Association meeting planners who haven't brought a group to North or South Dakota in recent years will no doubt marvel at the advances these states have made in their offerings-especially on the hospitality and convention front.
North Dakota, known as the Peace Garden State, has been gathering momentum of late due to an energy boom, and as a result, its communities are responding and expanding in exciting new ways. And South Dakota, commonly referred to as the Mount Rushmore State, is celebrating 125 years of statehood. With rich histories, national attractions and destinations that have become centers of emerging industries, planners have more reasons than ever to hold a group event there.
Southern North Dakota: Renewed Energy
A strengthening economy in Fargo, the state's largest city, means that groups headed to the area will find themselves with all kinds of new and upscale options, from entertainment and dining to hotels and event sites. As a result, community spirit has been bolstered as well.
"Energy and community are two great words to describe Fargo," said Dorothy Lick, senior vice-president of education and events for the North Dakota Bankers Association, which holds an annual convention in town every fourth year and its Ag Credit Conference in Fargo every other fall. Lick said the group likes the city because of its convenient location (attendees come from both North and South Dakota), its activities, amenities and the service demonstrated throughout town. "The Fargo-Moorhead Convention & Visitors Bureau is a fantastic partner and a great resource when we plan large meetings. The CVB helped me find some wonderful off-site locations for our summer convention," Lick said, citing Avalon Event Centers, which has two facilities in town, with 9,200 square feet and 18,000 square feet of space, respectively.
The area's biggest venue for events is the Fargodome, which has 115,000 square feet of space and can seat up to 25,000. There's also the 11,000-square-foot Fargo Civic Memorial Auditorium & Centennial Hall, which can accommodate up to 2,700; the Fargo Air Museum, with event space for up to 450; and the Plains Art Museum, with space for up to 250. Newer downtown spaces include the year-old Fargo Brewing Company and the historic Loretta Building, which has been restored and now offers meeting or reception space for groups of up to 100 and excellent city views.
A surge in new hotel construction is keeping up with the area's economic growth. In October, a 64-room My Place Hotel opened, and the Kelly Inn was rebranded the Biltmore Hotel & Suites. Two properties are expected to open in February: the Holiday Inn Express/Fargo Southwest, with 110 guest rooms and 1,100 square feet of meeting space, and a 130-room Element in West Fargo, with a 453-square-foot boardroom. A 90-room Four Points by Sheraton is also in development and is expected to open in April in West Fargo, where the Cambria Suites & Conference Center opened earlier this year. And next summer, the 99-room ClubHouse Hotel & Suites plans to open with 6,300 square feet of meeting space at the popular Prairie Stone Center, the new 950,000-square-foot retail hub.
To the west, the state capital of Bismarck is another major hub of activity for regional groups. According to economic indicators, the city has the lowest unemployment rate in the nation-just 2.4 percent-a positive effect of the state's oil boom. The Bismarck Civic Center has more than 100,000 square feet of event space and is just a 10-minute drive from the Bismarck Airport. Organizations that have recently used it for functions include the Dakota Territory Gun Collectors Association, the North Dakota Rodeo Association and North Dakota Emergency Medical Services. In the sister community of Mandan, the Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park rents out its Commissary Great Room, which can accommodate up to 150 people, and has several outdoor picnic sites.
Dickinson, 90 miles west, is home to the West River Community Center, which has a community room for up to 90 people. The adjacent West River Ice Center (formerly the Dickinson Recreation Center) has expanded and now features a 1,000-seat main arena and a secondary, 300-seat arena. At Dickinson State University, the Henry Biesiot Activities Center has more than 5,500 square feet of meeting space or can accommodate banquets of up to 320.
