Iowa Events Center

An inside look at what it takes to operate Iowa's largest entertainment and convention facilities.

This is Iowa Events Center All Access from Iowa Everywhere.

Iowa Everywhere.

[upbeat music]

Hey, what's up, everyone? Welcome in to an episode of All Access here on the Iowa Everywhere podcast network.

We're presented by our friends at the Iowa Events Center, the Casey Center, EMC Expo Center, and the Community Choice Convention Center, Matt Van Winkle and Adam Flack.

And Adam, you guys had a, uh, a show announcement.

You guys got some, uh, events coming to the EMC Expo Center, but we have a really cool special guest that we're gonna get to right away.

Same weekend as well, September 25th through the 27th.

It's in Des Moines, Iowa at the Iowa Events Center.

Admission is $10 for that show.

And, okay, Aaron, this is a guy that you mentioned a couple months ago, hoping we might see him at the National.

An inside look at what it takes to operate Iowa's largest entertainment and convention facilities.

This is Iowa Events Center All Access.

From Iowa Everywhere.

Iowa Everywhere.

Hey, what's up everyone? Welcome into another episode of All Access here on the Iowa Everywhere Network.

Matt Van Winkle, Adam Flack, Director of Marketing at the Iowa Events Center, Casey Center, EMC Expo Center, and the Community Choice Convention Center.

Adam, we're, we're through the State Fair.

We're through all summer travels.

Polk County is looking for either a single company or two companies to operate the facilities and provide food and beverage services.

The Iowa Events Center comprises the Casey Center, the EMC Expo Center, and the Community Choice Convention Center, which hosts about 340 events annually, attracting more than 1 million attendees.

Oakview Group has operated the Iowa Events Center for about 20 years, and its contract is set to end in February 2027 after the supervisors recently approved an extension.

Chris Connolly, general manager of the Iowa Events Center, told the Business Record that In June, that OVG will submit a bid to continue its management of the event center.

The county is conducting a formal bid process in line with its procurement policy that was adopted in June 2023.

And you've been listening to the Business Record on IRIS, the Iowa Radio Reading Information Service for the Blind and Print Handicapped.