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Gather on the Isthmus

Downtown Madison, Wisconsin, sits between two lakes and has a convention center designed by Frank Lloyd Wright

By Todd R. Berger

Madison, Wisconsin—including the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center on Lake Monona
Madison, Wisconsin—including the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center on Lake Monona || Photo by OVJ Photography

Both the main campus of the University of Wisconsin and the Badger State Capitol call Madison, Wisconsin, home. The walkable downtown, on an isthmus between lakes Mendota and Monona, contains some eight hotels near the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center and provides attendees with an intimate environment, with the Wisconsin State Capitol at its apex.

Nature is never far away in Madison. Most downtown hotels and the convention center have views of one or both lakes, and 240 miles of bike trails weave like a spiderweb from the vibrant city center. Groups can rent canoes, kayaks, or stand-up paddleboards from Madison Boats, and less-active attendees might engage Madison Cheese Boards for classes on making cheese or charcuterie boards.

Vibe: “There’s just a really cool energy in Madison,” says Rob Gard, director of communications for Destination Madison. “It’s somewhat quirky, somewhat active, very inquisitive, and there is a strong positive energy pulsating through the community. I moved here from Los Angeles, California, and I was very surprised and thrilled with the vibe and the activity that are happening here in Madison.”

Transportation: Madison is served by Dane County Regional Airport, with nonstop connections to 17 cities across the country. American Airlines, Breeze Airways, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, and United Airlines fly into the airport. The Dane County Regional Airport is served by the city’s bus system—Metro Transit—and Uber, Lyft, and taxicabs are all hailable via convenient smartphone apps.

Hotels: Downtown, near the large, Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center, several hotels are sprinkled between the lakes. The Hilton Madison Monona Terrace is next door to the convention center, and the Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor’s Club, as well as The Edgewater Hotel, offer convenient luxury.

Venues: Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in 1938, but he did not live to see the 1997 grand opening of the building, having died 38 years earlier. With multiple ballrooms, terraces, exhibition spaces, and meeting rooms, as well as extensive Prairie School designs throughout the interior, Madison’s convention center is a one-of-a-kind meetings venue. The Best Western Premier Park Hotel on the Capitol Square has 14,000 square feet of event space, and the 373-room Madison Concourse Hotel and Governor’s Club accommodates up to 1,500 attendees reception-style.

Restaurants: The Harvey House, in Madison’s historic train depot on West Washington Avenue, was recently featured on the Bravo TV network’s “Top Chef,” and Lucille on the Capitol Square has a lounge inside a bank vault and a menu of pizza and tacos. The Coopers Tavern, also downtown, has a private room that seats 100 and a menu with fresh Wisconsin ingredients.

Must-Sees & -Dos: If your event stretches over a weekend between mid-April and early November, the Dane County Farmers Market around the Wisconsin State Capitol on Saturdays is imperative to visit. The farmers market is limited to producers only, so everybody who sells at the market makes what they sell. Some 30,000 Madisonians and visitors head to the market weekly to pick up fresh ingredients and ready-to-eat food. In addition, Gard notes, “Something we have seen more of is attendees coming in early to do
‘voluntourism.’ There’s everything from lakeshore cleanups to helping at a food pantry.” Gard also notes the large number of museums and music venues downtown.

visitmadison.com

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