Testimonials
Catch a look at why sports planners keep choosing Greater Des Moines. Successful events. Quick responses from the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau and Des Moines Area Sports Commission team. And first-rate facilities. Greater Des Moines is sports country.
"US Youth Soccer has had the opportunity to experience Des Moines with a number of different events. We have held the US Youth Soccer Region II Championships, the US Youth Soccer National Championships and the US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup in Des Moines. The members of our region all look forward to our return in 2013. The greater Des Moines area offers a variety of exceptional food and entertainment options. The parks, river walk, arts and entertainment options are outstanding. The city offers our participants a safe and comfortable environment where they experience the home town attitude shared by the local merchants and residents.
I look forward to the 2013 US Youth Soccer Regional Championships that will be held in Des Moines next June. The members of the city staff and parks staff we work with are among the best!"
David Flanagan, US Youth Soccer Region II Administrator
October 2012
"The city of Des Moines was a great setting for the 2012 USA Volleyball High Performance Championships. The Iowa Events Center was an excellent venue for the competition which saw a 40% increase in spectator attendance from previous years in Ft. Lauderdale and Tucson! Over 4000 spectators and 1300-plus athletes and coaches from almost all 50 states, Chile, Canada, Puerto Rico, New Zealand, and the Dominican Republic enjoyed the many restaurants and attractions Des Moines offers during the week-long championships. We were all impressed with the many hidden gems the city has to offer to its visitors.
The Iowa Events Center, CVB, and Sports Commission staffs were integral to making the event a success at all levels. We were especially impressed with the quick replies to our questions and ease of communication we had with their staff and the host hotels. We look forward to bringing anther event to Des Moines in the near future!"
AJ Joseph, Local Host Coordinator, USA Volleyball High Performance Championships
July 2012
"Iowa USSSA Baseball and Central Iowa Sports have had great experiences over the past several years running youth baseball events in Des Moines.
The city has fantastic facilities, entertainment, and hotels to host the participants that play our events. It has always been a pleasure working with the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau, and it is clear that they want our events to be successful and will do anything that they can to help.
Our baseball events bring in thousands of teams every year from states across the Midwest, and we always get positive feedback regarding the city of Des Moines and what it has to offer. Usually when a team comes here to play in an event, we can count on them returning again because they enjoyed their time here.
We look forward to continuing this great relationship in the future and appreciate everything that the Des Moines CVB does for people in the area."
Bob Egr, USSSA Baseball
June 2012
"The AAU Wrestling committee is really happy with having our Middle School Duals in the Des Moines area. Our numbers continue to grow each year! We are also very appreciative of the attention give to us by the Sports Commission!"
Bob Johnson, National Chairman AAU Wrestling
April 2012
"The city of Des Moines, the Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Sports Commission all contributed to making the NCAA Women's Basketball Regional a great success. I had not been to Des Moines in a few years, and the downtown area has added a new vibrancy, some fantastic restaurants and an accommodating feel for visitors. It is truly an undiscovered treasure in the Midwest, but it won't remain that way for long. We were certainly pleased with our event and look forward to Des Moines hospitality in the future."
Dru Hancock, Senior Assoc. Commissioner Big 12 Conference/NCAA Site Rep
March 2012
"The NAIA couldn't have asked for a better first-time host of the NAIA Wrestling National Championships than the city of Des Moines in 2012. The staff from the Des Moines Area Sports Commission, Greater Des Moines Convention & Visitors Bureau, Iowa State Fair and Grand View University delivered an exceptional experience to the student-athletes, coaches, fans and event personnel. In a state where wrestling reigns supreme, Des Moines understood the importance of ensuring that the national championships ran smoothly. The NAIA is excited to return to the home of the nation's best wrestling fans for the 2013 national championships."
Jason Michael Ford, Manager of Championship Sports National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
February 2012
"On behalf of the 700+ veterans attending the 2010 National Veterans Golden Age Games I would like to thank the community of Des Moines for helping us host such a successful event. The venues and volunteer support (1,500+) were outstanding as they welcomed us with open arms and responded as needed. Our veterans only deserve the best and Des Moines offered outstanding venues and services in support of our event."
Dewayne Vaughan, Director National Veterans Golden Age Games
May 2010
"The stadium setup at the Drake Soccer complex (James W Cownie Soccer Park) is first class. The maintenance workers take tremendous pride in the quality of the surface spring through fall. And for good reason - the field plays fast and true. It rivals the best fields that we play on in our conference. The two-sided stadium is conducive to a lively and spirited atmosphere. There are few venues in the Midwest that can boast what the Drake complex offers."
