D.M. prepares to embrace long-sought chamber exec group

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Greater Des Moines is ready for its close-up. 

Next week, chamber executives and economic development representatives from hundreds of cities across the United States and the world will begin arriving at Des Moines International Airport, and Des Moines is pulling out all the stops to make it a world-class event. 

Hosting the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executive (ACCE) annual convention in Des Moines seemed like an out-of-reach goal — until the plan for building the 330-room Iowa Events Center hotel came together, said Jay Byers, CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership. 

“As soon as that deal was sealed and we were moving forward with a plan to put it in place, we thought, ‘What the heck, let’s go for it — let’s develop a plan to bring ACCE to Des Moines,’ “ he said. “Even though it wasn’t built yet, we could show them the plan and say, ‘It’s going to be open in March 2018.’ “ 

Byers, who has served on the ACCE board of directors for nearly eight years and is a member of its executive committee, has attended about a dozen previous ACCE conventions held in cities across the U.S., which provided him with a lot of insight about what Des Moines could do to create a unique experience. The city made its pitch for event three years ago — and landed the bid for the prestigious event in January 2016.

“Our goal was to really create an experience for attendees that they have not seen in other cities — from the time they get off the plane to the time they get back on the plane — to really feel that Des Moines is embracing them,” Byers said.   

For instance, in addition to placing welcome banners for ACCE members to see as they arrive and at strategic points throughout downtown, “we’re actually partnering with the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs to have live music at the airport.” 

Among numerous receptions and special events organized for the July 17-20 event by the Partnership and Catch Des Moines, one of the more unique offerings is an early-morning run with Des Moines Deputy City Manager Matt Anderson and city staff for a different style of economic development tour. The Des Moines Bicycle Collective is also hosting an early-morning bike tour of the city. There will even be an early-morning yoga gathering.

After-hours parties with live music from local bands will be held each night of the convention at three of the city’s coolest newer venues — Republic on Grand, the Iowa Taproom and at Beer Can Alley. Another special feature will be “Chamber of Commerce — The Musical,” a light-hearted look at the chamber industry produced by Iowa Stage Theatre Co. and Robert John Ford. 

The convention will also for the first time provide attendees a way to give back to the host committee, by partnering with United Way of Central Iowa on a project to assemble literacy kits for local students. The recently launched DSM Fellows leadership group will help with that project to stuff personalized backpacks with back-to-school items. 

Among other special events at the conference, the Partnership has organized a reception for about 30 international chamber leaders, including the CEO of the World Chambers Federation from Paris, at the Kosovo Consulate in downtown Des Moines. 

An added bonus of the convention will be the opportunity for Iowa economic development officials to network with six top national site selectors who will be attending, Byers said. 

The event is also the first official convention that was booked at the convention hotel, and the event is driving significant business for other downtown hotels as well. Since opening in March, the new Hilton Des Moines Downtown has already attracted seven new national conventions to the city, said Greg Edwards, president and CEO of the Greater Des Moines Convention & Visitors Bureau. 

Edwards credited the involvement of Greater Des Moines’ business community during a site visit for the ACCE convention — among them a tour of Meredith Corp.’s Better Homes & Gardens test kitchens and a visit to the World Food Prize Hall of Laureates — as a key reason why Des Moines was able to secure the event. The four-day convention, July 17-20, is expected to generate an estimated $1.6 million in visitor spending, which is really secondary to the tremendous exposure it’s creating for Greater Des Moines, he said.  

“You’ve got 1,000 sales people essentially coming to your city who are experiencing it for the first time, and so it’s all hands on deck,” he said. “It’s going to be a cool, cool event.” 


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