A Venue Menu: More than 40
You need to plan a meeting? Gather the group? Council Bluffs has you covered with an array of options, both large and small.
If you go big, the Mid-America Center’s 64,000 square feet can provide the right fit. Under one roof, it has an arena, exposition hall, and convention center. The convention center contains two ballrooms and eight breakout rooms. The space can be scaled to meet a variety of needs. The arena can seat up to 9,000, and the expo hall has 24,500 column-free square feet. Four hotels are within walking distance. The Country Inn & Suites is connected by a short hallway to the MAC. Along with that property, the Courtyard by Marriott, Hilton Garden Inn, and SpringHill Suites by Marriott are a short walk away with a total of 568 sleeping rooms. The Mid-America Center offers 460 free parking spaces.
Perhaps you prefer the convenience of staying where you meet. Three hotels regularly host conferences and small meetings. The Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites at Ameristar and Hampton Inn & Suites at Ameristar are two examples that happen to be connected to one another and share 6,294 square feet of meeting space. There are five separate rooms that can be scaled according to your needs. On-site, Main Event Catering supplies all your food and beverage needs. For evening activities, the two properties are connected by a hallway to one another and Ameristar Hotel Casino. Ameristar provides meeting space near its casino action with more than 1,300 slots and over 20 table games. On-site dining can be found at 1853 Bistro & Bar, Ameristar Buffet, and Amerisports Bar & Grill.
Likewise, the Hilton Garden Inn supplies similar services and experiences. First, they possess 5,500 square feet of meeting space in four rooms. They have an on-site restaurant that handles all food and beverage needs. HGI is connected to Horseshoe Casino, and it features more than 50 table games and 1,300 slot machines within its nearly 60,000 square feet. Within the casino, Whiskey Roadhouse offers live music performances along with dining at Jack Binion’s Steak House and JB’s Café. At Horseshoe’s sibling property, Harrah’s Casino & Hotel, Guy Fieri’s Kitchen + Bar piqued lots of interest after debuting in 2023. It’s possible to host events at the restaurant.
For others who prefer to stay and meet under one roof, Council Bluffs select service properties can accommodate small meetings at the Country Inn & Suites, Courtyard by Marriott, Holiday Inn Express, and SpringHill Suites by Marriott.
Two arts venues provide more options: the Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center and The Arts Center at Iowa Western. The 95,000-square-foot Hoff includes a 280-seat theater, 8,028 square feet of gallery space, and 3,964 square feet on the first floor with a built-in bar and covered patio along other smaller spaces for a variety of uses. The on-site Kitchen Council and its membership of food entrepreneurs can address all your food and beverage needs. More than half of the facility was once home to the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. The 1894 building is filled with hardwood and exposed brick surfaces that add to its charm.
On the beautiful, rolling campus of Iowa Western Community College, The Arts Center is home to the main stage theater with 650 seats on three levels and a black box theater holding up to 120 guests available for performances, meetings, and receptions. The facility provides professional theater lighting, sound, and video projection through its technical director. On-campus food service is available for catering. Whether using the center’s facilities or not, groups always have the option to purchase tickets for a show during its national performance season as evening entertainment. Balance a day of business with some music or comedy. Looft Hall is another space available on the Iowa Western campus.
What’s more, CB rolls out the red carpet at several smaller, locally operated venues, each with its own unique furnishings, location, and ambiance. The Acres, Bayliss Park Hall, Grand Venue, The Grass Wagon, Hoy Kilnoski Reception Center, and River’s Edge Pavilion are among some of the stand-alone facilities in or near Council Bluffs.
Restaurants are well-known for hosting meetings and events. These and other spaces affiliated with businesses include Barley’s, Bent Tree Golf Club, Boxer BBQ Banquet Hall & Event Space, Caddy’s Kitchen & Cocktails, Council Bluffs Country Club, Dodge Riverside Golf Club, Full Fledged Brewing Co – The Flight Deck Event Room, The Gathering Room at McCoy’s, Glory Days Sports Bar & Grill, Main Street Café, Pizza King, The Spillway Grill & Bar, and Tish’s Restaurant.
Furthermore, there are nontraditional meeting or event spaces such as American Legion – Rainbow Post 2, Elks Lodge, Lied Multipurpose Complex at Iowa School for the Deaf, and YMCA Healthy Living Center.
The choices extend beyond Council Bluffs into the rest of Pottawattamie County with Breezy Lodge at Arrowhead Park, Loess Hills Lodge at Hitchcock Nature Center, Neola Area Community Center, Oakland Community Center, Olsen Lodge at Botna Bend Park, Palace Events Center, UMBA Hall, and Walnut Community Center.
Going big, small, or entirely unconventional, unleash your options in Council Bluffs.
