When you talk about business and leisure travel to America’s Midwest, one is reminded of the famous line from the film Field of Dreams: “If you build it, they will come.” Nowhere is this truer than Wisconsin Dells. Despite its size (just 2,500 residents), this destination along the Wisconsin River Gorge lures an astonishing 5 million visitors each year.
“We are in the enviable position of having a very well defined brand—we’re the “Waterpark Capital of the World,” says Melanie Platt-Gibson of the Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau, referring to the destination’s trademarked slogan. “The attributes that make us a popular leisure destination also hold true for groups. We are a community of entrepreneurs, local business owners who believe in investing in their properties and delivering the friendliest customer service around.”
Waterpark resorts top the list when it comes to group function space, particularly properties such as Chula Vista Resort, Kalahari Resort, Wilderness Hotel and Golf Resort, and Great Wolf Lodge. These all-inclusive campuses provide a convenient combination of high-end meeting space, a variety of lodging and restaurants, and plenty of fun activities once the meeting ends.
Other popular meetings-ready properties include Ho-Chunk Casino, Hotel and Convention Center, and the Wintergreen Resort and Conference Center. The corporate-friendly Hilton Garden Inn includes a 24-hour business center and complimentary high-speed Internet in all sleeping rooms. Over a dozen other hotels do robust meetings business in a variety of size options.
The destination has been busy completing renovations at existing resorts, as well as adding new properties such as the Holiday Inn Express, which opened in summer 2007 with Wi-Fi in all guest rooms and 30,000 square feet of indoor pool and play area. Chula Vista Resort recently wrapped up a major expansion that included the new Los Rios indoor waterpark and additional function facilities, the centerpiece of which is the Wisconsin Dells Center, featuring 90,000 square feet of column-free indoor space. The property also redesigned its 18-hole golf course.
Additionally, Glacier Canyon Lodge and Convention Center, the latest addition to the newly expanded Wilderness Resort complex, will debut 32,000 square feet of new function space in July. Wilderness Resort also recently unveiled a championship golf course.
A short distance from town are other unique property options.
Nestled in the forested hills outside Wisconsin Dells, the Sundara Inn & Spa, which placed third on Good Morning America’s “Favorite Spa Escapes in America” list, offers 12 private villas for small business retreats.
Fifteen miles northwest of Wisconsin Dells, the Woodside Ranch Resort & Conference Center provides delegates ample opportunities for horseback riding, fishing, canoeing, and hiking.
A more unusual option is the intriguing House on the Rock Resort, an architectural wonder built in the 1940s by an eccentric local collector. The assemblage of miniature houses, music machines and the world’s largest carousel lend a unique flavor to any group gathering. Over 10,000 square feet of meeting space is ideal for groups of up to 300, and afterwards attendees can enjoy 27 holes of championship golf on two separate courses.
Distinctive off-site opportunities are also plentiful in the Dells. Cold Water Canyon’s newly refurbished historic stone pavilion is a favorite. The pavilion hosts a variety of gatherings and is accessible by exclusive charter boat excursion on the Upper Dells.
“The boat pilot has to skillfully navigate the narrow passageway to dock in the shady canyon,” Platt-Gibson says. “Groups can have meals or refreshments in the pavilion then take a scenic stroll through the narrow canyon, lit by torches.”
Family Finds
With over 20 indoor and outdoor waterparks, Wisconsin Dells is an ideal choice for attendees who want to bring the family along. It’s an easy way to combine business commitments with quality family time in a fun and friendly environment, according to Platt-Gibson.
“Given how time-stretched most families are these days, we offer an opportunity to eliminate some of the guilt of being away on business by tacking on a family vacation,” Platt-Gibson says. “The person attending meetings can focus on the work at hand knowing the rest of the family is enjoying themselves.”
And there are plenty of ways for attendees and their families to enjoy the Dells. The destination’s many waterparks include Noah’s Ark, the country’s largest outdoor facility, boasting 70 acres of waterslides, and Kalahari Resort, the nation’s largest indoor version, comprising 125,000 square feet of water-filled fun. Visitors can enjoy a balmy vacation of splashing and surfing whether it’s summertime or the middle of winter.
Families can also opt for diversions ranging from magic acts, amusement rides and live music, to the area’s legendary water stunt spectacle, the Tommy Bartlett Ski, Sky and Stage Show, which has been wowing Dells audiences of all ages since 1952.
But what is not as well-known about Wisconsin Dells is its many leisure activities for adults.
Attendees can sneak away from the kids for a few hours to rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit at a number of spas, such as Spa Kalahari & Salon at Kalahari Resort and Spa del Sol at Chula Vista Resort. Meanwhile, O2 Tan & Company offers oxygenated massage therapy treatments as well as oxygenized aromatherapy experiences.
Adults can also head to the Ho-Chunk Casino, which features 24/7 slot machines and blackjack tables, in addition to five restaurants.
Shopping remains a premier activity for visitors in the Dells, with shops and outlet centers lining the town from one end to the other. The recently completed Tanger Outlet Mall offers more than 60 brand-name shops in an open-air ambiance to make urban escapees feel right at home.
In Good Company
As a group, attendees have a wealth of leisure options when the meeting wraps.
Entertainment is offered all over Wisconsin Dells, including the Broadway Dinner Theatre, a brand-new state-of-the-art dinner theater. The 2008 season will spotlight classics like Footloose and Chicago, as well as a tribute to Elvis.
For more active pursuits, the Vertical Illusions Outdoor Adventure Center can show delegates the Wisconsin River on guided group kayak tours, while Dells Raceway Park, showcasing some of the most exciting short-track stock car racing in the Midwest, is now offering a special “pit crew” team-building experience for convention-goers.
Larger groups can take on the pins with 24 bowling lanes at the new Knuckleheads Bowling & Family Entertainment Center.
The Dells’ most popular day trips for groups include excursions on the Wisconsin River (see sidebar, page 22), flanked by the towering sandstone bluffs that first brought visitors to the area 150 years ago.
Groups also head to nearby Baraboo, where the National Historic Landmark of Ringlingville marks the original headquarters of the Ringling Brothers circus from 1884 until 1918. The museum’s massive collections of posters, musical instruments and costumes are a veritable treasure trove of American circus history. The world’s largest collection of one-of-a-kind antique circus wagons attracts visitors from all over the world.
Just outside Wisconsin Dells, the International Crane Foundation wildlife sanctuary is the only place in the world to spot all 15 species of cranes. The crane is the oldest living family of birds on Earth and a cultural symbol of fidelity; it is also the most endangered species of bird. This preservation program focuses on captive breeding and other programs designed to reintroduce cranes into the wild.
Forty minutes from the Dells, in Prairie du Sac, groups can visit the Wollersheim Winery, where vineyards sprawl over 25 acres of scenic hillsides. The area was selected for vineyards in the 1840s by the Hungarian Count Agoston Haraszthy, who later moved west and became a prominent figure in the California wine industry. This national historic site produces hardy French-American hybrid grapes for producing red, white and special seasonal wines. Today, the award-winning winery is run by winemaker Philippe Coquard, who is originally from the Beaujolais region of France.
For More Info
Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau 608.254.8088
www.wisdells.com
