Conferences & Learning
Midwest Association of Independent Inns Conference & Trade Show
Exhibitors – Information and separate registration can be found HERE.
December 3rd, 2024 – December 5th, 2024
(Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday)
*Aspiring Innkeeper Seminar – Monday, December 2nd, 2024*
More information on the Aspiring Innkeeper Seminar can be found HERE
Holiday Inn & Suites Bien VenU Event Center
7400 Hudson Road
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
Holiday Inn & Suites Bien VenU Event Center Website
![MWInns Conference & Trade Show 1 MWInns Conference & Trade Show 1](https://mwinns.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/holiday-inn-hotel-and-suites-cedar-falls-6202258882-4x3-large.jpg)
Innkeepers, register now for education, networking & best practices as we continue to expand our conference.
The conference will have a variety of topics pertinent to innkeeping today. Together with our industry experts, vendor partners, and other innkeepers, we will explore the issues, challenges, and opportunities to enhance the guest experience, grow our business, and be the best innkeeper we can as we balance it all!
How would you like to WIN a complementary Design Critique of your Inn (valued at ~$1,980.00) by Küster Design? To be eligible to win, you must register and pay for the conference by the Early-Bird deadline. Stay tuned for more information coming soon!
Conference Pricing:
Register Before August 31st, 2024 for Early-Bird Pricing!
First Attendee – $265
Each Additional Attendee – $215
Regular Pricing – After August 31st, 2024
First Attendee – $299
Each Additional Attendee – $249
*Conference price includes appetizer reception, lunch, and all breaks
**Optional Evening Event – Wednesday, November 4th – “Taste of Iowa”**
Per Person – $60
Complimentary Transportation To/From the Bien VenU Event Center to our Downtown Events:
![MWInns Conference & Trade Show 2 MWInns Conference & Trade Show 2](https://mwinns.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/black-hawk-hotel-300x193.jpg)
– The Black Hawk Boutique Hotel – Tour this local, historic, and second longest operating hotel in the United States
after learning about its history and story from our speaker!
![MWInns Conference & Trade Show 3 MWInns Conference & Trade Show 3](https://mwinns.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Urban-Pie-300x293.jpg)
– “Taste of Iowa” Dinner at Urban Pie – Urban Pie offers a relaxed setting where laughter flows as freely as the conversation. Come as you are, and leave with a satisfied heart, a full stomach, and a smile.
![MWInns Conference & Trade Show 4 MWInns Conference & Trade Show 4](https://mwinns.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/holiday-hoopla-santa-arrival-plaza-300x199.jpg)
– Holiday Hoopla – Located in the park next to Urban Pie – Holiday Hoopla is the Cedar Falls Downtown District’s annual, month-long celebration. The month of December offers activities, shopping, holiday contests, and a dazzling light display!
You Don’t Want To Miss This Fun Evening Out!
Conference Schedule Outline*
Use the link below to see our Midwest Association of Independent Inns Conference App, courtesy of conference sponsor Frictionless Guest App. The app comes complete with a current schedule of events as well as information on some wonderful exploring opportunities in beautiful Cedar Falls, IA.
- Monday, December 2nd – Aspiring Innkeeper Seminar, 9:00am – 5:00pm
- Tuesday, December 3rd
- 11:00am-5:00pm -Registration Opens
- 1:00pm-3:00pm – Hands-On Personalized Vendor Workshops
- 3:00pm-5:00pm – Welcome and Round-tables (Innkeepers & Vendors)
- 5:00pm-6:30pm – Vendor Marketplace and Opening Cocktail/Appetizer Reception
- 6:30pm – Dinner on Own
- Wednesday, December 4th
- 8:30am-12:00pm – Speakers
- 12:00pm-1:30pm – Marketplace/Lunch
- 1:30pm-5:00pm – Speakers
- 5:30pm – Off-Sight Event (Transportation to/from hotel, Black Hawk Boutique Hotel Tour, “Taste of Iowa” buffet dinner, entertainment)
- Thursday, December 5th
- 9:00am-12:00pm – Speakers
- Refreshment Break at Vendor Marketplace
- 12:00pm-1:00pm – Door Prizes/Goodbyes
*Subject to change
Conference Speaker Session Highlights To-Date
- Catering to Today’s Travelers, Embracing Your History, Staying True to Your Brand
- The Guest Experience by Design Critique
- A Midwest Breakfast to Enhance Your Brand
- Steps to Nirvana: Preparing Your Inn for Short or Long Term Sale
- How Artificial Intelligence (AI) is Changing How We Can Do Business and How Innkeepers Are Successfully Using it!
