Polk County to bid on events center management
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The Casey's Center. Photo: Reese Strickland, courtesy of the Oak View Group
Polk County is putting the Iowa Events Center management contract up for bid for the first time since the downtown complex opened more than 20 years ago.
Why it matters: The next operator will shape how well the Iowa Events Center competes for concerts, conventions and NCAA events — and how much money the county receives from the publicly owned venue.
Catch up quick: Oak View Group (OVG), through predecessor companies Global Spectrum/Spectra, has managed the events center since 2005.
- The complex includes the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center, EMC Expo Center and Casey's Center.
Driving the news: Supervisors are expected to vote Tuesday on whether to hire JLL Consulting to assist with the procurement process, the contract framework and first-year oversight of the next operator.
- If approved, the county will pay JLL $197,500 for its assistance.
Context: Local governments in the metro have recently faced scrutiny for awarding long-term contracts without seeking competitive bids.
- Des Moines council members, for example, recently approved a 15-year golf management contract without a public bidding process, drawing criticism from residents and competitors.
Zoom in: Iowa law requires competitive bidding for many public construction projects, but long-term venue operating contracts are not subject to the same statewide rebidding requirements.
What they're saying: County officials notified OVG more than six months ago that the contract would be put out to bid as part of a broader push for consistency and transparency in contracting, events center general manager Chris Connolly tells Axios.
- OVG will bid on the contract, he said.
By the numbers: OVG reported a $1.84 million profit to Polk County in FY 2025 and more than $20 million in cumulative returns since it began managing the events center.
- It's projecting roughly $2 million in profits for the county in the fiscal year ending this month.
State of play: The profits are notable because many convention centers operate at a deficit to generate broader economic impact, Connolly said.
- OVG has also assisted with recent naming-rights agreements, including a 10-year Casey's Center deal worth more than $18.3 million and a 10-year EMC Expo Center deal worth nearly $6.3 million.
The intrigue: Polk County recently amended OVG's contract, allowing OVG to book events at Iowa State venues, including Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum.
- That agreement allocates 10% of OVG's net revenue from those bookings to Polk County.
- If another company is hired to manage the events center, Polk County would no longer receive that revenue.
What we're watching: Whether the bid process helps Polk County secure a better deal — either by prompting OVG to offer stronger financial terms or by attracting another operator that promises more revenue, better bookings or tighter performance standards.