Testimonials

 

OK, so you think we're biased. Don't take our word for it. Take a look at what others are saying about Omaha. You'll quickly understand why you should bring your next event to Omaha.

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"Omaha is a wonderful city that has flown under the national radar. It is a city poised to make a stunning debut with a renovated historic district, a revitalized downtown, a vigorous business environment and a sports-mad population ready to embrace our athletes. Some might raise their eyebrows at the awarding of our most important event of the Olympic quadrennial to Omaha, but we are confident this is going to be an extraordinary partnership that will serve the best interests of our athletes, their coaches and our sport....People are going to be blown away by Omaha."

Chuck Wielgus, Executive Director of USA Swimming

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"Here in Omaha, a Midwestern city with old-fashioned values, the College World Series is a treasured reminder that commercialism and college sports don't have to be joined at the hip...Omaha and the CWS are perfect for each other."

Scott Bordow, East Valley Tribune (Mesa, Ariz.)

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"This city has a vision, it has a plan. You can see this community growing up, especially if you come in from the north, from the airport. You see what has been an old railroad town growing into a vibrant, modern city. It is going to keep growing."

NCAA Director of Championships Dennis Poppe,
Omaha World-Herald

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"This is a beautiful environment, more so than you ever thought it would be."

Former Major League Baseball player Garth Iorg
on Omaha and the College World Series,
The Tennessean

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"We selected Omaha as the city in which to expand our event because of the magnificent, new CenturyLink Center and the strong interest in high school sports in the Omaha region. We intend for the Shootout to become an Omaha tradition, an event basketball fans look forward to each year just as they do in St. Louis."

Keith Pickett, director of the nationally-renowned
St. Louis Shootout high school basketball showcase,
on the Omaha Shootout.  

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"When you start thinking about amateur athletics, there is no environment more family friendly and real."

Arizona State baseball coach Pat Murphy
on Omaha and the College World Series,
East Valley Tribune of Mesa, Ariz

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"The greatest moment as a coach is being on the bus and hearing kids saying, 'There it is.' It gives you goose bumps."

Tulane baseball coach Rick Jones
on seeing Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium,
home of the College World Series, for the first time,
ESPN.com

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"But this place, and this event (the CWS), hold a special place in the heart of this otherwise heartless sportswriter. I love the pace and the friendliness ... that is Omaha."

Sports columnist Kirk Bohls,
Austin (Texas) American-Statesman

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"The CenturyLink Center is still virtually brand new. It is a beautiful facility ... Mark my word, the athletes and coaches will love coming to Omaha to compete. There is no reason a new tradition can't be launched. Driving another hour for a safer, bigger and better venue is more than worth it."

Wrestling columnist Craig Sesker
on why the state high school wrestling tournament
should move (and was moved) to CenturyLink Center Omaha,
Omaha World-Herald 

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"We think Omaha and ConAgra Foods will be superb partners in helping us host the 2005 World's Championship Chili Cookoff.  Omaha has become increasingly hot as a favored business destination, with a friendly, supportive community that values and knows what it likes in a good chili.  ConAgra Foods is one of North America"s leading packaged food companies, with all of the  right ingredients for this world class event."

Carol Hancock, Owner and CEO International Chili Society on the October, 2005 Event

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  "I still wanted to personally write you and express my sincere appreciation to you and your support staff for helping make the 2004 AITP National Collegiate Conference the 'best ever' based on the words of many of our attendees...What I affectionately refer to as ‘team Omaha', it was truly the combination of key resources from all three organizations that made my event successful and created positive impressions and experiences to consider a return visit in the future!"

Kevin Jetton, Director of the Association of Information Technology Professionals refers to the teamwork of the Omaha Hilton Hotel, CenturyLink Convention Center, and the Omaha Convention & Visitors Bureau after the 9^th Annual AITP Conference

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"On our first visit to your city, you had meetings set up, tours arranged, and farm sites to visit.  It was very organized, informative, helpful, and made the most of our time.  You had your act together.  All of the people we met were friendly and easy to work with.  Tim, Mike and I were blown away and very impressed with the changes in Omaha.  We think it will be a good fit for our attendees.  We look forward to the 2006 event."

