When searching for a meeting site in the Midwest, planners will find that Kearney checks a lot of boxes. The Nebraska city is well located, situated on Interstate 80 within a five-hour drive of both Kansas City and Denver. It’s a natural gathering point for regional meetings, and everyone loves a small city with friendly people.

But will a destination with a population of 35,000 have enough hotel rooms and conference space for your event?

Will it ever?

With 2,000 hotel rooms, Kearney is more spacious than one would think. And up to 3,000 people can gather in its largest conference center — there are three in Kearney, each with multiple configurations of small and large areas.

As roomy as Kearney is, it’s also compact. And that’s what sells the city, according to Sarah Focke, executive director of Visit Kearney.

“We have a campus of hotels, conference centers, dining, and entertainment,” she said. “We tell people that everything they need is either attached, next door or right across the street.”

Major Meeting Spaces

Kearney’s group of three conference centers can be called the Younes Campus, named for Paul Younes, a local business leader and hospitality entrepreneur. Developed — and redeveloped — over several decades, the sleek, modern facilities provide meeting planners a wealth of options.

The Younes Conference Center-North is the largest and newest. Opened in 2022, North offers 75,000 square feet of meeting space, including two ballrooms (21,300 and 14,400 square feet) and up to 38 breakout rooms, with capacity ranging from 10 to 3,000 people. Attached to North is the Crowne Plaza Hotel and its 174 guest rooms and indoor water park.

Younes Conference Center-South is similar in concept, offering 50,000 square feet of meeting space that includes two ballrooms (16,000 and 13,000 square feet) and up to 21 breakout rooms, with space for up to 1,500 people. Two hotels adjoin South: Comfort Inn and Fairfield Inn & Suites.

Holiday Inn & Conference Center is the original, dating to the 1970s but extensively renovated. With 22,000 square feet of meeting space, its two ballrooms are 6,966 and 6,222 square feet, and there are 15 breakout rooms that accommodate from 10 to 600 people. Like the larger centers, this one has a total of 900 sleeping rooms within walking distance.

Groups that return to Kearney year after year might use different spaces, said Heather Estes, director of operations for Younes Hospitality.

“Some groups outgrow a conference center and move to the next largest,” Estes said. “They graduate from one space to a bigger one, all in Kearney.”

Serving a sizeable drive market, Kearney’s conference centers offer free parking, with spaces large enough for SUVs and pickup trucks. Once parked, attendees can easily walk from their hotel to a conference center — or across the street to another one. Built-in registration desks and spacious prefunction areas accommodate booths, buffets, cocktail parties and entertainment, and all conference centers offer on-site catering, free Wi-Fi and complete A/V services.

The People Behind the Space

Kearney is more than meeting rooms, of course.

“What sets Kearney apart is the longevity of the Younes staff and the entire tourism community in Kearney,” Focke said. She came to Visit Kearney in 2002 with experience as a meeting planner and was elevated to the top spot in 2025. “There’s nothing else I would rather do. I just love working for this community.”

Groups that choose Kearney for their meeting benefit from an all-hands-on-deck approach. Focke and her Visit Kearney staff assist groups by providing badges, printers, laptops and even volunteers to help with on-site registration.

The team approach applies to meals at the conference centers, too.

“Working together during banquets, we’ll get everyone served in eight minutes,” Estes said. “The whole staff — including Paul — is hands-on during a meal. You’ll often see him at a carving station.”

It’s fair to say that Younes sets the tone for the entire staff. A native of Israel, Younes came to the United States in 1972 to attend Kearney State College (now the University of Nebraska at Kearney), and his first job in hospitality was as a dishwasher in a local hotel restaurant.

Although he’s a local legend, Younes, in person, is gregarious and modest. Ask him about his impressive operation, and he immediately acknowledges others.

“It’s a team effort,” Younes said. “Everybody in Kearney works together: the city, the county, the chamber, Visit Kearney and local businesses. I work in paradise.”

