Iowa is the kind of state that could serve as a sampler platter for the whole country. With historic villages like Pella and the Amana Colonies, along with the growing urban culture of Des Moines and the college towns of Ames and Iowa City, it’s no wonder that the entire country’s attention turns to Iowa whenever election primaries are at hand; it is a microcosm of Midwestern culture and a perfect fit for groups.
Des Moines/Ames
“Des Moines is a hidden jewel, and it’s our job to uncover it,” says Vicki Comegys, director of sales and services for the Greater Des Moines CVB. “With all the attractions, shopping, dining, and skywalk system, we’re a great destination for meetings.”
The area continues to increase its lineup of meetings-friendly hotels: a Drury Inn and a Courtyard by Marriott will open by this summer.
Plans are also under way for a new arena at the Iowa State Fairgrounds that will boast a retractable floor for concerts and large meetings.
While Des Moines is a hot spot for business, there are also great attractions that double as unique off-site venues. Attendees can enjoy a hearty 1900s-era farm dinner or immerse themselves in a circa-1875 town at Living History Farms, a 550-acre outdoor museum dedicated to agricultural heritage and rural life.
The city also offers a full range of cultural activities, including ballet, opera, symphony, and a host of stage entertainment, from comedies and Broadway hits to independent productions.
Meeting facilities in Des Moines include the Iowa Events Center, which connects via skywalk to nearby hotels. Other options include Embassy Suites Hotel Des Moines–On the River, Hotel Fort Des Moines and Des Moines Marriot Downtown.
Outside the metro area in nearby Newton, facilities include the Sodexho DMACC Newton Conference Center as well as the Meadows Event and Conference Center in Altoona.
Just minutes away is Ames, home to Iowa State University (ISU), art galleries and a thriving downtown cultural district.
Popular off-site venues include Reiman Gardens and Prairie Moon Winery.
Two new venues will open this year, and another is wrapping up renovations. The 33,000-square-foot ISU Alumni Center will open this month with several meeting rooms and outdoor event space on the East Terrace. Opening in August, the Central Iowa Expo is a new outdoor event site specifically designed to host the massive Farm Progress Show, although the 100-acre site will also be available for other indoor and outdoor events. Earlier this year, the Iowa State Memorial Union finished a two-year renovation project. The facility offers more than 20 meeting and event spaces.
Meanwhile, the 110-room Hilton Garden Inn Ames is slated to open by the end of the year with 7,500 square feet of conference space.
The Iowa State Center is another top venue, and meetings-friendly hotels include the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center and the Holiday Inn Ames Conference Center.
Pella
Visiting Pella is like stepping into a Dutch storybook guaranteed to have a happy ending. From the windmill at Vermeer Mill to the quaint shops, bakeries and flower gardens, the town’s Dutch heritage is alive and well.
Pella also has other must-see historic attractions, like Wyatt Earp’s boyhood home, located in Pella Historic Village, and the 1900s-era Pella Opera House. Throw in golf courses, wineries and hiking trails, and Pella is an ideal group locale.
One future development in Pella has hit a major snag. The planned nature attraction of Earthpark, which also included plans for lodging and meeting space, is currently stalled due to finance issues.
“The development is temporarily on hold, and they continue to work on financial support for the project,” says Jill Vandevoort, director of the Pella CVB.
Meeting facilities in Pella include the Vermeer Global Pavilion, Bos Landen Golf Resort, Royal Amsterdam Hotel, and Holiday Inn Express Pella.
Roughly one hour south of Pella at Rathbun Lake, Honey Creek Resort State Park is slated to debut this summer with outdoor recreational pursuits, a 105-room hotel, a grand lodge, an indoor waterpark, an 18-hole golf course, and a conference center.
In nearby Ottumwa, Bridge View Center features nearly 50,000 square feet of meeting, exhibition and banquet space.
Mason City/Waterloo/Marshalltown
As the home of playwright Meredith Willson and the inspiration for The Music Man, Mason City has a lot to sing about, and $34 million in improvements is making the city even more appealing.
