Central Iowa’s communities share some of the iconic traits common to many Midwestern destinations, such as friendly residents, cost-effective facilities and a location that makes traveling to and from the state easy no matter where you are located on the map.
However, in recent years, the Central Iowa cities of Des Moines and Ames (along with the smaller surrounding cities of Marshalltown, Pella and Newton, among others) have made a name for themselves as great places to live, work and hold a meeting, giving planners a variety of intriguing options for Midwest gatherings.
Des Moines
Des Moines is tired of being referred to as just another flyover city. No it isn’t in Idaho, or Ohio as out-of-towners like to suggest (a running gag among locals), and it’s definitely not all corn and pigs, even if it is easy to find a great pork chop (or steak) in the city.
“We see all of the misconceptions and have put a focus on [promoting the city] on the East Coast, especially the D.C. area,” says Vicki Comegys, Vice President of Sales, Sports & Services at the Greater Des Moines CVB (also known as Catch Des Moines). “You will see us at the PCMA Capital Chapter Annual Meeting as a sponsor. The team will travel to the D.C. area three times to make sales calls in addition to being there for Destination Showcase DC.”
Des Moines’ role as one of the major agricultural (and insurance) hubs in the U.S. does mean it sees plenty of large national, regional and international association events.
“In 2013 we will host 10 international events, 129 regional meetings and 139 national meetings with hundreds of state associations,” Comegys says.
Those who haven’t visited the capital city in a while might not even recognize the current downtown scene, which features a variety of arts and culture events, from an award-winning annual arts festival and farmers market to the fascinating John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park, leaving plenty of options to make your next event a memorable one.
“The entire area continues to grow with hotel development downtown, west, east and north, including final bids for an attached hotel to the Iowa Events Center,” Comegys says. “In addition attractions continue to grow with the expanded Principal Riverwalk and connection of trails throughout the downtown and metro.”
The Iowa Events Center, consisting of Wells Fargo Arena, Hy-Vee Hall and the recently renovated Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center at Veterans Memorial, is the largest meeting facility in Des Moines, with 226,000 square feet of flexible space and 1,648 hotel rooms within walking distance. The Credit Union facility features state-of-the-art amenities, including LED lighting in its ballrooms that can be adjusted to fit the mood or style of any event.
The World Food Prize Hall of Laureates is one of the more visually stunning historical locations in downtown Des Moines. It originally served as a century old-library until it was restored by the The World Food Prize Foundation into the LEED-certified Hall of Laureates museum and meeting space that can fit around 220 banquet style on each side of the building or up to 600 people for a reception. Artwork showcasing agricultural history lines the walls of the facility and the site even hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping on a recent visit to Des Moines.
The Temple for Performing Arts is another popular off-site facility in the area, offering a 4,000-square-foot grand ballroom and a 1,200-square-foot performance hall used for receptions, weddings and meetings. The facility was once marked as the one of the “most endangered” buildings by the National Historical Center until it was restored by Downtown Preservation Partners in 2002, which left the famous interior architecture intact.PageBreak
Ames
About 40 minutes north of downtown Des Moines is the college town of Ames–home to Iowa State University–and known for its educational and agricultural meetings and events market. The Ames CVB works closely with the university to promote its services and facilities.
“Ames offers a great mix of opportunities because we have excellent meeting facilities like the Iowa State Center Complex in an easy-to-access location, so you get all the benefits of a larger community’s meeting venues with some of those nice values that come with a smaller-town environment,” says Julie Kieffer, group sales manager for the Ames CVB.
An upcoming renovation in the destination will be the remodeling of the Harvester Courtyard–green space adjacent to the Iowa State Center Complex–so that it can be better utilized for events.
The Iowa State Center Complex is Ames’ largest venue and is a combination of the 20,000-square-foot Hilton Coliseum, the 2,474-seat Stephens Auditorium and the 8,000-square-foot Scheman Building.
“We’re excited for the remodeling of the Harvester Courtyard,” Kieffer says. “We’ve done some pretty creative things out there, from building a carnival that included a Ferris wheel to hosting a meal for several thousand people. There’s lots of great flexible things you can do on that space.”
For those looking for a memorable dining experience, Olde Main Brewing Company can accommodate large group events and tours, and work in tastings of its signature Dinkey Wheat, Off KILTer and Clone Ale brews. Fuji Steakhouse is another group favorite that has a hibachi table where the food is cooked right in front of its guests.
Reiman Gardens is a botanical gardens attraction that can be rented out for social and group events. It is one of the largest public gardens in Iowa and includes an indoor conservatory and 2,500-square-foot indoor butterfly wing.
The nearby Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad & Museum runs a dinner train that can be used for group functions. The basic excursion train ride travels from Boone to the old coal mining town of Fraser and back.PageBreak
Surrounding Central
Iowa Areas
The following are some quick highlights from other Central Iowa communities, which can make great daytrips for those attending Des Moines functions or looking to host smaller meetings and events.
Marshalltown’s roster of off-site meeting spaces includes the Orpheum Theater Center, Fisher Community Center and the County Fairgrounds, which has indoor and outdoor facilities.
“We see a lot of state groups coming through, such as the Red Hat Ladies, the Iowa Honey Producers and Iowa Taxidermy—those groups that may not have thousands of members, but a few hundred we can accommodate very well,” says Shannon Espenscheid, director of the Marshalltown CVB.
The Fisher Community Center holds rotating art galleries and a sculpture park as well as a theater that can accommodate up to 225 guests.
Pella is known for its Dutch heritage, and its annual Tulip Time Festival is as much about celebrating the area’s rich history and architecture as it is about enjoying the flower itself.
“A lot of our venues have a distinct personality that makes them feel out of the ordinary and interesting,” says Jill Vandevoort, director of the Pella CVB. “It doesn’t hurt that we’re very cost effective, there’s no cost for parking, and the hotels all have accommodating group rates.”
The Pella Opera House is a historical favorite that first opened in 1900 as a place to hold cultural activities such as musicals, plays, vaudeville shows, banquets and other events. It has seen some renovations over the years, but still retains much of its original look.
Newton sits along Interstate 80 to the east of Des Moines and is home to the Iowa Speedway, which is operated by the U.S. Motorsport Corporation and designed by former NASCAR champion Rusty Wallace. When not checking out the racetrack, attendees can work with the CVB to plan a team-building event.
“The CVB can setup a team-building experience for a meeting planner, where we have the whole group break up into teams and have them explore sculpture tours around town in a sort of Amazing Race type of event,” says Linda Bacon, executive director of the Newton CVB.
Bacon notes that the Iowa Speedway has hosted a number of association groups since its opening in 2006 and allows attendees to do ridealongs on the track.
