A ribbon-cutting ceremony is set Thursday morning to formally unveil the newly renovated and expanded SAFE Credit Union Convention Center. City leaders will join SAFE Credit Union officials and other stakeholders in a 10 a.m. ceremony on the center's new 15,000-square-foot outdoor plaza.Originally scheduled to open in November 2020, the new convention center has already attracted events to sign contracts into 2030, according to Visit Sacramento. "We're confident this building will help invigorate downtown's economy and will play a key role in Sacramento's recovery from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic," said project manager Sabrina Tefft.Conventions are the largest driver of visitors to Sacramento by a wide marginExpanded space helped land Sacramento's largest convention client to a 10-year deal: The Wine and Grape SymposiumConventions drive hundreds of thousands of jobs inside and outside center, including restaurants, hotels and small business retailers"Having the center closed for renovations, followed by the pandemic, has been particularly devastating for businesses around the convention center. Restaurants around the building saw a 30 to 40% drop in revenue," said Mike Testa, president and CEO of Visit Sacramento. "The return of conventions will be incredibly helpful for struggling businesses coming out of the pandemic."At this point, the first convention to use the new digs is Sac Anime around the Labor Day weekend, according to convention center operators.