Iowa Environmental Council 2026 Annual Conference

September 29, 2026 | Drake University | Des Moines, Iowa

Introduction

The Iowa Environmental Council (IEC) invites BeWildReWild to serve as the Premier Sponsor of our 2026 Annual Conference on September 29 at Drake University in Des Moines.

IEC’s Annual Conference is Iowa’s largest gathering of environmental leaders, policymakers, advocates, business voices, students, and community members committed to protecting and restoring Iowa’s land, water, and public health.

This year, we are intentionally expanding our reach. All college students will attend free of charge to diversify participation, cultivate new voices, and ensure that the next generation is deeply engaged in shaping Iowa’s environmental future.

Our goal is not simply to convene the same circle of experts. It is to expand the audience, educate more Iowans, and build broader public understanding of the forces shaping the health of Iowa and the Mississippi River Watershed.

Sponsorship Vision: Expanding and Aligning the Message

This Premier Sponsorship aligns with the BeWildReWild vision: a call to restore landscapes to be more wild, biologically diverse, resilient, and enduring.

BeWildReWild challenges us to examine how over-consumption and over-domestication have simplified ecosystems, degraded soil and water systems, and weakened biodiversity, particularly in intensively managed landscapes like Iowa’s within the Mississippi River Watershed.

Through this partnership:

  • BeWildReWild will help inform the planning of conference tracks, ensuring alignment in
  • messaging, focus, and framing.
  • Together, we will shape sessions that explore the cultural, ecological, and economic
  • implications of domestication, consumption, watershed degradation, and restoration.
  • The result will be a cohesive conference narrative that connects science, policy, culture, and
  • lived experience.
  • This collaboration ensures the conference is not only informative, but deeply intentional in its
  • framing and impact.

Premier Sponsor Benefits – $25,000

  1. Title Recognition
    • Exclusive designation as Premier Sponsor across all conference materials (print, digital,
      signage, website).
    • Recognition in statewide media outreach and IEC communications.
  2. Pre-Conference Keynote Reception (September 28, 2026)
    • Invitation to a private reception the evening before the conference with keynote
      speakers, select board members, and leadership partners.
    • Opportunity to help frame discussion topics during this intimate gathering.
    • Recognition as host partner of the dinner experience.
    • This event will foster deeper relationship-building and strategic dialogue among
      influential voices shaping Iowa’s environmental future.
  3. Signature Speaking Opportunity
    • Welcome remarks from the main stage (or video that IEC can create).
    • Opportunity to co-host or introduce a keynote or plenary session.
  4. Expanded Audience Engagement
    • Prominent exhibit placement.
    • Direct engagement with students, coalition members, policymakers,
      and community leaders.
    • Association with IEC’s commitment to expanding environmental literacy statewide.
  5. Pre- and Post-Conference Visibility
    • Logo placement in all promotional materials.
    • Lead story in one issue of Iowa Water Watch.
    • Recognition in post-conference recap communications.

Featured Initiative: Mississippi River Visual Storytelling Trek

Dedicated Component of Sponsorship: $5,000 of the sponsorship will fund a Mississippi River Watershed visual storytelling initiative.

IEC will partner with a professional photographer to:

  • Document how over-consumption and over-domestication have shaped ecological degradation in Iowa and across the Mississippi River Watershed through photography.
  • Gather visual documentation and reflections connecting environmental change to everyday life.
  • This individual will present findings at the September 29 conference through a visual presentation of photos and conversation with attendees, grounding the conference dialogue in real places and lived experience.

This initiative will help make ecological degradation tangible and relatable, especially for students and new audiences while elevating forward-looking restoration pathways.

Why This Matters Now

Iowa faces profound challenges: water quality degradation, biodiversity loss, and the long-term impacts of landscape simplification.

By investing as Premier Sponsor, BeWildReWild will:

  • Help broaden environmental education beyond policy insiders.
  • Support intentional message alignment around restoration and watershed health.
  • Elevate students and emerging leaders.
  • Invest in a statewide conversation about resilience and renewal.

Partnership Impact

The 2026 IEC Annual Conference at Drake University will be more than a
convening. It will be a catalyst for expanded understanding, deeper alignment,
and broader public engagement.

We would be honored to partner with you in building a conference that is bold, intentional, and transformative for Iowa.

BeWildReWild Logo