The DeKoven Center

Name

The DeKoven Center

Legal name

DeKoven Center, Inc.

Website

https://dekovencenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historic Event Venue and Conference Center

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111), Other Traveler Accommodation (72119), Accommodation (721)

SIC

Hotels & Motels (7011), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Conference Retreat Hotels (THAGALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beachfront & Lakefront Homes (THAMAAAF), Large Group & Event-Friendly Homes (THAMAAAM)

Keywords

• Historic event venue
• Wedding venue rentals
• Retreat and conference facilities
• Overnight accommodations
• Community meeting spaces

Headquarters

HQ city

Racine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Facility Rentals: Hourly rental of event spaces including Great Hall and Assembly Hall for weddings, receptions, and community events
2. Short-term Accommodations: AirBnB rentals of Gatehouse apartments on campus for overnight guest stays
3. Retreat and Conference Services: Taylor Hall retreat and conference center hosting group retreats, conferences, and spiritual gatherings with meals and accommodations
4. Photography Permits: Photography permits sold for professional and recreational photography sessions on grounds
5. Memorial Bench Fundraiser: Commemorative bench installations at minimum $5,000 donation with 50-year guarantee

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The DeKoven Center operates a historic 11-acre lakefront campus in Racine, Wisconsin, renting event spaces (Great Hall, Assembly Hall, St. John's Chapel) for weddings, retreats, conferences, and community gatherings. It also runs Taylor Hall as a full-service retreat and conference center with meals and lodging, and offers two on-site AirBnB Gatehouse apartments for overnight stays. Ancillary offerings include photography permits, gym rentals, bar and catering services, and a memorial bench fundraising program.

Product overview

The DeKoven Center is a historic 11-acre lakefront retreat and conference center in Racine, Wisconsin, offering a portfolio of physical venue services rather than a software product. Its core offerings center on venue rentals: wedding ceremonies and receptions at the Great Hall, Assembly Hall, and St. John's Chapel; full-service retreats and conferences at Taylor Hall; and hourly event rentals for corporate and community gatherings. Accommodations are provided via two on-site AirBnB Gatehouse units. Ancillary offerings include photography permits for the grounds, gym rentals, and catering/bar services. The center also hosts recurring public events including the annual Christmas at DeKoven celebration, the Starving Artist Fair, and the Third Coast Quilt Retreat. Spiritual programming includes daily prayer services (Daily Office) conducted by the Order of St. Francis. The center does not offer a software product, API, or AI-powered services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wedding Venue Rental Full-service wedding venue hosting ceremonies and receptions at the Great Hall, Assembly Hall, and St. John's Chapel on the historic Lake Michigan bluff campus, with lakefront views and on-site event coordination for couples and families.
• Taylor Hall Retreat and Conference Center Full-service retreat and conference center offering spaces for spiritual retreats, conferences, meetings, and educational programs for groups of all interests and faiths, with meals and accommodations included.
• Event Hall Rentals (Great Hall and Assembly Hall) Hourly rental of historic event halls for corporate events, celebrations, and community gatherings, with the Great Hall accommodating up to 225 guests and the Assembly Hall up to 125 guests, including tables, chairs, and optional bar, security, and catering-kitchen add-ons.
• AirBnB Gatehouse Accommodations Two on-campus rental units (Gatehouse Apt. 5 and Gatehouse Apt. 6) listed on AirBnB providing overnight lodging for wedding guests and visitors on the 11-acre lakefront campus.
• St. John's Chapel Rentals Beautifully-appointed historic chapel available for wedding ceremonies, religious services, and spiritual gatherings, located on the quadrangle of American Gothic buildings.
• Photography Permits Permit-based photography sessions available for senior photos, engagements, maternity, and family sessions on the historic grounds, priced at $50 per hour and required in advance; permit included for booked wedding clients.
• Memorial Bench Fundraiser Memorial bench installation program offering personalized plaques (up to 3 lines, 28 characters per line) and 50-year guarantees, with bench placement across the campus for donations of at least $5,000.
• Gym and Hourly Event Rentals Hourly rental of assembly and great halls plus gymnasium spaces for private events, with optional bar service, security, and catering-kitchen access.

