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WelcomeFest

Your warm welcome to campus and Ames!
Spring 2026 WelcomeFest
Thursday, January 22, 2026

5:30 – 8:00 pm

Durham Great Hall, Memorial Union

A signature bi-annual event, WelcomeFest attracts thousands of students and 100+ businesses and departments. This event gives vendors the opportunity to welcome students to our community and promote their products, services, and employment opportunities. Students – Come for the free food and swag, leave with resources to help you settle into the community!

Date

Jan 22 2026

Time

5:30 pm - 8:00 pm

Location

Memorial Union
2229 Lincoln Way, Ames

Category

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MELISSA MUSCHICK

Director of Partner and Community Engagement

 

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Connecting
with Iowa State University

Volleyball
  • Collaboration with ISU Athletics
  • Engaging at student-focused events like EIS (Experience Iowa State) and Orientation
  • Partnering with key ISU departments to connect with students and families
  • Providing resources to incoming freshman through an annual mailing

Promoting
Ames Nationwide

  • National coverage; RV There Yet and ISU Guide to the Game
  • 1.5M+ social media impressions across multiple platforms
  • Creating and distributing 25K+ Visitor Guides and 30K+ Ames Insiders
  • Working with local and national influencers to promote Ames

Investing
in Our Community

  • Awarding $100K+ in Community Grants each year to support local events
  • Outreach to youth through career fairs and presentations
  • Educating local businesses and leaders on how we can help and what we do
  • Coordinating and leading Hotel & Attraction Council to keep them informed and up to date

Growing
Events & Opportunities

  • Bringing major events that draw tens of thousands of people to our community including Boys State Basketball and Campustown Showdown
  • Attending national trade shows and conferences to find new opportunities of events to bring to Ames
  • Providing top-tier service before, during and after each event

Advocating
for Our Community

  • Funding feasibility studies for local projects
  • Helping advance tourism developments like CyTown and The LINC
  • Advocating for tourism with elected officials- Local & State
  • Driving converstations on a new Fieldhouse in Ames
  • Collaborating with Ames Alliance, iTIP, City of Ames, ISU & Visit Boone County

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