Smart Meetings

Truth be told, Salt Lake City and its surrounding region is all of the above and much more. Planners can choose from a host of top lodging, dining and event venues, and attendees can enjoy an invigorating atmosphere with plenty to do between meetings. The icing on the cake is the scenery, which paints an eye-catching contrast of its own—with sweeping deserts and sky-high mountains bordering large lakes and sprawling marshland.

“Salt Lake has everything planners and attendees need, and we have a vast number of things they want,” says Mark White, vice president of sales for the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau (visitsaltlake.com). “Perhaps most importantly, the needs and wants are extremely close to each other. For example, it’s very easy to attend a morning session at the Salt Palace Convention Center, ride Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort’s aerial tram to 11,000
feet, and be back downtown for an evening reception or dinner at a Zagat-rated restaurant.”

Whether your group is seeking indoor fun or outdoor sun between meetings, Greater Salt Lake delivers the goods.

SALT LAKE CITY
Judy Marshall, manager of meetings and conferences for the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), had several reasons for hosting the society’s annual meeting in Salt Lake this past June. At the top of the list was the city’s meeting venues. “With about 1,800 attendees, we need a lot of meeting space,” Marshall says. “So we really chose Salt Lake City for the facilities. The Salt Palace is a very, very good facility, and the personnel there are just amazing.”

The event was headquartered at the Salt Lake City Marriott Downtown, with meetings also held at the nearby Hilton and Salt Palace, as Marshall’s group needed about 60 breakout rooms to work with. While the venues were first-class, she also lauds other factors in Salt Lake. “It’s a very economical city, and a great place for people to visit in June,” she remarks. “Utah’s a very beautiful state. And I found the restaurants surprisingly good as well, with about 40 within walking distance of the hotel.”

The city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau also won Marshall over. “They are one of the best CVBs I’ve ever worked with, including being very helpful in building attendance—with an excellent program they have, an e-mail campaign.”

Numerous attendees enjoyed tours to Park City, Snowbird Resort and Kennecott Copper Mine, among other sites, she adds. “The area really provides the ability to schedule some great tours and see a lot of attractions.”

THE “INSIDE” STORY
If your group is more inclined to explore painted landscapes than the real thing, a clutch of intriguing museums are at the forefront of Salt Lake City’s indoor attractions. The Utah Museum of Fine Art—located on the University of Utah campus—is undoubtedly one of the best, a treasury of more than 17,000 artistic gems that includes works by masters ranging from Peter Brueghel to Thomas Cole. Intriguing event spaces are aplenty, including a dramatic Great Hall that can host up to 300 for a reception.

Red Butte Garden is a bewitching bounty of plant life meandering around the Orangerie, an indoor oasis of exotic and Mediterranean flora with towering floor-to-ceiling windows. The grounds and structure make for an engaging informal visit, and the Orangerie can also host up to 150 for a formal dinner and 400 for a reception.
Attendees will be starry-eyed following a visit to the Clark Planetarium, a top-notch attraction that showcases the state’s only IMAX theater—one of many rentable spaces that also include exhibit spaces and a domed theater.

Temple Square is hard to miss as it makes up about 10 acres in the middle of the city. The square is built around the magnificent Salt Lake Temple, which adjoins the domed Tabernacle structure—home to the famed Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Groups can take an organized tour of the square or just explore on their own.

Drop by the nearby Beehive House, the former home of Brigham Young, where free 30-minute tours will illuminate visitors on Young’s life story as well as the area’s unique history. The Family History Library is another intriguing site, a 142,000-square-foot facility that is the largest genealogical archive in the world. Large groups are encouraged to make reservations at least three months in advance.

OUTSIDE CHANCES
The region’s great outdoors can be explored in a number of ways, whether your attendees are the hearty active type or just seeking fresh air and scenery. The Wasatch-Cache National Forest, on the city’s outskirts, offers something for everyone any time of year. In summer, visitors can swim, fish, hike, picnic and view wildlife. In winter, there’s skiing, snowmobiling, and snow-shoeing and dog-sledding. Many areas and trails are designated for traditional pastimes, such as horseback riding and hunting.

Consider a company golf outing or tournament if there are duffers in your group, as Salt Lake is one of the best golf cities in the nation. Experienced players will especially appreciate Wingpointe, a challenging course considered to be one of Utah’s best. Nine-hole Nibley Park is a better choice for newbies, though with its own challenges.
With winter approaching, skiers heading to Salt Lake City should be sure to have Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort on their radar. Only 30 minutes east of downtown, the sprawling lodging offers more than 500 guest rooms available to groups and 50,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, in addition to its 89+ ski runs. 

MAJOR MEETING VENUES
It’s difficult to imagine an event that couldn’t fit into Salt Palace Convention Center. The spectacular structure provides 515,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space and 164,000 sq. ft. of meeting space spread across 66 rooms and a 45,000-square-foot ballroom. The location, in the heart of downtown, is another plus.

The South Towne Exposition Center is nestled in a pleasant residential area and offers 243,000 sq. ft. of event and exhibit space of its own. The center is easily accessible by Salt Lake’s light rail system and also offers free parking that will help offset the gasoline expense of those driving to the facility.

When it comes to hotel meeting venues, the Grand America Hotel has the space and amenities to provide all the bells and whistles groups want in a top lodging. Featuring 775 rooms (including 375 suites) and 75,000 sq. ft. of event space, the property also features heated outdoor and indoor pools, a casually elegant restaurant café and two spiffy lounges. Nearby Little America is another reliable option, with more than 22,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, 850 guest rooms, 23 suites and endless amenities.

