Eastern Iowa’s rivers divide its signature rolling hills, quickly dispelling any notion that the Upper Midwest is “flat.” It offers scenic beauty, a wealth of colleges and universities, corporations ranging from tractor manufacturer John Deere to defense contractor Rockwell Collins, easy interstate access and regional airports in Cedar Rapids and the Quad Cities.
In June 2008, eastern Iowa’s rivers reminded people that they’re more than just picturesque, overflowing their banks and damaging several cities. Thanks to hard work and federal and state aid, however, the rebuilding process is well under way.
Importantly for planners, the floods affected remarkably few conference facilities and hotels, and every CVB official contacted for this article signaled that eastern Iowa has been, is and definitely will be open for meetings business.
Dubuque
Dubuque side-stepped the floods thanks to robust floodwalls that kept the Mississippi within its banks.
Dubuque is a Mississippi River port and manufacturing center where Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois meet. As of 2006, this growing city of 57,000 had a nearly unbeatable lure for new residents: the Midwest’s fastest job growth and the shortest commute time of any U.S. city (11.8 minutes). And in 2008, the America’s River Project, an ongoing $188 million effort to revitalize the Port of Dubuque, spurred the U.S. Conference of Mayors to name Dubuque one of America’s two most livable cities.
The America’s River Project is a 90-acre mixed-use development with a first phase that has included the Mississippi RiverWalk, National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, Star Brewery and Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark, connected to Grand River Center, the city’s main group facility.
Phase two is now under way, including a 92-slip marina, office and retail space, and an expansion of the Diamond Jo Casino, a former riverboat property that as of December moved entirely into a brand-new, land-based facility. The casino includes a 30-lane bowling alley, about 8,000 square feet of meeting space, three restaurants and a live entertainment area that seats 900, according to Keith Rahe, director of the Dubuque Area CVB.
“It’s a way for them to bring a clientele into their facilities that might not otherwise go down and gamble,” he says.
The Grand River Center is Dubuque’s premier meetings venue, and its unique River Room juts out over the city’s RiverWalk, offering views of the Mississippi River.
Meetings-friendly properties include the 135-room Julien Inn, which is undergoing a nearly $30 million renovation scheduled for completion in April. Extensive work will return this full-service gem to its 1914 appearance, including two ballrooms, seven breakout rooms and a spa.
Other choices include the 149-room Best Western Midway and the 193-room Holiday Inn Dubuque/Galena, which is renovating its guest rooms and has meeting space for 350.
Dubuque sits just across the Mississippi from Galena, Ill., the hub of a Napa-like wine and antiquing area filled with bed-and-breakfast properties and inns. Twenty-two miles west of Dubuque is Dyersville, which was the backdrop for the 1989 Kevin Costner movie Field of Dreams. The movie’s baseball diamond has been restored and makes a popular destination for informal group visits between April and November.
Between Dubuque and the Quad Cities lies the picturesque Mississippi River town of Clinton, a former lumber-processing center that has reinvented itself for tourism thanks to its charming Victorian architecture and attractions such as a museum, an arboretum and the Children’s Discovery Center.
Quad Cities
The Quad Cities consists of the communities of Davenport and Bettendorf on the Iowa side and the communities of Moline, East Moline and Rock Island on the Illinois side, all of which face each other across the Mississippi River.
The floods were a minor factor here, and conventions, sports events and festivals took place on schedule and with minimal disruption, says Charlotte Morrison, vice president of marketing and communications at the Quad Cities CVB.
The communities of the Quad Cities work together to host large gatherings.
“The largest event we’ve held was 45,000 women for the International Bowling Congress, including meeting facilities, hotel rooms and sports facilities,” she says, adding that the Quad Cities can easily accommodate 1,400 people to 2,000 people.
In February, Bettendorf’s $20 million convention center, formerly known as the Bettendorf Events Center, will open as the Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center, with a direct connection to the adjacent 514-room Isle of Capri Hotel & Casino, which recently added a new tower.
Other facility options on the Iowa side include Davenport’s River Center, with its 100,000 square feet of flexible space and skywalk to the Radisson Quad City Plaza Hotel; Clarion Hotel Conference Center, also in Davenport; and The Lodge Hotel and Conference Center in Bettendorf.
