Iowa rolls out the red carpet when it comes to meetings and conventions. From small gatherings to large-scale exhibitions, its top meeting venues offer captivating settings and sleek, modern facilities that take the stress out of event planning, so groups can focus on what’s important: networking, sharing ideas and information and, of course, having fun.
Iowa Events Center
Des Moines
As Iowa’s state capital and its largest city, Des Moines offers rich opportunities to explore history, science, arts and culture at stops like the Des Moines Art Center and the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden.
The city is also home to the state’s largest meeting venue, the Iowa Events Center. The centrally located downtown facility attracts groups of all sizes, from intimate board meetings to large exhibitions with up to 17,000 attendees. The distinct, three-venue complex includes Casey’s Center, EMC Expo Center and the Community Choice Convention Center and features a 150,000-square-foot exhibit hall, a 28,000-square-foot main ballroom and a newly opened, 10,560-square-foot junior ballroom.
Some 30 customizable meeting rooms are equipped with HD wall projectors to display large-scale videos and images. As a certified sensory inclusive facility, the venue supports visitors with special sensory needs through specialized services and facilities.
An in-house catering company, OVG Hospitality is hands on in designing formal menus and the center’s concessions team specializes in quick meal options.
Groups can stay at the connected Hilton Des Moines Downtown Hotel, which has 14,000 square feet of meeting space. Des Moines’ four miles of climate-controlled skywalk give the Iowa Events Center easy access to several other downtown hotels, including the Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel, the Des Moines Marriott Downtown and the Hyatt Place Des Moines Downtown.
Grand River Center
Dubuque
Founded in 1833, Dubuque embraces its rich history as the state’s first modern settlement. It’s also a river city at heart, home to the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium and a paved, half-mile Mississippi Riverwalk.
Sitting on the river’s bank, the Grand River Center, the city’s primary meeting and convention venue, is known for expansive, picturesque views of the storied waterway.
“Our riverfront location is breathtaking; we definitely have something special here,” said Rachel Clisch, the Grand River Center’s director of sales and marketing. “Most people have never seen a venue quite like this. Our River Room cascades over the river, and we have multiple meeting spaces with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the river.”
Sitting at the junction of three states — Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois — the center’s 86,000 square feet of meeting space is spread across three floors. Groups of 20 to 3,333 can choose and customize spaces, from a 30,000-square-foot exhibit hall or a 10,000-square-foot ballroom to six smaller meeting rooms.
In-house event services include a wide array of rentable A/V equipment and an in-house catering team that offers meal options to fit a group’s needs.
The attached Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark has 193 guest rooms. From there, attendees easily walk to historic downtown Dubuque for post-meeting dining and entertainment options.
Mid-America Center
Council Bluffs
As a key stop for Lewis and Clark and the starting point of the Transcontinental Railroad, Council Bluffs has long been pivotal in America’s westward expansion. Today, the city’s blend of top-tier amenities and accessibility make it a favorite for meeting planners.
Council Bluffs’ sleek and sprawling Mid-America Center — located four miles from downtown Omaha, Nebraska, across the Missouri River — features more than 70,000 square feet of flexible event space. Its 30,000-square-foot, 9,000-seat arena can be used in several ways with modifications: as an arena, as a reception space for 3,160 or as a banquet hall for 2,500.
The center also has a 24,000-square-foot exhibit hall, 10 small meeting rooms, 12 private suites and 13,515 square feet of pre-function gathering space.
The venue’s catering and convention services teams support groups’ varied dining, A/V and entertainment needs — including providing support with booking on-site live performances or securing group access to local attractions for team building. The center also has 2,600 free, outdoor parking spaces.
At the adjacent Horseshoe Council Bluffs Casino, there’s round-the-clock dining and entertainment and indoor walkway access to the Hilton Garden Inn Omaha East/Council Bluffs, which has event space for up to 300 guests.
caesars.com/mid-america-center
Waterloo Convention Center at Sullivan Brothers Plaza
Waterloo
A longtime industrial hub for the state, Waterloo remains a center of manufacturing and innovation. It’s also home to family attractions like the interactive Bluedorn Science Imaginarium and Lost Island Waterpark, rated among the country’s best.
The city’s newly renovated Waterloo Convention Center at Sullivan Brothers Plaza skillfully incorporates modern architectural elements like colorful LED lighting and lots of natural light. Its more than 40,000 square feet of exhibit and meeting space includes a 19,000-square-foot exhibit hall, a large-scale conference room, four meeting rooms and a ballroom that can be divided into five spaces.
The facility’s two floors of flexible meeting spaces allow for banquet, classroom or theater seating for groups from 10 to 2,000 attendees. On-site food and beverage staff handle every program’s culinary needs.
The center’s A/V and equipment team can provide full-service A/V support plus draping, table decor and staging services. Paid parking for the convention center is available at multiple downtown public lots and garages nearby.
A connected skywalk makes staying at the adjacent Best Western Plus Executive Residency Waterloo and Cedar Falls weatherproof and trouble-free. During their downtime, attendees can explore the Cedar River waterfront on miles of paved trails or head to the visitor-favorite John Deere Tractor and Engine Museum for hands-on exhibits at the site of the company’s first factory.
Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center
Bettendorf
Conveniently connected by skywalk to the largest hotel in Iowa — the 509-room Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf — the Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center offers 25,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 14,000-square-foot ballroom and eight smaller meeting rooms. The center’s walls of windows let in plenty of natural light and views of downtown Bettendorf.
“It’s a very flexible, versatile, multi-functional space,” said Dave Herrell, president and CEO of Visit Quad Cities. “The facility can easily accommodate groups of up to 1,800 people, so it’s a wonderful place to host a large-scale meeting or event.”
Thanks to its location on the Mississippi River, the convention center also delivers many after-meeting exploration options. “You can literally walk out of the hotel and walk or bike for miles along the Mississippi River on pathways or even travel across the river via pedestrian access on the I-74 Bridge. People love to stop in the middle of the bridge, over the water, for a great Instagramable photo moment,” Herrell said.
From Memorial Day to Labor Day, a water taxi called the Channel Cat, which docks near the convention center, offers hop-on, hop-off access to multiple locations within the greater Quad Cities area, including shops and dining in the historic Village of East Davenport.
Staff at the convention center provide A/V, security, decorating and catering, while the adjacent Isle Casino delivers all-day gaming and entertainment.
Sioux City Convention Center
Sioux City
Situated in Iowa’s upper west corner — where the Missouri River separates Nebraska, South Dakota and Iowa — Sioux City embraces its role as a tri-state gathering point. The city is home to vibrant shopping and historic districts plus interactive attractions, including the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and the Sioux City Public Museum.
For meetings, the Sioux City Convention Center, located downtown and connected to the 150-room Courtyard by Marriott Sioux City Downtown, offers 56,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space in three spacious halls and 10 smaller meeting and exhibit rooms.
“We’re able to accommodate groups of up to 700 guests down to meetings of 10 people,” said Amada Contreras-Sappingfield, director of marketing for the Oak View Group, which oversees the facility.
An on-site catering team that includes an executive chef and catering manager can curate menus. “We can match any dining vision a group has in mind, from a customized, formal plated meal to a fun buffet,” Contreras-Sappingfield said. Other services include A/V assistance, set-up and tear-down support, and food and beverage service.
Between meetings, attendees can walk to downtown Sioux City to dine and drink at local restaurants, attend sporting events and concerts at the Tyson Events Center or see a Broadway show at the Orpheum Theatre.