Steve Burns, Head Men's Soccer Coach, University of Michigan
Fall 2009
"The Drake University Soccer Complex (James W Cownie Soccer Park) is fantastic. The improvements to the field are first class and we look forward to playing there in the near future".
Craig Blazer, Head Men's Soccer Coach, DePaul University
Fall 2009
"Des Moines, Iowa proved to be a jewel hidden in the Midwest! From the excellent service provided by the CVB to the staff at the downtown hotels and Hy-Vee Hall, our experience during our National Tournament was excellent."
Christine Strong Simmons, Director of Operations, US Fencing
October 2009
"When you run the same event for 16 years and come back to the same city multiple times, it is extremely nice to see that city grow with the event and the Des Moines metro area has done that.
The AAU Junior Olympic Games attracted almost 8,500 track and field athletes to the great city of Des Moines and this is a tribute to the renovated track and field stadium at Drake University and the history of track and field in the area. Hy-Vee Hall provided a wonderful venue to have our indoor events as holding everything under one roof is important to the AAU Junior Olympics and the athlete's experience. The athletes and coaches enjoyed their time at this tremendous building, especially the record 1,130 trampoline and tumbling athletes.
The Des Moines Area Sports Commission, under the leadership of Al Lorenzen, and the Greater Des Moines Convention & Visitors Bureau, under the direction of Greg Edwards, have outdone what is expected for the 38,000 Athletes, coaches and parents that participated in the AAU Junior Olympic Games. We look forward to 2014 when the AAU Junior Olympic Games return to Des Moines."
Paul Campbell, AAU Junior Olympics Youth Sports Chairperson
Event held in July/Aug 2009
"On behalf of USSSA I would like to thank both the City of Des Moines and Bryan Sage. Anytime you place a first time event (11:U and 13:U World Series) in a city for our organization we like to evaluate several factors to see if we would be wise to place an event in that area again. This World Series Event was one of the best first time events we have had - from director communication with Bryan and the teams to the hotel availability and city friendliness. We have received great reviews from all teams we have heard from and that says a lot about Bryan and Des Moines.
We are looking at placing events again for 2010 and would love to include Des Moines with our post season plans. In addition, we may bring another event there on top of what you hosted this year."
Jeremy McDowell, Vice President of USSSA Fastpitch
Event held in 2009
"I am the manager of the Topeka Crush in 13U and wanted to tell you that we had a great time in Des Moines. The weather was beautiful and I think you guys did a great job keeping everything running smoothly. I had several parents comment after we returned home about how much the loved the city."
Mark Cayler, USSSA Fastpitch
Event held in July 2009
"Now that the dust has settled on our event and we have had a chance to canvas the teams, we wanted to take the time to thank you for helping to make this event happen right here in the Des Moines area.
We have had an overwhelming positive response to the event, the venues, the city, and only 1 singular umpire complaint! Wow, what a tremendous success!
We are being slated for events again in 2010 and for years to come, now that we demonstrated our ability to put on a first class event in the toughest of all years, our first. They have us slated right now for the same two age groups and another age group to give us 3 World Series events total for 2010 and we plan to again set new attendance records like we did with the 2 divisions we hosted this year! Iowa posts largest 11U and 13U events ever in it's maiden World Series voyage!
Thank you again for all you did to make this happen for all of us. I look forward to speaking with you about the future events that will be awarded to Iowa by USSSA Fastpitch."
Bryan Sage,USSSA Fastpitch
Event held in July 2009
"The people of Des Moines were very nice and helpful to us and it was truly one of the most wonderful places I have ever raced in. I cannot say enough about how great Hy-Vee and the other sponsors were in making this race an amazing production."
Jarrod Shoemaker, 2008 Olympic Team Qualifier
Hy-Vee Triathlon participant
"The city of Des Monies exceeded our expectations as the host of the 2008 Acrobatic Gymnastics National Championships!" The Des Monies Area Sports Commission, Greater Des Monies Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Iowa Events Center helped to make this event memorable and fun for everyone involved. Des Moines performed with the same level of excellence that the competitors brought to their routines. With such a decorated gymnastics legacy, it was our honor to bring our dynamic sport to Des Moines and watch as over 600 athletes from across the United States strived for their goals."
Tom Housley, USA Gymnastics
