Nebraska gets to the heart of what planners are looking for in a destination.
"This isn’t New York," says Lesley Brandt, principal and senior meeting planner for Plan It Omaha, a locally based meeting and event firm and destination management company. "We know we aren’t a tier-one destination."
But, she says, the state provides exactly the right formula for successful events: plenty of value, friendly service, a wide variety of attractions and a number of new developments to keep things interesting.
Greater Omaha
On the meetings front, Omaha is proving that it’s in the middle of everything and not only in a literal sense.
Sure, the Midwestern city is equidistant from both coasts, making access a breeze for attendees. But the destination also offers amazing value and revitalized areas. It also knows how to get down to business, as it is home to five Fortune 500 companies, including Berkshire Hathaway, and four Fortune 1,000 headquarters.
"Groups are left wide-eyed by so many aspects of Omaha," Brandt says. "They are continually surprised not only by the ease of access, but how cost-effective we are."
Meetings-ready facilities include downtown’s Qwest Center Omaha Convention Center and Arena, Embassy Suites Downtown, Omaha Marriott, Hilton Omaha and Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center.
The Omaha Holiday Inn Convention Center is now operating under the banner of the CoCo Key Resort-Hotel & Convention Center, Omaha.
The Holiday Inn Downtown Omaha-Airport opened last year with 114 guest rooms and Holiday Bay, a 10,000-square-foot indoor waterpark. The 132-room LEED-certified Element Omaha Midtown Crossing is scheduled to open this December at Mutual of Omaha’s new mixed-use development in Omaha’s historic Midtown neighborhood. The 24,000-seat TD Ameritrade Park, future site of the NCAA Men’s College World Series, is expected to be completed by spring 2011.
Henry Doorly Zoo and the Durham Museum are top off-site options.
"The zoo is a spectacular choice for groups," Brandt notes. "I mean a once-in-a-lifetime type of event," she says. "Groups can dine under a tank filled with sharks or they can mingle in a space overlooking the world’s largest indoor rainforest."
The zoo offers indoor and outdoor spaces for groups, including an IMAX theater and the Garden of the Senses.
Another meetings-friendly city near Omaha is Fremont. The charming downtown includes a number of buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Lincoln
As the capital of the state and home of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln makes attendees feel welcome and safe. Plus, there’s a lot for attendees to do here when meetings are adjourned.
"There are many things that will impress, from our must-see capitol building to the Historic Haymarket, a revitalized arts and entertainment district," says Cindy Lilleoien of Meeting Potential Management Services, based in Lincoln. "There are even some wineries that offer group space and live music."
Lilleoien recommends Apothecary Lofts in the Historic Haymarket, which offers fireplaces and suites for events for to up to 350 people.
Lincoln Haymarket Arena, an indoor arena located in the Haymarket, is slated for completion in 2013. It will be the home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers men’s and women’s basketball teams, and feature event space. It will replace the Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Group-ready options include The Cornhusker, A Marriott Hotel, Embassy Suites Hotel Lincoln, Holiday Inn-Downtown, Residence Inn by Marriott in southeast Lincoln, a Comfort Suites and a Hampton Inn & Suites. The city also offers the Pershing Center, a multipurpose arena.
East of Lincoln in Nebraska City is Lied Lodge and Conference Center, one of the region’s top meetings-ready properties. It is situated on the 260-acre Arbor Day Farm and owned and operated by the Arbor Day Foundation. The IACC-certified property has 144 guest rooms and 14,000 square feet of meeting space.
Columbus/Norfolk/South Sioux City
Northwest of Omaha in the eastern portion of the state are three more group-friendly destinations: Norfolk, South Sioux City and Columbus.
Norfolk is known for its guest service when it comes to groups. The city’s claim to fame is that it is the hometown of the legendary king of late night television, Johnny Carson.
Meetings properties include the Norfolk Lodge and Suites at Divots Conference Center, a Hampton Inn and a Holiday Inn Express. Other event facilities include Time Square Event Center, The Lifelong Learning Center and the Johnny Carson Theater.
In nearby South Sioux City, located along the Missouri River, planners will find several meetings-ready facilities.
The area features a number of attractions that focus on the region’s Native American heritage and natural beauty, including the Woodland Trails Art Center.
Meanwhile, Columbus, a popular haunt of Buffalo Bill Cody, boasts the Andrew Jackson Higgins Memorial, the Platte County Museum and a number of golf courses.
The two main meetings properties in Columbus are the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites and the New World Inn & Conference Center.
Central Nebraska
Central Nebraska’s largest city, Grand Island, boasts the largest wetland ecosystem in the U.S.: the Sand Hills.
Tricia Beem, assistant director of convention and group sales for the Grand Island/Hall County CVB, says some groups work with the Nebraska Nature & Visitor Center.
"We get more groups asking how they can get involved with maintaining our unique ecosystem," Beem says.
Group-ready hotels include a Best Western, three Holiday Inn properties and Howard Johnson Riverside Inn. Heartland Events Center at Fonner Park includes a number of event spaces. Two new exhibition halls were unveiled at Fonner Park this past summer in preparation for the 2010 Nebraska State Fair.
"The new space opens up a lot of business for us," Beem notes.
Off-site choices include Babel’s Barn, the 1911-built Plum Street Station and the 1937-built Grand Theater.
Located in south-central Nebraska, Hastings touts its central location and its Midwestern hospitality.
Major meeting facilities include the Quality Hotel and Convention Center, City Auditorium and Adams County Fairgrounds.
Kearney also boasts a central location, and its meetings properties include the Holiday Inn Hotel and Convention Center and the Ramada Inn and Convention Center, while the Viaero Event Center and the Buffalo County Fairgrounds are two large group venues.
Kearney features a number of attractions, including the Great Platte River Road Archway (which offers group rates and can accommodate receptions of up to 400 people), the Museum of Nebraska Art (known as MONA) and the Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary, which can host groups of up to 125 people.
North Platte is another meetings option, and is the hometown of Buffalo Bill Cody. Groups can check out the largest rail yard in the world, Bailey Yard, and a tower that overlooks the yard includes event space.
Gering/Scottsbluff
Gering and Scottsbluff are twin cities that share the banks of the North Platte River. Groups will find plenty of natural beauty, history and affordability in and around both destinations.
The Gering Civic Center recently expanded its grand ballroom, while the adjacent Monument Inn and Suites and the Hampton Inn and Suites-Scottsbluff Conference Center are among the major group hotels in the area.
Off-site venue choices include Gering’s Five Rocks Amphitheater and Scottsbluff’s recently restored Midwest Theater.
Nature lovers can head to Scotts Bluff National Monument and Wildcat Hills State Recreation Area, featuring hiking and biking trails.
Golfers are well served thanks to Monument Shadows Golf Course in Gering and Scottsbluff’s Riverview Golf and Country Club.
