Top 12 Reasons to Visit Milwaukee – Host of the 2021 Annual Convention
28 Sep
SATW will convene in person for the first time since 2019 at the annual convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin October 3-7, 2021. Travel industry content producers, editors, and destination representatives are ready to network again and discuss travel content in a post-pandemic world.
The convention host Visit Milwaukee is ready to showcase the city to SATW members. From its beer brewing history to its reputation as the custard capital of the world and home of the 2021 NBA champions the Milwaukee Bucks, the city has so many stories to offer. For travelers who have not spent much time in Milwaukee, there are so many reasons to go.
Top 12 reasons to visit Milwaukee:
1.City of Neighborhoods
Known as a “big city of little neighborhoods,” Milwaukee’s 191 unique neighborhoods are what make up the city’s one-of-a-kind culture. From Bay View to Bronzeville and from Clarke Square to Riverwest, there are options to explore many of them during the convention.
2. Custard Capital of the World
Along with cheese curds, frozen custard is a food that’s classically Milwaukee. Milwaukee is home to the world’s largest concentration of frozen custard shops, earning the city the unofficial title of “frozen custard capital of the world”! Ice cream and frozen custard are both made with milk, cream, and sugar, but custard is also made with egg yolks. This gives it a richer, creamier texture than ice cream. You won’t want to miss out on this sweet treat at this year’s convention!
3. Unique Museum Mecca
Milwaukee is home to 17 wonderfully unique museums in the downtown area alone, including the country’s only America’s Black Holocaust Museum that is set to reopen this summer in a brand new building with hugely expanded exhibitions. This museum seeks to educate the public on the harmful legacies of slavery and will become again an important part of the city’s cultural fabric. Milwaukee is also home to the world’s only Harley-Davidson Museum, the Milwaukee Art Museum, and its stunning moveable “wings,” and the Grohmann Museum, the only art museum dedicated to works about human labor.
4. Haute Hotels
Want to see and be seen at one of the top luxury boutique hotels in the U.S.? Try the Pfister Hotel. Or is a hotel with an amazing art gallery and Neapolitan-style pizza more your style? Then you’ll want to check out Saint Kate, the convention’s host hotel. How about a motorcycle-themed hotel or a luxury hotel that will meet all your gaming needs and serves you one of the best steak dinners in town? You’ll find that and more at the Iron Horse Hotel and Potawatomi Hotel, respectively. From boutique luxury to cozy bed and breakfasts, and many national brands, Milwaukee has your perfect home away from home.
5. America’s Fresh Coast
Set on the coast of Lake Michigan and located at the confluence of three rivers, Milwaukee is truly a water city, and all that water is the stage for unbeatable outdoor fun! It’s also big business. Home to world-class research institutions and the highest concentration of water-related companies in North America, Milwaukee is a world hub of water technology, research, and policy.
6. Top Golf Destination
Wisconsin is home to more top 100 public courses than any other state, and Milwaukee is within a few hours’ drive of all of them. These elite tournament courses, like Whistling Straits, home to the 2021 Ryder Cup, are open to the public, giving you the rare opportunity to play the courses you’ve seen on TV.
7. Original Brew City
Milwaukee’s unique combination of beer history, brewing giant Miller Brewing, and 40+ modern craft breweries make it a beer destination like no other. Here you can take a brewery tour, explore the historic Pabst Mansion, see beer made the truly old-fashioned way at a living history museum, stay at a boutique hotel in Pabst’s former brewery, and so much more.
8. Harley-Davidson Hub
Much more than a nostalgia trip for motorcycle enthusiasts, the Harley-Davidson Museum offers a glimpse of American history and culture like you’ve never seen before – through the successes and trials of an iconic American company. At this year’s convention, you’ll get the full Harley experience and learn why locals have a special affinity for that potato-potato-potato sound.
9. Cycling City
Wisconsin has regularly been ranked one of the top states for cyclists, and Milwaukee shows visitors why. Here you can explore the area by bike on miles of paved trails, take a casual ride around town with the local bikeshare program, Bublr, or participate in one of the city’s many colorful bike events – like a 24-hour bike race or a group ride full of hundreds of Santa Clauses. At this year’s convention you have the chance to explore the exciting Menomonee Valley neighborhood by bike, and hear about the neighborhood’s history, its newest residents, and then end the trip with a beer brewed there.
10. Outdoor Art
There’s no rule that says art should only be enjoyed inside. With Sculpture Milwaukee’s international works, Black Cat Alley’s many murals, Latino Arts’ Hispanic Heritage mural tour, and Lynden Sculpture Garden’s serene atmosphere, there are many ways to enjoy art al fresco all year long in Milwaukee.
11. Hyper-Local Food Culture
Milwaukee is a city of makers, and that includes food. From spring rolls to artisan chocolates, cheese curds made in Milwaukee’s only urban creamery, and, of course, hand-made brats and sausages, you’ll get a true taste of Milwaukee with locally-made treats.
12. MKE Sports Scene
There’s no denying Milwaukee is a sports town! Locals go all in to cheer for their teams, whether it’s major leaguers like the Brewers or the 2021 NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks or local and minor league teams – like our lightning-fast roller derby team the Brew City Bruisers or the AHL Milwaukee Admirals – with an equally devoted following.
