Hosting an event in Des Moines
What it takes to run an event in Des Moines, Iowa: 28 mapped venues, their stated capacities, and the travel around them. Des Moines International Airport is 9 km (5.6 mi) out.
Casey's Center states a capacity of 16,980. The dots show what event67 would bill at that head count, and where the price stops.
What Des Moines has to put people in
Des Moines has a recorded population of 213,096 (2024), inside the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area of about 754,000 people.
It is the capital of Iowa, so the calendar carries government, association and university business that books early and moves slowly.
What is on the books here: 6 exhibition or convention halls, 2 dedicated conference and function spaces, 5 arenas and stadiums, 6 theatres and concert halls and 9 independent event spaces.
That is roughly 13 venues per hundred thousand residents, which is a dense field for a city this size — you will usually have a second choice at the same capacity.
By type that is 9 event spaces, 4 theatres, 3 stadiums and 3 convention centres, plus a longer tail below.
Exhibition and convention halls (6)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center | convention centre | not published | 1.4 km (0.9 mi) |
| EMC Expo Center | exhibition centre | not published | 1.5 km (0.9 mi) |
| Hy-Vee Hall | convention centre | not published | 1.5 km (0.9 mi) |
| Iowa Events Center | convention centre | not published | 1.4 km (0.9 mi) |
| Iowa State Fairgrounds | fairground | not published | 5 km (3.1 mi) |
| Richard O. Jacobson Exhibition Center | exhibition centre | not published | 4.6 km (2.9 mi) |
Conference and function space (2)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forte Banquet & Conference Center | conference centre | not published | 1.5 km (0.9 mi) |
| Education & Research Center | conference centre | not published | 2.6 km (1.6 mi) |
Arenas and stadiums (5)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casey's Center | arena | 16,980 | 1.3 km (0.8 mi) |
| Drake Stadium | stadium | 14,557 | 3.8 km (2.4 mi) |
| Principal Park | stadium | 11,500 | 2.3 km (1.4 mi) |
| Des Moines Auditorium | arena | not published | 1.7 km (1.1 mi) |
| Mediacom Stadium | stadium | not published | 3.6 km (2.2 mi) |
Theatres and concert halls (6)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sylvan Theater Historic District | theatre | not published | 6.3 km (3.9 mi) |
| Civic Center of Greater Des Moines | performing-arts centre | not published | 1.7 km (1.1 mi) |
| Temple Theater | theatre | not published | 2.4 km (1.5 mi) |
| Hoyt Sherman Place | theatre | not published | 2.7 km (1.7 mi) |
| Des Moines Community Playhouse | theatre | not published | 5.5 km (3.4 mi) |
| Temple for Performing Arts | performing-arts centre | not published | 2.4 km (1.5 mi) |
Independent event spaces (9)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines Heritage Center | event space | not published | 1.6 km (1 mi) |
| Curate | event space | not published | 1.5 km (0.9 mi) |
| Nove Jazz & Cabaret | event space | not published | 2.8 km (1.7 mi) |
| The Conservatory | event space | not published | 1.3 km (0.8 mi) |
| VOWS DSM | event space | not published | 1.3 km (0.8 mi) |
| Prairie Meadows Racetrack | event space | not published | 12 km (7.3 mi) |
| South Des Moines Event Venue | event space | not published | 8.2 km (5.1 mi) |
| The River Center | event space | not published | 2.3 km (1.4 mi) |
| Scottish Rite Consistory Building | event space | not published | 1.7 km (1.1 mi) |
Every venue mapped in Des Moines appears above. The ones with enough published detail to be worth reading have their own guide and are linked; the rest are named here, which is honest about what the record holds without giving each of them a page made of three facts.
Exhibition-scale rooms in Des Moines
6 venues in Des Moines are classified as exhibition or convention space. They are the only rooms here designed around a floor plan rather than a seating plan.
- Community Choice Credit Union Convention Centersize not published
- EMC Expo Centersize not published
- Hy-Vee Hallsize not published
- Iowa Events Centersize not published
- Iowa State Fairgroundssize not published
- Richard O. Jacobson Exhibition Centersize not published
Capacities are the figure the venue or an encyclopaedia entry published. They are usually the seated maximum, and the same room in banquet or reception layout can differ by half. Confirm the layout you want before you plan around a number.
Getting attendees to Des Moines
Des Moines International Airport (DSM) sits 9 km (5.6 mi) from the centre, close enough that a same-day arrival is realistic for most of your speakers.
Des Moines keeps Chicago time (America/Chicago), which matters most for the remote speakers you are dialling in.
