Venue & City Information
Welcome to the NNS 2026 Venue & City information page!
Here, you will find essential details to help you make the most of your experience of Milwaukee.
About Milwaukee
The Midwest’s Coolest City. America’s Most Underrated Destination. Best Convention Center by EXHIBITOR Magazine 2025. Vogue magazine calls Milwaukee “the Midwest’s coolest and most underrated city.” These are just some of the fresh headlines celebrating Milwaukee, a meetings destination moving boldly forward with undeniable flavor.
Milwaukee, the Cream City, the Good Land, the City of Champions, now has a brand-new title to add to our mantle: one of National Geographic’s best destinations for travel in 2023.
Listed as one of the 25 “Best of the World” for this year, the publication touted Milwaukee’s lively energy and close-knit creative community, the article showcases what makes our city such a special place to visit.
From the iconic Harley-Davidson Museum to the upcoming Bronzeville Center for the Arts, the vast collection of local breweries to the classic Wisconsin fare, National Geographic shows off Milwaukee as the dynamic, growing city we all know it to be.
Milwaukee Fun Facts
Transportation
The Baird Center is conveniently located in downtown Milwaukee, just 7.5 miles from Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE). Attendees can reach the venue in approximately 15–20 minutes via taxi or rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft.
For those seeking public transportation, the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) offers direct bus service to the downtown area, with travel times averaging 25–35 minutes.
Rental cars are also available at the airport for visitors planning to explore beyond the city center. Once downtown, the Baird Center is within walking distance of numerous hotels, restaurants, and local attractions.
Venue Information
Baird Center, located in the heart of downtown Milwaukee, is the area’s premier location for meetings, conventions and events.
Baird Center is ideal for trade and consumer shows, conventions, banquets, galas, weddings, business meetings and celebrations of all sizes.
Baird Center recently completed an expansion and modernization to double the convention center’s size to 1.3 million square feet.
The convention center offers 300,000 contiguous square feet of exhibit space, 52 meeting rooms, 22 loading docks and two ballrooms, including the stunning rooftop Baird Ballroom and adjacent Baird Sky View Terrace.
1.3 mln sq ft
of modernized convention center space
300,000
contiguous sq ft
of exhibit space
53
meeting rooms
22
loading docks
Named as a 2025 Best Convention Center by Exhibitor Magazine, Baird Center is equipped with cutting-edge sustainability features, sensory rooms, nursing mother’s rooms, all-gender restrooms and the We Energies Foundation Art Collection. Baird Center is owned and operated by the Wisconsin Center District (WCD).
Private nursing mother’s rooms are available in the Baird Center North Building on the 100 Level, 200 Level and the Baird Ballroom Level.
Baird Center was designed to provide a comfortable and welcoming environment for all. All-gender restrooms are conveniently located throughout the North Building. If you need assistance finding them, please ask a member of the guest services team.
Baird Center sensory rooms were specially designed to create a safe, comfortable and controlled environment for people who are feeling over stimulated and need to decompress. We are proud to be Sensory Inclusive™ certified by KultureCity and invite you to use the therapeutic spaces at the Baird Center North Building on the 200 Level and Baird Ballroom Level and the South Building on the 100 Level to get a few moments of calm.
Sensory bags are also available by request from a guest services team member. They are filled with items designed to lessen sensory overload.
Building and campus security is provided 24/7/365. For everyone’s safety, only on-duty law enforcement officers are permitted to carry weapons on Wisconsin Center District premises. Possession of a weapon by any other individual will be reported and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Prohibited items will differ depending on the venue and event. We are unable to store any prohibited items. Guests will be asked to return prohibited items to their vehicles.
The Wisconsin Center District strives to offer the best experience for all event guests at Baird Center.
Getting Here
Baird Center / South Building - Main Entrance
400 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53203, United States
