Welcome to our Sioux Falls meeting planning guide – a city guide for meeting planning in Sioux Falls, SD. As South Dakota's largest city, Sioux Falls offers big city entertainment and amenities, as well as a welcoming, small-town atmosphere. Located at the extreme eastern part of the state, and bordering Iowa and Minnesota, Sioux Falls is located within a day's drive of most major Midwest cities. Beyond its convenient location, accessibility is also seen in the variety of Sioux Falls event venues, as well as the many group-friendly attractions and transportation options.
The Sioux Falls Regional Airport serves Sioux Falls, as well as southeast South Dakota, southwest Minnesota and northwest Iowa. Located just minutes from downtown Sioux Falls, the airport provides direct service to such major domestic cities as Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver and Orlando, as well as connecting service to more than 200 domestic cities. Once in Sioux Falls, visitors can ride the free Sioux Falls Trolley for direct downtown service from mid-April through mid-October. Visitors can also ride the Sioux Area Metro bus system, which operates along 11 routes throughout Sioux Falls and provides direct access to the Sioux Falls Convention Center.
One of the largest meeting facilities in the region, the Sioux Falls Convention Center features more than 100,000 square feet of flexible event space. The convention center accommodates up to 2,500 guests in such spaces as its 16,800-square-foot ballroom, 12 breakout rooms and 33,200-square-foot exhibit hall; the center's ballroom and exhibit hall connect to offer 50,000 square feet of contiguous column-free exhibit space. The convention center is attached to the 8,000-seat Sioux Falls Arena and 243-room hotel via climate-controlled walkway.
The Sioux Falls Arena is one of many Sioux Falls unique venues perfect for group functions and events. An entertainment hotspot for more than 50 years, the Sioux Falls Arena is home to a number of local sports teams and hosts concerts, ice shows, rodeos, trade shows, conventions and large-scale presentations. For a more intimate group event, the downtown Orpheum Theatre is a great venue. Once a vaudeville house, the Orpheum Theatre today serves as an elegantly-restored Historic Place as listed on the National Registry. Known for its wonderful acoustics and welcoming atmosphere with more than 100,000 visitors each year, the Orpheum Theatre offers private event space in its main 688-seat theater, 450-seat studio theater and 100-person classroom.
More Sioux Falls event venues include the popular Washington Pavilion. One of the only facilities in the world to bring together the performing arts, visual arts, interactive science and educational opportunities under one roof, the Washington Pavilion is home to two state of the art theaters and more than 100 hands-on interactive science exhibits, as well as regional and national art exhibits. Private events may be held throughout the pavilion, in such spaces as the 1,800-person Mary W. Sommervold hall, 174-seat CineDome, exhibit space and multi-level lobby space. For an adventurous event, groups frequent the Great Bear Recreation Park's chalet and spacious deck, as well as picnic pavilions and cabanas at Wild Water West, the state's largest water park and only wave pool.