Northern North Dakota: International Pull
The communities of northern North Dakota have a friendly, international feel, not least of which is due to their proximity to the Canadian border. Many towns, like Minot, have been developed by emigrants from European countries and still proudly honor these cultures; examples are Scandinavian Heritage Park and the Norsk Høstfest, the continent's biggest Scandinavian cultural festival, held each fall at the North Dakota State Fair Center east of town. Visiting groups can also utilize the North Dakota State Fair Center, which features 200,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 6,000-seat arena and an outdoor grandstand that can accommodate up to 15,000. Other sizable sites in town include Minot State University's 10,000-seat MSU Dome and the downtown Municipal Auditorium, which can seat up to 5,000 and has smaller meeting rooms for up to 380. Local attractions that welcome groups include the Taube Museum of Art and the Roosevelt Park Zoo (open during the summer).
The small city of Dunseith, even closer to the Canadian border, is best known for the International Peace Garden, a 2,339-acre botanical garden dedicated to the friendship between the United States and Canada. Its venues include the Masonic Auditorium, which can host up to 2,000; the 510-seat Burdick Center; and a new interpretative center and conference room, which can seat up to 200 and 80 people, respectively. Groups can also stay overnight in 171 dorm-style rooms.
To the southeast, on the North Dakota-Minnesota border, is Grand Forks, another great pick for regional or international meetings as it's just 80 miles from Fargo and 140 miles from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Large conferences can be accommodated at the Alerus Center, whose features include more than 160,000 square feet of trade show space, a 30,000-square-foot ballroom and an arena that can seat upwards of 12,000 people.
On the University of North Dakota campus, the Ralph Engelstad Arena can be configured to seat more than 13,000 people, the adjacent Betty Engelstad Sioux Center has 3,300 seats, and the Chester Fritz Auditorium can host up to 2,384. Elsewhere in town, the North Dakota Museum of Art has event space for up to 350 people, and the historic Empire Arts Center has a 416-seat theater and a smaller gallery.
Eastern South Dakota: Ready to Impress
It's a new era for Sioux Falls, South Dakota's largest city. In January, it was noted as having one of the nation's fastest-growing economies by the global-information company IHS and data from the U.S. Conference of Mayors. In August, the New York Times wrote up its emerging culinary scene; with more than 650 dining establishments, the city now has something to please the taste of any attendee. And in 2013, its River Greenway Project won the International Downtown Association's Downtown Merit Award for outstanding public space.
As far as meeting venues go, there are also new options. This fall, the Denny Sanford Premier Center opened adjacent to the Sioux Falls Convention Center & Arena. It has 30,000 square feet of space, and when combined with the convention center complex, groups have access to more than 132,000 square feet of space.
The 162-acre Sanford Sports Complex is expanding, with sites that can be used for events as well as team-building activities. Facilities include the three-rink Scheels IcePlex, which opened in October with Wi-Fi service; the year-old Sanford Pentagon, with nine volleyball courts that can be used for all kinds of gatherings, as well as separate conference space for up to 300 people; a 62,000-square-foot turf field; and, expected to open in the spring of 2015, a 49,000-square-foot indoor tennis center that plans to offer bleacher seating and classroom space.
Several cultural attractions and educational institutions also welcome group events. These include the Washington Pavilion, with a dozen options including the 1,800-seat Mary W. Sommervold Hall, home to the South Dakota Symphony. The Orpheum Theater, opened in 1913, has three separate spaces for events, the largest of which is the main, 686-seat theater. At Augustana College, the Elmen Center can seat up to 4,500 people, and Kresge Recital Hall has space for up to 350 people.
In addition, health care and scientific groups will be interested in the $35 million expansion and renovation happening at the college's Gilbert Science Center. Plans include the addition of 41,000 square feet of science facilities including high-tech "classatories." At the University of Sioux Falls, groups can use the 826-seat auditorium within the Jeschke Fine Arts Center.
Over the summer, a new attraction called Independence Hall opened with a life-size sculpture of John Trumbull's iconic "Declaration of Independence" painting. Visitors also enjoy visiting the 123-acre Falls Park, home to the city's triple waterfall, historic buildings and an open-air shelter that is used for events. Near the Empire Mall, which recently completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of its public areas and opened a dozen new stores, the new Comfort Inn & Suites opened in March with a 486-square-foot boardroom. A My Place Hotel and La Quinta Inn also opened in town earlier this year.
