Statement of Purpose

The Iowa Events Center is the premier convention and live entertainment facility in the Midwest, combining state-of-the-art facilities with a professional, energetic staff that works hard to execute successful events and lifelong memories to all citizens of Iowa. Hosting events that range from family shows to concerts, sporting events to trade shows and conventions, the facilities serve an integral role in boosting tourism and local traffic to restaurants, retail and hotels in Polk County.
The Iowa Events Center is managed by Spectra, an industry leader in hosting and entertainment, partnering with clients to create memorable experiences for millions of visitors every year. Spectra’s unmatched blend of integrated services delivers incremental value for clients through several primary areas of expertise: Venue Management, Food Services & Hospitality, and Partnerships.
Spectra, under the direction of our client Polk County, is committed to being a civic leader in the Greater Des Moines area by providing a first-class operation of the Iowa Events Center and by being active community partners with area businesses, not-for-profits and community groups. The local Spectra team recognizes that the most efficient way to do this is by taking an active leadership role within community organizations, operating the Iowa Events Center with a fiscal-savvy approach, and by providing clean, safe facilities with exceptional customer service.

Message from

Chris Connolly
General Manager
Spectra venue management - Iowa Events Center
Greg Edwards
President & ceo
Catch Des Moines
Tom Hockensmith
Chair
Polk County Board of supervisors
I am proud to present our Iowa Events Center FY-2019 Annual Report. FY-2019 proved to be one of our most successful years ever for Spectra and the Iowa Events Center factoring in our strong financial performance, charitable contributions back to the community and overall exceptional customer service!
We completed the year showing an overall profit of $1,909,147 to Polk County! The Iowa Events Center (Wells Fargo Arena, Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center and Hy-Vee Hall) hosted 467 total events attracting over 1.1 million customers from July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019. The convention center gross revenues were $1.7M over budget resulting in nearly $628,000 in profit for the year, the 3rd highest for the convention center to date. In addition to our financial success, event organizers who booked their meetings, conventions and trade shows at the Iowa Events Center once again provided Spectra with high marks through Customer Satisfaction Surveys, averaging a 4.82 out of 5.
FY-2019 was truly an incredible year as we hosted an NHL Preseason game for the first time in Wells Fargo Arena history and we also welcomed the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament back to Des Moines for the 2nd time. Thanks to our outstanding relationships with both Catch Des Moines and the attached Hilton Hotel, we were able to attract several new large conventions to the Iowa Events Center. None of this would have been possible without such a talented Iowa Events Center staff and I would like to personally thank them all for their continued hard work and dedication!
Lastly, I would like to give a huge thank you to the Polk County Board of Supervisors and their staff for their constant support, leadership and guidance! Thank you, Polk County, for making this year one of our best at the Iowa Events Center!
The Iowa Events Center (IEC) facility and team helps Greater Des Moines reach for new goals, solicit and book new business and make an impact on the entire community.
Together, our teams sell Greater Des Moines as a top destination. With the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center, Hy-Vee Hall, Wells Fargo Arena and the connected Hilton Des Moines Downtown to market, in the past eleven months alone we have been able to:
• Generate 145 prospects for the IEC with 448,399 potential room nights for the community in the future
• Generate 118 leads for the IEC representing a potential 207,872 room nights for the community
• Book 36 future groups/events at the IEC totaling 30,220 new room nights for the community• Collaboratively participate in national tradeshows: ASAE, Connect Marketplace, IMEX America, SPIN and Helms Briscoe
We were able to book more conventions and events into Greater Des Moines; the following are a sample of events hosted at the Iowa Events Center this past year which collectively generated $37.6 million in economic impact to the Greater Des Moines region:
• AAU Junior Olympics
• NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball 1st & 2nd Rounds
• USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals
• Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives
• International Babywearing Conference
• Iowa State 8 & 9 Ball Championships
• Minor League Baseball Promotional Seminar
Every opportunity to bring sporting events and conventions to Greater Des Moines is an opportunity to grow our local economy. Each event and room night brings visitor dollars into Greater Des Moines, supporting local businesses like hotels, restaurants, attractions, retail and more. The more successful the Iowa Events Center continues to be, the greater the economic impact on our community. With an increased hotel inventory, the Iowa Events Center and Catch Des Moines’ partnership is more important than ever as we strive to keep demand throughout the city high.
Our collaboration with Spectra Venue Management and the Iowa Events Center team has proven to be invaluable. We are proud to have the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines!
Polk County is proud to continue our partnership with Spectra to manage the Iowa Events Center facilities in Des Moines, Iowa, which includes Wells Fargo Arena, Hy-Vee Hall, and the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center at Veterans Memorial. Because of Spectra’s dedication to exceptional services, we continue to experience unprecedented profits from the Iowa Events Center during the last several years. We are continually impressed by their management and expertise in the operation of these facilities and receive regular feedback Iowa Events Center guests receive excellent service and the highest quality experience.
Spectra has shown leadership within our community, regularly participating in food rescue, transportation safety, charitable events and much more. They were an unwavering supporter and advocate for the construction of a new 330 room Hilton convention hotel located at the Iowa Events Center that opened in the spring of 2018.
Spectra is a proven leader in the event and entertainment industry. As such, they continue to bring top quality entertainment acts, exhibitions, and regional and national conferences and events to our community and state. With the addition of the convention hotel we are confident that Spectra will realize even further success. Their management of these facilities contributes to a quality of life in Central Iowa that is recognized across the country.
The partnership between Polk County and Spectra continues to be a valued asset for Polk County tax payers and we are grateful for their work and expertise.

