Exhibit Hall A and B
Two 59,000 sq ft halls that combine, with drive in access and floor ports every 30 feet.
Downtown Des Moines since 1998
118,000 square feet, one point of contact
Exhibit halls, meeting rooms and a ballroom under one roof, with in house AV, catering and a loading dock that takes eight trucks at once.
118,000sq ft exhibit space
22meeting rooms
1,400ballroom capacity
8dock doors
Spaces and services
Rentable space and what comes with it
Rental rates are per day and include setup and teardown days at half rate.
Grand Ballroom
Seats 1,400 for general session or 900 for a plated banquet, divisible into three sections.
Meeting rooms
Twenty two rooms seating 20 to 180, each with hardwired network and a house sound feed.
In house audio visual
Our own technicians, projection, line array sound, livestream encoding and show recording.
Catering and concessions
Exclusive in house kitchen covering breaks, boxed lunches, plated dinners and exhibit floor concessions.
Event management support
A named event manager from contract through move out, plus dedicated dock and security scheduling.
About the building
Built for shows that move a lot of freight
Prairie Gate opened in 1998 and completed a hall expansion in 2019. We host roughly 190 events a year, from state association conferences to regional trade shows and consumer expos. Two hotels connect by skywalk and 1,100 parking spaces sit under the building.
•Skywalk connection to 620 hotel rooms without going outside
•1,100 covered parking spaces on site
•Eight dock doors and a drive in ramp to the exhibit floor
•Exclusive in house catering and audio visual, no outside labor calls required
Reviews
From show organizers
“Move in for 240 booths took one day instead of two because the dock scheduling actually worked.”
Loretta H., regional home and garden expo
“Our attendees never had to walk outside in February. The skywalk sold the location by itself.”
Dev P., state association conference, 900 attendees
“The AV team caught a bad feed from our keynote speaker's laptop before the room filled. That is the whole job.”
Sandra M., corporate user conference
FAQ
Questions from planners
Can we bring in outside catering or AV?
Catering is exclusive to our in house kitchen, including exhibitor hospitality on the show floor. Audio visual is not exclusive, though most groups use our team because our gear is already rigged and there is no outside labor call.
How far ahead do dates book?
Large exhibit hall events typically book 18 to 30 months out, and September through November fills first. Meeting room only bookings often land inside 90 days. Ask us about first option holds, which are free and give you 30 days to decide.
What are the union labor requirements?
Decorator, electrical and rigging work on the exhibit floor goes through our contracted labor partner. Exhibitors may hand carry their own materials and set up their own booths within stated limits, which we spell out in the exhibitor kit.
What deposit and cancellation terms apply?
A 25 percent deposit holds the date, with the balance due 30 days out. Cancellations more than 12 months out forfeit the deposit only, and the sliding scale after that is written into the license agreement so there are no surprises.
Contact
Tell us your dates and square footage
Send your event dates, expected attendance and booth count. Our sales team returns quotes within two business days with a held option on the space.
Phone(515) 555-0134
Address600 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa
HoursSales office Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm, building staffed during events
AreaDowntown Des Moines, connected to two hotels by skywalk