It’s easy to get carried away in Nebraska, a state full of wide-open spaces and endless possibilities. From the towering bluffs and sandhills of western Nebraska to the rolling prairies and lush farmlands surrounding Omaha and Lincoln, the history of how America was built still echoes across the land.
That pioneering spirit, from the explorations of Lewis and Clark to the golden age of railroads and beyond, will invigorate any meeting.
Greater Omaha
Thanks to new development and aggressive marketing, Omaha is looking forward to a banner year in 2008, according to Dana Markel, executive director of the Omaha CVB.
“We will host seven nationally televised events next year,” she says. The city has won several high-profile events, including the U.S. Olympic swim trials, the Cox Classic Golf Tournament, the first and second rounds of the NCAA men’s basketball series, and the NCAA women’s volleyball championship, among others.
With so much new business, developers are investing in Omaha. Between the latter half of this year and the end of 2008, seven new hotels will be unveiled, including Homewood Suites, Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn West, Fairfield Inn and Suites, Holiday Inn and Suites, Courtyard by Marriott, and Residence Inn. The new properties will add approximately 1,000 rooms to the current inventory of 10,000 rooms available in the metro area.
Another major new development is the riverfront pedestrian bridge, a $22 million project that will span the Missouri River, connecting Nebraska and Iowa. Slated for completion in 2008, the bridge, designed to curve like the letter S, will span nearly 3,300 feet, making it one of the longest pedestrian bridges ever built.
“This bridge will be a new landmark for the area,” Markel says. “It will connect with nearly 150 miles of trails and dozens of attractions along the path, plus the view will be breathtaking.”
Meanwhile, Omaha has many other attractions that are perfect for leisure time as well as off-site events. The Old Market area is a popular stop for attendees, with shops, restaurants, galleries, and nightlife, and the Henry Doorly Zoo is recognized as one of the best in the country.
A new entertainment district nicknamed NoDo is springing up just four blocks from the Qwest Center Omaha. The hip, cutting-edge arts district includes shops; restaurants; Saddle Creek Records, an independent record label with a recording studio and new club with state-of-the-art sound; and Film Streams, a new cinema featuring American art house movies.
Omaha’s largest group venue is the Qwest Center Omaha, with 250,000 square feet of function space. The Omaha Civic Auditorium, with 122,000 square feet of meeting space, is another option.
Top meetings properties include the Hilton Omaha, connected to the Qwest Center Omaha; Doubletree Hotel and Executive Meeting Center Omaha–Downtown; Holiday Inn Omaha Convention Center, which will open a 60,000-square-foot water park in October; Embassy Suites Hotel Omaha–Downtown/Old Market; the newly renovated Omaha Magnolia Hotel, formerly the Sheraton Omaha; Omaha Marriott; and Crowne Plaza Hotel Omaha–Old Mill.
For historic fun, groups can head northwest to Fremont, home of the Fremont Dinner Train and the Fremont and Elkhorn Valley Railroad.
Meeting facilities in Fremont include the Christensen Field Complex, the new Events Center for Athletics and Conferencing at Midland Lutheran College, the Holiday Inn Express Fremont, and the Wilderness Lodge and Conference Center.
Lincoln
In Nebraska’s capital city, the convention market is evenly broken out between SMERF, association and amateur sports groups.
“We go after anything we can,” says Katie Bruner, director of sales at the Lincoln CVB. “There’s so much to do in Lincoln, and we’re a perfect fit for almost any type of group.”
Popular off-site options include the Governor’s Mansion, which is available for group events, and the historic Haymarket District, filled with restaurants, cafes, shops, and nightlife. Another top choice is the nearby James Arthur Vineyards and Winery.
Lincoln’s Lancaster Event Center offers 199,000 square feet of space, and several hotels are equipped with meeting facilities, including The Cornhusker, A Marriott Hotel; the Embassy Suites Lincoln; and the Holiday Inn Downtown–Lincoln.
East of Lincoln, groups can retreat to the Lied Lodge and Conference Center, located on the 260-acre Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City. Highlights include a variety of recreational pursuits, including golf on the Arnold Palmer-designed Arbor Links, and a 14,000-square-foot, IACC-certified conference center.
South of Lincoln is the historic gem of Beatrice, which boasts several important sites, including the Homestead National Monument, the Wymore Train Station Museum and the Oregon Trail Marker, as well as meetings properties such as the Holiday Inn Lincoln–Downtown.
Columbus/Norfolk
In Columbus, associations provide a large piece of the pie, and Deb Loseke, director of the Columbus/Platte County CVB, expects even more convention business once the new indoor waterpark opens at the New World Inn and Convention Center next spring.
“Mid-winter is a good discount season for groups, and with the new waterpark, we will be targeting more conventions for the off-season,” she says.