- Choosing The Right Packages & Specials For Your Inn
- Support Local ~ Partnerships to Increase Your Profitability
- and so much more!
![MWInns Conference & Trade Show 5 MWInns Conference & Trade Show 5](https://mwinns.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/holiday-inn-lobby-large.png)
![MWInns Conference & Trade Show 6 MWInns Conference & Trade Show 6](https://mwinns.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/16o-cedarfallswinter-nellans-014-custom-large.jpg)
![MWInns Conference & Trade Show 7 MWInns Conference & Trade Show 7](https://mwinns.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/event-center-large.jpg)
![MWInns Conference & Trade Show 8 MWInns Conference & Trade Show 8](https://mwinns.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/cedar-falls-winter-large.jpg)
Flights
- Cedar Rapids, IA – Located 1 hour away from the hotel and event center – Eastern Iowa Airport
- Waterloo, IA* – This is a small regional airport with limited flights to/from Chicago. See their website or call for information. – Located 6 minutes away from the hotel and event center – Waterloo Regional Airport
- Des Moines, IA – Located 2 hours away from the hotel and event center – Des Moines International Airport
Overnight Accommodations
We are pleased to have chosen Holiday Inn & Suites Bien VenU Event Center! Onsite amenities include on-site restaurants, sports bar, an indoor pool, free wi-fi, and many activities in the local area to enjoy!
Special Conference Room Rates at Holiday Inn & Suites
$129.00/night – breakfast included; tax & gratuity not included
Room choices include: One King Bed Premium or Two Queen Beds Standard
Please use the booking link below to book your stay* at Holiday Inn & Suites:
Book Your Stay at Holiday Inn & Suites*
*You must start the booking process and input your reservation dates in order for the group rates to appear.
Make your reservation today!
*All attendees are responsible for their own overnight accommodations. If you need a handicap accessible room, please make the reservation online and then call the hotel at 1-877-666-3243 to ask to be moved to a more accommodating room.
Payment Options
Payment for attending the conference is accepted via PayPal/Credit Card with completed registration. You do not need a PayPal account to pay by credit card (via PayPal).
Midwest Association of Independent Inns Conference Cancellation Policy
Should a conflict arise, you may cancel your registration with full refund up to 7 business days prior to the conference or November 22nd, 2024. After that date, refunds are not possible. You must put your cancellation in writing to the MWInns offices directly at info@mwinns.com.
Check back often as our page is continuously updated!
Midwest Association of Independent Inns Conference Sponsors & Exhibitors
This event is sponsored in part by:
Cedar Falls Tourism
6510 Hudson Road
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
319-268-4266
visit@cedarfallstourism.org
https://www.cedarfallstourism.org/
Gold Sponsors
eviivo
Jamey King – Senior Marketing Manager, USA
823 Congress Avenue, Suite 1405
Austin, Texas 78745
United Kingdom
317-629-6160
Jamey.King@eviivo.com
www.eviivo.com
eviivo Suite is an award-winning, cloud-based booking and property management platform, built to help property managers, hoteliers and hosts go further, faster and simplify without compromise. Transforming collaboration, it provides an easy way to manage bookings, guests, property owners, and online travel agencies.
Logan Marketing
Jeff Logan – Chief Marketing Officer
Emily Wachsman – Chief Executive Officer
9509 North Town Drive
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
360-808-7452
accounting@loganmarketing.com
www.loganmarketing.com
Logan Marketing has over 30 years of experience designing websites and building a successful online presence for the hospitality industry. We are experts in internet marketing, implementing a broad range of products to help you achieve success.
The B&B Team
Eben Viens – Owner
David Hiler – Partner
P.O. Box 1799
Brattleboro, VT 05302
802-527-2360
eben@bbteam.com
www.bbteam.com
We are The B&B Team®. If you want to purchase a bed and breakfast inn, learn about starting a bed and breakfast, or you are an innkeeper looking to sell your inn or grow your business, we want to talk to you about our inn broker and consulting services. Why call us? We are a diverse group of experienced professionals, who also happen to be friends, with one mission: to help you reach your personal and financial goals in the Innkeeping industry. As licensed real estate brokers and Innkeeping consultants with offices in several states, The B&B Team® helps you achieve the success you deserve nationwide.
MWInns also thanks The B&B Team for co-sponsoring our Aspiring Innkeeper Seminar.
ThinkReservations
Ariel Frias – Head of Demand Generation
Kristin Fisher – Account Executive
1700 17th Ave Ste 116
Seattle, WA 98101
877-763-4195
sales@thinkreservations.com
www.thinkreservations.com
Running an independent bed & breakfast, boutique hotel, or property group isn’t easy. We know because we’ve been there. You strive to provide your guests with a great experience. ThinkReservations makes it simple for you and your staff to make that happen. Whether you’re just starting your business or looking to take things to the next level, our all-in-one PMS, booking engine, channel manager, guest communications suite can help your business.
