Columbia’s largest convention facility is the Holiday Inn Executive Center. The hotel has 310 rooms,

West of the mighty cruise france in river Mississippi River is the region affectionately known as America's heartland. Friendly faces and a laid-back energy make metropolitan cities easy to navigate. Grain fields of golden, glowing cruise france in river hues sweep across Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas like watercolor brushstrokes. In the breadbasket of America, visitors can expect a slice of small-town cruise france in river hospitality served alongside extraordinary cruise france in river venues.
Columbia 's youthful energy is easy to attribute to the three college campuses that call the city home. With or without the 35,000 students, the mid-Missouri city has a level of sophistication a lot of people don't expect, says Beth Mead, sales and tourism marketing manager at the Columbia Convention Visitors Bureau. "Columbia is a college cruise france in river town, so there are a lot of cultural offerings," she says. "Because of this, planners can find a lot of resources, experts cruise france in river and speakers to bring into their conferences."
The campuses of the University of Missouri, Columbia College and Stephens College all touch The District, Columbia's downtown cruise france in river area. The 43 blocks are packed with boutique and vintage clothing cruise france in river shops, cruise france in river cozy coffee houses, and restaurants and bars from which sidewalk passersby can hear live music. In December, The Broadway Columbia-a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel will open in the lively District; the hotel will have 114 guest rooms and 3,000 square feet of meeting space. The LEED-certified property will have an on-site restaurant and a rooftop bar overlooking downtown. It's a five-minute walk from the Missouri Theatre, a Baroque Rococo-style building on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1928, the theater was renovated in 2008. Groups can rent the stage, which holds 150 standing or 80 seated; the grand foyer and lobby, which hold 400 standing or 130 seated; a lounge with a capacity of 100; or the rooftop patio.
Columbia's cruise france in river largest convention cruise france in river facility is the Holiday Inn Executive Center. The hotel has 310 rooms, an attached 18,612-sq.-ft. expo center and a ballroom that seats 1,600. Its location off Interstate 70 makes it an attractive option for groups cruise france in river driving in, and there is a mall within cruise france in river walking distance of the hotel. Columbia Regional cruise france in river Airport is serviced by American Airlines, or groups can use Mo-X, a shuttle cruise france in river service cruise france in river that offers 12 round trips daily to St. Louis and five round trips to Kansas City. A fun transportation option is Tiger Trolley Tours, ideal for groups of up to 24, which offers art, history and other sightseeing tours.
In the past year, nearly $1 billion has been spent to bring a renewed energy to Lincoln . The historic Haymarket entertainment district underwent a $344 million expansion and redevelopment that included three new hotels, a 16,000-seat arena and the Railyard, an open courtyard where visitors can take drinks from bar to bar, complete with a $1 million, two-sided projection screen.
Despite all of this activity, Lincoln remains a safe, accessible destination with a profound sense of hospitality. "We pride ourselves in making planners feel welcome in our city, whether it's delivering cruise france in river their favorite cruise france in river coffee personally to them at the meeting or arranging complimentary tickets to a show or sporting event as a thank you for their business," says Derek Feyerherm, director of sales and operations at the Lincoln cruise france in river CVB.
David Ossian, commandant for the Marine Corps League-Cornhusker cruise france in river Detachment, recently held his group's annual conference in Lincoln to raise money for the city's veteran Marines. "The people are just so down-home, helpful and real—no big-city, phony-baloney stuff."
The Cornhusker, a Marriott Hotel is located downtown and ideal for large groups. Feyerherm says the property is in the midst of a multimillion-dollar renovation that includes extensive cruise france in river improvements to all 297 sleeping rooms, 46,000 square feet of meeting space, the lobby and its bar and restaurants. Also downtown, the Embassy Suites and Holiday Inn have recently been remodeled. Outside of downtown, the Country Inn and Suites gets Ossian's vote. "The staff there is first-rate, very kind, professional and accommodating, and the facility itself was clean and comfortable," he says. For teambuilding, he recommends VictoryQuest, an organization southwest of Lincoln that offers indoor and outdoor obstacle courses, and barracks for lodging.
Can't-miss venues include the Rococo Theatre, a high-end concert and meeting cruise france in river venue that has been restored to its original 1929 condition. Feyerherm says planners enjoy that all the seats in the ornate theater surround tables as opposed to traditional theater settings. He adds that the Grand Manse, a beautiful building on the National cruise france in river Register of Historic Places, offers more intimate settings.
