It was renamed the Albert B. Sabin Convention and Exposition Center on November 14, 1985, amid national criticism that Second Street had been named after Pete Rose instead of the pioneering medical researcher.

Venue management company, ASM Global, oversees day-to-day operations of the 750,000-square-foot (70,000 m2) facility.

[7][8] The Duke Energy Center played host to the 2012 World Choir Games when it hosted the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the awards ceremonies of the games.

[9] In July 2015, the convention center hosted the 2015 MLB All-Star Fan Fest.

The DECC was host to the 1977 National Rifle Association (NRA) annual convention, at which the Revolt at Cincinnati resulted in the election of Harlon Carter as the leader of the NRA, and a change in emphasis for the organization, away from hunting, conservation, and marksmanship and toward an uncompromising defense of the personal ownership of firearms for self-defense.