You could say Milwaukee is a destination under the radar. Some quick fun facts to get you acquainted: It's located right on Lake Michigan, but it counts itself as a river city too, being at the confluence of three. It's where the typewriter was invented. It's also easy to spot buildings made of the city's famous cream brick (the color is created through the high concentration of lime). Oh, and it's often called the city of steeples, which is easy to see with one look at the skyline—today, the city has more than 1,000 houses of worship of all denominations.
It also offers plenty of opportunities for events—did we mention that beautiful lakefront?—whether it be corporate, social, or a mix of both. In early November, we got the chance to tour some of Milwaukee's many developments, both tried and true and brand new, and have found there's really a venue for every occasion. But we've (somehow) narrowed it down to just a handful.
Here's what caught our eye in Milwaukee...
For a state-of-the-art conference: Wisconsin Center
Undoubtedly the biggest MICE news coming out of Milwaukee right now is the soon-to-be-completed expansion of the city's Wisconsin Center. The $456 million project—expected to debut in May 2024—will bring the exposition hall to 300,000 contiguous square feet, add 24 new meeting rooms (for a total of 52), and add more than 400 indoor parking spaces. The pièce de résistance? A show-stopping rooftop ballroom on the fourth floor, with sweeping views and an outdoor terrace, that will have capacity for 2,000 for a seated dinner.
The original building of the Wisconsin Center—which debuted in 1998 as the Midwest Express Center—was built with expansion in mind, says Wisconsin Center District president and CEO Marty Brooks. The two main purposes for expansion, he adds, are to have the ability to host more events simultaneously and overlapping, and to engage more with the community, "so we're not this monolith," he explains, but instead "something that reaches out to the community."
The expansion will also bring the exposition hall to 300,000 contiguous square feet, add 24 new meeting rooms (for a total of 52), and add more than 400 indoor parking spaces.Photo: Courtesy of Wisconsin Center
And that's something that's already in play. Now through Jan. 8, 2023, the Wisconsin Center is hosting Beyond Monet: The Immersive Experience, with tickets open to the public.
Brooks adds that when in the initial planning stages for the expansion, he and his team asked themselves, "What can we do in the design of this facility that will set us apart?" Cue a collaborative staircase for networking and relaxing (with plenty of convenient outlets for charging devices), a bevy of local artwork on display, and a two-story water feature that's meant to nod to Lake Michigan and its significance to the city.
Two unique features in the facility will be a collaborative staircase and a two-story water feature that's meant to nod to Lake Michigan and its significance to the city.Photo: Courtesy of Wisconsin Center
Further setting the Wisconsin Center a part in our eyes? It's food and beverage, which is under the direction of Julio Henriquez, general manager for Levy Restaurants, the exclusive provider of F&B services at the facility. Henriquez's resume includes working F&B for the Four Seasons brand, which was easy to see when BizBash got a firsthand taste of some inventive culinary delights from Henriquez's team, including executive chef Christopher Pulling. (Think: breakfast bento boxes, rolled ice cream, and mini puff pastries filled with "booyah," an upper Wisconsin beef stew.)
Not only will the Wisconsin Center's expansion be unveiled in 2024, the facility will host the 2024 Republican National Convention that August.
For an all-star off-site: American Family Field
Nope, it's not Miller Park anymore. The MLB stadium in Milwaukee is now known as American Family Field—something we noticed even locals have a hard time remembering (understandably). But no matter the name, the facility is a top-tier venue for meetings and events, especially as a fun off-site location. The stadium puts on about 200 non-baseball events every year, from small corporate meetings to college basketball games and concerts. There's "really nothing we can't do," says Maxx Rodriguez, senior director of premium sales and special events for the Milwaukee Brewers.
Home to the Milwaukee Brewers, American Family Field features a retractable roof.Photo: Milwaukee Brewers/Scott Paulus
And don't sweat (or freeze?) the cold temps of the off season, if that's when you're looking to host—the stadium has a number of year-round spaces that are winterized, including its most popular private event space, the Northwestern Mutual Legends Club. Groups can purchase 250 tickets to fill out the space on game days, and those tickets include food and beverage. But it can be used year round for offseason meetings, cocktail hours for weddings, and holiday parties. Groups have access to a screen projector, a built-in sound system, and access to all TVs in the space.
A newer addition to the stadium is X-Golf, located in what was previously the Stadium Club on the Club Level. Here, groups can enjoy seven state-of-the-art, indoor golf simulator bays over two floors—including three bays that offer expansive views of the field. The brand-new facility debuted in September, and Rodriguez says it is the only full-time golf simulator bar and restaurant in a professional sporting stadium in the country.
