In recent years, Lincoln has enjoyed many top slots on “best of” and other notable mention lists that round up the most wonderful places in the country to live, work and play.
Most recently, a ranking from Gallup and Healthways researchers, reported on Huffington Post and elsewhere on the Internet, placed Lincoln at No. 1 among the country’s metro areas with the highest well-being.
Nationally recognized kudos like this should tempt planners to consider hosting a meeting in Lincoln, but if they need an extra nudge, following is a list, in no particular order, of the city’s six main, and equally alluring, draws for group business.
Group Digs
Lincoln boasts many meetings-friendly properties for groups to take care of business.
Joining Holiday Inn, Embassy Suites and other flags, the 104-room Hilton Garden Inn will be Lincoln’s newest hotel to welcome meeting attendees when it opens in the Historic Haymarket district in August.
Also in the Historic Haymarket, Courtyard by Marriott opened in fall 2012 with 155 rooms and meeting space for up to 200 people that opens up to a courtyard featuring an outdoor fire pit.
A standby property that books repeat business is The Cornhusker, a Marriott Hotel, which at press time was on track to undergo a multimillion-dollar renovation. The upgrades will include attention to the hotel’s 45,600 square feet of meeting space, which will receive new carpeting, wall coverings and technological advances.
Also noteworthy is the upcoming opening of the 16,000-seat Pinnacle Bank Arena, which will open in the Historic Haymarket in August. The 470,400-square-foot multipurpose facility, home of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln basketball programs, will also host concerts, conferences and other events. PageBreak
Off-Site Winners
Lincoln’s venues for gatherings away from the group’s home property and other more traditional meeting spaces, such as Lancaster Event Center and Pershing Center, are plentiful, intriguing and often storied.
One, the Rococo Theatre, is a high-end concert and meeting venue that has been restored to its original 1929 condition, according to Derek Feyerherm, director of sales and operations at the Lincoln CVB.
“The facility offers one large room comprising three floors and is a hit with receptions, banquets and galas,” he says, adding that the unique and ornate architecture of the theater generally creates a buzz among visiting attendees. “And meeting planners enjoy that all the seats in the theater surround tables, compared to traditional theater settings.”
The Grand Manse, built in 1904, is a beautiful building on the National Register of Historic Places that offers groups non-traditional meeting settings such as the Grand Hall, formerly a courtroom, and the Jasmine Room, a redesigned and ornately decorative former mail-sorting room.
“Planners love the uniqueness of the facility and the intimate settings it provides,” Feyerherm says.
Located in the Historic Haymarket is the Great Hall at Lincoln Station, which sits where the old Haymarket ends and the new extension of the district begins. The elegant hall features 19-foot beamed ceilings and marble floors.
“This space still features the original ticketing windows from when it was used as an actual train station at the turn of the century,” Feyerherm says.
Attractions Galore
A good place to start when visiting Lincoln is the Nebraska State Capitol, which Feyerherm says was voted one of the 10 most beautiful buildings in the world by a group of 100 architects.
“One of four skyscraper state capitol buildings, it rises over 400 feet and is crowned with a 19-foot-tall bronze statue called The Sower,” he says, adding that the interior features numerous marble-columned chambers, marble mosaic floors and murals depicting the state’s Native American and pioneer cultures.
At Lincoln Children’s Zoo, attendees will see some 350 animals, including more than 40 endangered species.
“With its motto of ‘Learn Firsthand,’ this zoo allows guests to interact with the animals and get up close,” Feyerherm says, adding that there are several spaces that can be rented for events.
Meanwhile, the University of Nebraska State Museum at Morrill Hall is the region’s premier museum of natural history.
Just outside Lincoln is Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center, an 808-acre nature preserve. PageBreak
Teaming Up
Team-bonding opportunities in Lincoln include fun and games at Champions Fun Center, where attendees can enjoy miniature golf, batting cages, a four-story free fall, go-karts and bowling.
“This is a great facility for team-building exercises and a way to let everybody’s guard down and just have fun,” Feyerherm says.
Another way is at Art & Soul, an interactive facility that offers art and cooking classes.
“Here is the place to get your hands dirty and create something tangible, whether it is art or something for your stomach,” Feyerherm says, adding that all classes can be tailored to a group’s skill set and plenty of instruction is provided.
And at Paint Yourself Silly, located in the Historic Haymarket, attendees pick a piece of pottery, select paints and get creative. Afterward, the staff glazes each piece and ships it to participants.
Growth Spurt
If the group hasn’t been to Lincoln in a few years, attendees will notice exciting changes happening.
One big one on the horizon is the $500 million expansion of the Haymarket district, which will include the already mentioned Pinnacle Bank Arena as well as other new developments that will keep Lincoln on future lists of nationwide hot spots.
“Lincoln is experiencing the largest growth and expansion in its history,” Feyerherm says. “Where many downtowns are closing, Lincoln’s is thriving and stronger than ever.
The expanded Haymarket entertainment district, scheduled for completion by late 2014, will feature The Railyard, an outdoor space, and events including concerts, festivals, outdoor markets and movie nights.
Freelancer Carolyn Blackburn enjoys visiting unspoiled natural spots like Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center.
