Full-Service Meetings with a Small-Town Smile Can Be Spotted in Fond du Lac!

By R. Swanson, MN

The first time I rolled into Fond du Lac, I figured it’d be another meeting town — you know, neutral location, decent hotels, check the box. But then I caught my first glimpse of Lake Winnebago sparkling in the sunlight and thought, wait a minute … this feels different.

That’s the thing about the Lake Winnebago Region — it has a way of surprising you. Between the lake, the marsh, the food and the ridiculously nice people, it makes meetings feel less like obligations and more like opportunities to explore.

Getting Here (Spoiler: It’s Easy)

I’ll be honest, I’ve lost hours of my life stuck in big-city traffic trying to get to events. Not here. Fond du Lac sits right in the heart of Wisconsin — less than an hour from Green Bay, Madison and Milwaukee. It’s a drive that somehow unwinds you rather than tires you.

Big Enough, But Not Too Big

One of the first places I checked out was the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center. Picture this: 24,000 square feet of space, a 14,000-square-foot conference center, breakout rooms and a buzzing pre-function area that practically begs for conversation over coffee. It’s polished, professional and everything works.

Then there’s the Hotel Retlaw downtown. The first time I walked into its lobby, I caught myself looking up at the chandeliers like a tourist. It’s historic, elegant and has 10,000 square feet of event space that makes any gathering feel instantly special. It felt as if I was immersed in the distant echoes of another era.

The Fun Part: Unique Venues

Some of the most memorable events I’ve been to here in Fond du Lac were held at one-of-a-kind places.

At the Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts, I sat in a meeting room that felt more like a gallery. You could almost feel the creativity seeping into the conversation.

At LaClare Creamery, I found myself at a banquet table eating the freshest goat cheese I’ve ever had, then holding a baby goat like it was part of the agenda. (Honestly, it kind of should be.)

Ziegler Winery? Let’s just say sipping wine while overlooking 13 acres of vineyard views beats any boardroom. And Herr-Baker Field, home of the Dock Spiders, turned what could’ve been a routine corporate gathering into a full-on “remember when” story.

The Secret Ingredient

But here’s what really makes it all work: the people. The team at Destination Lake Winnebago Region doesn’t just hand you a brochure and wish you luck. They anticipate, they smooth things over and they go out of their way to make your event shine. More than once, I caught myself thinking, they just made my job so much easier. Special shout-out to our contact, the awesome Edith Ferguson, she really rolled up her sleeves and personified the “We Can Do It!” spirit.

Contact:

Edith Ferguson, Director of Sales & Service
920-923-3010
[email protected]
fdl.com/planners