Many planners have already learned the lesson: Where there are universities, there are research centers pioneering breakthroughs in science, rich bastions of culture and diversity, exciting sports teams, and an educated workforce, not to mention affordable meeting space.
The higher learning institutions of northern Indiana include some of the most recognized names in the country: the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Purdue University in West Lafayette and Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, as well as several smaller schools spread across the region. With many offering meeting facilities, no group is too cool for these schools.
In addition to the built-in charms of northern Indiana’s college towns, the region is inexpensive, accessible—with 20 percent of the U.S. population within a day’s drive, including Chicago, Detroit, Columbus, and Cincinnati—and offers beaches and water sports on Lake Michigan and rivers such as the Wabash and Kankakee.
The cities of northern Indiana are eager to attract planners and increase meetings business, and are investing in hospitality sector growth in the form of new and upgraded hotels.
South Bend/Mishawaka
The South Bend/Mishawaka area is home to the University of Notre Dame, St. Mary’s College and Bethel College. The cities of South Bend and Mishawaka are located on the St. Joseph River, which presents anglers with ample opportunities in between business engagements, while golfers will find nine courses within a short drive. The combined cities offer more than 4,000 hotel rooms and 300,000 square feet of meeting space in an inviting, friendly setting.
“Our downtown convention district, anchored by Century Center, offers hotels, attractions and a variety of off-site venue options, as well as shopping, dining, nightlife, and recreation, including the St. Joseph River Walk and the East Race Waterway,” says Carolyne Wallace, director of sales at the South Bend/Mishawaka CVB. “All of these amenities are within blocks [of each other], with the beautiful St. Joseph River as a backdrop. Our city is clean and our people are friendly.”
Wallace says the destination is a welcome surprise for visitors and groups.
“Visitors are surprised to find out there is much more to see and do than they expected, and planners find our facilities are much more extensive for a city of our size than they anticipated,” she says, adding that Mishawaka is developing its downtown riverfront area, complementing the region’s dining and shopping opportunities. “We have an exciting future ahead of us!”
The area has its eye on groups with recent developments such as the new 15,000-square-foot Gillespie Conference Center, which opened in February adjacent to a new 100-room Hilton Garden Inn and the 150-room Inn at Saint Mary’s. The complex is located on the campus of Saint Mary’s College, adjacent to the University of Notre Dame campus.
This fall, the area will welcome the 121-room Hyatt Place Mishawaka, with 121 guest rooms and 1,260 square feet of meeting space, as well as a 71-room Comfort Suites.
Larger group facilities include the 75,000-square-foot Century Center, connected by skywalks to South Bend Marriott Riverfront Hotel, with 298 guest rooms and 10,000 square feet of meeting space, and the College Football Hall of Fame, which is available for group rental. Additionally, Holiday Inn Downtown South Bend has 176 guest rooms and 10 meeting rooms.
Meanwhile, Morris Performing Arts Center, built in the 1920s as a vaudeville house, offers 2,560 seats, and the historic Palais Royale, built in the 1920s as an opulent big band dance hall, welcomes groups as large as 850.
University of Notre Dame Conference Center has space for as many as 370. Joyce Athletic and Convocation Center offers nearly 465,000 square feet of exhibit space. St. Mary’s College also offers meeting facilities.
A visit to East Race Waterway makes an exciting group activity. The nation’s first artificial whitewater course, the facility offers a 2,000-foot course that can be adjusted from relatively calm waters for novices up to six-foot waves and 12-foot drops for advanced paddlers.
For a full-service meetings package in a more pastoral setting, planners can opt for nearby retreats such as Swan Lake Resort in Plymouth, with two championship golf courses and 20,000 square feet of meeting space, and Potawatomi Inn Resort & Conference Center, located on the shore of Lake James in Pokagon State Park.
Upper Northwest
Lake County, snuggled up against the South Shore of Lake Michigan and only 25 miles from downtown Chicago, prides itself on being a gateway to the Windy City, with accommodations available at half the price of the metropolis itself. Throw in beaches, bird and wildlife watching for nature lovers, and lakefront casinos, and it becomes clear how this area can give more cosmopolitan options a run for their money.
“As smaller groups and associations are pushed out of larger convention centers and meeting space, the South Shore is prepared to host a variety of annual conferences and conventions that used to be held in larger cities such as Indianapolis, Columbus and Chicago,” says Speros A. Batistatos, president and CEO of the Lake County CVB.
Larger meetings properties include the 343-room Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza in Merrillville, which is renovating its 67,000 square feet of meeting space, and Ramada Conference Center in Hammond, with 18,000 square feet of meeting space. Majestic Star Casinos and Hotel in Gary also offers meeting space.
