Wisconsin’s east central region encompasses a diverse mix of communities that offer an array of meetings amenities for everything from executive board retreats to citywide conventions, not to mention myriad diversions; football, lake activities, shopping and golf are only a few of its popular options.
While many planners might think to stray from the Mid-west during winter, East Central Wisconsin—encompassing Green Bay, Door County, the Lake Winnebago area and Sheboygan—is a welcoming four-season meetings destination filled with both indoor attractions and outdoor pursuits the entire calendar year.
Green Bay
It’s a snap to theme an event in “Packer Country” by incorporating Green Bay Packers decor and holding an off-site event at Lambeau Field, according to Beth Peters, director of sales at the Greater Green Bay CVB. She says the football stadium, which also includes shopping and dining options, added an atrium a few years back that can accommodate up to 1,500 people.
“It’s fun for everyone, whether they’re Packers fans or not,” Peters says, adding that a themed agenda could also include a tour of the Packers Hall of Fame and a tailgate party.
But the main meetings host in town is the KI Convention Center, which is connected to the recently renovated Hotel Sierra. In an overflow situation, Holiday Inn and Days Inn properties are situated across the street.
While the vast majority of groups meet downtown, Peters says, some book the Fox Hills Golf Resort & Conference Center, located 30 miles south of Green Bay. Also, an increasingly popular area property is the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center Green Bay, which is uniquely situated directly across the street from Austin Straubel International Airport and attached to the Oneida Bingo & Casino.
Among the activities groups enjoy during off-session hours in the Green Bay area are golf outings at the likes of Thornberry Creek Country Club and Mid Vallee Golf Course; tours of the National Railroad Museum and Heritage Hill State Historical Park, which both have function space; team-building activities via several local outfits, including Oneida Experiential & Adventure Program; and winery visits, including downtown’s Captain’s Walk Winery and nearby Algoma’s von Stiehl Winery, both of which accommodate small group events.
Door County
Surrounded by Lake Michigan and famous for its cherry orchards, Door County is first and foremost a vacation destination, according to Jon Jarosh, spokesperson for the Door County Visitor Bureau.
“One reason we get meetings is because people have vacationed here,” he says, citing several activities both leisure visitors and groups enjoy.
Among them are the Team Leadership Center, which offers year-round fun with on-site ropes courses and off-site kayaking adventures; 11 group-friendly golf courses, including the Alpine Resort Golf Course and Orchards Golf Course, both in Egg Harbor; lighthouse and winery tours via Door County Trolley; and nautical/Washington Island outings via the Island Clipper and Viking Train.
“We do have more going on in the spring, summer and fall, but there’s a lot to do during the winter, too,” Jarosh says, citing cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, more than 100 galleries to browse and Hands On Art Studio.
“The average person can go there and create something,” Jarosh says of Hands On. “They provide ceramics, glass and welding materials, and people are there to help. If you paint a ceramic pot, they’ll fire it and you can pick it up or have it mailed.”
Door County’s largest property is the Landmark Resort, situated near the village of Egg Harbor in a “beautiful location on the top of a bluff overlooking the water,” Jarosh says, also citing Gordon Lodge on North Bay, which recently built a new conference hall, and Wagon Trail Resort & Conference Center, both situated on Lake Michigan.
Lake Winnebago
The picturesque Lake Winnebago area, like Door County, is at once a vacation hot spot and a meetings magnet.
The big news in Oshkosh is the scheduled February 2009 completion of a major renovation of the Oshkosh Convention Center, situated on the water and connected to the Park Plaza Hotel, according to the Oshkosh CVB’s executive director, Wendy Hielsberg.
“We pride ourselves on unique, affordable venues, and we host many non-traditional meetings here year-round,” she adds, citing other meetings-equipped players, including a Hilton Garden Inn property, the Sunnyview Exposition Center and the Gruenhagen Conference Center at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh.
“We host a lot of groups in the summer, when attendees enjoy water excursions like canoeing, dinner cruises and kayaking, and we have more affordable, competitive rates in the winter,” Hielsberg says, explaining that outdoor enthusiasts at that time appreciate the chance to go cross-country skiing, ice fishing, snowshoeing, ice-skating and tobogganing.
Other opportunities for groups meeting in Oshkosh, regardless of the time of year, include taking in a concert at the Grand Opera House, shopping at the Outlet Shoppes at Oshkosh, and visiting or meeting for an off-site event at the Paine Art Center & Gardens.
