,000 attendees and $540 million in economic impact.

The record numbers could be attributed to the convention center’s recently finished expansion project, which added more than 80,000 square feet of meeting and ballroom space as well as an outdoor terrace with views of the city and the Rocky Mountains.

The convention center booked 27 meetings “that could not have happened without the expansion,” Visit Denver said, due to capacity.

It booked a variety of events such as Fan Expo, American Water Works Association conference, American Psychological Association convention, the Global Business Travel Association convention, the National Safety Council Congress & Expo and the Urban Land Institute Spring Meeting.

Last week, Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center was taken over by an international barbershop quartet conference.

In the first half of the year, Visit Denver said the convention center saw more than 129,000 attendees with momentum expected to continue to reach 277,500 people.

But it’s not just the convention center.

Denver hotel meeting spaces are expected to generate $308 million in economic impact, bringing the citywide total to $980 million.

The convention and meeting industry is a large boon for downtown’s 52 hotels. The Colorado Convention Center creates demand for nearly 26,000 hotel rooms in Denver and nearly 50,000 around the metro area, Visit Denver said.

“Denver continues to rise as a top meeting destination in the U.S. and this year’s numbers reflect years of dedication from our hospitality partners and meeting and convention sales team in delivering the best Denver experience,” said Richard Scharf, Visit Denver’s CEO, in a news release.

And with the reopening of 16th Street – formally 16th Street Mall – Visit Denver said the new refurbishments of downtown’s pedestrian walkway could help attract more large meetings to come to the city.

“Ongoing investments in both infrastructure and safety in our downtown area will continue to contribute to our sales efforts and drive business for years to come,” Scharf said.