In the east central region of Wisconsin, there is harmony between cities such as Green Bay, Appleton and Sheboygan and scenic rural countryside. There is balance between land and water, with the presence of several large lakes and rivers, which in turn provide abundant opportunities for both golf and fishing. For those who are excited by gridiron action, there are the Green Bay Packers. For nature lovers, there is Kettle Moraine State Forest. It is a region that produces both wine and cheese, and beer and bratwurst.
The destination seems designed to be a flawless backdrop for a meeting balanced splendidly between business and leisure.
Green Bay
Famous for and fiercely proud of the Packers, Green Bay boasts far more than a football team so successful it earned the city the nickname of "Titletown" for the number of championships it’s won. Wineries, museums, highly rated golf courses and fishing adventures await groups in the state’s oldest city.
There’s also plenty to draw the attention of meeting planners. In terms of inventory, the metro area has a total of 4,300 hotel rooms. Green Bay’s KI Convention Center is the largest convention venue in northeast Wisconsin. Connected to the Hotel Sierra, the downtown center offers more than 45,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and 19 breakout rooms.
The city is also renowned for its friendliness and affordability.
"Green Bay is a special place," says Beth Peters, director of sales at the Greater Green Bay CVB. "It has many of the big-city amenities, but has the charm and friendliness of a small town. Visitors are surprised—probably because we are home to an NFL franchise--that we are not bigger. Two major selling points for planners are the affordability of our meeting facilities and hotels and the safety of our community."
A strong focus on service and hospitality is also a big draw.
"Planners always seem to mention how easy it is to bring a meeting or convention to our city," Peters says. "Our meeting facilities, along with the CVB, always go the extra mile to ensure the success of the meetings and conventions that are held in our city. The complimentary service program we offer is always appreciated by meeting planners."
Apart from the convention center, there are several heavy hitters among the meetings hotels and resorts. Radisson Hotel & Conference Center offers 400 guest rooms and 30,000 square feet of meeting space. The conference center at Tundra Lodge Resort & Waterpark measures more than 25,000 square feet. Comfort Suites Hotel & Rock Garden Conference Center has more than 20,000 square feet of meeting space. Fox Hills Resort in nearby Mishicot combines 336 guest rooms with 15,000 square feet of meeting space and 45 holes of golf.
Meanwhile, several popular attractions double as fantastic off-site venues.
Lambeau Field, home of the Packers, is an ideal choice. Groups can soak in football history during stadium tours or visits to the team’s Hall of Fame. The arena can accommodate events as large as 1,500 in its many flexible spaces.
The National Railroad Museum preserves and displays more than 70 locomotives and railcars, 15,000 photographs and negatives, and thousands of artifacts pertaining to the history of railway travel in the U.S. The museum’s Lenfestey Center makes a memorable backdrop for groups as large as 325.
There are plenty of ways to relax after-hours, too. A few of the top-rated golf courses in the area include Brown County Golf Course in Oneida; Crystal Springs Golf Course in Seymour; and Mid-Vallee Golf Course in De Pere, offering 27 holes and banquet space for 175.
Just west of Green Bay, the Oneida Nation provides an array of opportunities for groups. Oneida Casino offers 24-hour gaming, including poker, table games and off-track betting. Oneida Museum presents exhibits relating to tribal culture and history, including exciting performances of traditional dances. Oneida Adventure arranges team-building excursions such as kayaking, caving, climbing challenges and GPS hunts.
Planners can look forward to returning to Green Bay to enjoy more of what makes it a great meetings destination.
"We are a destination focused on the future," Peters says. "We are currently working on an expansion of our KI Convention Center and an exposition hall expansion, along with growing our sports facilities."
Door County
Planners choose Door County for quality, not quantity. With a maximum group size topping out at 125, the focus here is leisure, and gatherings tend to be high-end board meetings and retreats.
Known as the "Cape Cod of the Midwest," Door County is located 40 minutes northeast of Green Bay on a peninsula 50 miles long and 15 miles wide. Its particular shape gifts the county with 322 miles of shoreline dotted with lighthouses, golf courses, wineries and sleepy villages. Protected from the encroachment of chain businesses, visitors can look forward to one-of-a-kind experiences in every restaurant and shop.
"The unique attribute of Door County is that it remains the same as it was many years ago," explains Jack Moneypenny, president and CEO of the Door County Visitor Bureau.
"The essence of our brand is relaxation and restoration in a maritime experience," he says. "When meetings are done for the day, we have 11 great golf courses, charter fishing and great state parks. It’s a great place to lose yourself for a few hours and come back refreshed."