Projects include the restoration of the Park Inn and the City National Bank building, both designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as the construction of the Stockman House Interpretative Center, which will educate visitors on Wright’s Prairie School architecture.
Off-site venues include Music Man Square, an old-fashioned streetscape recreated from The Music Man’s movie set designs, and the Charles H. MacNider Art Museum.
Meeting facilities in Mason City include the Muse-Norris Conference Center, Holiday Inn Mason City and Hanford Inn.
Waterloo is home to Waterloo Tractor Works, where John Deere tractors are built, and the Dan Gable International Institute and Museum, a popular off-site venue dedicated to wrestling. The newest attraction will open in November: the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum, located in the Grout Museum complex.
“We’re focusing on military reunions and veterans groups before the museum opens,” says Brooke Burham, convention sales manager for the Waterloo CVB.
Group facilities include the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center at the Ramada Waterloo, the Young Arena and the Waterloo Center for the Arts.
Southwest of Waterloo, Marshalltown is an inviting, meetings-ready community boasting golf courses, art galleries, a historic Main Street, antique shopping, and architectural tours. Meetings options include the Best Western Regency Inn and the Iowa Valley Continuing Education Center.
Cedar Rapids/Amana Colonies
Iowa’s second-largest city seamlessly mixes classic Americana with ethnic heritage; the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art celebrates the work of artist and native son Grant Wood, while those with Eastern European roots will love the National Czech & Slovak Museum and Czech Village.
New hotels are popping up in Cedar Rapids. A 103-room Hampton Inn and Suites will open in October, and an adjacent 88-room Homewood Suites will begin construction this fall. Also, the 275-room Crowne Plaza Hotel Cedar Rapids—Five Seasons will wrap up a renovation this year, according to Vicki Henry, convention marketing manager for the Cedar Rapids Area CVB.
The destination’s major group venues are the U.S. Cellular Center, the Veterans Memorial Coliseum and the Cedar Rapids Education and Conference Center.
Popular meetings hotels include the Cedar Rapids Marriott, Best Western Longbranch Hotel and Convention Center and Crowne Plaza Hotel Cedar Rapids–Five Seasons.
West of Cedar Rapids in the town of Tama, the Meskwaki Bingo Casino Hotel is another ideal group choice, with a 404-room hotel and a 16,000-square-foot convention center.
Once an 1850s religious commune, the seven villages known as the Amana Colonies have kept German heritage and traditions of a simpler time alive with historic sites and time-honored skills like brewing, baking and furniture-making. Planners can choose custom tours that spotlight crafts, shopping and agriculture, and popular venues with plenty of local flavor include the Ox Yoke Inn and the Ronneburg Restaurant.
Iowa City/Coralville
While golf courses, outdoor recreation and historic sites make the Iowa City/Coralville area an inviting group destination, the heart of the two cities is the University of Iowa (UI) and the community’s passion for sports. Two attractions are also popular off-site venues: Kinnick Stadium and the UI Athletics Hall of Fame.
History buffs can enjoy the recently opened Old Capitol Museum or the Herbert Hoover Presidential Museum, which offers four distinct meeting spaces.
The Iowa Memorial Union hosts gatherings, and popular meetings hotels include the new Coralville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, hotelVetro, Sheraton Iowa City, Holiday Inn Coralville, and Riverside Casino and Golf Resort.
Dubuque
With bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River and plenty of historic charm, Dubuque is an inviting choice for gatherings. Visitors can tour the area via horse-drawn carriage, trolley and paddle wheeler, and groups can even take advantage of Victorian Home Tour progressive dinners and rural winery tours.
Off-site venues and downtime activities are diverse. Attendees can conjure their own movie moments at the Field of Dreams movie site in nearby Dyersville or become a barge pilot at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, part of the impressive America’s River project, a multiyear development that has also included the addition of the Mississippi Riverwalk, the Alliant Energy Amphitheater and the Grand River Center, connected by skywalk to the Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark.
Meanwhile, the city’s historic Julien Inn is undergoing a $6 million restoration and will reopen later this year with meeting space, and delegates will have a new entertainment option this fall, when Diamond Jo casino opens at the Port of Dubuque.
