yes, Columbus

About yes, Columbus

Go behind the scenes in Columbus to learn about some of the best-kept secrets of things to see and do….and meet the people that make it happen.

Publisher

92.3 WCOL (WCOL-FM)

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

31 Aug 2020

Latest episode

30 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

77 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   30 Sept 2026

   The Image of Meetings in Columbus, A Conversation with CoStar

   What impact do meetings and conventions have on the local economy? In this special episode of the Yes, Columbus podcast, Sarah and Boxer sit down with Didio Pequeno of CoStar to take a closer look at the “heads-in-beds” conversation and explore what hotel demand, visitor spending and meetings mean for Columbus’ economy—and the future of the city’s meetings and conventions industry. Didio Pequeno joined CoStar Group as Director of Hospitality Market Analytics, responsible for the Northeast and Midwestern regions. In this capacity, he produces meaningful, relevant, and insightful analysis on the hospitality industry, focusing on his assigned regions.Pequeno’s career in hospitality spans nearly 20 years, including roles in operations, consulting, and advisory. While working as a Senior Consultant with Carpedia Hospitality, he specialized in labor optimization and implementing changes to operational processes within full-service hotels located across the globe. Most recently, he spent time as a Senior Consultant with REVPAR International, a hospitality advisory and asset management firm. In this role, he assisted in the asset management of over a dozen hotels, completed over 50 feasibility studies, and the cumulative value of the assets he evaluated exceeded $1 billion. His passion for the hospitality industry drove him to obtain a Bachelor of Business Administration in Hospitality & Tourism Management from Pace University, a Master of Science in Hotel Finance from NYU, and a Certificate in Hotel Real Estate Investments & Asset Management from Cornell University. In his free time, he likes to work out, travel, and entertain friends. He is also married to a chef, so he and his wife are wholeheartedly committed to the hospitality industry!

2. 

   17 Sept 2026

   Celebrating 85 Years of Experience Columbus

   85 Years of sharing the best of Columbus with the world. In this episode, Boxer and Sarah have a grounded conversation with Brian Ross, President and CEO of Experience Columbus and Amir Eylon, President and CEO and Partner at Longwoods International, about the undeniable growth of Columbus' tourism economy. Brian's Bio: Brian Ross serves as president and CEO of Experience Columbus (https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.experiencecolumbus.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cboxer%40iheartmedia.com%7C72a9ff80ebe74984f84408df141e7cf9%7C122a527e5b714eba878d9810b495b9e3%7C0%7C0%7C639251793328550381%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=6khx8PRqRHZygJmG1ChI4G4S5kpDy7296g2Tw7J6qRg%3D&reserved=0), the destination marketing organization for the Columbus region dedicated to growing visitor spending and enhancing the visitor experience. In his role, Ross leads the Experience Columbus team in growing the local travel economy through targeted destination sales and marketing strategies aimed at attracting conventions, trade shows, meetings and leisure visitors to Ohio’s capital city. Under his leadership, the industry has grown to record highs. Annually, visitors make 54.9 million trips to Greater Columbus for conventions, trade shows, sporting events and leisure visits, spending $8.2 billion and supporting more than 82,500 jobs. Ross assumed the leadership role in 2013 after serving as the organization’s vice president of sales for six years. A graduate of The Ohio State University, Ross worked for 17 years for Hyatt Hotels and Resorts in sales and marketing, including two stints at the Hyatt Regency Columbus. His last job with the company was as executive director of sales, overseeing 25 hotels in the western region. At Experience Columbus, Ross has led the team to continually raise the profile of Columbus as a premiere destination. In 2024, Experience Columbus launched a new brand campaign, Yes, Columbus, which invites visitors to Columbus to experience the city firsthand and see why Columbus has been quietly stacking up accolades from top national outlets in recent years. In 2025, Columbus was recognized for the second year in a row as one of the top 10 best big cities in the U.S. according to Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers' Choice Awards and was named one of America’s next great food cities by Food & Wine. Ross has also led the team to continue to raise the profile of Columbus as a premiere destination for hosting meetings and conventions. In 2025, Columbus hosted a total of 349 conventions, trade shows and sporting events, up 3% from the previous year. Major recent events hosted in Columbus include the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church's General Conference, which brought 15,000 attendees, filled 22,000 hotel rooms and had an estimated $15 million in direct visitor spending. In 2023, Columbus hosted PCMA Convening Leaders as well as the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Columbus is proud to soon be a two-time host for ASAE’s Annual Meeting & Exposition (in 2019 and returning again in 2030). Ross is an active member of industry organizations, which has further elevated Columbus’ profile in the global tourism sector. He previously served on the Board of Directors for Destinations International, TourismOhio Advisory Board and the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority. He and his wife, Mary, have one son and two dogs. They enjoy living in Columbus’ Arena District, where they embrace an urban lifestyle with a wealth of festivals, neighborhoods, restaurants and entertainment within walking distance. Amir's Bio: PRESIDENT & CEO, PARTNER LONGWOODS INTERNATIONAL A 37-year veteran of the Travel & Tourism industry,...

3. 

   19 Aug 2026

   Celebrating 10 Years of Caamp Ft. Evan Westfall, Co-Founder and Musician

   Columbus-based band, Caamp, just celebrated 10 years since the debut of their first album; since then they've gone on to perform sell-out arena shows across the globe. In this episode, Boxer and Sarah interview Evan Westfall, founding member and musician of this hometown group to learn more about how they got their start, what about Columbus inspires their music and some of his favorite places to go in the city when he's not touring. Bio: Caamp started in Ohio and has never really left it behind. Co-founders Taylor Meier and Evan Westfall grew up together in Upper Arlington, just outside Columbus, and found the band’s sound in Athens. Meier on guitar and lead vocals, Westfall on banjo, guitar and harmonies - now joined by Matt Vinson, JoeKavalec and Nick Falk. A decade and five albums later, Caamp has drawn over 2.5 billion streams worldwide and a reputation for electric performances that blur the lines between modern folk and indie rock energy. Their 2025 U.S. headline tour sold over 200,000 tickets across 33 shows, and their fifth album, Copper Changes Color, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Americana/Folk Albums chart. In March 2026 the band made its NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert debut - ten years after Meier and Westfall entered the Tiny Desk Contest. Caamp is currently in the middle of a 2026 touring year that has included dates with Zach Bryan and Mumford & Sons across North America and Europe. They come home to Columbus on August 29 at The Schottenstein Arena.

Who has been a guest on yes, Columbus

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Brett Cohen
• Ryan Vesler
• Tyler Parsons
• BJ Lieberman
• Dan Sullivan

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

419,108,275

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.0 / 5

12 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 75 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

93

Social presence

0

YouTube

93

Engagement

50

Contact yes, Columbus

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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