Introducing Our Team

executives

(Left to Right): Ali Brackett, Carrie Jackson, Chris Connolly, Ryan Ziegler, Derek Hickey

Convention Sales

Front (Left to Right): Carrie Petersen, Carrie Jackson, Jessica Van Sloten

Back (Left to Right): Janelle Menz, Ellie Cutler

Events

Front (Left to Right): Dave Wakefield, Emily Neese, Courtney Vitale, Matt Cushman

Back (Left to Right): Haleigh Biancalana, Gibson Akers, Jordan Poock, Payton Burris

Food & Beverage

Front (Left to Right): Kailie Morrow, Karla Jorgenson, Hayly Smith, Jen Rust, Elyse Wigg

Middle (Left to Right): Ali Brackett, Deb Stewart, Raul Murillo, Jeff Maynes, Brett Slaby, Calli Crew

Back (Left to Right): Marshal Badgley, Jonathan Cook, Dave Farlo, Derek Hickey, Chad Vander Ploeg

Finance and hr

Front (Left to Right): Lisa Givens, Megan Sease, Julie Swanson

Back (Left to Right): Andrew Dobraska, Diane Frischmeyer, Tim Smith

Marketing

(Left to Right): Katie Rielly, Leigha Powers, Adam Flack, Viki Arias Kepler, Kyle Starcevich

Operations

Front (Left to Right): Steve Frantz, Alex Abrahamson, Joe Ira, Brian Cooper, Jason Smith, Mark Gamble, Jim Bacon, Steve Carlson

Back (Left to Right): Jeff Lindquist, Tom Hines, Dennis Ashby, Jeff King, Harold Peterson, Jose Perez, Jacob King, Aaron Johnson

Premium partnerships

(Left to Right): Jaymie Block, Laurie Kemmit, Jason Evans, Carrie Brown

Ticket office

(Left to Right): Brandon Ortale, Diane Hines, Alisa Woods, Jake Reichling

Facility Projects

Suite remodel:

All 39 suites received a cosmetic update, which includes new televisions, countertops, furniture, refrigerators and freshly painted walls. Carpet was replaced with LVT and a liquor cabinet was added.