Currently, the ideal group size for Columbus is 500 to 1,000 attendees, but Loseke is also looking to book larger groups once Agricultural Park upgrades its existing exhibit hall into a convention center, a five-year project that is currently in the planning stages.
For the warmer months, visitors can cool off at the outdoor Pawnee Plunge waterpark or just wet their whistle at Glurs Tavern, the oldest tavern west of the Mississippi.
A new events center has the town of Norfolk abuzz. The DeVent Center is a new addition to the Divots Conference Center, adjacent to the Norfolk Lodge and Suites, and the facility can handle up to 500 people, according to Lora Young, director of the Norfolk/Madison County CVB.
“This new facility is perfect for a trade show,” she says. “It has very large overhead doors to facilitate moving large displays in and out, and it’s just a great space.”
Unique off-site options include dinner at the Norfolk Arts Center or a reception at the Elkhorn Valley Museum, featuring an exhibit dedicated to the “King of Late-Night TV,” Johnny Carson, who grew up in Norfolk.
Central Nebraska
The Platte River Valley is the spring migration spot for sandhill cranes, an annual event that draws thousands of visitors. The valley is also home to four popular meeting destinations: Grand Island, Kearney, Hastings, and North Platte.
“We’ve had an excellent year,” says Tricia Beem, assistant director/convention sales for the Grand Island/Hall County CVB. “We’re seeing more spouses and families coming along with attendees.”
Along with the association and corporate markets, Grand Island has a growing sports market. The Heartland Events Center, with 180,000 square feet of event space, handles amateur championships in cheerleading, dance and volleyball.
South of Grand Island is the Crane Meadows Nature Center, where visitors can learn more about sandhill cranes, and other popular attractions include the Mid-Nebraska Speedway and the Stuhr Museum, a living history museum dedicated to the prairie pioneer.
In the Kearney area, bird-watchers can spy on the sandhill cranes at Rowe Sanctuary, explore history at Pioneer Village or the Fort Kearney Museum, or get their motor running at Chevyland USA, a collection of 110 restored and mint cars.
Kearney also offers a compact area for meeting facilities; the Kearney Convention Center Complex consists of four adjacent hotels with 420 guest units, including Hampton Inn, Wingate Inn, Holiday Inn Express, and Holiday Inn Hotel and Convention Center, which plans to finish a renovation by October.
Hastings will bring the kid out in any attendee; the town is the birthplace of perennial thirst-quencher Kool-Aid, and is now home to a new racetrack at Motorsports Park Hastings.
“When you come here, you feel like you’re in a small town while having the big-city convention you need,” says Kaleena Reeves, executive director of the Hastings/Adams County CVB.
Meeting facilities in Hastings include the Adams County Fairgrounds and the Quality Hotel and Convention Center (formerly the Holiday Inn Hastings).
Train attractions rule the rails in North Platte, and the newest attraction, the nine-story Golden Spike Tower and Visitors Center, will open in early summer 2008. The tower will offer a commanding view of the Union Pacific Bailey Yard. Other popular attractions include the Cody Park Railroad Museum and the Buffalo Bill State Historical Park.
The Quality Inn and Suites/Sandhills Convention Center, the Holiday Inn Express North Platte and La Quinta Inn and Suites North Platte are among the hotels catering to groups.
Western Nebraska
Although Gering is considered a small meetings market, the attractions are big—very big. The town is located at the base of Scotts Bluff National Monument, and group activities incorporate the towering bluff and sweeping vista. Planners can set up hikes to the summit, hold a cowboy-style chuckwagon cookout, then wrap up with an outdoor concert in the Five Rocks Amphitheater.
Six top-notch golf courses are within a short drive of Gering, and the CVB often works with planners to provide golf packages.
The Gering Civic Center has 25,000 square feet of function space, and the Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites is one of the meetings-friendly properties in town.
For More Info
Beatrice/Gage County CVB 402.223.3175
www.visitbeatrice.com
Columbus Area CVB 402.564.2769
www.visitcolumbusne.com
Fremont and Dodge County CVB 402.753.6414
www.fdcvb.org
Gering CVB 308.436.6886
www.geringtourism.com
Grand Island/Hall 308.382.4400
www.visitgrandisland.com
Greater Omaha CVB 402.444.4660
www.visitomaha.com
Hastings/Adams County CVB 402.461.2370
www.visithastingsnebraska.com
Kearney Visitors Bureau and Development Council 308.237.3178
www.visitkearney.org
Lincoln CVB 402.434.5335
www.lincoln.org
Norfolk/Madison County CVB 402.371.2932
www.visitnorfolkne.com
North Platte/Lincoln County CVB 308.532.4729
www.visitnorthplatte.com
