Bikes, Bucks and Breweries
Meet where the unique unite
By Morgan Saltz
To be located in the middle of the country means people from all walks of life will bring something different to the culture. Milwaukee says it is “the city where the unique unite” and that is shown through its diversity in its history, its population and even its meeting spaces. Meeting profs can be sure their attendees will find their niche or discover something new. Or both!
Local Expert Tip
“Milwaukee is an exciting meetings destination with an unexpected ‘wow’ factor.”
– Claire Koenig, communications director, Visit Milwaukee
Experience Milwaukee
Harley-Davidson Museum. Milwaukee is home to the world’s only Harley-Davidson Museum. It isn’t just motorcycles and memorabilia—the park-like campus also includes gift shops and Motor Bar & Restaurant serving Wisconsin classics like fish fry and local draft beer. The restaurant offers private and semi-private dining for groups and a flexible menu.
Historic Breweries. The art of brewing craft beer has become increasingly popular in recent years, yet Milwaukee has long been known for brewing, even predating Wisconsin becoming a territory! Earning the moniker “Brew City,” groups can take guided tours with local beer experts or check out Pabst Mansion, home of the founder of Pabst Brewing Company.
Read More: Midwest/Chicago: Midwest History Meets Modernity
3rd Street Market Hall. Described as the “new face of downtown,” The Avenue is home to 3rd Street Market Hall. Serving global cuisine such as Kompali Tacos Y Tortas and Kawa Sushi, 3rd Street Market Hall represents authentic Wisconsin as well. Grab some sweets from Mid-Way Bakery, made with Wisconsin dairy, or snag some Milwaukee apparel at Brew City Brand.
Lake Michigan. “I think something that unites many of us is our proximity to the greatest lake, Lake Michigan,” says Koenig. “It’s something we orient ourselves with, it’s a recreational outlet year-round, and it’s something that is a driving force behind many industries here. I think for many Milwaukeeans, it’s incredibly hard to imagine living somewhere that isn’t anchored by a body of water so massive that it’s much more like an inland sea.”
Sports Venues. Greater Milwaukee hosts sports venues as divergent as the USA Triathlon, US Open, USA Fencing and USA Volleyball. A new professional USL soccer team will be calling Milwaukee home in the developing Iron District in 2026.
5 Fantastic Places to Meet
Wisconsin Center District
Three venues—Wisconsin Center, Miller High Life Theatre and UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena—comprise a critical meeting mass that will soon become even more formidable. A $456-million expansion planned to debut next year will double it in size.
Expansion brings the exposition hall to 300,000 sq. ft.; adds 24 meeting rooms; opens May, 2024
Hilton Milwaukee City Center
Connected to Wisconsin Center by a skywalk, this Art Deco-inspired building maintained its 1927 charm while adding modern conveniences. Within a mile of the historic hotel is Milwaukee Art Museum, Pabst Theater and Deer District—all staples of Milwaukee culture.
28,925 sq. ft. of event space; 17 meeting rooms; 729 guestrooms
SpringHill Suites by Marriott Milwaukee Downtown
Also connected to the Wisconsin Center by the skywalk and just as historic is Springhill Suites. The hotel offers something special—Doc’s Smokehouse. The award-winning barbeque restaurant has travelled from Texas to Indiana and now the Midwest city of Milwaukee. With comfort food and craft beer, Southern and Midwest hospitality blend perfectly.
155 guest rooms; 1,840 sq. ft. of event space; 3 event rooms
The Iron Horse Hotel
A repurposed 1920s warehouse is now Milwaukee’s premier boutique place to stay. The Iron Horse Hotel keeps things exciting with its rock-and-roll theme and lively niche events. From beer flights Thursdays to Harley Davidson-themed events to their anti-prohibition parties, groups with a little edge will feel right at home.
100 loft-style guest rooms; 5,000 sq. ft. of meeting space; lobby available to rent
Fiserv Forum
Home to the Milwaukee Bucks and Marquette University men’s basketball team, smaller private events can be held in one of the venue’s more intimate clubs or quiet boardrooms, or meeting profs can go big and buy out the arena floor for a large-scale event.
714,000 sq. ft. total; boardrooms, breakout rooms and classrooms available; premier VIP area for incentives
By Morgan Saltz
This article appears in the March/April 2023 issue. You can subscribe to the magazine here.
