Like clockwork, Iowa ascends to the national stage every four years as presidential candidates handshake their way across the state.
But don’t let all those pancake breakfasts obscure this fact: Eastern Iowa’s beautiful landscapes and culture-filled cities are ready to welcome non-presidential contenders year-round.
Dubuque
The Mississippi river port of Dubuque is one of those rare places that has actually experienced job growth recently. Two years ago, IBM noticed all of Dubuque’s pluses—high marks in almost every livability category, including short commute time, cultural facilities and access to transportation—and created about 1,500 new jobs here, according to Keith Rahe, president of the Dubuque Area CVB.
"We continue to win award after award for great place to work or live," he says, adding that the IBM coup "not only helps with our workforce, but they bring in a lot of other people for training and conferences."
Reinvestment in the community is another factor in Dubuque’s success, particularly the America’s River Project to revitalize the Port of Dubuque. Now in its third phase, America’s River has already produced the $40 million National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, an expansion of the meetings-friendly Diamond Jo Casino, the Mississippi RiverWalk, Star Brewery and Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark, all of which are near the city’s Grand River Center.
Phase three will create a trail system that connects with the Mines of Spain, a former lead-mining area that is now a conservation area and state park, and run west to Dyersville, site of the "field of dreams" from the Kevin Costner movie of the same name.
"We continue to work hard to bring back and develop the riverfront, not just for delegations and groups but for individual travelers," Rahe says, adding that 2010’s cross-state Ragbrai bicycle ride ended here in July.
The boutique Hotel Julien Dubuque is now open on Dubuque’s main street and includes meeting space, Caroline’s Restaurant and the full-service Potosa Spa.
Other meetings-friendly properties include the Grand Harbor Resort, Holiday Inn, Midway Best Western and Hilton Garden Inn.
Midway between Dubuque and the Quad Cities is Clinton, a modest city of 25,000 that boasts meetings-friendly venues such as the Wild Rose Resort, Regency Inn & Conference Center, Country Inn & Suites and Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites.
Quad Cities
Davenport and Bettendorf are the Iowa half of the Quad Cities, which also include the Illinois cities of Moline and Rock Island. The four jurisdictions work together closely—and with rapidly growing East Moline—to offer amenities normally seen in much larger jurisdictions. In fact, the Quad Cities are the largest market between Minneapolis and St. Louis, says Lynn Hunt, vice president of sales at the Quad Cities CVB.
"Looking at the [2011] calendar, we are seeing fewer corporate meetings scheduled thus far but are seeing an increase in the SMERF market," Hunt says.
The Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf has 24,000 square feet of meeting space and connects with the 514-room Isle Casino and Hotel, which features six meeting rooms. In addition, the RiverCenter/Adler Theatre complex in downtown Davenport connects directly with the Radisson Quad City Plaza, the theater and, since December, the historic Hotel Blackhawk, newly updated with a restaurant, upscale shopping and Bix Bistro.
The Quad Cities CVB has launched Experience Quad Cities, which focuses on arts, cultural and heritage experiences available in the destination. Highlights on the Iowa side include Figge Art Museum, the ultra-modern Putnam Museum and IMAX Center, and the glass and concrete Davenport Skybridge in Davenport, while Bettendorf offers the interactive Family Museum, Splash Landing waterpark and Duck Creek Recreation Trail.
Cedar Rapids
In the past year, Cedar Rapids has noticeably picked up the pace of rebuilding from the 2008 floods.
This year, the city will start building a convention center that will augment the existing US Cellular Center. The facility is scheduled for a February 2013 opening. Meanwhile, Cedar Rapids will take over the adjacent Crowne Plaza Hotel, renovate it and reopen it in February 2013. The $65 million in projects will allow the city to compete on a significantly larger meetings playing field than ever before, says Marilee Fowler, president of the Cedar Rapids Area CVB.
"It’ll be our opportunity as a CVB—once we have the details out there—to be selling these new facilities for 2013 and beyond," Fowler says.
