Scenic lake and riverside venues, hip college towns and easy access to downtown Chicago at a fraction of big-city costs are just three of the benefits of meeting in Northern Indiana. Affordability should put the region on the radar of any planner trying to make the most of a shrinking budget, and universities and minor-league franchises provide abundant sports facilities for youth athletic tournaments. With surprising diversity, cultural and outdoor opportunities and interesting historic off-site venues, Northern Indiana offers a true bargain without feeling like one.
South Bend/Mishawaka
Located near the northern border of Indiana with Michigan, South Bend is the center of the region known as Michiana and the home of the University of Notre Dame. Besides the Fighting Irish, the city sports the picturesque, north-flowing St. Joseph River and a number of unique museums.
Recent years have seen a boom in development for the South Bend/Mishikawa area, especially in hotel growth and renovation and in mixed-use developments in key meetings districts.
Eddy Street Commons is a perfect example. A new construction on the south side of the University of Notre Dame campus, the development features a new Fairfield Inn and Suites, restaurants and retail stores. The commons will prove a boon to meetings at nearby Notre Dame Conference Center.
Rather than focusing just on what’s new, however, the CVB is keen to show planners the big picture.
"South Bend/Mishawaka is the meeting center of northern Indiana/southwest Michigan," says Carolyne Wallace, director of sales at the South Bend/Mishawaka CVB. "It offers everything a planner is looking for: a wide variety of meeting venues, including the downtown convention center; a grand 1928 restored ballroom, university conference centers on several different campuses; conference hotels; and unique museums with meeting space. South Bend/Mishawaka is the region’s economic seat, retail and dining center, and transportation hub."
Century Center is the city’s largest convention space, with 75,000 square feet. University of Notre Dame Conference Center has 40,000 square feet. South Bend Marriott, Holiday Inn Downtown South Bend and Gillespie Conference and Special Event Center also offer space for meetings. Meetings hotels in Mishawaka include Hyatt Place South Bend/Mishawaka and a Comfort Suites.
Groups can step into the past with an event at one of South Bend’s elegant, historic off-site venues. The Palais Royale Ballroom opened in 1922 as a big band dance hall. Its opulent decor is fresh from a recent multimillion-dollar restoration, and the property can welcome 400 guests.
The Northern Indiana Center for History hosts an array of venues, from the manicured gardens and 60-person carriage house of the gracious Oliver Mansion to 125-seat Wiekamp Auditorium and two formal galleries.
Groups can also meet outside the hustle and bustle of the city at nearby resorts. Swan Lake Golf Resort in Plymouth offers more than 20,000 square feet of meeting space.
Upper Northwest
Attractions along Lake Michigan’s southern shores in northwest Indiana range from casino action to outdoor activities on the lake to delectable agritourism opportunities. Bigger cities in the area, known as the South Shore, include Gary, Hammond and Merrillville, as well as numerous smaller communities. Location is a serious advantage; downtown Chicago is just 25 miles away.
"The South Shore offers the convenience of a big city with affordable prices and a beautiful backdrop on the southern shores of Lake Michigan," says Heather Becerra, director of sales and marketing at the South Shore CVA. "Because we are centrally located in the Midwest, it is easy to get to from a number of major interstates. We also have numerous attractions, including the Indiana Dunes and Lake Michigan, and we are only 20 minutes from downtown Chicago. Our world-class attractions include a candy factory, five lakefront casinos, a dairy farm and much more."
Larger meeting facilities include the The Venue, a flexible 90,000-square-foot space at the Horseshoe Hammond Casino; the Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza, with 30,000 square feet; the Hilton Garden Inn Merrillville; Hammond’s Ramada Inn & Conference Center; and Best Western Northwest Indiana Inn. The 7,000-square-foot Calumet Conference Center at Purdue University will be closing this summer.
The Gary Aquatorium, a National Historic Landmark, can welcome gatherings as large as 300. Located on the beach at Marquette Park, the facility offers a breathtaking view of Lake Michigan, a garden suitable for outdoor events and the Tuskegee Wing, celebrating the bravery of the World War II African American aviators.
The stately Romanesque and Georgian-style Lake County Courthouse rises above downtown Crown Point. The historic building offers three spaces capable of welcoming approximately 200, as well as a 6,000-square-foot museum dedicated to the county’s fascinating history.
In nearby LaPorte County, Blue Chip Casino & Hotel in Michigan City is a meetings favorite. The property, home to a new 23-story hotel, spa and convention center, features 486 guest rooms, two ballrooms, 14 meeting rooms, a 15,000-square-foot exhibit area and a state-of-the-art boardroom.