‍

tuckpoint project:

Forrest and Associates completed the final phase of the tuckpoint project at Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center. All four sides of the building have been completed.

‍

wi-fi upgrade:

The Wi-Fi at Hy-Vee Hall and Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center was upgraded to a new Aruba system, replacing the outdated Meru system.

‍

fall arrest additions:

We added more protection at Wells Fargo Arena for concerts and other events. These additional fall protection lines help protect the safety of our employees while setting up events.

‍

additional meeting room chairs:

With more events maxing out our event space at Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center, more chairs were needed to satisfy those needs. We added an additional 400 more chairs to our inventory.

press box update:

We repainted the Press Box at Wells Fargo Arena to give it a fresh look. This room is used for most of our sporting events and is also utilized for many concerts. We hope to continue making updates to this room in the next couple of years.

‍

west lobby glass ceiling:

Elite Glass replaced the glass ceiling panels in the west lobby of Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center. These panels were old and had many issues with water leaking in when it rained.

Green initiatives

20 tons

composted

3 tons

metal recycled

76 tons

paper, cardboard, plastic, glass and aluminum recycled

99 tons

total materials diverted from landfills

18%

of all waste recycled/composted

Retro-Commissioning Project Evaluation

We saved $56,011 this year as a result of the retro commissioning study and implementation done two years ago.

YEAR COST OUTLAY REBATE UTILITY SAVINGS CUMULATIVE CASHFLOW
0 $(260,230) $169,705 - $(90,525)
1 $(155,080) $45,675 $169,454 $(30,476)
2 - - $56,011 $25,535
3 - - - $222,353
4 - - - $425,075
5 - - - $633,878
6 - - - $848,946
7 - - - $1,070,466
8 - - - $1,298,632
9 - - - $1,533,642
10 - - - $1,775,703

We Are Committed To Perfecting The Entertainment Lifestyle By Conserving Precious Resources Which Save The Environment And Save You Money.

Here are a few examples of what we are doing to stay green:

Partner with the Department of Energy’s Better Building Challenge

Participation in MidAmerican Energy curtailment program using our generator during peak energy times, which provides an annual rebate of $55,200

Mixed recycling compactors to recycle all glass, plastic, paper, cardboard and aluminum

Post event arena recycling program for plastic and aluminum using local community fundraising groups

De-lamped, installed extra-long-life lamps and photo cell motion sensors in all stairwells for 90% energy savings

Conversion to LED lighting in offices, parking lots, sidewalks, concourses, restrooms, seating aisles, catwalk, docks, exhibit halls and LED sport lighting in Wells Fargo Arena

Conducted Retro Commissioning study and implementation to maximize energy efficiencies of building mechanical and control systems

Installed bike racks to encourage alternate “green” transportation for staff and patrons

Envirox, made with hydrogen peroxide and cold pressed orange peel, makes up 95% of all cleaning product used

hy-vee hall & community choice credit union covnetion center

Facility Overview
Event Highlights

Level 1: Meeting Room Level

· Eight flexible meeting rooms

· Connected to Iowa Hall of Pride

Level 2: exhibition level

· Hall A, B & C: 150,00 sq. ft. connected

· 24,000 sq. ft. of pre-function space

· 11 loading bays

· Business Center

· Drive-on access

Level 3: Meeting Room Level

· 21 flexible meeting rooms

· 23,000 sq. ft. of pre-function space

· Eight HD projectors displaying images

and video on grand concourse air walls

· Veterans Memorial Hall (a museum quality exhibit paying tribute to Iowa Veterans who have served the United States during each international conflict since Iowa’s statehood in 1846)

mezzanine level

· Four boardrooms

· Views of Grand Concourse and Veterans Memorial Hall

level 4: ballroom Level

· State’s largest ballroom (28,000 sq. ft)

· 1 million lighting combinations

· 14,000 sq. ft. of pre-function space

· Two meeting rooms

· Two green rooms

Features

· Networked for wi-fi

· Audio & Visual Services by preferred vendor, Markey’s Rental & Staging

· Catering offered exclusively by Spectra Food Services & Hospitality

· The Exhibition Level is ideal to host large shows such as the Iowa Power Farming Show, the Des Moines Home + Garden Show and Iowa’s Premier Beer, Wine & Food Expo.