Larger meeting resorts include Landmark Resort in Egg Harbor, with 294 suites and more than 10,000 square feet of meeting space; Wagon Trail Resort in Ellison Bay, with 93 guest rooms and more than 7,500 square feet of meeting space; and Gordon Lodge in Baileys Harbor, with 40 guest rooms and more than 5,000 square feet of event space.
There is a great deal to attract attendees. Cuisine is a draw, with fish boils a specialty, as are pies made from the cherries and other fruit of the county’s many orchards. Four of the 10 historic lighthouses can be easily visited: Cana Island Lighthouse, Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, Canal Station Lighthouse and Baileys Harbor Range Lights.
No one should visit Door County without getting out onto the water. There are dozens of fishing charter companies offering expert guides and all equipment groups might need.
Lake Winnebago
Wisconsin’s largest lake covers nearly 140,000 acres and offers 88 miles of shoreline. The communities lining its shores and tributaries feature well-preserved architecture dating from their years as the center of a prosperous lumber and paper industry. Lake Winnebago itself is a boating and fishing paradise, and lake cruises and private charters are plentiful.
The Fox Cities of Appleton and Neenah on the Fox River offer a total of more than 3,100 guest rooms. Meeting hotels include Radisson Paper Valley Hotel, the largest meeting space in the area, with 37,000 square feet; Best Western Bridgewood Resort Hotel & Conference Center, Holiday Inn Neenah Riverwalk and Hilton Garden Inn in Kimberly.
The future may bring a major asset to planners, as the Fox Cities CVB has been conducting promising preliminary research on a convention center project.
The Fox Cities area offers a variety of indoor and outdoor diversions for visitors. Golf is a popular activity, and areas such as High Cliff State Park are top choices for scenic fairways overlooking Lake Winnebago. The area is also known for shopping, with Appleton’s Fox River Mall offering 180 stores.
The city of Oshkosh, located along the western shore of Lake Winnebago, is celebrating a $2.9 million renovation of its Oshkosh Convention Center in early 2009. The project entailed a complete facelift and technology upgrade. Overlooking the Fox River, the facility provides 18,000 square feet of flexible event space.
"With the reopening of the renovated Oshkosh Convention Center and having facilities like The Waters and the EAA AirVenture grounds, we have unlimited potential to be the best midsize meeting destination in Wisconsin and even the Midwest," says Brittani Von Ruden, marketing manager at the Oshkosh CVB. "We have a great central location in the state and a strong CVB and community to support future development in the meetings and events market."
Larger meeting spaces include the 176-room Oshkosh City Center Hotel, the Gruenhagen Conference Center at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, with 35,000 square feet of conference space, or Sunnyview Exposition Center, with a 31,000-square-foot expo building.
For great off-site choices, try EAA Aviation Center, the Grand Opera House or Paine Art Center and Gardens.
"We always hear from planners that our services are unmatched and that our hospitality is impeccable," Von Ruden says. "The reason we have so many events and meetings coming back to Oshkosh year after year is because not only is the CVB helpful and hospitable, but the community is friendly and welcoming."
Situated at the south end of the lake, the picturesque city of Fond du Lac has an inventory of more than 1,000 guest rooms. Meeting spaces are suitable for smaller groups. Top draws include three championship golf courses.
Heidel House in nearby Green Lake offers meeting space for groups as large as 400, plus a spa and a charter yacht.
Sheboygan
Further proof of Wisconsin’s uncanny knack for balance, Sheboygan is home to competitions of both the quietest sport (golf) and the loudest (auto racing).
"Sheboygan County is recreationally and aesthetically diverse for visitors and business meetings and conventions," says Dee Olsen, executive director of the Sheboygan County COC. "Unique to the area are the incredible recreational trails overlooking the sand dunes of beautiful Lake Michigan. An attractive marina and breathtaking lakefront continues to develop. There are 22 fishing charter companies that run daily fishing tours, and Elkhart Lake’s Road America is the fastest permanent natural road racing circuit, with over 4,000 miles of track on 640 acres."
Golf is taking center stage with a prominent national event planned for next year.
"With three major golf events held on the Kohler courses, Sheboygan County is preparing for the 2010 PGA Championship," Olsen says. "I like to refer to Sheboygan County as the ‘Mecca of Golf.’ World-renowned Whistling Straits challenges the very best of golfers. We have five nationally recognized courses in Sheboygan County."
The city’s largest meeting space is Blue Harbor Resort & Conference Center, with 183 guest suites and 17,000 square feet of meeting space.
Farther inland, standout options include Destination Kohler’s AAA Five Diamond American Club and Inn on Woodlake, as well as The Osthoff Resort, situated along Elkhart Lake.
