As sure as the Milwaukee area is a stomping ground for everyone from Harley-Davidson devotees and foodies to some hilarious Bridesmaids, it’s a destination that handily accommodates any group and any meeting itinerary a planner could dream up.
Milwaukee itself is brimming with cultural pursuits and waterfront appeal, Brookfield is an urban suburban locale where delegates can shop til they drop, and in Waukesha and Pewaukee attendees will appreciate plenty of fun pursuits and an attractive bottom line.
Milwaukee
Similarly to the way a realtor might tout “location, location, location” when trying to sell a property, Visit Milwaukee touts “water, water and more water” when selling its destination to prospective groups. According to Brent Foerster, vice president of sales and marketing at Visit Milwaukee, the city is blessed with three converging rivers and an appealing waterfront slice of Lake Michigan.
“This provides a setting for spectacular off-site events or multiple entertainment options along our developed RiverWalk,” he says, explaining that the International City/County Management Association held dinners and receptions on the lakefront at Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin and on the Menomonee River Canal at the Harley-Davidson Museum at the same time during their September 2011 convention. “Shuttles ran between the two venues so that attendees could experience both during their reception time.”
Another company, Lia Sophia, held its annual conference along lakefront Milwaukee last June, Foerster adds. The group booked the Milwaukee Art Museum, which offers indoor and outdoor facilities for group gatherings, for one event that was filled with entertainment such as a fashion show complete with runway models.
Two more waterfront options for off-sites include Henry Maier Festival Park, which hosts a number of ethnic festivals throughout the year, and Veterans Park, where staged events are possible. And at Bradford Beach, Foerster recommends planners might facilitate a traditional Milwaukee fish fry or boil combined with recreational fun like beach volleyball for a laid-back event.
Including Bradford Beach, Milwaukee boasts more than 15,000 acres of parkland, much of it right on the water, providing a setting for a variety of outdoor pursuits, including kayaking the Milwaukee River.
Among Milwaukee’s meetings-friendly facilities are the Frontier Airlines Center, which boasts 266,000 square feet of meeting space, 189,000 square feet of exhibit space and a 37,000-square-foot grand ballroom. It is connected via skywalk to the Hilton Milwaukee and the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee. Other group-friendly properties include The Pfister Hotel, Intercontinental Hotel Milwaukee, Doubletree Hotel Milwaukee, The Iron Horse Hotel and Hotel Metro. Outside the city center are the Hilton Garden Inn Milwaukee Park Place and Crowne Plaza Milwaukee Airport, as well as Radisson Hotel Milwaukee West and Crowne Plaza Hotel Milwaukee-West, both in nearby Wauwatosa.
The village of Wauwatosa, Foerster says, is a great option for groups wanting to experience old-world charm just outside the city.
“It’s a quaint downtown area with shopping, from handmade candy to higher-end boutiques of several goods, and several restaurants,” he says, citing popular eateries such as Cafe Hollander, Eddie Martini’s, Pizzeria Piccola and Maxie’s Southern Comfort.
Milwaukee itself has more than 125 restaurants within walking distance of Frontier Airlines Center, most of which are unique to the area, Foerster adds.
“This makes for great dinearound options,” he says.
Among the group-friendly eateries downtown are Capital Grille, where attendees can power-lunch over a great steak right across the street from the Frontier Airlines Center; Calderone Club for traditional Italian dining; Mader’s for German dishes in Milwaukee’s historic Old World Third Street neighborhood; and Umami Moto for Asian dining and Charro for Central and South American cuisine, both on bustling Milwaukee Street.
For qualifying meetings (groups of at least 350 peak guest rooms utilizing the Frontier Airlines Center between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013), Visit Milwaukee is offering a $5,000 to $10,000 cash incentive to be used toward convention or meeting-related expenses.
Brookfield
The appeal of Brookfield, with close proximity to major Milwaukee attractions and the General Mitchell International Airport, is an urban suburban location sporting 13 hotels, 150 restaurants, including Cooper’s Hawk and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, and 250 shopping opportunities, including Brookfield Square Mall, the second-largest mall in the metro-Milwaukee market, according to Nancy Justman, executive director at the Brookfield CVB.
“We are an excellent location and many of our hotels offer free transportation to and from the Milwaukee airport, she says. “Our hotels also offer free parking and many amenities for guests.”
Among Brookfield’s group-friendly facilities are the Sheraton Milwaukee Brookfield, the Brookfield Suites Hotel and Convention Center and the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts, located in Brookfield’s beautiful Mitchell Park.
The Sharon Lynne Wilson Center, whose calendar of events includes classical and jazz performances, and the Marcus Majestic movie theater, are two popular options to entertain groups after the meeting.
“Marcus Majestic is unique in that they have multiple theaters and the Cine and Dine experience, which is uniquely designed to allow for full-service dining during a movie,” Justman says.
With some 150 area eateries, from small to large and from quick-service to fine dining, a dinearound makes for another enjoyable group-friendly outing.
“We did a dinearound for the Upper Midwest CVB Conference,” she says. “We listed several restaurants that surrounded the hotels and were within short driving or walking distances.”
Waukesha and Pewaukee
Situated between Milwaukee and Madison, 20 miles away and 60 miles away, respectively, and only 90 miles from Chicago, Waukesha and Pewaukee form “an ever-growing suburban location with unsurpassable service and affordable pricing,” according to Tiffany Zamora, marketing manager at the Waukesha and Pewaukee CVB.
“Booking an event within second-tier suburbs gives planners the advantage of passing additional savings to attendees, allowing for greater attendance,” she says, adding that easy accessibility makes it a preferred drive-to destination. “Most attendees will choose to drive, only costing them a full tank of gas rather than a plane or train ticket.”
Of course, with General Mitchell International Airport only 30 minutes away, fly-in meetings are also possible, and Zamora says the CVB typically assists with shuttle service for attendees arriving by plane.
The main area meeting venues, totaling more than 100,000 square feet of meeting space and more than 1,000 guest rooms, include the Country Springs Hotel Water Park Conference Center, Milwaukee Marriott West, the Holiday Inn Pewaukee/Milwaukee West and the Clarke Hotel.
Off-site venues are plentiful as well, and include the circa-1913 Rotunda, a banquet facility that was updated in 2010. The venue features a grand dome, hand-painted walls, gold chandeliers and seating for up to 250 guests.
The Frame Park Rotary Building boasts a picturesque setting with seating for up to 120 people, a podium with a microphone, a caterer’s kitchen and a fireplace. Tented events and outdoor group activities are also accommodated.
Among the off-site event venues that double as attractions for attendees who’d like to just visit if a gathering isn’t planned are Ten Chimneys, a famed Wisconsin estate created by Broadway legends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, and Old World Wisconsin, an outdoor history museum.
Large groups that would like to experience Old World Wisconsin can rent the Norwegian Picnic Pavilion, a sheltered pavilion that seats up to 400 guests, according to Zamora.
“Guests can tour the museum with or without curators providing discussions customized to the interest of the group,” she says, adding that trams are available to assist in navigating through the museum in a shorter period of time.
In downtown Waukesha, attendees will find eateries ranging from swanky restaurants to Rochester Deli, which is known for its tasty reuben sandwiches, as well as a number of specialty shops to find the perfect keepsake.
On Pewaukee Lake, pontoon boat outings, fishing and canoeing are popular pursuits, and there are several lakeside restaurants.
Carolyn Blackburn is a frequent contributor to Meetings Focus MidAmerica.