Association of chamber of commerce executives

Brought nearly 2,000 hotel room nights to Des Moines. Competing with every chamber of commerce in the United States, the Des Moines Downtown Chamber of Commerce was Recognized as the 2018 ACCE Chamber of the Year.

AAu junior olympics

Hosted 14,000 athletes from across the United States and an additional 40,000 visitors.

Eighth circuit judicial conference

Over 700 in attendance throughout the entire week and brought in 955 total room nights to our attached Hilton Des Moines Downtown.

Governor’s Inauguration

Hosted on the ballroom level, this event brought in a combined attendance of 3,500 for the inauguration ceremony and reception. The high profile event featured an ice sculpture of the Iowa State Capital, two chandeliers and a seven hour window to transform the ballroom from ceremony seating to an elegant dinner reception for 2,200 people.

Iowa power farming

This is the largest trade show held at the Iowa Events Center with 556 vendors and occupying both convention centers and the arena.

Minor league baseball promotional seminar

This was the largest seminar to date, with 330 attendees. The event utilized both Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center and Wells Fargo Arena while also occupying over 107% of the agreed upon room blocks at the attached Hilton Des Moines Downtown.

Kemin Industries international meeting

During this 10 day event, around 700 Kemin Industries employees participated in a day long Habitat for Humanity build in the Iowa Events Center parking lot. 24 sheds were built, allowing one shed for each house Habitat for Humanity will build this year.
The week-long conference “Journey to the Vision” allowed in-house AV partner, Markey’s to showcase their new curved LED wall as well as give Project Manager, Justin McElvaney, opportunity to design a visual exciting stage set for the Ballroom.

Wells Fargo Arena

Facility Overview
Event Highlights

total ticket sales

Numbers by Sales Channel
TICKETS REVENUE
BOX OFFICE 430,838 $9,248,587.94
INTERNET 293,4578 $14,524,668.36
PHONES 5,187 $294,837.20
OUTLETS 3,595 $161,831.55
TEAMS 324,701 $3,562,207.91
1,057,778 $27,972,132.96

Level 2: Main concourse

· Coors Light Club Lounge

· 630 club seats

· 20 loge boxes

Level 3: Suite Level

· 39 newly remodeled luxury suites

· Ketel One Bar in the Willis Auto Lounge

· The Fort Whiskey Bar

· The Loft - arena bowl premium rental space

Level 4: Upper concourse

· Press Box seating

· Hall of Fame Suite

Features

· 17,000 capacity arena

· Home to the Iowa Barnstormers, Iowa Wild and Iowa Wolves

· 360° curtain system along with a half-house curtain

Cardi B

Cardi B now holds the official title of second highest grossing revenue show in Wells Fargo Arena history.

Disney on Ice

Disney on Ice had record attendance this year with 35,105 in attendance total for all shows.

blake shelton

100 appetizers were sold during The Fort’s first Happy Half Hour event. Happy Half Hour took place during the first 30 minutes of open doors where guests received a free appetizer with the purchase of 2 drinks.

Hy-Vee classic

This was the final year hosting the annual Hy-Vee Classic where Iowa’s four NCAA Division I men’s basketball teams have participated in since 2012.

Steve miller

Opened their tour in Des Moines by arriving two days before show date for rehearsals.

Iowa girls High School athletic union

This year marked the 100th anniversary for the Girls State Basketball Tournament. The tournament was once hosted in Veterans Memorial Auditorium until 2006 when it moved to Wells Fargo Arena.  

NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships

First and Second Rounds were held at Wells Fargo Arena. Teams included: Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Louisville, Nevada, Florida, Montana & Bradley.
Two sessions were held on Thursday and one session was held on Saturday. All three sessions were sold out.
This was the first year alcohol was sold in all ticketed areas and at Thursdays Fan Zone. Fan Zone was free to all guests and featured local food trucks and tailgate games.

Concessions rebrand

We introduced new staple concession stands, DSM Classics and Capital Grill on both lower and upper level concourses. The rebrand featured a new look and feel for concession signage and reintroduced core menu items.

Tenant teams

SEASON RECORD

12-2

Jeff Lamberti: Principal Owner & President

Named Indoor Football League’s 2019 Executive of the Year

First Team All-IFL

Daquan Neal: Offense Quarterback

Ryan Balentine: Wide Receiver

First Team All-IFL Defense

Tyrell Pearson): Defensive Back

Tied for the league lead in interceptions

Iowa Barnstormers

SEASON RECORD

37-26-8-5

Awards and recognitions

· Team of the Year

· Outstanding Fan Experience

· Social Media Department of the Year

· Best Unique Game Operations Promotion - Raising Canes Tug of War & Flix Brewhouse Trivia

·Thomas Ebright Award - Todd Frederickson, President

· Yanick Dupre Man of the Year - Landon Feraro, Foward

· Iowa Wild’s AHL All-Stars - Tim Army, Coach, Kaapo Kahkronen, Goalie, and Cal O’Reilly, Captain

Hosted Minnesota Wild vs. St. Louis Blues NHL Preseason Game

·The highest attended pro hockey game in the state of Iowa

iowa wild

SEASON RECORD

20-30

Canyon Barry: Guard

· Son of NBA Hall of Famer Rick Barry

· Starred on Team USA in its first FIBI 3x3 World Cup, bringing home gold after defeating Latvia in Amsterdam

· Will play on the Minnesota Timberwolves 2019 summer league

Averages:

Points: 10.1 | Rebounds: 4.0 | Assists: 1.5

Hakim Warrick: Forward

First round pick in the 2005 NBA Draft

Eight-year NBA Veteran

Set a team-high and season-high record with 40 points on 15-of-21 shooting against the Agua Caliente Clippers

Averages:

Points: 12.0 | Rebounds: 5.8 | Assists: 1.9

‍

iowa wolves

summary of accomplishments

$191,999
In revenue from new partners
for Partnership Sales
$3,988,102
in contracted revenue
for Premium Seating
$16,130
In new sponsorship revenue
for Iowa’s Premier Beer, Wine & Food
$783,479.75
In show revenue
for Group Sales

2019 Spectra Venue Management General Manager of the Year Award

Chris Connolly, General Manager

Spectra General Managers annual meeting

#SpectraInfluencer Digital Award

Marketing Department

2019 Spectra Box Office, Marketing and Sales Conference

Money Maker Award

Kyle Starcevich, Group Sales Manager

2019 Spectra Box Office, Marketing and Sales Conference

Introductory Master Sommelier Course

Jeff Maynes, Beverage Manager

The Court of Master Sommeliers

Top Performer Award

Premium Partnerships

2018 Spectra Partnerships Conference

Featured chef

Kailie Morrow, Sous Chef

2018 Women and Whiskey

social recap

585,896

Total database

includes social media, text club, cyber club and group sales email lists

‍@wellsfargoarena_Ia

2,224 New Followers

3,037 Total Followers

‍@iaeventscenter

1,144 New Followers

4,400 Total Followers

‍

‍@wellsfargoarena_Ia

3,845 New Followers

26,656 Total Followers

@iowaeventscenter

1,687 New Followers

43,448 Total Followers

‍@iaeventscenter

365 New Followers

17,290 Total Followers

‍

‍cyber club

238,000

Group sales

250,000

‍

‍text club

3,065

‍

NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships
16,371
engagements on social media
2.6M
impressions
456
followers gained
most liked photo
2,349
24
Thank you @shawnmendes for the amazing concert tonight! You can get lost in Des Moines whenever you want 😉Shoutout to @raygunshirts for helping with the artist gift!

