Think the field is crowded? The media horde is about to land

Every four years, they fly in from the coasts. They eat our food, invade our hotels and smile for the cameras.

And they’re not even running for president.

A few early birds among the media flock flapping after this year’s 14 major-party candidates in Iowa have already started their quadrennial migration to cover the caucuses, but they’ll arrive in a swarm this coming week. On the big night, Feb. 1, you won’t be able to toss a snowball downtown without hitting a satellite truck.

“It’s definitely an interesting inconvenience,” said West End Architectural Salvage owner Don Short, whose store plans to host the “Today” show and others from NBC.

The scramble for temporary work space and broadcast locations started months ago, playing out like a game of musical chairs. It may not be as contentious as the presidential race itself — but close, with media bigwigs squeezing into space as tight as the now-famous seating charts at 801 Chophouse. (A New York Times graphic from the 2004 cycle showed where media and political VIPs were seated for weekend meals.)

A barrage of out-of-state calls accelerated over the last year to the Iowa Caucus Consortium, a network of community leaders who have helped media folks, like nervous brides, find venues for the big day. The website IowaCaucus.org served as a clearinghouse for requests.

“They can punch in their dates, how much square footage they want, whether they want a classroom set-up or a theater — all that stuff,” said Greg Edwards, executive director of the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We can give them a list of 10 facilities that fit their criteria or send them leads to scout on their own.”

Edwards, who has worked with the CVB for 15 years, expects more reporters than usual since both Republican and Democratic nominations are up for grabs. He’s heard “mixed stories” from area hotels, with slightly slower business in the suburbs but plenty of reservations downtown, where rooms have fetched as much as $900.

A lot of out-of-state reporters are returning after covering caucus cycles in 2012 and 2008, and by now, many have seen the results of downtown’s decade-plus renaissance. They’re no longer surprised that the East Village has fancy restaurants, that a sculpture park anchors the Western Gateway, or that — well, lookie here, Mabel! — most Iowans even enjoy indoor plumbing.

“In the 2004 caucuses, those were still the days when you’d turn on the nightly news and see a reporter standing in a cornfield saying, ‘We’re live from Des Moines,’” Edwards said. “Even in 2008, they’d call us and ask where the nearest cornfield was. And we’d say, 'What do you need a cornfield for?'”

This year, any reporter out in the fields might be a little lonely. Here is a quick field guide to where some of them plan to camp out in downtown and its environs. Stay tuned for other sites as set-up begins in earnest.

NBC, at West End Architectural Salvage, 22 Ninth St.

The whole “Today” team plans to broadcast live from West End’s coffee shop on caucus Monday: Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Natalie Morales and Al Roker.

So if you’ve ever wanted to wave signs in the background, like folks do outside the Manhattan studios, have at it.

Short, the owner, said NBC made three scouting trips last year before executives officially asked if they could set up shop. He expects to see 40 to 50 NBC staffers buzzing around the popular antiques store, starting with a prep crew on Friday, Jan. 29.

“It’s crazy how much equipment they bring,” said Short, whose store helped produce a namesake series on the HGTV and DIY networks over the last few years. He said NBC plans to bring in five trucks on caucus weekend, but “they’ve got a huge camera truck in the parking lot already.”

And “Today” is only part of the hubbub. The store will host an event for U2 singer Bono’s anti-poverty charity One (although Bono doesn’t plan to attend) on Friday night, Jan. 29, before Chuck Todd moves in Sunday morning for “Meet the Press,” followed by Lester Holt with “NBC Nightly News.”

Short doesn’t expect the reporters and crew to buy many souvenirs — antique chairs are hard to pack — but he doesn’t mind the fuss, even if it means he won’t be able to caucus himself.

“As much as I’d like to give 100 people keys to the store, I should probably be here,” he said.

ABC and Fox, at the State Capitol,
1007 E. Grand Ave.

