No one "shushed" Mychal Threets when he unexpectedly appeared at the Public Library Association (PLA) 2024 conference in Columbus, Ohio. A self-described library kid, Threets is a TikTok star with more than 700,000 followers who has been profiled in publications as diverse as The Washington Post and Rolling Stone.

"Threets spreads ‘library joy’ wherever he goes, and we surprised attendees with an appearance from Mychal at the closing session," says Melissa Faubel Johnson, CMP, conference manager for PLA. "He got a standing ovation; attendees loved hearing his positive message. It was a great way to close the conference." Closing on a strong note was vital since two of the PLA headline speakers cancelled last-minute.

"One [was] the Friday before the show and the other [was] the day before they were scheduled to speak!" Johnson says. "We were able to find replacements, and both speakers were extremely well received by attendees."

One of her last-minute replacements was an author who was already scheduled to be at the conference but agreed to stay longer in order to speak at the general session the next morning.

"Experience Columbus provided a driver to take her to buy new clothes and toiletries," Johnson says, nicely illustrating the kind of unscripted support a planner can receive from a valued partner.

Measuring success

PLA brought 7,500 attendees from across the U.S. and around the world to Columbus for a three-day conference with a 262-exhibitor trade show in April. The event was based in the Greater Columbus Convention Center, which has 373,000 square feet of contiguous exhibition space, plus four dividable ballrooms (ranging from 14,729 square feet to 74,000 square feet) and 75 breakout rooms. The 1,000-room Hilton Columbus Downtown, headquarters hotel for the conference, is one of three hotels—with the Hyatt Regency and Drury Inn—attached to the convention center. Conference attendees were spread across 29 hotels.

The library world is more diverse and dynamic than one might expect. The conference had 100 education sessions, plus speakers and author appearances, networking opportunities, career services, micro-learning moments and an exhibition hall.

Johnson has a pragmatic approach to success, noting it’s measured in strong attendance and vendor participation year after year.

"At PLA conferences, public library workers have the chance to connect with their colleagues from across the country and around the world," she says. "Networking with people outside their organization helps establish new ideas, perspectives and potential strategic partnerships that will benefit their library and community." While the conference is three jam-packed days, one challenge is adding new features and events.

"But we have found success in delivering many different forms of educational opportunities at the same time," Johnson says. "It helps attendees choose what best fits their learning style. The event is unique in that it’s the only conference dedicated to public library professionals."

Valued partners

"Columbus offered the total package for the PLA conference," Johnson says.

"The convention center was easy to navigate and directly connected to several hotels," she says. "There are tons of restaurants within walking distance, or if attendees wanted to venture out, there are many neighborhoods to explore. Columbus really has something for everyone."

PLA’s program included five sets of library tours (to multiple sites), a dine-around where local librarians acted as host at 10 city restaurants and had scheduled two days for a CSR project—filling bags of essentials for people experiencing homelessness, which the librarians completed in five hours!

Outsiders may not realize that Columbus (with a population of more than 900,000) is an architectural hotspot, with Condé Nast Traveler calling it "one of the world’s best cities for architecture lovers" and the American Institute of Architects ranking its architectural innovation and design with Chicago, New York, Boston, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

Dan Williams, chief sales officer for Experience Columbus, says the organization worked with SMARInsights to conduct a comprehensive perception study last year to help boost the city’s meeting and event industry profile.

"One thing we found is awareness about all that Columbus offers is low outside of Ohio," he says. "We want planners to realize that Columbus is the 14th-largest city in the U.S. and quickly growing. We’re home to one of the best convention centers in the U.S. according to The Wall Street Journal, and the footprint of our convention center and surrounding hotels is very compact, with vibrant entertainment districts just outside the Greater Columbus Convention Center."

Other recent groups holding events in Columbus include ASAE, PCMA and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Welcoming and dynamic

Many groups are choosing Columbus because it’s a smart, open and welcoming community with a dynamic convention package, Williams says.

"Lately we’ve been seeing more groups seek second-tier cities, like Columbus, which offer the amenities of a large city," he says. "Another reason groups are choosing Columbus is our accessibility. Columbus is within a one-day drive or one-hour flight of more than half of the U.S. population. The John Glenn Columbus International Airport offers more than 50 nonstop flights to destinations across the U.S. and is just 10 minutes from downtown."

The airport is embarking on a four-year, $2 billion expansion, and other infrastructure investments include a $100 million, two-mile-long bike and pedestrian route connecting parts of downtown and a $345 million development, The Merchant Building, that includes a 206-room luxury boutique hotel, office space, expansion of the public market, parking and apartments.

"Scheduled for completion by the end of 2025, this project promises not only enhanced accommodation options but also an enriched culinary and cultural experience for visitors and locals alike," Williams says. "Furthermore, with plans for a new fashion innovation hub and the expansion of downtown neighborhoods like The Peninsula, Columbus continues to solidify its position as a vibrant destination with dynamic opportunities for travelers."