In many ways, Wisconsin’s capital city is the epitome of the likeable college town, but that descriptor also sells Madison a bit short. “Mad City” is a deeply progressive community that shows off superior sustainable dining, superb art and architecture, and an eclectic nightlife.
Throw in its central locale, relative affordability and unique off-site venues and experiences, and you have a regular Midwestern meetings mecca.
“We have wonderful attractions, incredible dining as a national leader in the farm-to-table movement, local craft beer and vineyards as well as interesting and offbeat cultural offerings,” says Judy Frankel, public relations and communications manager for the Madison CVB. “Madison has long held the reputation for being a forward-thinking and progressive city.”
FARM-TO-FORK FORAYS
Groups wanting to get a taste of the fresh local flavors will encounter a wealth of options, says Janine Wachter, director of convention and event services for the Madison CVB, many of them hands-on experiences that leave a lasting impression.
“Some examples of this include setting up a Wisconsin cheese tasting at Fromagination—a lovely cheese shop on the Capitol Square—and tasting and pairing them with some locally brewed beer and local wine,” Wachter says. “And one of our most noted chocolatiers, Gail Ambrosius, will have chocolate-making demonstrations in her shop, or she will have groups actually participate in a hands-on chocolate-making class.”
Groups can also stroll through Madison’s bustling farmers market, located around the Capitol Square every Saturday. Or if they want to try it all, Madison Food Explorers provide tasty tours that sample Madison in a short space of time, making numerous yummy stops in downtown’s hottest foodie spots.
“Sometimes you come to a convention and only have a short time to explore,” says Andrea Hughes, proprietor of Food Explorers. “Our tours offer a great way to do Madison 101, without committing to one particular dining spot.”
In addition to the dining delights, tours also take groups by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Monona Terrace, by the Capitol Building and along State Street.
“So you can learn about the history and culture as well as the food,” Hughes says. PageBreak
When it comes to particular restaurants perfect for a group dine-out, she suggests The Merchant, a true ‘field-to-fork’ establishment with superb craft cocktails, and the Nepalese restaurant Chautara. Other top choices in “Mad City” include Fresco, Harvest, Graze and L’Etoile. In fact, Tory Miller—an executive chef with both Graze and L’Etoile—was recently honored with the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Midwest.
Groups intrigued by the region’s brewing traditions should perhaps take advantage of some of the tempting touring opportunities available at Hop Head Beer Tours, where someone else worries about the driving and attendees get to taste a wide variety of delicious craft beers and talk to actual brewers.
ECLECTIC EVENING OUTINGS
For some post-dining diversion, the city’s heralded nightlife offers watering holes ranging from the cool and casual to elegant and subdued. The Capital Brewery serves up acclaimed brews, group tours and indoor and outdoor seating areas for groups, and their bounty of beers can also be enjoyed at the casual Capital Tap Haus on State Street.
Younger groups will appreciate the chic Blue Velvet Lounge, with its sleek interior and specialty cocktails ranging from kiwi martinis to ice cream libations. And those on the lookout for some tempting live tunes will love the Cardinal Bar, set in a Victorian edifice and presenting everything from jazz jam sessions to cha cha lessons.
For something a bit different, groups can check out the Casbah, three floors of fun offering Persian food, live piano music and a hookah lounge (with flavored tobaccos), plus rickshaw rides.
CAMPUS & CULTURE
Of course, in such a heralded “college town,” it can’t hurt to see what’s up on campus—and the University of Wisconsin offers a regular Badger bounty of group activity. Sure, comprehensive campus tours are on tap—as with every major university—but UW-Madison ups the ante by providing a nearly infinite mix of organized explorations.
Depending on the type of group you’re bringing, the University can arrange everything from visiting a group of marmosets at the Primate Center to learning about the 22 types of world gardens at the Allen Centennial Gardens. And if your group is into architecture or art, they can visit the recently expanded Chazen Museum of Art, which contains more than 20,000 artistic creations. Special tours are encouraged, including the Whistlestop Tour of the museum’s massive permanent collection, and seminar rooms and auditoriums are available for hosting functions.
Culture away from campus can be discovered at the Overture Center for the Arts, which hosts a variety of live performances and films at its 380,000-square-foot facility on State Street, and also offers free tours. Or, take a tour of the aforementioned Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Monona Terrace; with its schedule full of free events and pretty rooftop garden, it’s an ideal spot to take in the Madison skyline. PageBreak
OFFBEAT OUTINGS
Seeking something a bit out of the box for your group? The newly renovated Madison’s Children’s Museum—ranked as one of the 10 best of its kind in the nation by Parent magazine—offers up an “Adult Swim” one evening a month, and they don’t even have a pool! The evening is designed after the old public pool tradition of clearing the kids out of the pool so the adults can play, and this is a fine way to set aside the seriousness for a bit and let your group embrace their inner child.
For more intense thrills and chills, smaller groups can head to Biplane Rides of America. Zooming through the skies in an open cockpit, they get an exhilarating view of the city and a once-in-a-lifetime aerial experience they’ll be talking about at the office for months.
EVENTFUL VENUES
When meeting time rolls around, Madison delivers, serving up a solid slate of event venues and meetings-friendly hotel properties.
The Monona Terrace Convention Center comprises 250,000 square feet of lakefront space, including a 68,000-square-foot rooftop garden and 40,000-square-foot exhibition hall. The other major convention player is Alliant Energy Center, a sprawling 164-acre campus of function spaces ranging from the ultra-modern to the sublime. Willow Island, for example, offers a park-like setting that includes a nine-acre isthmus and two spacious ponds.
Among the possible property picks are a 240-room Hilton adjoining the Monona Terrace facility; the Madison Concourse Hotel & Governor’s Club, with 360 guest rooms and 27,000 square feet of function space; the Sheraton Madison Hotel, with 239 guest rooms and 17,500 square feet of event space; and the Inn on the Park, with 212 guest rooms and 13,000 square feet of event space. The Madison Marriott West in nearby Middletown presents 290 rooms and 50,000 square feet of space.
