In recent years, Wisconsin’s meeting and conventions industry has undergone its own “extreme makeover” with a host of new or extensively renovated hotel facilities, meeting venues, casinos, restaurants, indoor waterpark resorts and more. Combined with the state’s well-known reputation as a leading Midwestern leisure travel destination, complete with lush natural resources, PGA-caliber golf courses, sports teams, performing arts and other leisure attractions, Wisconsin offers meeting planners a variety of options to build family vacation or romantic getaway opportunities into their next corporate event.
GREATER MILWAUKEE AREA
Adding to Milwaukee’s already full line-up of shopping districts, nightlife museums, sports teams and performing arts venues is the new Harley-Davidson Museum. The museum, which opened in 2008, offers a unique meeting space with indoor and outdoor spaces capable of accommodating both small and large gatherings. The largest space is The Garage, which can hold up to 15,000 people. Its eight outdoor meeting venues accommodate up to 15,000 guests; options for full-service, customized menus are available as well as referrals of vendors for tents, seating and audio-visual equipment.
Just across the river from Harley Davidson Museum, the new biker-themed Iron Horse Hotel offers business guests another unique meeting and event alternative, with 102 guest rooms and an in-house restaurant scheduled to open in March 2009. In addition to superior guest rooms, the Iron Horse offers a variety of meeting space to accommodate corporate retreats and off-site meetings.
2008 also brought a $240 million expansion at the Potawatomi Bingo Casino to the Milwaukee market. Known for world-class gaming, dining and entertainment, the casino tripled its size with the renovation, adding new gaming options, two restaurants and expanded meeting venues. In spring 2009, the casino will feature its new Woodland Dreams Conference Center (capacity 750), complementing the existing Tribal Room, which seats up to 100 guests and offers a stunning view of downtown Milwaukee through floor to ceiling windows.
A new hotel providing an intimate meeting retreat can also be found in Milwaukee’s western suburbs. Waukesha’s 20-room Clarke Hotel features a neo-classic theme and houses The Black Trumpet Restaurant, which serves gourmet, classic cuisine. Meeting planners will find a variety of options throughout the hotel’s four meeting spaces accommodating 20 to 120 guests.
Further west, in the quaint town of Delafield, business travelers will enjoy the relaxing ambiance offered by The Delafield Hotel. The only Wisconsin destination certified by the Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the 38-roomed boutique hotel opened in 2006 and features more than 5,500 square feet of space, three venues as well as professional planners to coordinate events. As a business partner with the nationally acclaimed Erin Hills golf course – host of the 2011 U.S. Amateur – the hotel offers corporate event golf packages and transportation. Travelers can also talk business as they come off the links; Erin Hills’ clubhouse offers intimate meeting spaces as well as nine private guest rooms for overnight stays.
MADISON
Already established as one of Madison’s largest hotel and meeting facilities, The Sheraton Madison recently completed a $5 million renovation project. Among its enhancements, the hotel now features a remodeled lobby, and upgrades to its meeting and guest rooms. Meeting planners will find more than 17,000 square feet of meeting space throughout the facility, accommodating groups up to 400 people. Conveniently located in the heart of the city, The Sheraton Madison is within a quick walk to the Monona Terrace, downtown sites and attractions, numerous corporate headquarters and the University of Wisconsin campus.
Also within walking distance of the Monona Terrace and the University of Wisconsin campus are the new Hyatt Place and Best Western – Inn on the Park. The Hyatt Place is scheduled to open in spring 2009 and will feature 151 guest rooms and a multi-use urban space. With its multi-million dollar renovation completed in summer of 2008, The Best Western – Inn on the Park now offers high-end amenities across its 20,000 square-foot venue, including lavish rooms, flexible corporate and event space, and 15 multi-use conference rooms. The Best Western Inn on the Park is the only hotel located right on the Capital Square.
The Crowne Plaza Hotel Madison – East Towne is currently completing a multi-million dollar renovation. With recent luxury upgrades to both private rooms and public areas, the Crowne Plaza Hotel offers 10,300 square feet of meeting space and 14 meeting rooms. Renovations to meeting rooms will continue through winter of 2008.
WISCONSIN DELLS
Made famous for having the first indoor waterpark in the U.S., the Polynesian Waterpark Resort embarked on a $20 million expansion and renovation during the summer of 2008, which includes a new convention center, room remodeling and the addition of 10,000 square feet to the indoor waterpark. Positioned along the “Rocky Island Region” shoreline of the lower dells, the Grand Cambrian Resort is currently under development. When complete, the resort will feature 35,000 square feet of banquet and conference space as well as 85,000 square feet of indoor entertainment space, condominium units, restaurants and unique shopping opportunities.