Fort Wayne/Allen County
The second-largest city in Indiana and the home of Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, Fort Wayne offers value for the money and an impressive inventory of sporting venues.
"Planners love our affordable average daily rate, $80, which is tough to beat," says Dan O’Connell, president and CEO of the Fort Wayne/Allen County CVB. "We are also known for our outstanding community resources, museums and amenities that offer off-site experiences that set our meetings apart from others."
Home to seven minor-league sports franchises and recently named the No. 1 minor-league sports city in America, Fort Wayne combines affordability with top facilities to draw youth sports tournaments.
"We offer a very tight, cohesive package," O’Connell says. "Two outstanding hotels are attached to our newly expanded, 100,000-square-foot [Grand Wayne] convention center, and we offer a second facility at our Memorial Coliseum, which features another 100,000 square feet of exhibit space. We have a world-class arena, a 5,000-spot parking lot and more—perfect for large gatherings and sporting events."
Parkview Field, built in 2009 as the new home of Minor League Baseball’s Fort Wayne Tincaps, offers a stadium with more than 8,000 seats located across the street from the convention center. Additionally, Hefner Soccer Complex offers 14 fields and a 2,000-seat stadium.
Meetings hotels include Fort Wayne Marriott, Holiday Inn IPFW and the Hilton attached to the Grand Wayne Center.
Interesting off-site venues include the Allen County Public Library Genealogy Center, the nation’s second-largest genealogy library, which can host as many as 378, and the historic Embassy Theatre, which can accommodate groups of 275 for receptions.
North of Fort Wayne, Potawatomi Inn Resort & Conference Center in Angola can host events as large as 600.
Kosciusko County
Fishing and boating on any of 100 lakes, agritourism at dozens of orchards and farms, golf and geocaching are just a few ways to enjoy Kosciusko County. Warsaw is also an important center in the development and manufacture of orthopedics, with five companies headquartered there.
The county is also a lively arts center, with more than a dozen galleries and its own arts community, the Village at Winona, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Meeting space is available at Ramada Plaza Warsaw, Brook Pointe Inn in Syracuse and Wawasee Episcopal Center.
West Lafayette/Lafayette
Just an hour north of Indianapolis and two hours south of Chicago, West Lafayette and Lafayette are easily accessible via daily shuttle services from Indianapolis International and Chicago’s O’Hare airports. Add affordability, the cultural and infrastructure advantages of a Big 10 university and an exciting history, and you have an enticing meetings destination.
"Purdue University brings people from all around the world, which in turn draws a wide variety of [ethnic] restaurants and events throughout the year," says Jo Wade, president of the Lafayette-West Lafayette CVB. "Not only do we constantly have a variety of cultural events and nightlife to choose from, we are also an area steeped in history. We are home to the Tippecanoe Battlefield and Museum, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the site where William Henry Harrison and Tecumseh’s Warriors battled at the start of the War of 1812."
Among the larger meeting venues are the 6,000-seat Elliott Hall of Music, Purdue Memorial Union and hotels including University Plaza Hotel, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Courtyard by Marriott, Holiday Inn City Centre and Best Western Executive Plaza & Conference Center.
Local attractions that offer meeting space include Historic Prophetstown, a 1920s-era working farm, and Wolf Park, an educational facility dedicated to the wild canids. Meanwhile, Peoples Brewing Company recently opened a new taproom that can welcome group tastings of its handcrafted microbrews.
Muncie
Nicknamed Middletown, USA for its all-American character, Muncie is home to Ball State University and Ball Corporation, famous originally for its glass jars, but now also a manufacturer of avionics and space systems.
"Muncie is known for great service for conventions and other functions and is extremely competitive in pricing," says Shonda Kane, manager of convention and marketing sales at the Muncie Visitors Bureau. "Muncie is within a day’s drive of 68 percent of the nation’s population and one hour from three international airports."
Meeting venues include Horizon Convention Center, with 47,000 square feet of function space, the Cornerstone Center for the Arts, the Signature Inn, Lee’s Inn, Comfort Inn & Suites and Hampton Inn & Suites.
Ball State University can host events as large as 4,000. Facilities available for rental include Worthen Arena, Emens Auditorium, Pittenger Center and the alumni center.
Art lovers will enjoy visiting Ball State University Museum of Art, Cornerstone Center for the Arts and 15 downtown galleries. Another unique attraction is the National Model Aviation Museum at the Academy of Model Aeronautics. The museum houses the nation’s largest collection of model aircraft.
Freelance writer Kelly Crumrin grew up in Illinois and Indiana.
