Famous mainly for its close connection with Abraham Lincoln and many Lincoln-related museums and attractions, Central Illinois is also a region of championship golf courses, wineries, paddlewheel riverboats, Big Ten sports and spectacular theaters presenting national touring shows.
The small, growing cities and bustling university towns of Central Illinois are also pursuing policies of steady development designed to catch the eye of meeting planners seeking affordable, accessible and enticing midsize destinations.
Springfield
The capital of Illinois is a big little city. Besides its many museums and other points of interest connected with the 16th president, Springfield is a regional shopping hub and a regular stop on Broadway and other national entertainment tours, and it features a distinct cuisine scene.
“Springfield is a meetings destination offering significantly more sites and attractions, restaurants and entertainment than groups typically find in a city Springfield’s size,” says Gina Gemberling, director of sales at the Springfield CVB. “Few cities, especially in the Midwest, offer the historical significance that Springfield does. History reveals itself through our connections to Lincoln, Route 66 and Frank Lloyd Wright.”
There are also plenty of places to conduct meetings in between historical adventures and shopping excursions. The Prairie Capital Convention Center has 44,000 square feet of exhibition space and 21,000 square feet of meeting rooms and is connected to the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel. Among the most popular meetings hotels are the newly remodeled Hilton Springfield, the Crowne Plaza and Northfield Inn and Suites.
Several interesting off-site options leverage the Lincoln connection as well as Springfield’s educational bastion.
Planners can infuse gatherings with history at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, featuring a 4,500 square-foot-rotunda and full-scale models of the White House and Lincoln’s boyhood log cabin.
The University of Illinois at Springfield, located in the city’s scenic lake area, offers a number of meeting venues. The lake area is also home to several hotels.
Meanwhile, the 80,000-square-foot Hoogland Center for the Arts, a former Masonic temple located in Springfield’s historic district, is a unique and elegant venue that offers a variety of meeting options.
Peoria
Illinois’ second-largest metropolitan area and the home of Caterpillar, Peoria is undertaking major developments to become a real contender in the meetings market. Combined with its scenic and cultural advantages, it’s likely to catch the eye of increasing numbers of planners in the future.
“Price point and proximity give us the edge over the competition,” says Brent Lonteen, president and CEO of the Peoria CVB. “An international airport is minutes from downtown, and a multitude of restaurants and attractions, including a river walk, are within walking distance of the hotels and convention center. The Peoria area has a rich heritage, a beautiful and vibrant riverfront, the only true paddlewheel-driven boat in the Midwest, a riverboat casino, diverse cultural offerings and abundant nightlife.”
Big news on the meetings front includes the $63 million expansion of Peoria Civic Center, which is nearly finished. The project will create 110,000 square feet of flexible, contiguous exhibition space and add a 27,000-square-foot ballroom. A 226-unit Embassy Suites with a 20,000-square-foot ballroom recently opened near the convention center, and the property is constructing an additional 100-suite tower with riverfront views.
Other large venues include the 71,000-square-foot East Peoria Convention Center at the Oaks, and larger meetings hotels include the Radisson Hotel, the Holiday Inn City Centre, the Hotel Pere Marquette and Stoney Creek Inn and Conference Center.
Off the beaten path, Ravina on the Lakes offers two banquet facilities set in a wooded 120-acre park. The property can accommodate as many as 5,000 guests.
Meanwhile, the 4,450-square-foot ballroom at the downtown Gateway Building opens onto an outdoor balcony with outstanding riverfront views.
Bloomington/Normal
Bloomington-Normal ranks high in magazine ratings related to quality of life—and that goes for planners and attendees just as much as residents. Golf Digest rated the destination fifth for golf in American metro areas, which promises attendees plenty of quality time on the links.
Location is another top selling point.
“We are situated in the middle of the state between St. Louis and Chicago, making driving to a meeting easy and affordable,” says Crystal Howard, director of the Bloomington-Normal Area CVB.
There are three new major developments in the area. In Normal, a 229-room Marriott hotel and conference center with 20,000 square feet of meeting space is set to open near the Illinois State University campus, and a 161-room Crowne Plaza will be located just off Interstate 55. Both properties are scheduled to open in 2009. The 70-room Parke Hotel & Conference Center opened in Bloomington in January with more than 11,500 square feet of meeting space.