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• RAMAC (Racine Area Chamber of Commerce)minorOthersMember of Racine Area Chamber of Commerce, supporting local business community and tourism initiatives
• Episcopal Church (ECCC)coreOthersAffiliated with Episcopal Church through DeKoven Foundation, hosting church retreats, conferences, and maintaining St. John's Chapel for religious services. Deep historic connection to the Episcopal Church.
• United Way Racine - Women UnitedminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGrant recipient of Women United initiative, supporting community outreach programs and food service training initiatives
• Episcopal Diocese of MilwaukeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor institutional partner that took over campus property in 1985; continues to support retreats and conferences; sponsor of Christmas at DeKoven events
• Community of St. Mary - Western ProvinceminorOthersHistoric monastic community that originally bought and managed the Racine College property; established DeKoven Foundation for Church Work and ran summer camp for girls for 50 years
• Versiti Blood Center of WisconsinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity blood drives hosted at DeKoven Center, supporting regional blood supply needs
• Preservation RacineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual Tour of Historic Places includes DeKoven Center properties, promoting historic preservation awareness
• Retreat Centers of WisconsinminorOthersMember of association promoting Wisconsin retreat centers
• WeddingWireminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWedding venue marketplace platform listing DeKoven Center for couple discovery and reviews

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Grand Geneva Resort & Spa: Large-scale Lake Geneva, Wisconsin resort with conference space, wedding venues, and full-service accommodations — a broader, more amenitized incumbent competing for the same regional meeting, retreat, and wedding demand as DeKoven.
• The American Club: Destination resort in Kohler, Wisconsin with historic Tudor-style architecture, conference and event facilities, and lodging. Comparable in heritage/architectural differentiation but operates at significantly larger scale than DeKoven.

Direct peers

• Geneva National Resort & Club: Lake Geneva-area Wisconsin resort with conference and event facilities, golf, and lodging — competes with DeKoven for the southeastern Wisconsin group retreat, wedding, and conference market.
• Blue Harbor Resort & Conference Center: Lakeside conference resort in Sheboygan, Wisconsin with meeting/event space, wedding venues, and family lodging — competes directly for Wisconsin group retreats, weddings, and conferences in a similar regional geography.
• Eaglewood Resort and Spa: Conference retreat resort in the Chicago area with meeting facilities, event venues, and overnight accommodations — comparable retreat-and-conference operating model, though serving a larger metropolitan market.
• The Osthoff Resort: Lakeside resort and conference/retreat destination in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, offering event spaces, accommodations, and group programming — directly comparable to DeKoven's Taylor Hall retreat and conference operations within the same Wisconsin market.
• Lake Lawn Resort: Lakefront Wisconsin resort with extensive meeting and event facilities, wedding venues, and on-site lodging — overlapping with DeKoven's wedding, retreat, and overnight accommodation offerings in a regional lakeside setting.

Regional players

• Saint Kate — The Arts Hotel: Arts-focused hotel in Milwaukee with event spaces and gallery programming; comparable in event-hosting and cultural-programming mission but operates as an urban hotel rather than a retreat/campus venue.
• Kenosha Harbor Hotel: Lakeside Wisconsin hotel with event and meeting space; overlaps with DeKoven on lakefront event positioning in the same broader southeastern Wisconsin market but lacks the historic retreat mission.

Others

• The Marcus Performing Arts Center: Milwaukee-based event and performance venue hosting weddings, galas, and community programming — comparable in event-hosting and non-profit/regional positioning but does not offer overnight lodging or retreat facilities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DeKovenRetreats
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_dekoven_center
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dekoven-center-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The DeKoven Center