Travel & Accommodations

The Conference on Contemporary Celebrity Culture will take place on the campus of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, a short drive from the Des Moines International Airport (DSM). A cab ride from the airport to the Drake Neighborhood will run from $15 to $20, and cabs can be easily requested outside the DSM baggage claim. Please plan to arrive by 4:00 pm or on Sunday afternoon, June 9th, and to depart after 2:00 pm on Tuesday afternoon, June 11th, in order to attend the entire conference.

For more information about the Des Moines airport, click this link.

For driving directions, campus maps, and other aids in navigating the Drake neighborhood, click here.

Taxicabs in Des Moines must be reserved in advance, except at the airport, where they can be secured curbside. Cab companies include:

Yellow Cab Company: (515) 243-1111

Trans Iowa: (515) 282-8111

United Cab: (515) 277-7784

We invite conferees to book rooms at the nearby Holiday Inn Express, at the conference rate of $99.00 USD (+ tax). To receive the conference rate, book directly with the hotel at (515) 255-4000 and inform reception that you are attending this conference. Reservations must be secured by March 1 to guarantee availability at the conference rate. The Holiday Inn Express is within easy walking distance to the Drake campus.

Conferees who wish to book accommodations at other hotels or through such sites as Airbnb are welcome to do so. However, please be mindful of their location with respect to the Drake campus. Downtown hotels, for instance, are approximately two miles from campus, while West Des Moines and airport hotels are five-to-seven miles from Drake, a cab or bus ride away.

Note: All telephone numbers above are US numbers and require international callers to use their home country’s international exit code and the US country code (1) in order to call internationally.