Oak View Group Delivers $2.4 Million Profit to Polk County for FY26 Operations at the Iowa Events Center

Des Moines, IA – Oak View Group (OVG), the global leader in premium live entertainment infrastructure and services including venue development, venue management, hospitality, and sponsorship sales, today announced a profit of $2,400,222 to Polk County for fiscal year 2026 (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026). The successful year included 329 hosted events, reinforcing the Iowa Events Center’s role as a premier destination for entertainment, sports, and community events in the Midwest.

 

The convention centers set a record with gross revenues of $19,119,298 over the past fiscal year, highlighted by new national events and a record setting year for catering through OVG Hospitality.

 

“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 OVG at the Iowa Events Center. “I’m proud of our staff for staying focused on providing exceptional guest experiences throughout the year.”

 

At the conclusion of FY26 on June 30, the Iowa Events Center has hosted over 21 million attendees across more than 8,500 events since opening in late 2004.

 

Fiscal Year 2026 Highlights:

• Year One of Casey’s Center: Casey’s Center became official on July 1, 2025. A media event was hosted on July 1, 2025, to open the facility and allow media to see the updates to signage, the new Casey’s store on the south concourse, and to hear remarks from Polk County Board of Supervisors Chair Matt McCoy, Casey’s CEO Darren Rebelez, and OVG General Manager Chris Connolly.

 

• National Senior Games: The EMC Expo Center was the host venue for National Senior Games pickleball, welcoming nearly 5,000 attendees over 10 days.

 

• New Corporate Partners: OVG Global Partnerships signed two new partners for the Iowa Events Center as part of a nationwide deal with OVG venues. Lyft is now the official rideshare partner of the Iowa Events Center, and Heinz is the preferred condiment provider.

 

• New Fan Experience assets: New exterior digital marquees were placed on Casey’s Center, a new ribbon board was constructed in Casey’s Center with the old board relocated to the 200 level, and color-changing lights were installed inside the arena bowl for our tenant teams to utilize as part of the fan experience.

 

• A record-setting October 2025: Convention Center revenues for October 2025 were $2.9 Million. The complex hosted at least one event every day of the month with a total of 53 events in October, including the World Food Prize in the convention center and Paul McCartney at Casey’s Center, who set a venue record for highest gross ticket sales with over $3.2 Million. 

 

• Casey’s Pizza Sales: As part of the transition to Casey’s Center, OVG Hospitality started selling Casey’s pizza inside the Casey’s Center as well as Community Choice Convention Center and EMC Expo Center. Pizza sales for the year finished up 75% from the previous year.

 

Community & Sustainability Impact:

• We donated 37,274 pounds of food to our partner Supply Hive, helping feed our community while preventing an estimated 89,776 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere through food waste.

 

• Over $62,000 in donations—via tickets, event space, food, and monetary gifts—benefitted more than 100 local organizations.

 

• Sustainability Results:
  • 95% of all electricity used was carbon free from Mid-American
  • 210 tons diverted from landfill through recycling, composting, and donations/reuse.

 

About Oak View Group

Oak View Group (OVG) is the global leader in premium live entertainment infrastructure and services, with a platform spanning venue development and end-to-end capabilities across venue management, hospitality, and sponsorship sales. Founded in 2015, the Company serves a collection of seven world-class owned venues and a client roster of the most iconic arenas, stadiums, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions, spanning four continents. For more information on Oak View Group, visit OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.