Huntington Place has been announced as the new name for Detroit’s convention center, the 16th largest in the country and serving as the region’s gathering place for conventions, meetings and special events.
ASM Global has managed the daily operations since 2010 and quadrupled the number of major events held annually in the center. During the pandemic, the venue has served as a field hospital, a day center for homeless services, a food distribution center for Food Rescue US and the city’s largest vaccination site with a drive-through facility in the Atwater Garage.
“Our partnership with Huntington Bank brings a wealth of opportunities to our community and visitors,” said Karen Totaro, general manager for Huntington Place. “As we continue to elevate this Detroit convention center as an industry gold standard, the creative, hardworking team at Huntington Place continues to make diversity a strength as it focuses entirely on the success of every event.”
Huntington Place completed a $279 million transformation in 2015, enhancing its view of one of the world’s busiest waterways, the Detroit River, with a view of Windsor, Ontario, on the other side of its banks. Prior to 2020, the convention center attracted nearly 1.5 million visitors annually.
“Our naming rights agreement, which was a priority for the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority, began with TCF Bank and continues with Huntington Bank in strengthening the Center’s financial future,” said Lisa Canada, chair of the DRCFA. “We are dedicated not only to being a contributor to our region’s economic vitality, but also to creating jobs and enhancing the attraction of our destination to visitors. Both of our organizations have a deep commitment to the communities we serve.”
Huntington merged with TCF Financial Corp. in June of 2021, creating a top 10 regional bank. Earlier this year, Huntington unveiled a $40 billion Strategic Community Plan to improve financial opportunities with a focus on affordable housing, small business, and increased capital to historically disadvantaged and low-to-moderate income communities.
“We are proud that following the TCF-Huntington merger, the name of our new combined bank now graces the walls of this civic center that means so much to the people of Detroit and all of southeast Michigan. From high school graduations to the North American International Auto Show, from speeches by sitting presidents to the annual NAACP Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner, this venerable facility is part of the fabric of our community and Huntington is fortunate to now be a part of it,” said Gary Torgow, chairman of Huntington Bank.