2026 Leadership Visit: Des Moines, Iowa
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Commerce Lexington's 2026 Leadership Visit, presented by Central Bank, took business leaders to Des Moines, Iowa, from June 10-12, 2026. Greater Des Moines (DSM) is vibrant, growing, and experiencing tremendous momentum. It appears on many of the same top economic rankings as the Greater Lexington region. Metrics such as gross domestic product growth, population growth and employment growth show DSM as one of the fastest-growing and strongest metros in the Midwest.
Des Moines boasts a highly educated workforce, diverse economy, and has a logistics advantage being located at the crossroads of two major interstates. Sound familiar? Just this year, DSM was ranked the #3 Most Livable City in the U.S. by Reader's Digest. The DSM region has become one of the nation’s hotspots for growing businesses and startups, and is home to companies like Apple, Amazon, Meta (Facebook), John Deere, Hy-Vee, and Microsoft.
The priorities of Des Moines’ regional public and private sector leaders line up well with those of Greater Lexington, including talent development, affordable housing initiatives, and long-time regional collaboration and visioning efforts. One of Des Moines’ key industry sectors is AgTech and Innovation, which will provided rich content for the trip and a focus that enabled us to explore more in this area related to the Greater Lexington region.
Des Moines boasts a highly educated workforce, diverse economy, and has a logistics advantage being located at the crossroads of two major interstates. Sound familiar? Just this year, DSM was ranked the #3 Most Livable City in the U.S. by Reader's Digest. The DSM region has become one of the nation’s hotspots for growing businesses and startups, and is home to companies like Apple, Amazon, Meta (Facebook), John Deere, Hy-Vee, and Microsoft.
The priorities of Des Moines’ regional public and private sector leaders line up well with those of Greater Lexington, including talent development, affordable housing initiatives, and long-time regional collaboration and visioning efforts. One of Des Moines’ key industry sectors is AgTech and Innovation, which will provided rich content for the trip and a focus that enabled us to explore more in this area related to the Greater Lexington region.
SPONSORS:
PRESENTED BY:
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OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION SPONSOR:
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LEADERSHIP VISIT DINNER SPONSORS:
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PLATINUM SPONSORS:
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NAME BADGE
SPONSOR: 
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IN-FLIGHT FOOD & BEVERAGE SPONSOR:
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CONFERENCE BREAKFAST SPONSOR:
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PRE-FLIGHT BREAKFAST SPONSOR:
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EXPERIENCE DES MOINES SPONSOR:
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GOLD SPONSORS:
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CONTENT PARTNER:
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Did You Know? Des Moines Fun Facts:
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The Iowa State Capitol in Downtown Des Moines (DSM) is the only five-domed capitol in the country and contains 23.75 karats of gold.
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Ronald Reagan, the 40th
U.S. President, began his career as a sports announcer in Des Moines. |
The Lauridsen Skatepark in downtown Des Moines is the largest skatepark in the U.S., with 88,000-square feet of skateable surface.
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The Des Moines region is home to several massive
data centers, including Meta (Facebook), Microsoft, and Apple. |
Leadership Visit sponsorship opportunities available by contacting Lisa Mahan.
Commerce Lexington's annual Leadership Visit has helped expose Central Kentucky's leaders to the best ideas of model communities throughout the United States, yielding valuable lessons that have been applied to the improvement of the Bluegrass Region. As one of the longest-running and largest intercity visits in the country, this three-day trip has become the most valuable opportunity to bring community leaders, decision makers and ideas together in order to make positive changes in our community. It's a very unique program that includes the foremost business, education, government and community representatives of Central Kentucky.