Dining and entertainment abounds in the Quad Cities, and Morrison especially cites the Freight House complex’s new restaurants, nightclubs and comedy club in Davenport. In addition, Davenport’s Putnam Museum offers science and natural history displays and an IMAX theater; the Figge Art Museum has a variety of interesting exhibits; and the Davenport Skybridge, a 600-foot enclosed glass-and-steel overpass, alternates sweeping river views with an interior light show at night.
Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids continues its comeback from the June floods, and in the meantime the Cedar Rapids Area CVB and many other organizations and agencies have shifted their offices to the nearby Lindale Mall while their downtown digs are renovated.
During the floods, roughly 14 percent of Cedar Rapids—about 10 square miles—was under water, with an estimated $2.4 billion tab for infrastructure repair and to create better flood-management structures, according to Tim Boyle, president of the CVB.
“We use the assets that haven’t been affected, and that’s the bulk of the city—which stayed dry,” says Tim Boyle, president of the CVB, when asked about the city’s comeback plan.
The only hotel properties that were impacted by the floods were the Best Western Cooper’s Mill Hotel, which should reopen soon, and the Five Seasons Crowne Plaza, which reopened within weeks of peak flooding and is also under new management.
In addition, the Czech Slovak Museum & Library successfully relocated to Lindale Mall and the African American Museum plans to reopen on-site this month.
Cedar Rapids also continues a high rate of hotel construction that goes hand-in-hand with its growing population of 120,000. A Hampton Inn is slated to open this spring, and a Homewood Suites extended-stay property is planned next door, adding about 200 guest rooms to the local inventory.
The Cedar Rapids Marriott is a top meetings choice, along with properties such as the Best Western Longbranch Hotel & Convention Center and Clarion Hotel & Convention Center.
In addition, the U.S. Cellular Center Arena continues to host events ranging from ice hockey and roller derby to bridal shows, in addition to large group gatherings. The Cedar Rapids Education and Conference Center is another option for groups.
Popular restaurants such as Blend have reopened, the Piano Lounge offers live music in a piano-cabaret setting, and the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art once again has its Grant Wood collection on display, signs that downtown’s renaissance as a walkable, family-friendly destination is back on track.
Iowa City/Coralville
Situated along the Iowa River, Iowa City and Coralville owe their prosperity to the main campus of the University of Iowa. During the floods last year, their meeting facilities generally suffered less damage than other businesses, the major exception being Hancher Auditorium, a graceful modernist hall that relocated its fall and winter events to several alternate venues.
Downtown Iowa City lies on a bluff well above the river, and visitors can choose from several hotels and bed-and-breakfast properties that are within walking distance of excellent restaurants, cafes and bookstores. On the riverfront, the Iowa Memorial Union offers meeting space, a ballroom and the Bijou movie theater, plus the Iowa House Hotel, which will reopen this month.
In addition, the Coralville Marriott Hotel and Conference Center gained several restaurants thanks to an adjacent mixed-use development; the Coral Ridge Mall and its family-friendly Iowa Children’s Museum were unscathed; and the spacious Iowa River Power Company restaurant has reopened.
Meanwhile, Coralville’s Heartland Inn Iowa City renovated its lobby area, while the Days Inn did the same to its entire first floor. Additionally, the Sheraton Iowa City will undergo a major $11 million renovation of its lobby and guest rooms this year, with completion slated for September.
Another meetings-friendly hotel is the hip hotelVetro in Iowa City, and in the nearby town of Riverside is the Riverside Casino and Golf Resort, featuring an events center, golf and a spa.
Amana Colonies
Twenty miles west of Iowa City and Coralville, the Amana Colonies, which were minimally disrupted during the floods, hearken back to the area’s first German settlers. The colonies consist of several small villages that have consciously retained their 19th century heritage. Today, their craft shops, restaurants and 26,000 acres of farmland draw those seeking a break from 21st century life, creating an ideal environment for board meetings and retreats.