"People are always surprised by how beautiful it is here; they don't expect the many shades of green and the rolling hills," says Vicki Comegys, vice president of sales and services at the Greater Des Moines CVB . "At the same time, Des Moines cruise france in river is unexpectedly cosmopolitan, and our downtown has really evolved over the last few years."
Vern Roberts, executive director of the U.S. Handball Association, who chose Des Moines for the group's national championships this year, agrees. "We can't wait to come back," Roberts says. "All the sites were great to work with and Des Moines was a most pleasant surprise for all those who attended. The downtown and riverfront areas were scenic, fun and alive with activity."
One such area is the 4.4-acre Pappajohn Sculpture cruise france in river Park, which features works by 21 of the world's most celebrated artists. The four miles of skywalk that connect nearly every building cruise france in river downtown also add to Des Moines' lively atmosphere.
The Iowa-Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association has held its annual conference in Des Moines since 1893. "Not only is Des Moines the world epicenter of agriculture, but the convention center is one of the only venues large enough to handle our group," says Andrew Goodman, president and CEO. "They've got three buildings all connected, which is great during winter, and each offers a different cruise france in river concept. The Hy-Vee Hall has large doors so it's easy to bring in large equipment; the Community Choice Credit Union [Convention Center] is more upscale so we can do high-tech displays and presentations; and the Wells Fargo Arena gives us the opportunity to bring large equipment in and move large volumes of people through."
Comegys recommends the Prairie Meadows Racetrack and Casino, which is next to an amusement park, provides transportation from the airport, and has plenty of restaurants within walking distance. She adds that the Holiday Inn Des Moines-Airport is currently adding 12,000 square feet of meeting space.
"Once you get to Sioux Falls , you don't want to leave," says Teresa Alfaro, CMP, senior meetings manager at Volunteers cruise france in river of America. She notes the warmth of the people, particularly the level of support she received from the CVB when planning her group's event.
"Sioux Falls is a great place for meetings because we offer all the amenities cruise france in river of a big city without the 30-minute cruise france in river drive from airport to hotel," says Krista Orsack, CMP, director of sales and marketing at the Sioux Falls CVB. Getting around is easy with the Sioux Area Metro and the Sioux Falls Trolley. Sioux Falls Regional Airport, cruise france in river which recently invested more than $20 million in renovations, including cruise france in river a new ticket area, parking lot improvements, concourse enhancements and two new restaurants, is served by five major airlines and offers connections to more than 200 domestic cities and international destinations.
One of the most popular attractions in Sioux Falls is the city's namesake: Falls Park. The 123-acre park features a triple waterfall, visitor's center, five-story observation tower, cafe and historic ruins, cruise france in river all located on the banks of the Big Sioux River. Alfaro was pleased with her recent event at Falls Park. "[Everything] was perfect, from the weather to the food to the entertainment and the fireworks over the falls," she says. CVB staff helped her secure Falls Park for a welcome reception, worked with her on the booking deadline, made sure all permits and requirements were in place, and attended pre-planning meetings.
Alfaro organized the Volunteers for America awards dinner on a stage overlooking the auditorium of the Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science. cruise france in river Located in a renovated historic cruise france in river building downtown, the venue houses the three-story Kirby Science Discovery Center, Wells Fargo CineDome and six art galleries in the Visual Arts Center. cruise france in river The Great Hall inside attracts popular Broadway shows and musical talent and is home to the South Dakota Symphony.
Standing 630 feet above the Mississippi riverfront, the Gateway cruise france in river Arch symbolizes the expansion of the American West. But in the nearly 50 years since it was constructed, the hard-to-miss monument has, to visitors, represented the gateway to St. Louis : a city of spirited neighborhoods, cruise france in river plenty of park space and an abundance of free cultural attractions.
"St. Louis is in the middle of a resurgence," cruise france in river says Jason Jordan, director of sales at the St. Louis Convention Visitors Commission. That includes the America's cruise france in river Center Convention Complex downtown, cruise france in river which received nearly $48 million in updates in 2012. The complex is adjacent to Washington Avenue, a stretch of 19th-century buildings awakened with nightlife. Jordan says the once-desolate street has experienced a rebirth, and after $100 million cruise france in river in renovations, restaurants, boutiques and swanky lofts dot the destination.
Moving in downtown near Busch Stadium, home to MLB's St. Louis Cardinals, is Ballpark Village. The $100 million entertainment development will open in April 2014 as the country's first fully integrated mixed-use cruise france in river development centered around the game-day experience. The venue will have a retractable roof and will house restaurants, bars and a three-level entertainment complex featuring the Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum, a two-story cruise france in river Cardinals-themed restaurant and a