Meeting planners searching for more affordable event destinations in America’s Heartland should look no further than these five smaller cities. All five include full-service hotels, as well as first-class event venues, fun attractions and beautiful natural surroundings — all at an attractive value.
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois, is one of the most scenic areas in Chicagoland. The city borders Chicago but sits on Lake Michigan and offers direct city and suburban train service to downtown, which works well for groups that want to host meetings in the area but also experience the delights of the city. Another plus to hosting events in Evanston is its proximity to Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Visitors don’t have to jump on the highway to get to Evanston. As the home of Northwestern University, the area has everything that usually comes with a college town, including several full-service hotels. Graduate by Hilton Evanston is located near Northwestern’s campus and Lake Michigan. It has 119 guest rooms, and its Tea Room, private dining room and restaurant make great meeting spaces for smaller groups.
The Hilton Garden Inn Chicago North Shore/Evanston is within easy walking distance to Lake Michigan and Northwestern. It has 178 guest rooms and 4,492 square feet of meeting space. Its largest space can host 210 for a banquet or 360 for a reception.
Westin Chicago North Shore in nearby Wheeling is the largest hotel in the area with nearly 44,000 square feet of event space. Its largest space can host up to 1,700 guests and 15 breakout rooms are available.
The 385-acre Chicago Botanic Garden is a wonderful place to visit and host events. And attendees will want to visit the architecturally significant temple, Baha’i House of Worship in nearby Wilmette — the only one in North America.
Duluth, Minnesota
Located on the shores of Lake Superior, Duluth, Minnesota, is an ideal destination for meeting planners looking for a natural escape full of outdoor activities. The Aerial Lift Bridge at Duluth’s waterfront is the only one of its kind, and visitors come from around the world to watch ships pass beneath it. It is also home to Minnesota Point, the world’s longest freshwater sandbar, stretching over seven miles along Lake Superior’s shoreline.
Duluth is not only rich in maritime history, but also has become a craft brewery and foodie destination. Meeting planners have their pick of unique venues, including Glensheen Mansion, a 39-room mansion on 12 acres of Lake Superior shoreline; the opulent, 1920s-era Greysolon Ballroom with crystal chandeliers, marble floors and intricate woodwork in downtown Duluth; and Great Lakes Aquarium, which allows after-hours meeting groups to explore the exhibits as part of their events.
The Duluth Entertainment Convention Center is a 275,000-square-foot event space with multiple meeting rooms and a grand ballroom. It sits right on the waterfront, allowing attendees to enjoy breathtaking views of the lake.
Clyde Iron Works is a former ironworks factory in Duluth’s Lincoln Park Craft District. It has been turned into two event venues, a brewery, coffee roastery and restaurant.
The city has boutique hotels and traditional flag properties — most with views of the lake — that offer conference spaces up to 11,200 square feet.
Carmel, Indiana
Just outside of Indianapolis, the suburb of Carmel, Indiana, exudes small town charm but has all the amenities of a larger urban center, including three convention hotels: a Renaissance, Hotel Carmichael and The Tallison Hotel.
The Renaissance Indianapolis North Hotel has 266 guest rooms and 14,844 square feet of meeting space. Its Carmel Ballroom can host up to 450 guests for a banquet or be divided into six smaller meeting rooms. The hotel also has eight small meeting rooms perfect for breakout sessions. The Tallison Hotel has a 6,136-square-foot ballroom that can host up to 550 for a reception, as well as an additional 1,410 square feet of pre-function space. It also has a boardroom for up to 14 guests. Hotel Carmichael has 122 rooms and suites and features more than 12,000 functional square feet of event space. The Cole Porter Ballroom can host up to 160 for a banquet or 200 for a reception.
The Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts has three venues: the Studio Theater, which can seat 200; the Tarkington, a 500-seat proscenium theater; and the Palladium, a 1,500-seat concert hall. Coxhall Gardens sits on 125 acres in West Carmel and offers several venues, including an outdoor amphitheater for up to 500 guests; Cripe Pavilion, which can host 350 for a banquet and 500 for a standing reception; and Cox Mansion, which can accommodate 80 for a banquet or 100 if the event includes the patio. A third-floor music room can host up to 40 for a sit-down event.
Altoona, Iowa
A little more than 10 miles from Des Moines, Altoona, a city of 22,000 people, is considered the entertainment capital of Iowa. The city attracts 4.5 million visitors a year, driven by Adventureland Resort amusement park, Outlets of Des Moines Altoona, Bass Pro Shop and Prairie Meadows Casino, Racetrack and Hotel.
The city has 13 hotels with more than 1,200 hotel rooms and is in the process of building another one. Its largest meeting venue is at Prairie Meadows, which has 168 guest rooms and 34,000 square feet of meeting space that can serve up to 2,000 guests. The facility has a fine dining restaurant, a café and year-round entertainment. Smaller groups can host events at the Prairie Meadows Racetrack. Trackside venues include the Pavilion, which can accommodate 120 seated and 180 for a standing reception; the Gazebo, which can host 250 standing; and the Grandstand, which can seat 200. There are several other options for smaller groups or outdoor events. Different food packages are available for groups hosting events during a race.
Terrace Hills Golf Course has a new clubhouse that was designed to seat up to 249 guests. It has its own catering service for special events held there, and groups can add on a game of golf on the 18-hole, par 71 championship course, challenge coworkers to a game of mini-golf or spend time at the driving range. The golf club is just minutes from 12 different hotels.
Adventureland has several meeting spaces, including the Iowa Ballroom, which can accommodate groups of up to 400. Groups meeting at the park can add on one-day park passes that include Adventureland and Adventure Bay Water Park.
Grand Island, Nebraska
Grand Island, Nebraska, is home to the spring migration of sandhill cranes, beautiful large birds that descend on the area in the thousands. Groups meeting in the city can see these creatures in several natural areas, including Crane Trust Nature and Visitor Center, Derr Prairie, Gjerloff Prairie and Mormon Island State Recreation Area.
Fonner Park is the largest event facility in Grand Island, hosting meetings, banquets, livestock shows and exhibitions. Recent events included Comic Con, dog shows and a Bigfoot convention. The Heartland Events Center offers 180,000 square feet of multipurpose event space. The Eihusen Arena has 30,000 square feet of floor space and can seat 6,000 guests in permanent seats and 1,500 on the arena floor. The arena can host sporting events, dance competitions, the Nebraska State Fair, Monster Trucks, rodeos and the National 4-H Shooting Competition.
The Bosselman Conference Center, located within the events center, has 8,000 square feet of conference space. Riverside Golf Club also has event space available. Its ballroom can accommodate up to 500 guests for a reception or seated dinner, and three smaller event spaces are available for more intimate gatherings.
The Comfort Suites, which was completed three years ago, has 79 guest rooms and a small 372-square-foot meeting space. A new Springhill Suites will open in 2025, across from the Stuhr Museum. It will have 129 guest rooms and meeting space for up to 100.
The most significant hotel development is slated to open mid-February, when the Grand Island Casino Resort finishes work on a seven-story building overlooking the Fonner Park thoroughbred racetrack. The new resort will have 160 rooms and feature multiple restaurants, indoor and outdoor pools, spa facilities and a casino.
