Selling authenticity in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS — In most cases, Julie Stow has just seven minutes to sell someone on Cedar Rapids.

And in most cases, that’s all the director of meetings and conventions for the Cedar Rapids Tourism Office needs to get people from so-called first- and second-tier cities all over the country hooked on the City of Five Seasons.

Starting with the city’s rich immigration history and the National Czech and Slovak Museum & Library as a hook, she introduces Cedar Rapids’ rich culinary scene, natural amenities, cultural scenes and personalized level of service not as readily available in more bustling metros.

But to the California native, now an Iowan by choice, it’s the people who really sell Cedar Rapids.

“When we’re authentic, that’s what people fall in love with,” she said. “If I can get them here, they fall in love.”

For most people she meets at conventions, she simply has to sell them on a tour. Once she gets them here, the city sells itself, she said.

The biggest challenge to overcome isn’t a misperception of Iowa’s second-largest city, but rather no perception, Stow said — something that is changing as more and more experience what Cedar Rapids has to offer.

“I’m battling more of a ‘no perception’ than a bad one,” she said. “People don’t realize we’re an actual city.”

With no shortage of things to do or good food to eat here, she loves Cedar Rapids as a place big enough to never be bored in but small enough to feel like a place where you can make a difference.

But more than a city, she said the things visitors fall in love with often are the things that locals sleep on. The experiences she sees others have here teach her about what locals take for granted. When touring with visitors, Stow is often asked by locals why others would want to visit Cedar Rapids, let alone host a convention here.

“I don’t know how to get it through to them that we’re awesome — we don’t need to be New York City,” she said. “We have to get out of our own way and realize how good we are. I don’t know what it’s going to take to convince people how great this community is.”

The mid-American experience that evokes a nostalgic, romantic appeal isn’t something to run from, but something to embrace, she contends.

“They want to be at the Bloomsbury Farm in the corn maze. They want to have a farm-to-table dinner,” she said. “Embracing and celebrating who we are leads to our best success.”

Sure, you can have a glass of wine or pint of beer anywhere. But the experience you have while doing it at places like Cedar Ridge Winery or Lion Bridge Brewing Company is what sets Cedar Rapids apart.

“You’d think it was the first time they were tasting wine,” Stow said. “They look out at the vineyard and beyond that they see rolling cornfields, and they’re in awe.”

For the director of meetings and conventions, delivering those “wow” moments that shatter a lack of perceptions is one of the biggest satisfactions of her job. Llama hikes, historic theater tours and museum exhibits are simply the tools of her trade.

And in delivering those moments, she’s proud to make visitors feel the same way she feels about Cedar Rapids.

At 32, Stow moved to Iowa through her former position with Nordstrom. But 24 years removed from the California coast, there’s more than a few beauties she sees in America’s heartland.

A low cost of living allows her to do more than pay her rent. The outsized amenities of the area allow her to enjoy a night on the town without breaking the bank on a trip away. But the greatest of them all?

“It might sound cheesy, but it’s the people,” she said. “(Their hospitality) tells the story of our communities.”

After finding the personable traits of many strangers so odd, she’s come to embrace the friendly way of life that serves as an Iowa trademark.

With a job that books events years in advance, Stow has to keep an eye on what Cedar Rapids will look like in the future. With promising growth in areas like downtown, Marion and Coralville, she’s optimistic that Cedar Rapids’ reputation will precede her pitch in other cities, with time.

Supporting what Cedar Rapids already has by bringing new faces to town, she hopes to encourage additional growth opportunities to reinforce the city she loves.

Comments: (319) 398-8340; elijah.decious@thegazette.com