For more information contact: Lisa Marshall, 608/267-3773
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MAKE YOUR NEXT MEETING MEMORABLE WITH MEETING AT ONE OF WISCONSIN'S UNIQUE FACILITIES
MADISON, Wis. (April 20, 2007) - The venue for your next meeting should be as unique as your organization. Maybe it's a facility that offers something that's off-the-beaten path from the standard convention center or meeting facility. Looking for great views and distinctive spaces, world-class museums and galleries? Wisconsin's got them. Here's a round up of some eclectic venues that you won't find everywhere - and maybe never considered - for your event.
On the Water
For a state seemingly landlocked in the heart of the Midwest, Wisconsin offers more water-based recreation opportunities than many coastal states. Chartering a boat for an event is a great way to move the meeting into the great outdoors and off dry land.
Take team building to a new level with a charter on Wisconsin's flagship schooner, the S/V Denis Sullivan at Pier Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Leadership and team building packages introduce employees to a hands-on experience of raising sails, taking the helm and tacking through the wind. A little relaxation and camaraderie is also part of the experience. Catering and additional meeting space are arranged through the Discovery World facility.
In Wisconsin Dells, guests can board a private charted boat at Dells Boat Tours, where they are brought to Cold Water Canyon, a private retreat area perfect for small group gatherings. The site features a historic stone building for sit-down meals, meetings and entertainment events. Guests can explore the sandstone cliffs via a wooden boardwalk that winds it way through the canyon.
Step back in time while rolling down Old Man River aboard an authentic steamboat. Private charters are in big demand on both the La Crosse Queen and the Julia Belle Swain, which are both docked in La Crosse. Whether the event is hors d'oeuvres or full-service dining, a DJ or a five-piece band, groups can tailor their steamboat event for a memorable day.
With a fleet of eight vessels and an impressive roster of business clients, meeting planners will find they are in good hands with Lake Geneva Cruise Line. The Lake Geneva Cruise line can accommodate a basic cruise, cocktail and hors d'oeuvres, buffet stations or seated plated meal from 14-200 guests.
Boats, Planes, and Trains
Lend your event a nautical feel with a location at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum. The Roof Deck offers a panoramic view of Lake Michigan and downtown Manitowoc. A guided tour of the USS Cobia after the meeting is a must. At the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, a number of spaces are available for rental on the aviation campus, from the museum galleries that can host up to 3,000 people for a shareholder's meeting to the charming Fergus Chapel, perfect for a more intimate reception. At the National Railroad Museum, meeting planners will have to pay special attention to the agenda to make sure that attendees aren't distracted by the large engines and railroad cars at arm's length. The museum is home to 70 pieces of "rolling stock" and the Lenfestey Center provides catering and seating for groups up to 400.
Art Museums
With collections that range from folk art to the Old Masters, pre-Christian Greek earthenware to modern American expressionism, Wisconsin's art museums run the gamut. All around the state, these popular visitor attractions double as venues for meetings, corporate events, receptions and more, providing planners with an alternative venue for a variety of custom group events.
The official icon of Wisconsin's urban center, the Milwaukee Art Museum provides a spectacular space for a spectacular event. Amazing views of Lake Michigan, a grand hall, auditorium space, a boardroom suite and of course, world-class art, provide the perfect setting from board meeting to elegant evening fund-raiser and everything in between.
Let the rooftop terrace and sculpture garden at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art provide the wow-factor for your function. The rooftop provides a stunning, seasonal location with third-story views of downtown Madison, from the Capitol dome to Bascom Hill, as well as bird's eye views of the State Street pedestrian mall and surrounding rooftops. The sculpture garden accommodates 300 people standing or 150 seated in chairs for an outdoor wedding. In addition, the museum offers a lecture hall and light-filled lobby for rental.
The outdoor sculpture gardens and indoor venues of the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan make a statement when they're the backdrop for receptions, meetings and conferences, multi-media presentations, or even a picnic for 1,200. Inside, planners will find a light-filled atrium, plus a theatre and boardroom. Outside, the Library Sculpture Garden's unique façade and the Festival Garden are dazzling spaces that can accommodate small or large functions.
