Milwaukee is on a roll. When your region's airport is tracking record levels of passengers even in winter months, you know something is going right for the destination, according to Brent Foerster, vice president of sales and marketing for Visit Milwaukee. And with upcoming summer festivals, the city expects to rack up more impressive passenger numbers for the second half of 2011.
"Our airport is the big story because it's the fastest-growing in the U.S. with regard to the number of flights in and out," Foerster says. "We are up to 56 markets [with nonstop access] in and out of General Mitchell International Airport."
The Milwaukee Business Journal backs up Foerster's report with stats. The first quarter of 2011 saw 2.2 million passengers at the Mitchell airport, up nearly 3 percent from the same period last year.
One of the reasons for the spike, according to Foerster, is that the Milwaukee region has lower than average airfares than most other airports in the nation—$77 lower than 2010 national averages. Other reasons for the airport's numbers, he says, concern the area's "brand promise" of an urban and suburban destination that's "real," with a location on a Great Lake, excellent meeting facilities and plenty of entertainment options.
"We are easy to get around, people are friendly and genuine, and we are safer than most other cities our size," Foerster says. "Our Midwest, central location, with a fast-growing airport and lots of converging highways, definitely gives us an edge and great value."
Milwaukee
Milwaukee's moniker, "City of Festivals," goes into full swing as the warm season brings in about 1 million people to the annual Summerfest, the largest musical festival in the U.S. during its 11-day midsummer run. Headline acts include country, rock and indie bands, with performances by over 800 musicians on 11 permanent outdoor stages.
In addition to Summerfest, there are a variety of ethnic festivals in Henry W. Maier Festival Park, the 75-acre lakeside headquarters for such events as Bastille Days (French), Polish Fest, German Fest, Festa Italiana and Irish Fest. Private event pavilions and other park venues are available.
"Quite a few business groups like to be around the festivals," Foerster says. "They plan their own side receptions on a reserved section of the festival grounds. Others make a festival their pre- or post-convention draw."
Many Milwaukee business meetings occur at the Frontier Airlines Center, the city's premier meeting facility. With 189,000 square feet of exhibit space, 37,000 square feet of ballroom space and 26 breakout spaces, the center shares a campus with the U.S. Cellular Arena and the Milwaukee Theatre, which add to the facility's space options. Via skywalk, there are over 1,200 guest rooms connecting to the center from the Hilton Milwaukee Center and Hyatt Regency Milwaukee.
The city's wealth of other meetings-ready properties include The Pfister Hotel; InterContinental Milwaukee; Doubletree Hotel Milwaukee City Center; The Knickerbocker on the Lake; Hilton Garden Inn Milwaukee Park Place; The Iron Horse Hotel; Hotel Metro; Wyndham Milwaukee Airport and Convention Center; and Crowne Plaza Milwaukee Airport.
Besides its facilities and festivals portfolio, Milwaukee offers top-shelf cultural lures in places like the Harley-Davidson Museum and The Milwaukee Art Museum, with its stunning winged architecture that embraces Lake Michigan.
Milwaukee's walkable neighborhoods please the adventurous with ethnic temperaments and tastes. One such hood is the Historic Third Ward, where art galleries, restaurants, theaters and shopping stops abound. This is an area dating to the 19th century, where millions in reconstruction and revitalization have made the district a trendy Milwaukee riverside community that's a visitor favorite.
At Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin there are saltwater aquariums, touch tanks and an interactive display, as well as private event venues with views of Lake Michigan and the city.
Some meeting groups also enjoy cruising on the S/V Denis Sullivan, a replica 19th century Great Lakes sailing schooner. Private launches enable passengers to participate in raising canvas and taking the helm. Team-building sails are available on the schooner.
Meeting groups that want to experience the city's brewing heritage opt for The MillerCoors Tour, which transports guests through 150 years of brewing heritage—from Fredrick Miller's 1855 arrival in Milwaukee to the high-speed production methods of today. In summer months, an outdoor beer garden crowns the tour experience.
"We are still a buyer's market," Foerster says, "even though we are stronger this year than last. Next year, 2012, is little soft, so we are offering some great options to those who still have short-term meetings to plan. We just remind folks that though we are not the cheapest destination in the U.S., we are very affordable—among the top 10 most affordable, according to Runzheimer International, and that includes a quality convention center, transportation in and out of a vibrant international airport, and lots on the ground to enjoy."
Brookfield
Suburban serenity awaits meeting attendees that choose suburban Brookfield as their meetings base. This is the place to enjoy fine dining, shopping, outdoor fun and some serious golf, along with Milwaukee's museums, sports events and other diversions.
With over a dozen full-service hotels and spaces for up to 800 attendees, Brookfield is an affordable alternative only minutes from downtown Milwaukee. Included are the Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield Hotel; Doubletree Hotel Brookfield; Brookfield Suites Hotel and Convention Center; and Country Inn and Suites by Carlson.
Before and after business, attendees can experience Brookfield's retail shops and restaurants. Among the 250 local retail options are many national brands, boutiques and antique stores. Others opt for golf on the destination's several courses or taking in baseball, basketball and soccer games.
Waukesha and Pewaukee
Situated between Milwaukee (20 miles away) and Madison (60 miles away), this growing suburban location offers affordability, service and good facility choices for meetings. It's easily accessible from interstates 94 and 43, and from the General Mitchell International Airport, which is only 30 minutes away.
"We are popular with Wisconsin associations," says Tiffany Zamora, marketing manager for the Waukesha & Pewaukee CVB. "They find our location and drive-in access very appealing."
Groups that meet in the destination use sites like Milwaukee Marriott West's 7,550-square-foot Grand Ballroom or the 10,000 square feet of meeting space at Country Springs Hotel Water Park Conference Center, which recently upgraded its executive, governor and presidential suites with new beds, soft goods and lighting. Many suites have balconies that overlook an adjacent golf course and rolling hills.
For smaller meetings, The Clarke Hotel, a luxury boutique property with 1,750 square feet of meeting space, can accommodate meetings of up to 40. Its Wine View Room, which contains hundreds of international and domestic labels, is a venue for intimate private dining in a relaxed atmosphere.
Meanwhile, Holiday Inn Pewaukee/Milwaukee West, formerly The Radisson Pewaukee Hotel, is renovating its front lobby and performing guest room enhancements.
Off-site choices in the destination include Old World Wisconsin, which celebrates the 19th century immigration. Its Clausing Barn Upper Loft seats up to 175 in an octagonal barn, and Clausing Barn Restaurant seats up to 750 for casual dining, with patio access.
Ten Chimneys is a historic estate with antique maple floors, theatrical lighting and vintage photographs of its former celebrity owners, Joan Fontaine and Alfred Lunt. Its Program Hall offers floor-to-ceiling views of the estate's sheltering oak trees and hosts up to 300 for receptions.
"Meeting planners find our suburban entertainment options attractive as well," Zamora says.
One of the most popular districts for locals and visitors alike, according to Zamora, is Historic Downtown Waukesha, with its variety of restaurants, shopping and antique malls.
"It's a lively community that features many media and styles of art," she says. "In addition, there are numerous specialty shops to find trendy home decor, gourmet treats or eccentric gifts to take home."
On Pewaukee Lake, there are recreational activities like drifting on a luxury pontoon boat, fishing and paddling along the shores on a canoe. There are also many lakeside restaurants and pubs.
Nearby, Erin Hills Golf Course is set on centuries-old glacial terrain within the Kettle Moraine area. Inspired by classic Scottish and Irish courses, this 18-hole run exists in harmony with the land and has hosted several championship tournaments. It will be the site of the 2017 U.S. Open Championship.