And Younes’ approach to hospitality benefits both the staff and the clients.

“The longevity of the staff is unique and part of the culture, and it’s because Paul takes care of his people,” Estes said. “He also wants to give groups what they pay for.”

What groups don’t pay for might surprise a planner.

“We do not charge attrition at any of our hotels, and we don’t have a food and beverage minimum at any venue,” Estes said. “There’s a charge for facility rental, but no attrition or F&B minimum.”

Groups consistently report that Kearney’s people go above and beyond to make their event a success. That includes the Nebraska Hospital Association, led by Heather Bullock, who said her group has worked with Younes Hospitality for more than 20 years.

“We host large and small events at both the north and south conference centers, and Paul Younes and his entire team make everyone feel valued and welcome every single time we are there,” Bullock said. “From the sales team to the event and hotel staff, there is no detail too big or small for them to ensure it is handled efficiently and with a friendly smile.”

Beyond the Ballroom

Not far from the Younes Campus, the University of Nebraska at Kearney offers another venue option in its Regional Engagement Center, which connects the business and academic communities. The center has rooms of varying space and seating arrangements — from small meetings to banquets or lectures. Each room has advanced technology enabling complex presentations and participation by both on-site and remote attendees. And using the college’s food service or, for groups under 20, catering a meal yourself, you can plan for a full day of meetings at the facility.

And then there are the places in Kearney that pull double duty. These attractions offer plenty of history, enrichment and entertainment, and they can double as venues for meetings, networking events or group outings.

The Archway is a remarkably unique museum depicting 180 years of westward migration. A self-guided audio tour takes visitors past lifelike characters and scenes that portray the people who traveled through Nebraska: soldiers, settlers, ’49ers, railroad workers and Lincoln Highway drivers. Fittingly, the two-story museum spans Interstate 80. A room is available for a group meal, meeting or event.

The American Automobile Experience showcases 170 vintage automobiles, ranging from a 1910 Buick to a 2013 Hot Wheels Camaro. The showroom can host a group of up to 90 people, dining amid its gorgeous, nostalgic collection.

World Theatre, built in 1927 on Kearney’s brick-paved Central Avenue, offers an old Hollywood feel for a group looking to hold a reception and then settle into comfy seats for a movie or a live show.

Museum of Nebraska Art, housed in the city’s former post office (1911), provides groups with an elevated setting for a cocktail party or dinner, with one room capable of holding 16 round tables.

Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary, situated 16 miles outside of town, gives birdwatchers the opportunity to experience the annual Sandhill Crane migration, which takes place from March through April each ear and has earned Kearney a reputation the Sandhill Crane Capital of the World. The venue is available year-round for meetings and catered meals.

Drop Zone is a privately owned sports entertainment center visible from the Younes Campus. Opened in April, the facility offers a driving range with double-decked bays, miniature golf and pickleball courts. Groups can rent the small or large event rooms (holding 15 and 80), the second floor (event rooms and 16 golf bays) or the whole venue for a group as large as 500. Food is served — with a full bar — downstairs and upstairs.

Outdoor spaces for individual or group outings include Yanney Heritage Park and an impressive network of outdoor trails and waterways.

Easy Does It

For planners, perhaps Kearney’s biggest advantage is how easily all the pieces fit together. With three conference centers and adjoining hotels, the Kearney team can help a planner find the right center — or combination of centers — to create the best event.

“Kearney offers a great meeting destination,” said Bullock. “Our attendees and vendors consistently provide favorable feedback on the conference center food and amenities.”

When a group steps outside of the center for conference dine-out evenings, lunch on their own or afternoon entertainment, they’ll find great options close by, according to Focke at Visit Kearney.

“We’re a mid-sized city with big-city amenities,” Focke said. “You can gather in the conference center and then also take in so many other things in Kearney: golf, a 5K, the arts, history and a fantastic downtown.”

With so many hotel rooms, meeting spaces and unique venues in a compact community, Kearney makes a big meeting feel manageable.

visitkearney.org