Dean Hungate, Manager, Shows & Exhibits
Tim Carstens, Manager, Marketing Services
Mike Hankins, Manager, Info & Training Services
John Deere & Company

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 "The personal touch by you, as well as the Greater Omaha CVB, the CenturyLink Center, the Omaha Hilton and the City of Omaha was extremely gratifying.  Omaha truly is a city of not only friendly, but cooperative and enjoyable people to associate with...Our most sincere thanks are extended to you and the City of Omaha for the hospitality shown to our attendees."

Donald F. Remaley, Executive Director of Railway Systems Suppliers, Inc. written to Mayor Mike Fahey, City of Omaha regarding the May 2005 Exhibition

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"CenturyLink Center Omaha is a world-class convention center and your city has it all.  Our delegates loved being minutes from the airport, within walking distance of the Old Market restaurant and entertainment district and your first-class hotels.  The cooperative attitude and capability of everyone involved not only the CVB but also the CenturyLink Center, the hotels and the City of Omaha, established a bench mark by which future sites will be measured.  You truly put the "oh" in Omaha." 

D.F. "Bucky" Remaley, Executive Director
Sharon R. Morris, Executive Assistant Show Manager
Railway Systems Suppliers Inc.

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"We had several criteria for that selection and Omaha met the vast majority of them. The city is in a central location...close proximity to the airport...central time zone...nice selection of hotels with close proximity to the convention center."

Dean Hungate, Manager, Shows & Exhibits
Tim Carstens, Manager, Marketing Services
Mike Hankins, Manager, Info & Training Services
John Deere & Company

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"Thank you soooooo much for the outstanding job you did to make our wedding so special, wonderful and smooth!  It will be a happy lifetime memory for Jessica, Andy and our families!  The entire staff was so easy, accommodating and wonderful to work with.  We truly thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all your hard work.  It paid off on the wedding night.  We will highly recommend using the CenturyLink Center Omaha to our friends and family."

Susie and Irv Blumkin
Wedding and Reception

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"It takes a Team to Reach the Summit!  Thank you all for your exceptional teamwork in making the summit event so successful! Your department staff were quick to respond, were on task when scheduled changes took place.  Having a staff conference coordinator onsite with me at all times was fantastic and made my job so much easier.  And, what a beautiful facility...my attendees loved the feeling of being in a very open area where they could see outside whenever they changed breakouts.  Thanks So Much!"

Lori Riggs, CMP
Safety & Health Summit, National Safety Council

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"I want to personally write you and express my sincere appreciation to you and your support staff for making the 2004 AITP Collegiate Conference the "best ever" based on the words of many of our attendees.  Please pass along these words of praise and sincere appreciation to all those that helped with the AITP event at the CenturyLink Center.  There were many factors and players that made the event the success; but in my honest opinion, it was the combination of a few key resources namely:  *The brand new Omaha Hilton Hotel & staff   *The still new CenturyLink Convention Center & staff    *The Omaha Convention & Visitors Bureau staff"

Kevin Jetton
The Association of Information Technology Professionals

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"I really enjoyed working with everyone at the CenturyLink Center at the recent ConAgra Marketing Summit!  I have never had a more pleasant and professional experience on a show floor.  You should be really proud of the group of professionals that you have assembled, from the security people that greeted us at the entrance to the docks, to the electricians, those responsible for gas and water service, and all the people who moved our freight in and out of the hall.  Your sales staff handled everything thrown at them with a smile, and that can be tough at times because, as you know, a show floor can be a very hectic and stressful place! I especially want you to know how pleased I was with the folks at J & S Audio Visual, not only were the special lighting requirements handled and presented beautifully, but the enormous overhead displays that we hung in the hall were handled with ease by the riggers at J & S.  The display we hung in Omaha was used a month earlier at McCormick Place in Chicago and the installation time at the CenturyLink Center was cut in half."

Doug Buchanan
President Renze Display

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"The Creighton University School of Medicine, Continuing Medical division has worked with the CenturyLink Center Omaha since it opened in August, 2003.  We have offered several continuing medical education conferences at the Center and have found the staff and facility to be superb.  The staff goes above and beyond to make sure all our conference needs are taken care of including facility arrangements, audiovisual needs, parking, and food functions.  Their attention to detail and ability to anticipate the needs of our attendees, regardless of the conference size, has been impressive and is the reason we continue to work with them on a regular basis.  I highly recommend anyone who is involved in, and responsible for planning conferences or any group function, to contact the staff at CenturyLink Center Omaha."

Sally O'Neill, Ph.D.
Associate Dean Continuing Medical Education, Creighton University

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