In Wisconsin, college towns are the places to be.
Campus communities are wonderful spots to host meetings or events because student life brings an energy and diversity that attracts vibrant shops and restaurants. Campus performing arts and sports programs also help promote school spirit. These five Wisconsin college towns check all the boxes for meeting planners.
La Crosse
La Crosse is home to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Viterbo University and Western Technical College, which bring around 20,000 students to the city every year.
The city is spread out along the Mississippi River Valley in an area known as the Driftless Region, meaning it was never touched by glaciers. It is known for its bluffs and rolling hills and is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream, offering water sports of every kind, as well as fishing, hiking and biking trails. The walkable downtown features more than 50 restaurants and locally owned shops, and it is home to the area’s largest convention center.
The La Crosse Center offers 165,000 square feet of meeting and event space that includes exhibition halls and two ballrooms, one of which offers panoramic views of the Mississippi River. UW-La Crosse has meeting and events spaces for groups up to 3,000 participants, and it also offers summer housing for 2,500 and performance stages.
There are seven hotels within a four-block radius of the La Crosse Center with nearly 1,000 rooms. Groups hosting events in the city can tap into the universities for guest speakers or buy group tickets to college sporting events. UW-La Crosse and Viterbo have outstanding performing arts and music programs. Groups can bring in university quartets or choirs as entertainment for their events.
The La Crosse Queen paddlewheeler offers scenic and private event cruises on the Mississippi River for up to 150 guests.
Eau Claire
Eau Claire’s downtown is within walking distance of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus, making it very accessible to groups coming to the city to host conventions. The Sonnentag is the university’s brand-new indoor event venue that includes the 5,000-seat event center, and the 84,000-square-foot John and Carolyn Sonnentag Fieldhouse is ideal for groups.
The Pablo Center at the Confluence, which can host up to 1,200, is a popular event space downtown because of its location on the Chippewa River. The Lismore Hotel Eau Claire, a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, is a block away from the Pablo Center. It has 112 guest rooms and nearly 14,000 square feet of flexible event space. Its largest ballroom setup can accommodate 439 for a banquet or 1,000 for a reception. The Oxbow Hotel has 30 boutique rooms and two smaller event spaces.
Groups hosting events in the city can book tickets to one of the university’s basketball, football or volleyball games. Some attend games just to see the highly rated marching band. Attendees can walk the city’s sculpture tour trails and take in murals or take advantage of the area’s 77 miles of interconnected paved trails for hiking and biking.
The Phoenix Taproom and Kitchen is a large, self-pour taproom offering 72 beers, wines, seltzers, ciders and non-alcoholic options. Across the street, 2 Roots Art and Wine Gallery offers over 100 wines by the glass.
Stevens Point
Stevens Point is strategically located in the middle of Wisconsin, making it a convenient city for meeting planners. The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is seeing its largest first-year class in 40 years, which is a boon for the community and its businesses.
Groups wanting to host events on campus can take advantage of two ballrooms and several breakout spaces in the Dreyfus University Center. The University Center can host groups of 300 for a banquet, and there are several other meeting spaces across campus.
Meeting groups looking for guest speakers for their events can tap into the expertise at UW-Stevens Point. For fun, they can add tickets to sporting events or concerts on campus.
The Holiday Inn and Convention Center offers 38,000 square feet of meeting space. The hotel has 149 guest rooms with an additional 66 rooms across the street at the Holiday Inn Express.
SentryWorld offers the largest event space in the city — 51,354 square feet — and it can accommodate groups of up to 3,000. There are two additional meeting facilities and a boutique hotel, The Inn at SentryWorld, on-site. The event spaces are next to the golf course.
CREATE Portage County recently moved into a former convent space in Stevens Point. The facility has a large space that can be rented out to groups. Mid-State Technical College also has event space in its LEAD Center, along with breakout facilities across campus.
Stevens Point is home to the second oldest continuously operated brewery in the nation, Stevens Point Brewery, which was founded in 1857. Groups can take a tour of the brewery or sit outside on the huge patio and listen to live music.
Kenosha
Carthage College, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Gateway Technical College and Herzing University all call Kenosha home. Carthage, a private Lutheran school, is closest to downtown and Lake Michigan. It hosts many public events, and visiting groups can enjoy seeing art exhibits, live theater and sporting events on campus.
Kenosha is on the last stop of Chicago’s North Metra Line, making it convenient for visitors who want to include Chicago as part of their visit. There are five museums, a community theater and plenty of restaurants, shops and craft breweries downtown.
Carthage College has several meeting spaces available that can accommodate groups of 40 to 4,000. UW-Parkside can host groups up to 400 in its University Ballroom, Cinema and conference rooms.
Kenosha can comfortably host groups of 10 to 250 at The Stella Hotel and Ballroom. It has 80 guest rooms and over 8,000 square feet of event space, including a two-story ballroom with large windows and an outdoor balcony.
The Parkway Chateau has nearly 11,000 square feet of banquet space for up to 600 guests. The largest area is the Grand Hall at 4,000 square feet, and the facility has four additional spaces.
The 109-room Wyndham Garden Kenosha Harborside Hotel is the city’s only lakefront hotel property and features 4,500 square feet of event space that can accommodate up to 250 for a banquet.
Off-site venues include the Kenosha Public Museum, the Civil War Museum and the Kemper Center.
Appleton
The city of Appleton owes its founding to Lawrence University, a liberal arts college that was established on the banks of the Fox River 178 years ago. The university is on the east side of downtown, with many diverse restaurants and boutique shops that cater to students, residents and visitors.
The Warch Campus Center offers 10 gathering spaces that are available for rent year-round. The facility, which overlooks the river, can host groups up to 300.
Groups wanting to add some college spirit to their events can purchase tickets to a football game or hire musicians from the music department to entertain at a dinner or reception.
Fox Cities Exhibition Center is Appleton’s downtown convention center. It overlooks Jones Park and features 38,000 square feet of flexible event space and a 17,000-square-foot outdoor plaza that can host events of up to 2,000.
Hilton Appleton Paper Valley, which is attached to the exhibition center and across the street from Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, is the city’s largest conference hotel, with 388 guest rooms and over 38,000 square feet of meeting space.
Poplar Hall, a large concert and event venue on the banks of the Fox River, can accommodate up to 190 guests. The Courtyard by Marriott Appleton Riverfront is next door. Offsite venues include the Appleton Public Library or The History Museum at the Castle, which is a former Masonic Temple.