There’s college space here, as well. Calumet Conference Center on Purdue University Calumet’s campus in Hammond welcomes groups of up to 150.
A 124-room Hilton Garden Inn is scheduled to open in Merrillville this summer with 3,200 square feet of meeting space.
Farther east, LaPorte County is also a meetings-ready destination known for its beaches, antique and outlet shopping, and inviting communities. Upcoming developments in the county include a $130 million project at Michigan City’s Blue Chip Casino that will include a 302-room hotel and a 20,000-square-foot convention center. The new facilities are expected to open in early 2009. Blue Chip currently offers 10,000 square feet of meeting space.
Fort Wayne/Allen County
Fort Wayne, Indiana’s second-largest city, is home to Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW).
Fort Wayne’s newest branding campaign carries the tagline “Room for Dreams,” and that’s exactly what the CVB wants to communicate to planners. The area offers 4,500 guest rooms and space for convention groups as large as 10,000 people.
“Fort Wayne offers affordability, accessibility and world-class facilities,” says Betsy Perry Patton, communications manager at the Fort Wayne/Allen County CVB. “Planners are very pleased with the quality of facilities and attractions paired with the convenience and affordability of meeting here in Fort Wayne. Most importantly, our friendly hospitality community knows how to roll out the red carpet and welcome guests with gusto.”
The city is in the midst of some very exciting changes. The redevelopment of Harrison Square is set to bring a new 300-room hotel, a new-minor-league baseball stadium and 30,000 square feet of new retail into downtown. The area has also experienced a flurry of new and renovated hotels, with more slated for the near future.
The two largest meeting spaces are Grand Wayne Convention Center, with 100,000 square feet of convention space, and the 13,000-square-foot Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.
Top meetings hotels include the newly renovated Fort Wayne Marriott, with 18,500 square feet of meeting space, and the Hilton Fort Wayne, with nearly 10,000 square feet of meeting space.
Walb Union at IPFW offers a 6,300- square-foot ballroom and three divisible meeting rooms.
Many of the city’s historic buildings are available for private events, including the circa-1914 Baker Street Train Station; the Embassy Theatre and Indiana Hotel, both built in 1928; and Old City Hall, built in 1893.
Lafayette/West Lafayette
West Lafayette, home to Purdue University, and Lafayette, across the Wabash River, are quintessential college towns that have a lot to offer planners.
“Lafayette and West Lafayette are thriving, vibrant cities of commerce with the added ambience of being a college town,” says Beverly Burke Dussault, sales and communications manager at the Lafayette/West Lafayette CVB. “And with Lafayette’s historic downtown and Wabash Landing area in West Lafayette, each with eclectic, locally owned shops, restaurants, attractions, festivals and events, the community has a unique flair while retaining that small-town Indiana charm.”
Larger spaces include Tippecanoe County Fairgrounds, with a 1,500-seat coliseum and 20,000 square feet of exposition space. Purdue Conferences, located in the midst of the university’s campus, offers 24 meeting rooms, 7,500 beds during the summer and the 192-room Union Club Hotel, as well as a 6,005-seat concert hall and a 20,000-seat outdoor amphitheater.
Meetings hotels include the University Plaza Hotel, which recently finished guest room renovations and is currently renovating its conference facilities; Holiday Inn Select City Centre, also undergoing renovations; and Best Western Lafayette Executive Plaza and Conference Center.
Smaller alternative spaces here bring a tinge of past grandeur to events. Options include Lafayette Theatre and Thomas Duncan Hall mansion.
Muncie
It’s easy to have a ball in Muncie, the home of Ball State University and the Ball Corporation, maker of glass canning jars.
“Affordable, low pricing is a trademark of the Muncie community when it comes to hosting meetings and events,” says Jim Mansfield, executive director of the Muncie Visitors Bureau. “We pride ourselves on offering big-city services at small-town prices. The Muncie community is well known for its hospitality.”
Major meeting spaces include the 47,000-square-foot Horizon Convention Center and a number of venues at Ball State University.
Smaller groups might enjoy an event at Cornerstone Center for the Arts or the national headquarters of the Academy of Model Aeronautics.
For More Info:
260.424.3700
www.visitfortwayne.com
Lafayette/West Lafayette CVB 765.447.9999
www.homeofpurdue.com
Lake County CVB 219.989.7770
www.alllake.org
LaPorte County CVB 219.872.5055
www.visitlaportecounty.com
Muncie Visitors Bureau 765.284.2700
www.munciecvb.org
Northern Indiana Lakes Country 260.665.5386
www.lakes101.org
South Bend/Mishawaka CVB 574.232.0231
www.exploresouthbend.org
