La Crosse Center seeing business grow again, following shutdowns from COVID

Four years ago this month, the COVID epidemic shut down much of everyday life, especially large events such as conventions and concerts.

The La Crosse Center was one of the arenas in the region that lost business for a time, but center officials say the building is bouncing back as a popular destination.

At its monthly meeting on Tuesday, the La Crosse Center Board was told associations and groups are booking the building again.

Reportedly, corporate conferences are the one type of event that hasn’t returned to normal levels on the Center calendar, because many companies are continuing to have meetings remotely instead of at a convention center.

The Explore La Crosse bureau told the Board that an invasive species conference has booked the Center for a convention in the fall of 2026. But, before that, the La Crosse Center will host the Governor’s annual conference on tourism next year, over four days in March.

The 2024 conference was just held in Wisconsin Dells, with 700 people attending.