From big cities to relaxing lake resorts, the varied destinations of Wisconsin boast a plethora of offerings that will add excitement to any agenda. With significant improvements in both the quality and quantity of hotel options, attendees can sleep comfortably and be well rested to conduct business and see the sights.
Magical Madison
In Madison, the new Edgewater hotel is the talk of the town, after being restored and reopened.
“The Edgewater has redefined luxury in Madison,” says Judy Frankel, director of public relations and communications for the Greater Madison CVB. “It’s high-end, but still approachable and full of Midwestern hospitality.”
In addition to fun touches like an outdoor skating rink in the winter and an indoor video wall, the hotel sits on the shore of Lake Mendota and offers 45,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space.
Madison, Wisconsin’s capital city, bubbles with energy and excitement, continuing to earn its strong reputation as a foodie destination, from craft cocktails to food carts. to fine restaurants with white tablec
Milwaukee Magnets
Milwaukee has seen major additions to its hotel portfolio as well, with the much anticipated opening of the hotel tower at the Potawatomi Casino and a major renovation completed at the Pfister Hotel, one of 20 hotels nationwide operated by Wisconsin-based Marcus Hotels. The company boasts big brand names and extensive meeting space, with other properties including the Hilton Milwaukee City Center, the InterContinental Milwaukee and the Sheraton and Hilton in Madison.
The Pfister’s multimillion-dollar re-investment updated the historic hotel’s 176 tower guest rooms and added two new club floors with special amenities. The downtown hotel offers a total of 307 guest rooms and more than 25,000 square feet of function space, including conference rooms on the seventh floor.
At Potawatomi, the new $150 million, 381-room hotel debuted this year, adding 10,500 square feet of meeting space to the casino’s existing 40,000 square feet of function space, including ballrooms and its Expo Center. The new Locavore restaurant also debuted, featuring globally inspired dishes in a casual atmosphere.
After the day’s meetings, planners should definitely leave time for attendees to stroll and eat their way through Milwaukee.
“Much of Milwaukee is very walkable, and that helps make it appealing to younger demographics,” says Margaret Casey, public relations coordinator for Visit Milwaukee. “The culinary scene is also booming. The chefs are not as cutthroat as they are in other major metropolises. There is a sense of respect, and they’ll even eat at each other’s restaurants.”
Additional attractions include the historic Third Ward; kayaking on the Milwaukee River; Pedal Tavern, a pub crawl on wheels; the Milwaukee Public Market, which hosts teambuilding programs led by resident chefs in its demonstration kitchen; and summertime concerts and festivals.
“After the cold winter, everyone comes out to the festivals to dance on the tables and celebrate the warmth,” Casey says.
Geneva Greats
“Meeting planners working with young attendees are very interested in teambuilding,” says Julie Baron, media representative for the Lake Geneva Area CVB. “This is great, since Lake Geneva offers such a wide variety of experiences."
The Lake Geneva region offers unique experiences, from hot-air balloon rides to spa treatments, and the area’s major resorts, including Lake Lawn Resort on Delavan Lake, the Abbey Resort and the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, offer plenty of meeting space. Standup paddle boarding, sailing, lawn games and lakeside bonfires are popular at the Abbey Resort, and planners can partner with the local fire department to organize a competition in which attendees must get an egg to the top of a ladder truck and then drop it off, without the egg breaking. The Geneva Inn is another top year-round escape, comfortably accommodating groups of up to 80 people and featuring a lakeside patio for receptions and the signature Grandview restaurant.
Alternative venues for off-sites and smaller groups include the European-style Maxwell Mansion, where Ulysses S. Grant once stayed. One block from the lake, the mansion is fun to explore and has themed venues including a Cognac parlor, gardens, a croquet lawn and an apothecary-themed bar.
Baron also suggests the Lake Geneva Cooking School, which can host an assortment of themed events, or a Wisconsin-focused class discussing beer and homemade brats.
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Delights of the Dells
In the Wisconsin Dells, Millennial travelers are excited about group float trips and river cruises. Aquatic options range from relaxing floats to more adventurous outings or sunset dinner cruises, according to Bianca Johnson, communications manager for the Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau, who says they are all great ways to admire Wisconsin's natural beauty.
In addition to the endless meeting space at properties like Kalahari and Glacier Canyon Lodge, with its 1,200-person conference center, swim-up bar and eight waterparks, the Dells is also home to classic off-site venues like Coldwater Canyon Pavilion, accessible only by boat.
Engaging Elkhart
“As a destination, Elkhart Lake has become a very sought-after meetings destination,” says Kathleen Eickhoff, director of tourism for Elkhart Lake. “The village is very walkable so once you arrive, you don’t have to get back in your car, and the lively community hosts live music, dining and wine tasting.”
The Osthoff Resort significantly expanded its meeting facilities this year. It will help the town accommodate even larger groups, which has also led to increased interest in dine-arounds and creative culinary programs.
“The community has been flexible in terms of feeding larger groups, plus food is a fun way to experience the destination,” Eickhoff says.
The iconic Road America race track offers high-speed programs for groups, even if they are Midwest locals only in town for a day or two, and the popular tiki bar at Victorian Village Resort is a vibrant, laid-back F&B option.
Soon, Elkhart Lake will welcome the new Hotel Northland and an upgraded Hampton Inn, plus several new breweries.
Fun in the Fox Cities
The Fox Cities region, including the cities of Appleton and Neenah, is also home to fun summer concerts, as well as bountiful farmers markets.
In the north, Green Bay is currently upgrading its conference offerings to accommodate larger groups, with a major expansion of the KI Convention Center, which will offer 80,000 square feet of function space when the project is complete in summer 2015.
“We’re seeing changes in the hotel inventory and new investment following the convention center expansion,” says Beth Ropson, director of sales for the Greater Green Bay CVB.
“When people think Green Bay they think football,” she says.
While the Packers stadium offers plenty of venue space and the team is renovating its Hall of Fame Museum, she encourages groups to explore the city’s new breweries, like Titletown Beerworks and Hinterland, which both opened this fall.