In Mitchell, about 70 miles west of Sioux Falls, groups usually head directly to the unique Corn Palace, a multiuse center for up to 3,250 attendees whose expansive murals are created from more than 275,000 ears of corn. More traditional venues in town include the Highland Conference Center, for functions of up to 400, and the renovated Ramada Hotel & Conference Center. Also in Mitchell, the Dakota Discovery Museum presents the life, culture and arts of former prairie settlers.
In the state capital, Pierre, the Best Western Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center has 24,000 square feet of event space for up to 1,500 attendees. The city is an ideal base for groups interested in the outdoors, and fishing at Lake Oahe, a few miles to the north, will prove an enjoyable pursuit.
In Aberdeen, the Dakota Event Center has 17,000 square feet of meeting space and has hosted such groups as the South Dakota Soybean Association, the South Dakota Bankers Association and the South Dakota Corn Growers Association. Other options include the Holum Expo Building at the Brown County Fairgrounds, Northern State University's 8,000-seat Joseph H. Barnett Center, and the world's first Super 8 motel, which is now the Super 8/Aberdeen East. Hunting and fishing are popular pastimes, and fans of former Aberdeen resident L. Frank Baum can check out the Storybook Land theme park, which has a Land of Oz attraction.
The Codington County Extension Complex in Watertown, to the southeast, has 20,000 square feet of expo space. Other options include the Watertown Civic Arena, with seating for up to 5,800; the Watertown Event Center, with 32,000 square feet of space; the 1,000-seat DD Miller Auditorium; and the County Fair Banquet Hall, which can host up to 300 people.
Another 90 miles southwest, in Huron, the South Dakota State Fairgrounds offers more than 15,000 square feet of space and grandstand seating for as many as 10,000 people. Also available are the Huron Event Center, which has 34,000 square feet of meeting space, and The Plains, which offers two banquet rooms and a bowling alley.
South Dakota: Sites to Behold
Must-see historic sites in this corner of South Dakota play dual roles. At the epic Crazy Horse Memorial, a welcome center can host events of up to 300, while the iconic Mount Rushmore National Memorial can host special functions for up to 3,000, and Custer State Park, home to a massive herd of bison, offers four guest lodges and meeting facilities for up to 1,200 attendees.
The gateway destination to these attractions as well as the famed Black Hills is Rapid City, home to more than 4,300 guest rooms. A newer property is the environmentally friendly Adoba Hotel, which reopened in May after a multimillion-dollar renovation and features a 4,790-square-foot, divisible ballroom. Large groups often hold functions at either the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center or the Central States Fairgrounds. The civic center features nearly 250,000 square feet of event space, including a 10,000-seat arena, a 7,500-seat ice arena, 1,752-seat theater and 4,000 free parking spaces, while the fairgrounds offers nearly 143,000 square feet of space including a 6,000-seat grandstand.
To the southeast, within Badlands National Park, the popular Cedar Pass Lodge has added new guest cabins built to meet gold LEED standards. Exteriors resemble the park's original 1928 cabins and interiors are lined with local pine. Small groups (up to six) can also utilize the lodge's 1,000-square-foot historic cottage for retreats.
About 55 miles south of Rapid City, in the spa town of Hot Springs, the Mueller Civic Center can host functions of up to 850 people. Farther south, near Oelrichs, the Prairie Wind Casino & Hotel can host events in its 21,000-square-foot Lakota Dome.
Taking a Second Look
Attendees gearing up for a meeting in North or South Dakota will be in for a pleasant surprise as so many of the destinations have updated their look. Gallery hopping, recreational options on new and improved riverside trails, hot culinary scenes and thriving communities that emit a newfound energy are just some of the ways these states are making bold new impressions.