Marketing Coordinator
Prince Corporation
Marshfield, Wis.
Describe your event.
We’re a wholesale distributor of pet, lawn and garden, wild bird, and building hardware supplies. This was a trade show with 1,500 customers and vendors attending. We had it in Wisconsin Dells because the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center is the only facility we’ve found that’s large enough.
Why did you decide to host the meeting in Wisconsin Dells?
We wanted to stay in the upper Midwest. The Dells is a bit more convenient [than Marshfield] and centrally located for our customers. A lot of them make this a family vacation; this is the one time they might be able to get away for a year.
What surprised you the most about Wisconsin Dells?
The Dells has always been touristy, but what surprised me was the facilities they have there for meetings. Growing up it was always vacation, vacation, vacation.
What did your attendees seem to enjoy the most?
Our customers love the Kalahari, and their kids love the water park—it’s huge, and indoor and outdoor. The food is phenomenal.
Was anybody particularly helpful?
Joey Greeno, Kalahari’s sales manager, and Christie Bishop, who handles the details of the meeting at Kalahari; she knows what I want before I tell her.
Is there anything you wish you had known beforehand?
It’s pretty much smooth-running.
What would you have done differently?
The first time we held a meeting here, I would have been more familiar with how an event of that size runs.
What other types of groups would fit well with the property?
Any group. We’ve also held small meetings for our sales reps—there might be just four people in a nice boardroom—and for 100 people.
Did you incorporate any activities into the agenda?
The Kalahari works with a couple of golf courses, and some sales reps came in a day early and thought it was excellent golf.
How does Wisconsin Dells compare to other cities where you have hosted meetings?
The Dells has a pull. There’s a reason besides our meeting to go there.
Would you return?
No questions asked.
Do you have any advice for other planners who might bring a meeting to Wisconsin Dells?
Make it a family event. A lot of the time as planners we think it’s business and the meeting, but we need to think about the family as well.