“Hosting a week-long international juggling festival involves dozens of moving parts and a long list of essential requirements: excellent, affordable venues; a welcoming, friendly and safe city; great connections to the world for domestic and international attendees; and most importantly, an enthusiastic and professional team in the host city to help us pull it all together.
Cedar Rapids reached out to the International Jugglers’ Association soon after beginning their recovery from the historic flood of 2008, and we kept in touch as they rebuilt and renewed their city. By 2014, all the ingredients we needed were in place, and the Cedar Rapids team assembled a very compelling proposal to bring our week of fun to their city.
We’re excited to be planning our 2017 festival — our 70th annual! — in Cedar Rapids. We think the Cedar Rapids combination of Midwestern hospitality, affordability, truly spectacular venues, and a friendly, fun city for our jugglers to spend their week in will make for an amazing week of fun, world-class competitions and excitement for all involved.”
Mike Sullivan
Future Festival Site Coordinator 2011-2018
International Jugglers’ Association
“In selecting a destination for our annual conference we evaluate several priorities. Naturally, we need an excellent hotel and flexible meeting facilities to host our conference delegates and functions. Secondly, we’re looking for a destination that will be attractive to our potential attendees and one that has the potential to “wow” them when they attend. But perhaps most importantly, we’re looking for outstanding sports leadership in the community that is passionate about partnering with us to create a memorable event. Cedar Rapids offers the complete package for us and was a clear choice to host S.P.O.R.T.S. The Relationship Conference 2017.”
“Cedar Rapids Tourism was instrumental in bringing the boys’ Class 2A singles and doubles tennis tournament to Cedar Rapids. Every year of the tournament new enhancements are made to make Veteran’s Memorial Tennis Center more appealing to players and fans. Cedar Rapids Tourism, City of Cedar Rapids, Cedar Rapids Community Schools, Coe College, Westfield Tennis Club, and the Cedar Rapids Kernels have all gone above and beyond our expectations to be sure everyone has a quality experience in Cedar Rapids.”
“We worked with the Cedar Rapids CVB to host the 2013 NCAA Division II National Volleyball Tournament at the US Cellular Center and couldn’t be more pleased with the result. Mary Lee Malmberg and the rest of the staff were incredibly dedicated to hosting a top-notch event and exceeded all expectations. They helped provide the services and resources we needed to plan and organize such a massive event and we couldn’t have done it without them. All of the NCAA staff, teams, coaches and fans commented on how great the tournament experience was and we look forward to returning to Cedar Rapids in 2018 for the NCAA Division II National Wrestling Tournament!”
“The partnership between Cedar Rapids and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union is indeed a true partnership. One of their primary strengths is the attention and cooperation they provide to our staff, the teams, and the fans. Their main focus is to provide the services we need in order to make sure our tournament runs smoothly. We appreciate their professionalism and the relationship we have developed with their staff. The IGHSAU values the cooperation we receive from Cedar Rapids, the community, and its leaders to showcase the Iowa Girl.”