West Des Moines, Urbandale and Ankeny are close enough to draw from for a day rate, and to fall back on if Des Moines has nothing free on your dates.
- Nearest major airport
- DSM
- Des Moines International Airport, 9 km (5.6 mi)
- Local time
- UTC−5
- America/Chicago, in September
- City population, 2024
- 213,096
- 754,000 across the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA area
What already comes back to Des Moines
Recurring shows on the Des Moines calendar include DemiCon. Check your dates against them: hotel rates and venue availability both move.
- DemiConrecurring event, since 1990
Recorded in Wikidata, which covers event series with an encyclopaedia entry. It is a floor rather than a full calendar for Des Moines, and it is not a listing service — check dates with the organiser.
Things that catch organizers out here
The city is smaller than the market
213,096 people live in Des Moines itself, but about 754,000 live in the wider Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA. Your local audience is far bigger than the city line suggests, and so is the commute your day-rate attendees will make.
Pricing this against a real Des Moines room
Suppose 950 attendees claim their invite and open the app at a Des Moines event sized to Casey's Center, the largest stated capacity in the Des Moines dataset. Here is exactly what event67 charges, with the free 50 taken off the top.
- activated attendees
- 950activated attendees
- billable, after the first 50 are free
- 900billable, after the first 50 are free
- for the whole event, at $5 each
- $4,500for the whole event, at $5 each
You are billed for people, not for the venue, so the room you choose in Des Moines does not change this figure. Nothing is charged for an attendee who registers and never opens the app.
Matching the room to the format
With a stated ceiling of 16,980 seats, Des Moines can carry a full trade show or a multi-track annual meeting without splitting the audience across buildings.
- trade shows and exhibitions
6 exhibition or convention halls mean a booth plan is possible in Des Moines without renting a marquee.
- multi-track conferences
A 16,980-seat room carries a plenary with breakouts running alongside it.
- association annual meetings
An association meeting needs one big room, several small ones and a hotel block, which is the combination Des Moines is set up for.
- festivals
An arena or stadium floor at 16,980 takes an audience no conference venue in Des Moines can.
- sports tournaments
The same rooms already run fixtures, so load-in and crowd flow are solved.
Where this data comes from
- GeoNames, CC BY 4.0
- US Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 estimates
- Wikidata, CC0
- Geographic data © GeoNames, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Venue data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License.
- US population figures are US Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates.
- Retrieved 3 September 2026. event67 has no commercial relationship with any venue listed.
Last updated
What it costs
- Free up to 50
- activated attendees, on one live event
- $5
- per activated attendee beyond 50
- $4,750
- the most one event can ever cost, whatever happens past 1,000
Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
Questions people actually ask
Price a Des Moines event at 950 attendees — what is the total?
950 activated attendees means 900 billable after the free 50, so $4,500 for the event. The price is $5 per activated attendee beyond the first 50, and the total for one event stops at $4,750 however many more attend. Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
What is the largest venue in Des Moines?
Of the 28 venues mapped in Des Moines, the largest stated capacity belongs to Casey's Center at 16,980. Capacities in open data are the figure the venue itself published, and they are the seated number rather than a standing or exhibition figure, so confirm the layout you actually want before you plan around it.
Does Des Moines have a convention centre?
Yes — 6 venues are classified as exhibition or convention space in Des Moines, including Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center, EMC Expo Center and Hy-Vee Hall. Exhibition halls are booked by floor area rather than by seat, so ask for the hall sheet with column spacing and load-in access rather than a capacity number.
Which airport do attendees fly into for Des Moines?
Des Moines International Airport (DSM), about 9 km (5.6 mi) from the city. It is the highest-traffic airport within reach in this dataset. Local time is America/Chicago; publish every session in that zone and let attendees' phones convert it.
Can I run a small Des Moines event on event67 for nothing?
One live event with up to 50 activated attendees costs nothing. Beyond that it is $5 per activated attendee beyond the first 50, and the total for one event stops at $4,750 however many more attend. Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
What events already happen in Des Moines?
Recurring shows recorded for Des Moines include DemiCon. This list comes from Wikidata and covers series with an encyclopaedia entry, so it is a floor rather than a full calendar. Check your dates against it: hotel rates and venue availability both move around a returning show.
Keep reading
Nearby cities
- Holding an event in West Des Moines
7 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Urbandale
4 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Ankeny
3 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Indianola
6 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Newton
8 venues mapped
Up a level
Running something in Des Moines?
Set the schedule, invite the room and watch who actually turns up. Free for your first 50 activated attendees, on one live event.