Several areas of the Racine Art Museum are available for rent, including the main floor and galleries, and an exterior courtyard offers an open-air setting with a view of Lake Michigan that accommodates up to 40 guests. Rahr-West Art Museum in Manitowoc is a Victorian mansion built in 1891 by Joseph Vilas and home to works by artists Georgia O'Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Salvadore Dali and Joan Miro. Rahr-West can accommodate intimate groups up to 70.
Performing Art Venues
When a hotel ballroom or convention center just won't do for a presentation that needs serious sparkle, Wisconsin's many performing arts facilities know how to help create drama and excitement.
The possibilities are endless when you consider any one of the spaces available within the ARTSblock in Wausau. Spaces range from seating for 1,200 in the Grand Theatre to intimate gathering spaces such as the B.A. & Esther Greenheck Lounge. Your guests will feel like stars at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton. The state-of-the-art facility features a 2,100 seat proscenium-style theater, 4,160 square feet of flexible space, the Founders Room, and more than 10,000 square feet of lobby space.
The Overture Center for the Arts is a world-class facility offering an exciting mix of visual and performing arts in the heart of downtown Madison. Designed by the internationally acclaimed architect Cesar Pelli, the impressive 400,000-square-foot facility offers multiple performance stages and a variety of lobby spaces, halls, terraces and studios for any size reception, meeting, dinner or performance.
With on-site catering already included, don't overlook the state's popular dinner theaters as an option either. The Armory in Janesville, Wisconsin Dell's Broadway Dinner Theatre, and Fanny Hill Dinner Theatre in Eau Claire would be pleased to help you stage your next production.
Out of the Ordinary
They may be places you never considered for a meeting or reception, but consider them nonetheless, not just for their uniqueness but for their function, too.
Built in 1897 by German barn builder Ernst Clausing, Old World Wisconsin's Clausing Barn is one of the few surviving octagonal barns. Today, the barn serves as a cafeteria-style restaurant for visitors to the outdoor museum, but it's also available year round for evening functions.
From the time when Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne hosted their renowned soirees through the present day, Ten Chimneys has been the perfect setting for a really great party. The Lunt-Fontanne Program Center is the site for daytime retreats and conferences and dazzling nighttime parties. Event-goers will want to be sure to take a moment for an estate tour while they're there; it's a grand tour that serves as a personal diary of the legendary theater team.
It's not just the historic home for Wisconsin's beloved Green Bay Packers; Lambeau Field has also established itself as a premier year-round entertainment destination. Following a stadium renovation, Lambeau has retained its traditional football stadium aura while expanding its other uses through the Lambeau Field Atrium, also home to the Packers Hall of Fame. A variety of spaces can host a trade show on the Atrium floor or a private party in a press box with impressive views of the landmark field.
Enjoy Oktoberfest any time of the year when you have your social gathering at Sprecher Brewery in Milwaukee. A new indoor beer garden, the Rathskellar, can accommodate up to 125 for sit-down dinner and 250 for open house style events. Take a private tour of the Brewhouse where the Old World brewing traditions that made Milwaukee famous are still alive. Guests will enjoy samples of Sprecher's 11 European style beers and seven gourmet sodas.
Nothing revs up the creativity than to bring out the child inside. Two brand new family entertainment centers fit the bill with their combinations of bumper cars, bowling, video arcades, laser tag, batting cages, Go-karts, climbing walls, mini-golf and more. In Eau Claire, Action City offers 55,000 square feet of games, rides, sport, food, and a private center with state-of-the-art audio visual equipment for corporate outings. In Wisconsin Dells, Knucklehead's Bowling and Family Entertainment Center can accommodate up to 300 for a private party.
Visit www.thinkwisconsin.com to search for meeting and convention facilities, contact or request convention and meeting planners from Wisconsin CVBs or to learn the latest news about Wisconsin destinations. For more information on Wisconsin travel destinations and attractions, visit travelwisconsin.com.
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