TheKalahari Resort, already the area’s largest convention center hotel and four-time Corporate Report “Best of Wisconsin Business” Award winner, opened an indoor theme park in December 2008. The new theme park provides everything a family tagging along on a convention could hope for including a six-story-high Ferris wheel, an African-themed carousel, 24 lanes of bowling, 18 holes of mini golf, a two-level go-cart track, a pair of full-swing golf simulators, ropes course, climbing walls and laser tag. These same attractions also provide double-duty for corporate groups in search of unexpected team-building exercises.
The Wilderness Hotel and Golf Resort recently finished an expansion project to their Glacier Canyon Lodge Conference Center providing meeting planners with over 55,000 of combined square feet of flexible meeting space. The resort also offers the award-winning Sundara Spa, and meeting options/amenities including private villas, spa services and rounds at the new Wild Rock Golf Club.
OSHKOSH
The Oshkosh Convention Center is currently working on a $2.8 million renovation to be completed in February 2009, which will update the interior and highlight the hotel’s Fox River view. The convention center has 18,500 square feet of flexible meeting and exhibit space with all the equipment necessary for an impressive presentation.
The all new, 80-suite Comfort Suites opened in September 2008 with a menu of amenities that includes a boardroom for small groups, a meeting room for groups up to 80 and available extended stay suites. Also opened in 2008, The Waters is a recently restored meeting and event facility located along the shores of Lake Winnebago. The two-story facility can accommodate up to 300 guests and includes state-of-the-art audio and visual capabilities, a Grand Ballroom, two event areas downstairs, a screened-in porch on the first floor and an open-air porch on the second floor.
CHIPPEWA VALLEY
The recently opened Metropolis Hotel was designed with business travelers in mind and has quickly become one of Eau Claire’s most exclusive options. Dubbed “The Met,” the Metropolis Hotel contains a variety of meeting options that can accommodate groups of all sizes in high-tech function spaces, each equipped with Internet access, presentation equipment, teleconferencing and video conferencing capabilities. Next door, Action City offers go-karts, bumper cars, laser tag, mini-bowling, a climbing wall, batting cages, mini golf, 85 arcade games and a 30,000 square foot indoor waterpark is expected to open spring 2009.
GREEN BAY
Opened in October 2008, Green Bay’s GuestHouse Hotel & Suites is a newly constructed property conveniently located near two major roadways. GuestHouse features two corporate facilities capable of handling up to 50 guests, along with 80 spacious guestrooms and suites. Amenities include complimentary breakfast, free Wi-Fi, a pool and spa, and an in-house cocktail lounge.
Formerly known as the Regency Suites Hotel, the Hotel Sierra recently celebrated a $7 million makeover and grand reopening. As Green Bay’s only downtown all-suite, full-service hotel, Hotel Sierra is conveniently located for Packers Football. Hotel Sierra delivers a new level of guest experience with touches of luxury in every room from flat-screen TVs to iPod decks.
Opened in October 2008, the $2.3 millionTundra Lodge Resort Conference Center will house 13,000 square feet of corporate venue. With up to 16 subdivisions, Tundra will be able to host 400+ meeting participants upon opening. Improvements have also been made to the waterpark and arcade areas of the resort.
FOX CITIES
Neenah’s downtown Holiday Inn Neenah Riverwalk has recently completed a first round of hotel upgrades with additional renovations scheduled. Completed upgrades include banquet and meeting spaces, providing an additional 13,000 square feet.
The Radisson Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton is the only hotel in Wisconsin to employ four certified meeting professionals. Many of the hotel’s guestrooms were recently renovated with more yet to come, including upgrading beds in all guestrooms to “sleep number” beds.
KOHLER
The newly renovated Inn on Woodlake in Kohler boasts beautifully modern guest rooms, state-of-the-art meeting space and warm common areas that offer leisure guests, golfers and business travelers a feeling of luxury in a relaxed atmosphere. The remodeled banquet and conference facility on the lower level adds to the list of unique settings for meetings, team building experiences and weddings at Destination Kohler.
WAUSAU
Wausau’s Fairfield Inn & Suites opened in 2006, offering a variety of new options for meeting and convention venues in the local area. Featuring a total of 4,500 square feet of meeting space, the hotel offers a total of five meeting rooms, accommodating up to 250 guests. Located minutes from Central Wisconsin Airport, business guests can relax with nearby attractions such as the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, historic downtown district, nearby golf courses, or ski at one of the Midwest’s largest downhill facilities, Granite Peak Ski Area at Rib Mountain.
STEVENS POINT
The Travel Green Wisconsin-certified Holiday Inn & Convention Center in Stevens Point finished work on a significant expansion in 2008, which included the addition of 20 guest rooms. The hotel has 35,000 square feet of meeting and convention space as well as a banquet suitable for events with more than 1,000 guests.
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