"The idea behind this was that golf is extremely popular here in in Wisconsin; however, the weather prohibits us from playing it about six months out of the year," he explains. "So indoor golf has become super big, especially through the pandemic, and the technology has finally caught up to the demand for it."
Golf lovers can drive, chip, and putt here with 98% accuracy.
For high-tech team building: Luxe Golf Bays
While we're on the subject of golf, planners should look to the newly opened Luxe Golf Bays, located about 20 minutes southeast of downtown in Franklin, for a fun and forward-thinking team-building activity. Attendees can get in the competitive spirit at 57 open-air heated (yes, heated!) golf bays across three levels.
That's a goner for sure! Newly opened Luxe Golf Bays offers 57 open-air heated golf bays across three levels.Photo: Courtesy of Luxe Golf Bays
The 250-yard-long turf range features a series of targets, where the facility's doppler tech can track drives down to the spin on the ball, and allow for games like 21 and bull's-eye.Groups can also gather in three lounge spaces or the Oakmont Room, which features an eye-catching geometric lighting installation, its own bar, and an adjacent outdoor patio.
For some gaming action: Potawatomi Hotel & Casino
This 500-room property has been an entertainment staple in Wisconsin since the '90s, but with its 19-story hotel—including a second tower that opened in 2019—Potawatomi remains at the forefront of Milwaukee's hotel portfolio. The property offers more than 60,000 square feet of meeting space, including an event center, but our favorite? The nearly 2,800-square-foot Serenity Room, which is also the hotel's largest meeting room. Fun features include a modern lighting installation with the ability to customize light color, and a connected outdoor patio.
Potawatomi Hotel & Casino's Serenity RoomPhoto: Sarah Kloepple
Planners should also look to the impressive 1,600-square-foot Chairman's Suite, which boasts a gas fireplace, a billiards table, a master bath with a Jacuzzi tub, and wow-worthy floor-to-ceiling windows. It would undoubtedly make for an awe-inspiring hospitality suite.
And there's plenty more to look forward to. Potawatomi announced earlier this year that it is undergoing a $100 million renovation to its third floor, transforming the casino with new eateries and gaming experiences. Among the new additions is Rock & Brews—the restaurant brainchild of Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons from KISS—which will be located just off the skywalk as guests enter the property.
Completion of the project is scheduled for spring 2023.
For something out of the box: Harley-Davidson Museum
There might be no cooler place to host an event in Milwaukee than at the Harley-Davidson museum, which gives visitors a comprehensive story of the beloved motorcycle brand. Its actual museum experience is a can't-miss, with bikes from each of the brand's first 50 years, including one dubbed "Serial Number One" that is considered the oldest known Harley-Davidson motorcycle in existence.
Groups are also sure to love the tank wall—created for the brand's 100th anniversary—which showcases some of the most iconic HD tanks designed and customized since 1903, as well as the newly revitalized Experience Gallery, where you can throw a leg over a bike like a pro.
"Serial Number One" is considered the oldest known Harley-Davidson motorcycle in existence.Photo: Courtesy of Harley-Davidson Museum
Planners will likely be most interested to know that the 20-acre Harley-Davidson campus recently welcomed a brand-new, year-round event space dubbed The Garage. Offering 8,200 square feet, the space features five glass garage doors, a VIP suite, plenty of parking, and an adjacent 6,724-square-foot outdoor space. The campus also has a number of meeting rooms, and private event space is also available at the museum's Motor Bar & Restaurant.
For learning local history: Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery or America's Black Holocaust Museum
Even if they're not there on a leisurely vacation, it's not uncommon for business travelers to want to learn more about a destination's local history. For planners who want to incorporate that into a meeting or event in Milwaukee, there's of course a variety of options. But the two we'd recommend: Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery or America's Black Holocaust Museum. 
Blue Ribbon Hall features hand-painted fresco murals.Photo: Sarah Kloepple
The former is the original headquarters of the Pabst Brewery, and it offers two standout venues. Its Blue Ribbon Hall is a German-style beer hall that can accommodate up to 150 attendees. Our favorite detail? The hand-painted fresco murals adorning the walls. Best Place also offers the Great Hall, which was originally built in 1880 and still includes Frederick Pabst’s office. Beautiful wood floors and large windows make it an elegant space for a reception of up to 250 guests.
Planners can also work with America's Black Holocaust Museum to incorporate important history into their events. The museum is located in Milwaukee's historic Bronzeville neighborhood, which was the primary African-American economic and social hub of its time in the mid-1900s. Founded in 1988 by Dr. James Cameron—a civil rights activist and one of the only survivors of a public lynching in the history of the U.S.—the museum closed after 20 years, but was re-established through grassroots community efforts.