Iowa Events center networking and growth

Membership and
Networking Events
Tradeshows and
Conventions Attended
Guest Speaker
Opportunities
IEC Convention Center
Print Ads

Financial Performance

July 1, 2018-june 30, 2019

WELLS FARGO ARENA MANAGED FACILITIES
ACTUAL BUDGET VARIANCE ACTUAL BUDGET VARIANCE
NUMBER OF EVENTS 141 125 16 326 286 40
ATTENDANCE 776,408 737,825 38,538 385,047 458,933 73,886
NET RENTAL INCOME $1,512,627 $1,432,244 $80,383 $2,190,085 $1,979,491 $210,594
NET SERVICE INCOME (LOSS) $(2,572,961) $(1,070,913) $(1,502,048) $(471,543) $(174,065) $297,478
DIRECT EVENT INCOME $(1,060,334) $361,331 $(1,421,665) $1,718,542 $1,805,426 $86,884
NET SURCHARGE/COMMISSION REVENUE $1,801,452 $1,200,549 $600,903 $83,081 $73,577 $9,504
NET ANCILLARY INCOME $3,320,132 $2,016,459 $1,303,673 $6,237,429 $5,677,670 $559,759
NET EVENT OPERATING INCOME $4,061,250 $3,578,339 $482,911 $8,039,052 $7,556,673 $482,379
TOTAL INDIRECT EXPENSES $5,039,551 $4,986,860 $(52,691) $7,887,426 $7,723,583 $(163,843)
OTHER INCOME $3,165,683 $3,401,544 $(235,861) $477,519 $414,000 $63,519
NET BUILDING OPERATING INCOME/(LOSS) $2,187,382 $1,993,023 $194,359 $629,145 $247,090 $382,055
*MONIES PAID TO IOWA COMPANIES $3,910,000
***MONIES PAID TO POLK COUNTY COMPANIES $2,995,000
This is the third highest profit that the convention center has had.

Convention Center gross revenues exceeded budget by over $1.7M with over

$8.1M

in food and beverage revenue

Profit for the Arena was over

$2.1M

exceeding our budget by nearly

$200k

Net income to Polk County will be over

$1.9M

Market Segments

wells fargo arena

The Sports category includes high school tournaments, NHL Preseason game,  NCAA Basketball, Hy-Vee Classic, AAU Wrestling, Iowa Wild Hockey, Iowa Wolves basketball and Iowa Barnstormer football.  This category represented 65% of the events held at Wells Fargo Arena.  It accounted for 60% of the attendance and 33% of our net income.  

Concerts represented 7% of the events held at Wells Fargo Arena and accounted for 47% of our net income.

Special Events
Sports
Concerts
Family Show
Hy-vee Hall & COmmunity choice Credit Union Convention Center

The Meetings category accounted for 42%  of our Event Mix, 31% of our gross revenues and 35% of our net income.

Consumer Shows
Tradeshow
Conventions
Special Events
Meetings
Banquets

client testimonials

Having our wedding and reception at the Iowa Events Center was perfect for what we were looking for. Elyse and the rest of her staff catered to our needs and wishes for the entire time that we had planned for our big day. We (family, friends, guests) can not say enough GREAT THINGS about Elyse and the facility. They made this a weekend we will never forget!
Keri M.
June 2019 Wedding and Reception

The Iowa Events Center staff always does such a great job, and we love the attention to detail.  You guys have great decor in house that not a lot of venues have, and we love the elevated experience you all bring to the table. The room turned out beautifully again, and we loved walking into the room all ready for us! Thank you as always for ticketing assistance! No issues are great, and we appreciate you and your staff helping with late arrivals and making sure everyone is taken care of.

‍

Aubrey M.