In July 2010, the Iowa Historical Society certified an area in downtown Cedar Rapids as the Grant Wood Cultural District, honoring the artist who resided in Cedar Rapids. The new designation highlights the area’s high concentration of cultural, entertainment and historical facilities. The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, home to the world’s largest collection of artwork by Wood, reopened in 2009 following repairs after the 2008 floods. Groups can tour Wood’s studio a few blocks from the museum.
Meanwhile, the Hotel at Kirkwood Center, located at Kirkwood Community College, is a unique new lodging choice run by instructors and students from the college’s hospitality career center. It also has a restaurant, meeting and classroom space, and labs for culinary students.
Other meetings-friendly properties include the Howard Johnson Cedar Rapids Hotel, Cedar Rapids Marriott and The Longbranch Hotel.
Amana Colonies
Located about 20 miles west of Iowa City, the Amana Colonies encompass seven villages that retain much of the feel of their mid-19th century German-American origins. The villages, especially Amana itself, showcase 19th and 20th century arts and crafts, often with levels of workmanship that have vanished elsewhere.
The colonies’ roughly 26,000 acres make for highly scenic driving and walking, while meetings-friendly properties include a Holiday Inn near Interstate 80, Zuber’s Homestead Hotel and the Amana Colonies Golf Course, which has a restaurant plus meeting space.
Iowa City/Coralville
Iowa City and neighboring Coralville are fueled by the sprawling University of Iowa—especially the university’s medical campus, whose specialists attract visitors from around the U.S., and Kinnick Stadium, where the school’s football team plays.
Iowa City’s downtown packs restaurants such as One Twenty Six and bookstores such as Prairie Lights into a compact area, while nearby Coralville offers more restaurants and shops. Cultural events occur at venues such as the Englert Theatre and Iowa Memorial Union.
The recession may have dampened local meetings business slightly, but numbers appear to be picking up, says Anissa Wolfe, director of sales at the Iowa City/Coralville CVB.
"I think with the economy things maybe slowed down a little bit but certainly never stopped, and you certainly couldn’t tell from the football season," she says.
In mid-2010 the Sheraton Iowa City finished a renovation of its meeting space, guest rooms and lobby, and a new 100-room Homewood Suites property will open in summer 2012. The Coralville Marriott is the area’s other major meetings-friendly property.
In addition, a new performing arts center that will host a combination of theater, chamber music and other cultural events is under construction across from Coralville City Hall.
Waterloo/Cedar Falls
Cedar Falls and Waterloo are neighbors along the Cedar River.
Waterloo’s largest meeting facility is the Five Sullivans Convention Center, which is attached to a 228-room Ramada via skywalk; attendees can either walk or take a shuttle to surrounding restaurants, bars and retail establishments. In addition, the Isle Casino has meeting space for up to 400.
Groups can also go on industry-centered tours, including visits to the John Deere Museum, which will open in late 2011.
Attractions include Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum and the Grout Museum District, which includes the Grout Museum of History & Science, Bluedorn Science Imaginarium and Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum.
"We just try to have the attendee have the best overall experience," says Erin Schmitz, director of convention sales at the Waterloo CVB, adding that Waterloo provides up to $20,000 for nonprofits holding meetings in the destination.
Waterloo and neighboring Cedar Falls collaborate on several fronts.
"We’ve hosted several national events and have added a lot of new hotels in the metro area to accommodate national events," says Kim Burger, manager of the Cedar Falls Visitors and Tourism Bureau.
Cedar Falls was named among the National Historic Trust’s "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" and has twice been a "Great American Main Street."
"Our downtown area is a real draw," she says. "It’s a serpentine main street that’s curved, so that slows traffic and provides for some nice gathering spaces [where] we have public art."
Cedar Falls is home to the University of Northern Iowa and hosts sporting and cultural activities at the 20,000-seat UNI-Dome and 7,000-seat McLeod Center.
The Park Place Event Centre completes the bill of major meeting facilities, and lodging options include the Holiday Inn University Plaza, Wingate by Wyndham, Comfort Suites, Days Inn, Country Inn & Suites and historic Blackhawk Hotel.
Paul D. Kretkowski writes frequently about travel, food and sports. He is also the founder of Beacon, a blog about foreign policy.
