Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The new look Buffalo Convention Center received some façade time during CBS's broadcast of the Bills-Chiefs playoff game on Sunday. It's something that excites Visit Buffalo Niagara's Patrick Kaler.
Kaler says it was exciting to see the remodeled convention center showcased during the game. "I think that the convention center because of the way that the lighting system is set up, that it has some movement to it, that the camera really liked honing in on that," says Kaler. He says for people watching the game, it's awareness of Buffalo. "But for our meeting clients, it has really made a difference to have the new facade project completed, as well as the interior, new lobby renovation as well as the paint update on the first floor meeting room walls," says Kaler.
Kaler says this shows the vibrancy of the city, and the new facade's flexibility. "We can get behind different events," explains Kaler. "We were highlighting the colors of the Buffalo Bills. That's one of the things that we can do on the front of the Convention Center, as well as if it's a sorority group or a corporate meeting, and we can change those colors to showcase the affiliation of the meeting that's taking place in the convention center. So it's just another added bonus to the facade project."
This came a few days after WNY was pummeled by a lake effect storm. Kaler says Ingram Micro was holding a conference with several attendees from California. "They actually like coming to Buffalo in January, because they don't necessarily get to experience snow and cold. So they do like coming here that month. But they also had the experience of having a major snowstorm that they got to be a part of. It did not hurt their attendance," says Kaler. He says the group had an event on Chippewa last Thursday, showing the ability to have a good time in the midst of a snowstorm.
Kaler says every region has a weather event to deal with, whether it's earthquakes in California, or hurricanes in the south, and snow in Buffalo is no different. "We're known for our snow we're also known for how we're able to get the city open as well. And so that's what we lead with. We deal with the snow situation head on with meeting planners when they're looking at those types of months and talk about how we can make it safe if the situation does arrives that we might have a major snowstorm," notes Kaler.
Flooring on the first floor is next in convention center renovations.