Tim McGraw & Faith Hill: Soul2Soul VIP Party

Sumita B.

Iowa's Premier Beer, Wine and Food Expo

Wowza! So many samples of beer and wine. All varieties. Ended up buying some bottles to take home. Vendors were so friendly and willing to pour samples. Fun times with the friends.

Client Surveys

Clients were asked a series of questions to rate their overall event experience. The results of the survey are based on 107 responses with a combined overall score of 4.82 our of 5.

Some highlights included:

Staff Committees

Charity Committee

All 39 suites received a cosmetic update, which includes new televisions, countertops, furniture, refrigerators and freshly painted walls. Carpet was replaced with LVT and a liquor cabinet was added.

62

total donations made to various Iowa organizations

7,600 pounds

of food donated to Eat Greater Des Moines. This is equivalent to 6,300 meals

$250

donated quarterly to each of to each of the following: Miracle League, Comfort Sports, Great Outdoors Foundation & Eat Greater Des Moines

9

charitable events faculty has participated in including: Trash Bash, Meals for the Heartland and committee ran donation drives

Employee Experience

This past year, the Iowa Events Center introduced the Employee Experience Committee to enhance interdepartmental relationships and boost employee morale. Since starting in October, the committee has held at least one event per month ranging from physical activities to providing holiday potlucks for full-time employees. Some of the events were a Halloween Potluck in The Fort, an Easter Egg Hunt in Wells Fargo Arena, a Lunch & Learn in the Convention Center and many more!

We also focused on enhancing benefits for full-time staff. One of the biggest accomplishments was getting it approved for all employees to receive a half-day off during the month of their birthday.

Safety Committee

The Iowa Events Center Safety Club conducts monthly safety walks that have become a key for growth in training and building a level of knowledge and expectations for front-line staff to correct deficiencies. A few items tackled through walks include: adding security cameras, creating evacuation maps for all event space, updating LOTO procedures, ladder inspections, etc.

Several safety topics have been addressed such as, fire and tornadoes response, noise evaluation with hearing conservation procedure review, show power safety and incident reporting. The club also hosted annual safety training for operations and engineering.

future Outlook

Spectra predicts that the next 12 months at the Iowa Events Center will once again prove to be profitable for Polk County. While this report recaps an unbelievable year for all facilities within the Iowa Events Center, 2019-20 is showing new events, tremendous opportunities for our culinary team and overall healthy growth of our convention center facilities and the types of events that are being booked for Des Moines.
In 2019-20, the Iowa Events Center will once again be the center of our political world with the Iowa Caucus. The Media Filing Center is returning to the Iowa Events Center and the Polk County Democrats will utilize Hy-Vee Hall as their caucus site. Both events, which are centered around the Iowa Caucus, will bring media from across the globe to Des Moines and specifically the Iowa Events Center. P.E.O. hosted their national convention in Des Moines to kick-start the 2019-20 fiscal year as over 5,000 women attended the event that took up all three facilities of the Iowa Events Center.
Wells Fargo Arena has attracted additional concert content for this coming season, with seven live events in October. Those types of revenue opportunities will be important to the venues success as there will not be college basketball played at Wells Fargo Arena this year. The Hy-Vee Classic, which took place at the arena for the past seven years, has gone away. The Iowa Wild start in early October and look to drive attendance by capitalizing off the momentum from their postseason run last year. The Iowa Wolves and Barnstormers welcome new coaches to the sidelines for the upcoming season and hope that they can improve on last season’s results. The fan experience for all sporting events will be enhanced this year with the installation of a new, $1.1 Million sound system throughout the Arena.
Spectra looks forward to working with Polk County and Catch Des Moines over the next 12 months to continue operating the Iowa Events Center in a fiscally responsible manner to generate economic impact for Central Iowa.
Hy-Vee Hall | Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center | Wells Fargo Arena
730 3rd Street | Des Moines, ia | 50309
IowaEventsCenter.com515.564.8000