Quad Cities
Nestled on either side of the Mississippi, the Quad Cities region offers four times the fun for groups. Comprising Bettendorf and Davenport, Iowa, and Moline and Rock Island, Ill., the area offers a host of historic and cultural attractions.
The Iowa side boasts the Buffalo Bill Museum in Le Claire and Davenport’s River Music Experience, exploring the roots of American-born music, and Figge Art Museum, featuring prominent Midwestern artists. The Illinois side is home to Rock Island Arsenal, a gold mine of military history, and the John Deere Historic Site.
New developments in the Quad Cities include the Bettendorf Events Center, slated to open later this year. The center will offer 20,000 square feet of space in the main hall and will be attached to the Isle of Capri Hotel and Casino Bettendorf.
The region’s most popular off-site options include the John Deere Pavilion, the Figge Art Museum, the historic Abbey Station, and dinner cruises aboard Celebration Belle.
Meeting facilities include the RiverCenter; Stony Creek Inn and Conference Center; Clarion Hotel Conference Center; Abbey Hotel; and The Lodge Hotel and Conference Center.
Burlington
Farther south along the Mississippi River is the friendly city of Burlington, featuring historic buildings, a lively riverfront, parks, and a variety of recreational activities.
A top draw for groups is Pzazz, an entertainment and casino resort complex boasting the Pzazz Convention and Event Center, the Catfish Bend Casino and Catfish Bend Inn & Spa, and the Best Western Pzazz Fun City, as well as restaurants, indoor and outdoor waterparks, and a golf course.
Council Bluffs/Sioux City
While the roots of Council Bluffs and Sioux City are solidly Midwestern, the communities share an exploring heart; attractions like the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Sioux City and the California Gold Rush historic site near Council Bluffs illustrate the area’s reputation as the gateway to the American West.
Meanwhile, four new hotels are planned or under construction in Council Bluffs. Sleep Inn, Microtel Inn and Suites, and Value Place will all open by early winter 2009, and the Hilton Garden Inn, which will be attached to the Horseshoe Casino, will open by next summer.
A pedestrian bridge connecting Council Bluffs and Omaha, Neb., is slated to open in November, according to Josee Beier, director of convention sales for the Council Bluffs CVB.
“It’s nearly complete and will be big for outdoor fun or spouse activities like biking and walking tours,” she says, adding that development on either side of the bridge along the Missouri River will happen in the next few years.
Primary meetings options in Council Bluffs include the Mid-America Center, Harrah’s, Ameristar Casino, and Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites.
Options in Sioux City include the Sioux City Convention Center, Tyson Events Center, Clarion Hotel and Conference Center, and Marina Inn Conference Center.
Nearby is the charming town of Spencer, home to the Clay County Fair, the Clay County Regional Events Center and the Spencer Golf and Country Club.
For More Info
Amana Colonies CVB 319.622.7622
www.amanacolonies.com
Ames CVB 515.232.4032
www.visitames.com
Cedar Rapids Area CVB 319.398.5009
www.cedar-rapids.com
Council Bluffs CVB 712.325.1000
www.councilbluffsiowa.com
Dubuque CVB 563.557.9200
www.traveldubuque.com
Greater Burlington CVB 319.752.6365
www.visitburlingtoniowa.com
Greater Des Moines CVB 515.286.4960
www.seedesmoines.com
Greater Newton COC 641.792.5545 www.visitnewton.com
Iowa City/Coralville CVB 319.337.6592 www.iowacitycoralville.org
Iowa Meetings Association 515.971.9925 www.iowameetings.com
Mason City CVB 641.422.1663 www.masoncitytourism.com
Pella CVB 641.628.2626 www.pella.org
Quad Cities CVB 563.322.3911 www.visitquadcities.com
Sioux City Tourism Bureau 712.279.4800 www.siouxcitytourism.com
Spencer COC 712.262.5680 www.spenceriowachamber.org
Waterloo CVB 319.233.8350 www.waterloocvb.org
Marshalltown CVB 641.753.6645 www.visitmarshalltown.com