The Fox Cities area, known as Wisconsin’s shopping place—Appleton’s Fox River Mall alone sports 180 stores—offers plenty of group-friendly accommodations and activities, according to Mae Ibe, director of convention sales at the Fox Cities CVB.
At High Cliff State Park in Sherwood, attendees can cross-country ski during the winter and play 18 holes of golf overlooking Lake Winnebago during spring and summer.
“Golf is a great way to kick off an event,” Ibe says, adding that an emerging game, called disc golf, is fast becoming an area favorite. “A lot of courses are free in our city parks. The object is to get the disc in a metal basket; it’s the same objective and scoring as real golf, but less frustrating.”
The bulk of the area’s meetings-equipped properties are in Neenah, a quaint, walkable town featuring upscale restaurants, boutique shops and Shattuck Park, which has a pavilion for group events; and Appleton, home of Lawrence University and a mini metropolitan hub filled with pubs, coffee shops and entertainment options, including the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, which also hosts off-site events.
Among the area’s top meetings players are the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in downtown Appleton; the Best Western Bridgewood Resort and the Holiday Inn Riverwalk, both in Neenah; and the Liberty Hall Banquet & Conference Center and adjacent Hilton Garden Inn Appleton/Kimberly.
Plus, there are a number of outfits that help make meetings particularly fun and memorable.
“Corporations are always looking for something different, and these places are morale boosters and good icebreakers before a retreat,” Ibe says, citing Appleton-based team-building options at Homestead Meadows Farm and Funset Boulevard, a Hollywood-themed restaurant and entertainment center complete with laser tag and bumper cars.
In Fond du Lac, there are a number of noteworthy opportunities for groups, according to Michael Schmal, CEO of the Fond du Lac Area CVB.
For starters, the CVB operates the only excursion onto Lake Winnebago via Lakeside Spirit, a 49-passenger luxury dinner cruiser. Other must-sees include Kristmas Kringle Shoppe, which boasts one of the largest collections of European glass ornaments in the Midwest; the historic Octagon House, a 1856 landmark with nine secret passageways; Larson’s Famous Clydesdales, home of Reggie, the Clydesdale made popular in Anheuser-Busch advertisements; and Villa Loretta, an assisted care facility run by nuns, complete with Cristo Rey Ranch, featuring llamas, goats, peacocks and other animals, and Nun Better Bakery.
“Villa Loretta really is one of the most unique stops in the area,” Schmal says.
Group-friendly properties in town include Fond du Lac Holiday Inn and the Ramada Plaza Hotel Fond du Lac.
In nearby Green Lake, the Heidel House Resort & Evensong Spa is a premier choice for group gatherings.
Sheboygan County
Sheboygan County is home to standout meetings-ready properties like The Osthoff Resort, located at Elkhart Lake, and Destination Kohler’s AAA Five Diamond American Club, boasting the world-class Whistling Straits golf course. The primary property for meetings in the town of Sheboygan is Blue Harbor Resort & Conference Center, situated on the shores of Lake Michigan, according to Kim Swisher, tourism manager for the City of Sheboygan Tourism Division.
An abundance of off-site facilities and activities round out events in the destination. Among them are the John Michael Kohler Arts Center and the Stephanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts, both of which have versatile function space for receptions and meetings; and Margaux Restaurant, which offers “chef’s table” dining in the kitchen for small groups.
Sheboygan, in fact, is an increasingly well-known culinary destination. Standbys include Seabird Restaurant, located next door to Blue Harbor; Trattoria Stefano for the “most marvelous Italian food,” Swisher says; Il Ritrovo for pizza from a wood-burning stove; and Field to Fork for organic fare.
Swisher adds that Sheboygan is one of the best-known charter fishing destinations in the country, with more than 20 outfits that facilitate group events.
“Sheboygan is also 20 minutes from Elkhart Lake’s Road America, a nationally known racetrack that also offers team-building events including geocaching,” she offers.
For More Info
City of Sheboygan Tourism Division 800.689.0290 www.visitsheboygan.com
Door County Visitor Bureau 920.743.4456 www.doorcountymeetings.com
Fond du Lac Area CVB 920.923.301 0www.fdl.com
Fox Cities CVB 920.734.3358 www.foxcities.org
Greater Green Bay CVB 920.494.9507 www.greenbay.com
Oshkosh CVB 920.303.9200 www.oshkoshcvb.org
Wisconsin Association of CVBs 608.837.6693 www.thinkwisconsin.com