Trusted by thousands of independent hoteliers in the US and Canada, ThinkReservations offers everything your property needs in a single platform. With 24/7 US based support by hospitality industry experts, your business will always be in good hands. If you’re looking for a property management system to streamline your reservations and also help increase your bookings, ThinkReservations is right for you. Take back your time. Increase your revenue. Stand out without burning out.
Silver Sponsors
Casablanca Payments
Wynn Salisch – Principal
243 W 104th Street #4E
New York, NY 10025
203-253-7259
wynn@casablanca-ventures.com
https://www.mpiprocessing.com/wynn
Casablanca Payments was founded by a 50-year hospitality industry veteran and specializes in providing innkeepers with both savings and highly personal and responsive White Glove Concierge Service tailored specifically to the lodging industry. If your processor is charging too much or relegating your support calls to anonymous call centers, talk to Casablanca Payments and see what a difference caring people with years of actual lodging operations experience, and a processor that won the Better Business Bureau’s Ethics Award, can make.
Frictionless Guest App
Steve Short – Founder
PO Box 307
Highland, MD 20777
888-827-0635
sshort@frictionlessguest.com
https://frictionlessguest.com/
Save time, increase repeat bookings, delight guests! The Frictionless Guest App is a digital concierge helping guests to “live like locals”. Providing guests with “insider” information and recommendations for places to eat, shop, and play and then some is a vital part of curating the Guest Experience ensuring guests have a great visit. Guests feel like VIP’s with access to information not available elsewhere. The ease and convenience of the app creates fantastic memories that equate to return visits!
MWInns also thanks Frictionless Guest App for creating our MWInns Conference App.
Küster Design
James Kuester – Principal
333 N Alabama St Ste 350
Indianapolis, IN 46204
866-904-6631
james@kusterdesign.com
https://kusterdesign.com/
Küster Design provides full service interior and guest experience design services for commercial, healthcare, and residential settings. Whether you’re interested in improving your customer experience at work or reflecting your personality and style at home, Küster Design can help.
Conference Exhibitors
ResNexus
Rick Pond – Tradeshow and Event Director
Clay Cushing – Senior Account Manager
185 E 200 N
Salem , UT 84653
Rick – 801-921-8081
rpond@resnexus.com
Clay – 801-462-2171
ccushing@resnexus.com
https://www.resnexus.com/
When it comes to award-winning property management software, efficiency counts. That’s why ResNexus is an all-in-one solution, helping thousands of hospitality businesses balance all the plates that come with the job, from online bookings and revenue management to powerful reporting and digital marketing. Plus, ResNexus provides industry-leading customer support that brings all these important tools together with a personalized and caring approach that is dedicated to helping your business grow.
Takeaways Digital Marketing – A property’s website is often the first point of contact with new customers; that’s why ResNexus provides professional website design to leave a lasting first impression.
Property Management Software – ResNexus makes property management easy, from adjusting rates and making reservations to collecting payments and managing retail items.
Travel Protection – One thing that sets ResNexus apart is its built-in Travel Protection service which protects your business from lost revenue from last-minute cancellations due to illness.
Best Online Shopping Experience – Provide the best experience to your guests who book online with a frictionless booking process and sidebar add-ons.
Customer Support – Even first-rate software isn’t worth much without industry-leading support. That’s why ResNexus provides annual account reviews and coaching for subscribed properties, as well as quality phone support.
The Insurance Shop of East Jordan
Nicole Skrocki – Owner
824 Water St
East Jordan, MI 49727
231-350-0416
nikki@theinsuranceshop.net
https://www.theinsuranceshop.net/
Leaders in developing insurance programs for the Bed & Breakfast industry, The Insurance Shop has been helping innkeepers in Michigan and Wisconsin with affordable, comprehensive coverage for decades. We look forward to working with MWInns members to find the policy that is right for your Inn.
Midwest Association of Independent Inns
Kerri Thiel
206 Jefferson Street
Waupaca, WI 54981
715-942-8180
kerri@mwinns.com
www.mwinns.com
Stop by our booth to learn about the Midwest Association of Independent Inns (MWInns), the newest regional association working with all the Midwest States and working to help support its members with a full range of services. This includes powerful Marketing designed to bring more guests to your inn and a proven and positive ROI. See why an investment in MWInns pays dividends in currency, competency, and confidence. Let us help you build your business for the long term.