The two-level Hy-Vee Exhibit Hall held two open houses on December 16th and 18th, 2004, one for dignitaries and community leaders that pushed for the project to be built and one for the general public. The soft opening (the facility was still under minor construction) was tailored to display how versatile the new exhibit hall is compared to the existing Polk County Convention Complex and Veterans Memorial Auditorium. The project represented the future for conventions, trade shows, and expositions in the Des Moines area and Central Iowa.

Hy-Vee Hall includes the following features and specs:

• 96,120 sq. ft. of expo space on the main floor that can be divided into two separate portions
• 191,898 sq. ft. of combined total square footage when combined with Vets Auditorium, 146,923 sq. ft. of total exhibit space
• 15,000 sq. ft. of "breakout room" meeting space in 8 different rooms, including a master banquet hall
• Pre-function lobby/standing room space of 16,400 sq. ft.
• Total cost of the Iowa Events Center Complex including Hy-Vee Hall Construction, Wells Fargo Arena Construction, and renovation to Veterans Memorial Auditorium was $217 million
• A renovated Veterans Memorial Auditorium is still operational, while holding the major kitchen and storage facilities for the entire Iowa Events Center Complex
• Glass wrap-around windows allow patrons to view the Des Moines skyline, riverfront and State Capitol
• 12 overhead loading dock compartments
• A master exhibit hall that will seat 5,000 people for dinner
• 109,000 exterior bricks used for exterior cladding.1,800 tons of structural steel used in construction

Visit the Iowa Events Center project page for further details involving Hy-Vee Hall.

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