Existing meetings hotels include the Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center and the Chateau Hotel and Conference Center. For larger gatherings, the 180,000-square-foot U.S. Cellular Coliseum hosts sporting events and concerts and offers 25,000 square feet of meeting space, and Interstate Center offers a 120-acre complex with several function spaces.
Apart from the standard venues, the two cities present a wealth of opportunities at their educational institutions.
“We are home to Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University,” Howard says. “These great universities provide unique meeting space, such as auditoriums, classrooms, ballrooms and even arenas.”
On the cultural side of things, the recently renovated Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, the centerpiece of the city’s new cultural district, offers a 1,200-seat auditorium as well as after-hours group entertainment options.
Champaign/Urbana
As home to one of the largest and most highly rated public universities in the country, the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana offer an energetic, culturally diverse destination with a wide assortment of meetings properties located near top research facilities.
“Not only are we easily accessible and centrally located between Chicago, Indianapolis and St. Louis, but as home of the multicultural University of Illinois we offer a lot of diversity,” says Courtney Womack, marketing director of the Champaign County CVB. “Unique attractions, an established arts community, fine dining and a wide variety of nightlife without the big-city price are a few of the many things one will find in Champaign County.”
The university continues to grow, and so do the cities and their meetings options.
The newly opened I Hotel & Conference Center offers 126 guest rooms and 38,000 square feet of meeting space. The property is conveniently located near the Assembly Hall in the Research Park at the University of Illinois. Other new properties under development include a Value Place and a Wingate Inn, both set to open later this year, as well as a Candlewood Suites.
Hawthorn Suites & Conference Center recently completed renovations of its guest rooms and 8,200 square feet of meeting space. Historic Lincoln Hotel & Conference Center is undergoing upgrades to its 62 guest rooms, common areas and conference space, which is capable of welcoming 350. Holiday Inn Hotel & Conference Center is adding a business center and upgrading its 74 guest rooms and hallways. Eastland Suites Hotel & Conference Center recently completed renovations to its meeting space and lobby, with more improvements under way.
If prizes were given for off-the-wall alternative meeting venues, Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch would probably be in the running. The attraction features a herd of Alaskan reindeer, charming centennial barns, a corn maze every autumn and 5,000 Christmas trees. The Western-theme banquet hall has a 100-year-old bar and accommodates 150.
There’s also plenty to do outside the boardroom, exhibition hall or banquet table.
“Champaign County has something to offer everyone,” Womack says. “Within a 10-mile drive you’re at an apple orchard with live bluegrass music and pumpkin patches. Back in town, catch an arts show, endless dining options or a knuckle-biting Big Ten sporting event. You can catch a national touring concert at Assembly Hall or Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and wrap up the day with a bustling nightlife.”
Decatur
President Lincoln chose to make Decatur his first home in Illinois, and today agricultural processing conglomerate Archer Daniels Midland makes its corporate headquarters in the city of 81,000. Just minutes from the state’s Amish Country, Lake Shelbyville and several fine golf courses, Decatur offers a choice of meeting venues and group activities along with a strong commitment to service and hospitality.
“We are a nice area with friendly people,” says Denene Wilmeth, executive director at the Decatur Area CVB. “We are blessed with major corporations and strong business partners. And our Lincoln heritage and many nearby attractions all contribute to an excellent site for any planner to consider.”
With hundreds of new hotel rooms added in recent years and more on the slate, Decatur is looking forward to increased recognition among meeting planners.
“We are experiencing and will continue to experience growth in hotels and venues, visitors and events,” Wilmeth says. “Our community is adding new restaurants and shops as part of our downtown redevelopment. Meanwhile, our mall, lake and various recreational sites are improving and expanding.”
A former Holiday Inn, Decatur’s largest meeting hotel was recently reflagged as Decatur Conference Center and Hotel. Improvements to all 370 guest rooms and a renovation of the main lobby, 55,000 square feet of meeting space and lounge are planned.
The Hampton Inn, Hawthorne Suites and Baymont Inn have all recently completed renovations. The Wingate was recently reflagged as a Holiday Inn Express, and plans are under way to construct an adjacent conference center. A new 82-room Homewood Suites is completing construction in nearby Forsyth.
Decatur Civic Center offers two meeting rooms and a 28,000-square-foot arena.
For More Info
Champaign County CVB 217.351.4133 www.visitchampaigncounty.org
Decatur Area CVB 217.423.7000 www.decaturcvb.com
Peoria Area CVB 309.676.0303 www.peoria.org
Springfield CVB 217.789.2360 www.visit-springfieldillinois.com