Part of the museum's exhibit is a look at the Great Migration in the U.S., which took place roughly between the 1910s until the 1970s.Photo: Sarah Kloepple
Its new building, completed in 2018, features galleries that take visitors on a chronological journey through the Black Holocaust from 1619 to the present.
The museum is within an area booming with redevelopment, including the proposed Bronzeville Center for the Arts. "For a community like Milwaukee—a mid-market, post-Rust Belt community and a community of color—for this kind of educational, cultural, and economic development to be happening in such a concentrated area is not only unprecedented for the city, I'd say there's very little precedent nationally for a community like this," says executive consultant for the museum Brad Pruitt, who played a major role in the institution's revival.
For the music lovers: Henry Maier Festival Park
One of the most unique things about Milwaukee events might be these permanent festival grounds. The 90-acre lakefront campus is most notably home to Summerfest, the largest event it hosts here. (This past year, it saw 440,000 people attend over three weekends.) The festival comprises 12 stages and over 800 acts. "It's probably the cheapest music festival you'll ever get to go to," says Kevin Canady, vice president of sales and business development for Milwaukee World Festival, which hosts Summerfest. He added that a one-day ticket can cost $25, and the fest also puts on free admission promotions.
Irish Fest is one of the many cultural festivals hosted each year on the grounds of Henry Maier Festival Park.Photo: Courtesy of Visit Milwaukee
As well as a number of cultural festivals (like the popular Irish Fest), the festival park hosts a variety of events and shows throughout the season, including private events anywhere from a group of 50 to 10,000. Noteworthy upgrades include a $6 million renovation of what is now known as Northwestern Mutual Community Park, a family-friendly park designed with accessibility in mind; and the $51 million renovation of the amphitheater that provided new seats, wider concourses, new VIP hospitality offerings, and new F&B programs. With 23,000 seats including the lawn, "we can now compete with any large venue," Canady adds.
The amphitheater, along with the adjacent BMO Pavilion, can make for a stellar corporate event. Canady says they've hosted corporate presentations on the pavilion, then attendees migrated to the amphitheater where they've booked a large national act for a private concert.
And then the lake, of course, is also one of the grounds' best assets. Boaters can make use of the dock, and during Summerfest, Canady notes that they've worked with various partners to put on anything from paddle boat rentals, demo boat rides, and water ski show shows. "We view this as another stage that we have the opportunity to integrate all sorts of water sports and activities into our experiences here," he adds.
For the art lovers: Saint Kate Arts Hotel or Milwaukee Art Museum
Arts hotels are nothing new, but Milwaukee's is unique for a multitude of reasons. For starters, the Saint Kate Arts Hotel welcomes guests in an equine fashion, with visitors undoubtedly drawn to a show-stopping horse sculpture in the lobby named Big Piney. It's by Deborah Butterfield and made from bronze, though its meant to look like driftwood. The 219-room property also has four "canvas" guest rooms, each designed by a local artist. (The most dazzling one? The Leopard Room, hand painted by artist Lon Michels.)
Get a little theatrical with the Saint Kate Arts Hotel's black box theater.Photo: Courtesy of Saint Kate Arts Hotel
When it comes to meetings and events, Saint Kate offers an artistic spin as well across 11,600 square feet of usable space. A standout space sure to encourage attendees to channel their inner drama student is the 1,584-square-foot black box theater—ideal for receptions, conferences, and large meetings. 
Milwaukee Art Museum's Windhover Hall is a standout event space. The entire museum was designed by legendary architects Eero Saarinen, David Kahler, and Santiago Calatrava.Photo: Sarah Kloepple
The Saint Kate is owned by Marcus Hotels & Resorts, a locally based company that's backed by Greg and Linda Marcus, who have been longtime supporters and patrons of the arts in Milwaukee. It's no coincidence either that the hotel is in close proximity to a number of the city's historic theaters—all of which can host private events—like The Riverside Theater, The Pabst Theater, and the Miller High Life Theatre.
Art-loving planners (or those who just appreciate stunning architecture) can also look to the Milwaukee Art Museum, located on the lakefront, for a standout venue. The wow-worthy space here is undoubtedly Windhover Hall, the museum's single largest space for hosting, and probably its most awe-inspiring. The hall is naturally lit by a 90-foot-high atrium and offers expansive views of the lake—but it might be hard to peels eyes away from the architecture, comprising white marble and curvilinear forms. The space has hosted a variety of events over the year, including galas, conference receptions, networking parties, and fashion shows.
