Drawing upon the rich sporting history provided through its college connection, Iowa City a great place for tournament planners
Notable Recent/Upcoming Events
- IHSAA Boys Swimming Championships: 2/9/19 : Campus Rec and Wellness Center
- 2019 MIGS Program Men’s Junior National Invite & Open Team Cup: 3/1-3/2019 : University of Iowa Field House.
- 2019-2020 Telenet UCI Cyclocross World Cup: 9/14/19 : Johnson County Fairgrounds
- Dan Gable Donnybrook Wrestling Tournament: 12/4-5/2020 : Xtream Arena/Fieldhouse
- NCAA Men’s Swimming & Diving Championships: 3/23-27/2021 : Campus Rec & Wellness Center
CVB/Sports Commissions Services Offered
- Volunteer Staff
- PR/Media Assistance
- Signage
- Site Visits
- Transportation Assistance
- Lodging Services
- Grant Programs
- Welcome Bags/Gifts
- Itinerary Development
- Event Planning Assistance
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Things to do in Iowa City/Coralville
While teams battle and fight for the gold, younger siblings and kids can take the day off and explore the Iowa Children’s Museum, where fun and learning are one and the same. With 28,000-square-feet of exhibits activities, kids can spend all day learning and still not see everything the museum has to offer. Exhibits like Notion of Motion: Science of Skateboarding, where children learn about force, mass, gravity and energy, are sure to not only grab a kid’s attention but teach them as well. With a mission to “inspire every child to imagine, create, discover and explore through the Power of Play,” Iowa Children’s Museum is a great place to let kids roam free and give parents a much-needed break.
When looking to spend a peaceful day enjoying nature, Terry Trueblood Recreation Area is the place to go. Fishing and bird-watching are available at the nearly 200-acre riverfront area. Take a hike in the unique locale where prairie, lake and riverfront all fuse together. Have a picnic along the beautiful Iowa River or Sand Lake before taking a kayak or canoe trip. There’s even a chance to ice skate in the winter. Whatever outdoor activity suits your fancy, Terry Trueblood Recreation Area is the place to go.
Iowa is about as far from the ocean as a person can be, but you can still take a stroll along the sea floor thanks to the Devonian Fossil Gorge. This geographical tourist attraction is a relatively recent find when in 1993 it was uncovered thanks to a flood. The Gorge is a chance to see 375 million-year-old fossil right underneath your feet as you walk across this ancient rocky ocean floor. A cell phone based audio tour is available for those who wish to learn about the history at their own pace.
Don’t just go with the flow, make a splash! Visit the Coralville Outdoor Aquatic Center and enjoy some fun in the sun. The center has three water slides, on-deck shaded seating and 11,000-square-feet of surface water to splash in. Iowa might not be known for its aquatic opportunities, but this venue makes a compelling argument that it should be.
A prime example of a U-Pick orchard, Wilson Orchard is where all types of tourists can pick the ripest and juiciest apples right off the branch. A visit during the fall season brings the added bonus of picking pumpkins as well, a staple of Halloween time. Driven out to the orchards on a fun tractor ride, the real working farm immerses you in the experience and is sure to delight. With all these events–coupled with the option to purchase the orchard’s famous cider and baked turnovers– it’s no wonder Wilson Orchard was voted as one of the top 50 things to do in Iowa City.
Planner Perspective
The Iowa City/Coralville CVB set up us for a successful event this year and set us up for growth in future years. The CVB gave us the support that smaller sports like table tennis need to succeed with funding, hotel connections, welcome bags and even volunteers. We will work with them every year we host.
2017 Table Tennis Hawkeye Open: Meng-Yu Wang (Director)
With the grant assistance of the Iowa City/Coralville CVB, we were able to create a better brand with a professional look and design. Their community connections boosted our registration – especially in the final few weeks before the event. They assisted in everything from promotion to hotels to funding which really helped our first year event.
Iowa City Gravel: Todd Young (Race Director)
How to Get to Iowa City
By car: Coming from big cities to the east of Iowa City/Coralville, like Chicago, travelers can easily take Interstate-80. I-80 is the east-west option; the north-south highway is Interstate-380, which runs right by Iowa City.
By air: Some local airports include Eastern Iowa Airport (about a 20-minute drive from Iowa City), Quad City International Airport (60 minutes away), and Des Moines International Airport (two-and-a-half hours away). Big cities like Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis, and Omaha are about 300 miles from Iowa City.
Contact Information
Company Name: Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
Sports Sales Manager: Dee White
Title: Director of Sales
Telephone: 319-337-6592