There’s something inspiring about river cities. Take Omaha, Neb., proclaimed the “Gateway to the West” in the mid-19th century when it played the pivotal role of transportation hub for westward migration. Through waves of pioneers from many nations, fortunes made and lost and remade, and the rise and fall of industries, each era has left its marks on a city proud of its history and even prouder of its future.
Next-door neighbor Council Bluffs, Iowa, may be smaller, but it boasts the glitz of gaming as well as new hotel developments around its convention center.
Facing each other across the Missouri River and brought closer than ever by a striking new footbridge, Omaha and Council Bluffs go beyond the basics of value, convenience and drawing power to create memorable gatherings.
Omaha
From the pioneer period through the jazz era up to today’s cultural and architectural renaissance, Omaha has always been a crossroads of cultures and ideas as well as industry and products. Each generation finds new ways to put the “aha!” in Omaha.
“Omaha’s creative spirit is infectious,” says Dana Markel, executive director of the Omaha CVB. “You can see and feel it as you explore Omaha—from dozens of public art displays spread throughout the city to contemporary art centers, award-winning Smithsonian museums and hands-on interactive art houses.”
For tangible proof of the city’s inspirational powers, look no further than its plans for ongoing development.
“Currently, the city is developing a downtown master plan that includes the possibility of street cars, an additional convention hotel and an expanded entertainment district filled with unique retail and dining options, more development along the riverfront and the creation of an art district that will offer interactive activities for visitors,” Markel says. “As Omaha plans for the future, an important component in the thought process is how best to grow the city as a convention and leisure destination.”
Besides the iconic new 3,000-foot pedestrian bridge that makes it possible to walk across the river to Council Bluffs, the latest development in the city was the groundbreaking for a new 24,000-seat baseball stadium in January. The $128 million project will reach completion in early 2011 and is expected to further define downtown as a destination.
Downtown is already hopping with 2,000 hotel rooms and several of the city’s major convention venues.
Qwest Center offers 250,000 square feet of exhibition space and a 17,000-seat arena. Connected by skywalk, Hilton Omaha adds 450 guest rooms and 30,000 square feet of meeting space. The Hilton is also Nebraska’s only AAA Four Diamond hotel.
Within walking distance, the 24-room Embassy Suites Hotel Omaha–Downtown/Old Market offers 12,500 square feet of meeting space. Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Omaha–Downtown, fresh from a renovation project, offers 414 guest rooms and 35,000 square feet of meeting space. The 145-room Omaha Magnolia Hotel has 6,000 square feet of meeting space.
In Central Omaha, Holiday Inn Omaha Hotel and Convention Center has 383 guest rooms and 61,000 square feet of event space.
On the west side of the city, the recently upgraded, 300-room Omaha Marriott offers 12,000 square feet of meeting space, and the Crowne Plaza Omaha Old Mill has 223 guest rooms and more than 11,000 square feet of meeting space.
A 45-minute drive away, the Lied Lodge and Conference Center offers 144 guest rooms, more than 14,000 square feet of function space and an Arnold Palmer-designed golf course.
Apart from its inspiring atmosphere and ample hospitality portfolio, Omaha prides itself on offering planners maximum value through top service and easy accessibility. Eppley International Airport is just five minutes from downtown, and most downtown hotels provide complimentary roundtrip shuttles, which makes it easier on the pocketbook.
“In addition to its central location, groups continually tell us Omaha has a special way of customizing the city just for them,” Markel says. “The city makes every conference large or small feel like it’s the only game in town. Omaha’s strong team approach, based on an open, honest and solid relationship with our hotel and attraction industry, is a big positive. It gives planners confidence and makes their jobs easier.”
Many of Omaha’s most popular attractions have recently added new features, including the Joslyn Art Museum, Durham Museum, Henry Doorly Zoo and Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha’s Botanical Center.
Banquets and receptions gain an air of refinement at the state’s most prestigious art museum. Joslyn Art Museum houses a collection of more than 11,000 artworks dating from ancient times through the present, with a focus on 19th- and 20th-century European and American art. An array of inspiring spaces can welcome one or several hundred, including a 1,004-seat concert hall, a magnificent, 500-person atrium and a lecture hall seating 140 guests.
Another option is to head for the jungle: Henry Doorly Zoo, which is home to the world’s largest indoor rainforest and an IMAX theater. Meeting spaces include a 312-seat auditorium; an outdoor picnic area for 150 people; and the Desert Dome, Hubbard Gorilla Valley and 70-foot tunnel aquarium, all of which can host 300 people for receptions.
The Old Market is a 12-block historic warehouse district that harkens back to early 1900s Omaha with restored buildings and rustic cobblestone streets. Now a cultural and entertainment hub, the district welcomes shoppers and diners. Several restaurants and art galleries welcome private events, and the neighborhood provides a backdrop with authentic historical flavor.
Groups can also head out on the water to take in the city and its surroundings from a riverboat. The 350-passenger River City Star is available for private cruises. For autumn events, consider a fall foliage tour.
Council Bluffs
Across the river in Iowa, Council Bluffs boasts three casinos, in addition to all the charms of Omaha just minutes away.
“Our location is key,” says Josee Beier, director of convention sales at the Council Bluffs CVB. “How can you beat being across the river from downtown Omaha, the nation’s largest and best zoo and the new pedestrian bridge connecting the best of both worlds? We have easy interstate access from I-29 and I-80, free parking at all our venues and hotels, and we’re just 10 minutes from Eppley International Airport.”
The city’s largest event space is Mid-America Center, which comprises an 8,000-seat arena and 66,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space. The center is located two miles from downtown, connected to a 133-room Country Inn and Suites and near a 151-room Springhill Suites.
Nearby entertainment options include Horseshoe Casino Council Bluffs, which features 68,000 square feet of gambling space with thousands of slot machines and dozens of table games. An adjacent 153-room Hilton Garden Inn with a 3,200-square-foot ballroom will open this fall.
For more gaming action and meeting choices, there are two riverside casinos. The AAA Four Diamond, 160-room Ameristar Casino & Hotel offers a 5,000-square-foot ballroom. Harrah’s Council Bluffs has 251 guest rooms and 21,000 square feet of meeting space.
Nearby, a 186-room Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites and a 98-room Hampton Inn round out the accommodations options.
Hitchcock Nature Center in nearby Honey Creek shelters prairie wildlife found nowhere else in Iowa and boasts a breathtaking skyline view of Omaha. Its Loess Hills Lodge has two meeting rooms capable of accommodating 50 people and 70 people, respectively. Hiking and bird watching are popular activities available for groups.
Located in Council Bluff’s historical downtown, Bayliss Park Hall brings a stately grandeur to events held in its 8,000 square feet of space. The Colonial Revival-style mansion overlooks a beautiful half-acre park and fountain.
Beyond its meeting venues, Council Bluffs also offers the value of its hardworking CVB staff, which looks forward to landing more and bigger meetings than ever before.
“Planners appreciate our outstanding and friendly personal service and ability to help planners come up with new solutions with use of venue space and area transportation,” Beier says. “We are excited to get a larger hotel near the Mid-America Center to accommodate larger conferences. In the future, we see Council Bluffs as a great regional and international meetings destination.”
For More Info
Council Bluffs CVB 712.325.1000 www.councilbluffsiowa.com
Omaha CVB 402.444.4660 www.visitomaha.com
