Iowa Events Center delivers $2.4 million profit to Polk County

DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Events Center generated more than $2.4 million in profit for Polk County during the 2026 fiscal year, according to Oak View Group, which manages the downtown Des Moines complex.

Oak View Group said the Iowa Events Center produced a profit of $2,400,222 during the fiscal year that ran from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026.

The complex hosted 329 events during the year. Its convention centers also set a record with more than $19.1 million in gross revenue, helped by new national events and a record year for catering.

“It was a fantastic year of events and records set at the Iowa Events Center, which was highlighted by a mix of new national bookings combined with long-standing repeat events,” said Chris Connolly, general manager for Oak View Group at the Iowa Events Center.

One of the biggest changes came at the start of the fiscal year, when Wells Fargo Arena officially became Casey’s Center on July 1, 2025. The transition included new signage, a Casey’s store on the south concourse selling their famous pizza, and additional changes inside the arena. Casey’s sells more pizza than any other restaurant in Iowa and is the fifth largest in the United States.

The center also added exterior digital marquees, a new ribbon board and color-changing lighting inside the arena bowl.

October 2025 proved to be a particularly strong month. The convention center generated $2.9 million in revenue while the complex hosted at least one event every day of the month, for a total of 53 events.

Those events included the World Food Prize and Paul McCartney’s concert. Oak View Group said the McCartney show generated more than $3.2 million in gross ticket sales, setting a venue record.

Another major event was the National Senior Games, which used the EMC Expo Center for pickleball competition and attracted nearly 5,000 attendees over 10 days.

Food sales also increased. Oak View Group said sales of Casey’s pizza at Casey’s Center, Community Choice Convention Center and EMC Expo Center were up 75% compared with the previous year.

The Iowa Events Center also reported several community and sustainability initiatives during the fiscal year.

More than 37,000 pounds of food were donated to Supply Hive. Oak View Group estimates the donations prevented nearly 90,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions associated with food waste.

The complex also provided more than $62,000 in tickets, event space, food and monetary donations benefiting more than 100 local organizations.

Officials said 95% of the electricity used at the Iowa Events Center came from carbon-free sources through MidAmerican Energy. Another 210 tons of material were kept out of landfills through recycling, composting, donations and reuse.

Since opening in late 2004, the Iowa Events Center has hosted more than 8,500 events and welcomed more than 21 million attendees.

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