A Holiday Inn near Interstate 80 can handle up to 300 people, Zuber’s Homestead Hotel has 15 rooms, and the Amana Colonies Golf Course offers dining, beautiful scenery and meeting space for 18 people.
Cedar Falls/Waterloo
Cedar Falls and Waterloo were also left relatively unscathed following last year’s floods.
The economies of both cities center on agriculture, processing, manufacturing and the University of Northern Iowa. The two cities are served by Waterloo Regional Airport and coordinate closely to attract meetings business, says Kim Burger, manager of the Cedar Falls Visitors and Tourism Bureau.
“In fact, we gather all our hotel managers every month to talk about larger citywide events, including meetings and sporting events.”
Burger notes that the university’s UNI-Dome seats up to 20,000 people, while the McLeod Center arena seats 7,000 people. In addition, the Park Place Event Centre’s position astride two major regional highways draws association meetings and other statewide and regional gatherings.
Cedar Falls also benefits from a charming downtown that the National Trust for Historic Preservation has recognized as a Great American Main Street.
Holiday Inn Cedar Falls-University Plaza recently completed a renovation to its exterior, entrance and lounge area.
Waterloo is welcoming new developments as part of River Renaissance, a large-scale effort to improve areas along the Cedar River. River Renaissance includes a Riverwalk Loop downtown, which connects with regional trail systems; Cedar River Plaza & Amphitheatre, featuring a 44,000-square-foot promenade; and the Phelps Youth Pavilion, an interactive art museum that also offers meeting space.
The city’s largest meetings venue is the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center, a 40,000-square-foot facility linked via skyway to the Ramada Hotel. The convention center is named for five local brothers who died in the World War II sinking of the USS Juneau.
It’s no coincidence that in November, Waterloo also opened the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum to tell the stories of Iowans’ service in U.S. wars and peacekeeping, raising Waterloo’s profile as a gathering place for military or retiree groups.
“It’s really a great-looking building architecturally, and everyone has a [relative] who has been involved in these efforts,” says Brooke Burnham, director of convention development at the Waterloo CVB.
At press time, a new Holiday Inn Express was scheduled to open by the end of 2008, featuring “green” appliances and recycled or recyclable materials.
Other meetings-ready properties include the Isle of Capri Hotel & Casino, the Country Inn & Suites Waterloo and the Heartland Inn-Crossroads.
Burlington
Burlington, situated in the southeastern corner of Iowa on the banks of the Mississippi River, quickly repaired damage from last year’s floods, with few major group venues significantly impacted.
With its myriad facilities, Pzazz Entertainment Complex is one of the destination’s most popular draws for leisure travelers and business groups. Aside from a golf course, the indoor and outdoor waterparks of FunCity and numerous dining options, the complex boasts Pzazz Resort Hotel, Catfish Bend Inn & Spa, Catfish Bend Casino and Pzazz Convention and Event Center.
Comfort Suites Hotel and Conference Center is another meetings-friendly property in town.
During free time, the city entertains attendees with attractions such as an inviting riverfront area, several parks, well-preserved historic buildings and recreational activities like boating, jet skiing and riverboat cruising.
West of Burlington, the community of Ottumwa sits on the banks of the Des Moines River and offers groups small-town charm complemented by cultural and recreational attractions. The city’s new 92,000-square-foot Bridge View Center is a multipurpose convention and events facility that stages a wide range of group functions and a variety of entertainment offerings.
For More Info
Amana Colonies CVB 319.622.7622 www.amanacolonies.com
Cedar Falls Visitors and Tourism Bureau 319.268.4266 www.cedarfallstourism.org
Cedar Rapids Area CVB 319.398.5009 www.cedar-rapids.com
Clinton CVB 563.242.5702 www.clintoniowatourism.com
Dubuque Area CVB 563.557.9200 www.traveldubuque.com
Greater Burlington CVB 319.752.6365 www.visit.burlington.ia.us
Iowa City/Coralville CVB 319.337.6592 www.iowacitycoralville.org
Ottumwa CVB 641.682.3465 www.ottumwaiowa.com
Quad Cities CVB 563.322.3911 www.visitquadcities.com
Waterloo CVB 319.233.8350 www.travelwaterloo.com