The ABC news team -- including chief news anchor George Stephanopoulos, "World News Tonight" anchor David Muir and "Nightline" anchor Juju Chang -- will take over the House chamber starting Friday, Jan. 29, while Fox sets up on the first floor of the rotunda, according to Capitol Complex events coordinator Suzy Trotter.

She said the state lawmakers won't be in session on Friday, as usual, and will simply "gavel in and gavel out" on Monday. They'll spend the day instead caucusing in their home districts.

ABC will also have a mobile unit outside the statehouse, on Finkbine Drive, along with a team from C-SPAN. Another crew, from NBC, will broadcast from the State Historical Building, 600 E. Locust St., and the parking ramp just to the north on Grand Avenue.

CNN, at the Judicial Branch Building, 1111 E. Court Ave.

It’s unclear exactly which CNN bigwigs have tickets to Des Moines, but if Anderson Cooper or Wolf Blitzer show up, they’ll head for the home of the Iowa Supreme Court. In 2012, the network’s stars reported from the hilltop building’s third-floor balcony, with the Statehouse’s gold dome glowing over their shoulders.

MSNBC, at Java Joe’s, 214 Fourth St.

“Morning Joe” co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski have spent so much time at Java Joe’s, they’re almost regulars. They'll also be joined by Willie Geist. They broadcast from the caffeinated mecca during the last few caucus cycles and plan to return for a refill on caucus Monday and Tuesday.

C-SPAN, at the Hampton Inn & Suites, 120 Water St.

In addition to their live coverage of a Democratic precinct in Polk County and a Republican one in northwest Iowa, C-SPAN plans to set up a studio at the newish hotel near Principal Park, with views across the river toward the State Capitol.

Various outlets at Drake University, 25th Street and University Avenue

Along with hosting five precincts — one for the Democrats and four for the Republicans — the university has fielded requests for work space from PBS, BBC, Al Jazeera America and the Korean Broadcasting System from South Korea. University media strategist Aaron Jaco said he expects several more outlets to sign up for campus space in the next week.

NPR at Smokey Row, 1910 Cottage Grove Ave.

"Morning Edition" host David Greene plans to broadcast live from the bustling Sherman Hill coffee shop starting bright and early, from 4 to 9 a.m., Feb. 1 and 2. The local team from Iowa Public Radio is setting it up so the public can be part of the discussion; no reservations required.

Also, Robin Young of NPR's "Here and Now" will broadcast live on Jan. 29 and Feb. 1 from the WOI studios on Iowa State's campus in Ames.

Everyone and their grandma at Capital Square, 400 Locust St.

Des Moines Register staffers will have plenty of company, starting with their colleagues from USA Today, who will unpack their laptops both in the Register's fifth-floor newsroom and a makeshift filing center in the Register's first-floor community room.

The Microsoft-sponsored Iowa Caucuses Media Center will set up its buzzing hive in Capital Square’s atrium and skywalk, welcoming 1,600 reporters and crews from ABC, BBC, CBS, CNN, Fox, NBC and NPR, as well as the Associated Press, New York Times, Washington Post and hundreds of other outlets. The site will also host Des Moines’ network TV news affiliates (KCCI, WHO, WOI), plus similar teams from the Quad Cities (WQAD) and Cedar Rapids (KGAN), plus hordes of reporters from newspapers statewide.

The building is also the night’s official go-to spot for leaders from both of Iowa’s major political parties.

Microsoft spokeswoman Kate Frischmann explained that the media center will feature space for broadcast stand-ups, a Skype station to assist reporters with remote interviews, and an LED wall with scrolling updates throughout the night. Microsoft will also install a “device bar,” where reporters can test out the company’s latest tech wizardry.

Herds of satellite trucks will be parked outside, and traffic will be tight around the block — and most of downtown, for that matter. It’s worth noting that the media center will be closed to the general public.

But if you’re in the mood for celebrity-spotting, all the downtown restaurants and bars are fair game. They may fill up early or late, depending on how smoothly the caucus numbers trickle in from the precincts.

“801 Steak and Chop? Centro?” CVB chief Edwards said. “There’s a pretty good chance you’ll see somebody there.”