I agree, your presence would be great for the parents of the not-quite-adult Chazzers!
So far the date is looking like
June 28-29, in Ames IA - about 40 minutes north of Des Moines. It'll be a two-day affair, the first day will probably be spent in Ames, where we'll visit the small-yet-semi-private dog park and have dinner at Hickory Park*. Also, a nice sunset hike at one of the nature parks in the area, so the dogs that need to be leashed or don't play well with others can have some fun. Sunday we'll head down to Des Moines for some doggie-supply shopping and a romp at the Raccoon River Dog Park.
I'll be checking on hotels sometime in the future, once I know how many out-of-towners will be attending.
Here's the website for Hickory Park - it's an Iowan legend, one of the most famous places to eat in the state, and VERY affordable!
http://www.hickorypark-bbq.com/history.html