There’s a lot happening in Nebraska’s dynamic capital city these days. A downtown renaissance, much of it taking place in a former railyard known as the West Haymarket, has brought in new hotels, restaurants, condos, shopping and venues for groups of all sizes.
“Within the last few years, the energy of what’s taking place in the railyard district is allowing us to make a real name for ourselves, whether it’s in big sports events and general assemblies or research conferences,” says Derek Feyerherm, director of sales for the Lincoln CVB.
Boosting the city’s ability to draw large groups, the Pinnacle Bank Arena, a cornerstone of the $344 million West Haymarket Redevelopment Project, opened in late 2013. The 15,147-seat arena is a flexible space where seats can be retracted to create large open floor space for tradeshows and banquets.
Spaces for receptions include the Capitol Terrace, which can accommodate outdoor events such as tailgating parties, and the Stadium Terrace Club Lounge, which includes screens to display sponsor information and seating areas both within the lounge and overlooking the arena floor. Along with hosting large concerts and sports events, the venue is being used for general assemblies by such groups as the Women of Faith.
“The group segment that we’re seeing the biggest growth in are conclaves in the religious market—the arena has given us the capacity they need,” Feyerherm says. “We’ve always been an attractive place for these groups, in that we provide a strong faith-based community, a safe environment, and our costs are much lower than in first-tier cities.”
Meetings with an educational and research bent are also a growing market for Lincoln, where the University of Nebraska-Lincoln plays a “pivotal role” in drawing such gatherings, he adds.
Important in this sector is the new Nebraska Innovation Campus, a research and development complex on the former site of the Nebraska state fairgrounds. A joint venture between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the private sector, the campus includes the Nebraska Innovation Conference Center. The facility is located in a repurposed historic building and offers an auditorium, banquet space and breakout rooms.
“It’s a beautiful facility with state-of-the-art audiovisual and technology that is ideal for groups of up to 400,” Feyerherm says. “Outside groups have access to it, as well as those affiliated with the university.”
Hotel Scene
An upcoming development on the hotel scene is the conversion of the Holiday Inn Lincoln-Downtown to the Graduate Hotels brand, which operates boutique-style properties in college towns. The 231-room hotel, which includes meeting space for up to 500 people, will receive a complete makeover before making its debut in mid-2017.
Lincoln’s major downtown convention hotel, The Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel, recently completed a property-wide renovation that followed an affiliation with Marriott. The renovation of the 90-year-old property included new audiovisual technology and the refurbishment of the 297 guest rooms, 45,600 square feet of meeting space, lobby, restaurant and bars.
Recent additions to the West Haymarket include the Hyatt Place Lincoln/Downtown-Haymarket, a pet-friendly hotel with 108 guest rooms, three suites, 1,700 square feet of meeting space, a Coffee to Cocktails Bar and complimentary hot breakfast.
Another is the 104-room Hilton Garden Inn Lincoln Downtown/Haymarket, which has 3,000 square feet of meeting space, a 24-hour business center and fitness center with an indoor pool.
Venue Versatility
When it comes to off-site venues for holding a reception or teambuilding activity, Lincoln offers an abundance of choices, says Feyerherm.
“Lincoln has a museum for everybody, whether your interest is in race cars, quilts, tractors, telephones or world-class art,” he says. “We can work with planners to find something new and creative for their groups.”
Among the options is the Sheldon Museum of Art, a stunning landmark building designed by Philip Johnson on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. The museum features changing exhibitions and an important permanent collection of American art with works by Georgia O’Keeffe, Mary Cassatt, Edward Hopper, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and others. Its event spaces include the Great Hall, a grand two-story entrance to the museum accommodating receptions for up to 300 people; the Sculpture Garden, a sunken garden on the south side of the museum with works by Claes Oldenburg, Richard Serra and William Zorach; and the 299-seat Ethel S. Abbott Auditorium, which accommodates programs requiring audiovisual.
Also on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus, the International Quilt Study Center & Museum presents a dazzling array of colorful textiles from around the world. Three galleries showcase changing exhibitions drawn from a collection of more than 3,500 quilts, spanning cultures from colonial America to contemporary Central and Southeast Asia. A virtual gallery allows visitors to design a quilt, browse the digital collection and record their own quilt stories.
The LEED-certified museum accommodates receptions for 200 people in a soaring space adjacent to the galleries with circular windows overlooking a garden planted in quilt designs. A seminar room with audiovisual equipment accommodates up to 100 people for meetings and luncheons.
At the Museum of American Speed, a huge collection of racecars and other automotive items amassed by racing enthusiasts Bill and Joyce Smith are on display. Galleries of vehicles showcase everything from Model T Speedsters on up to the world’s fastest and sleekest cars. The top floor gallery displays an enchanting collection of children’s pedal cars, among them a 1965 Mustang, a classic Thunderbird convertible, a 1924 Alamite Paige Roadster and a 1930s Checker cab. The museum is available for a wide variety of events, including dinners, receptions and private tours.