Other possibilities include the Salt Lake City Marriott Downtown, directly across from the Salt Palace and hosting 509 guest rooms, 21 meeting rooms and 22,000 sq. ft. of function space.  Also conveniently located is the Hilton Salt Lake City Center, with 24,000 sq. ft. of recently upgraded meeting space and 500 guest rooms—plus a full-service spa and a renowned steakhouse. 

The Peery Hotel is a handsome and historic lodging that has hosted business functions for nearly a century. Each of the 73 tasteful guest rooms has its own special layout and décor, and the 4,000-plus sq. ft. of meeting space is spread across eight different event rooms that can be custom-configured.

UNIQUE MEETING VENUES
If you’re seeking a tremendous “room with a view,” try The 23rd Floor Event Center in the Wells Fargo building downtown. The exceptional facility has 360-degree views of the area, a spacious two-story gallery and—appropriately—23,000 sq. ft. of total function space.

The Depot is an equally outstanding yet completely different venue, a former Union Pacific railroad building
that includes a regal Grand Hall, the Blue Goose dining and bar area adjoined by private event rooms, and Baxter’s Grand America—an appealing restaurant serving Classic American fare with a private dining room hosting up to 40. The Depot and its various venues can host groups of anywhere from 15 to 2,000 attendees.

The Gallivan Center is a massive entertainment compound that includes unique art projects, an amphitheater, a huge outdoor chess board, an aviary and more. Host to countless free live events, the center and its many venues are available for private/corporate events as well. Among the options are an outdoor plaza with a 29-foot-tall movie screen and an ice rink.
   
LOOKING AHEAD
Big changes will be taking place in Salt Lake’s downtown core over the next three years as the city’s ambitious City Creek Center comes to fruition. A commercial, retail and residential development on nearly 20 acres, the site will feature three national department stores and other retailers, and the reopening of historic avenues as pedestrian-only walkways. Fountains and manmade streams will be complemented by about six acres of gardens and open space, and underground parking will be added to accommodate 5,600 vehicles.

“Our city is already clean, safe, compact and walkable,” says the CVB’s White. “And this is going to be a huge addition to improving that.”

The city also has five new hotels taking wing within the next two years, including a 120-room Hyatt Place in late 2009 and a 150-room Hotel Indigo in 2010. Additionally, Salt Lake’s cultural attractions will soon be boosted by the new Leonardo Science & Art Center by Library Square, as well as a new and larger Museum of Natural History in Research Park, near the University of Utah. Last but not least, the city’s accessibility will be substantially augmented by Salt Lake’s light rail system, TRAX, adding a line extending from the recently opened Intermodal Hub in downtown Salt Lake to the airport. The added line is expected to be operational within a few short years.

OGDEN
About 30 miles north of Salt Lake, Ogden is a small city with an outdoorsy feel reflecting its mountainside setting. Planners might be surprised by the strong performing arts presence in the community, with symphony, light opera, live theater and musicals, and dance performances. Nightlife is a bonus as well, with much of the activity centered in the charming Historic 25th Street district. Among the prime watering holes are the boisterous Brewskis and the trippy, Beatles-themed City Club.

When it’s meeting time, the Ogden Eccles Conference Center provides more than 50,000 sq. ft. of function space, including a divisible grand ballroom that reaches nearly 14,000 sq. ft. at full size. Other venues within the facility include the high-tech Executive Room 100, with top-tier A/V equipment, and the remarkable Peery’s Egyptian Theater—which hosts numerous live events and is also available for group rentals.

The center is adjoined by a 124-room Hampton Inn and Suites and just down the street is the Ogden Marriott, with 292 guest rooms and more than 14,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.

Another possible event facility is the gigantic Golden Spike Event Center, covering more than 150 acres and showcasing approximately 150,000 sq. ft. of indoor function space. The grounds have been used for everything from private parties to monster truck rallies to political conventions.
   
LAYTON
A pleasant town due south of Ogden, Layton is a good choice for planners who want to get their attendees away from the bright lights but still have a superior facility available for their events. That would be the Davis Conference Center, which benefited from a $10-million facelift completed earlier this year and now furnishes about 45,000 sq. ft. of convention and exhibit space, including a ballroom of 12,562 sq. ft. that can host up to 1,000 attendees banquet style. Attached to the center is a Hilton Garden Inn that offers 147 guest rooms, the Great American Grill and Club Fahrenheit (a private club for members), plus an indoor pool, Jacuzzi, fitness center and 24-hour business center.

Antelope Island is an unforgettable group excursion just a few miles west of town, with white-sand beaches, numerous hiking trails and unexpected wildlife-watching opportunities—highlighted by the presence of more than 500 bison, plus many coyotes, mule deer, bobcats and, of course, plenty of antelope. The island can be reached by boat or causeway, and offers splendid views of the nearby Wasatch Mountains.

PARK CITY
A superb day-trip from Salt Lake City or an amazing destination all its own, Park City is famed for its wintertime Sundance Film Fest, but offers much more—such as extensive skiing options, an enchanting downtown and numerous top lodgings. Groups can have fun any time of year at the Utah Olympic Park, used for several events in the 2002 Winter Olympics, such as zooming 70 m.p.h. in a bobsled, taking a zipline ride or just catching a freestyle ski-jumping show.  

Top resorts and hotels include the Yarrow Resort, with 181 guest rooms and 12,000 sq. ft. of function space. Other popular options are the boundless Canyons Resort and Deer Valley Resort—which includes the distinguished Stein Eriksen Lodge.

MIDWAY
A quick drive south from Park City but a world away, Zermatt Resort & Spa is a Nordic-style alpine oasis in Midway—set “midway” between Park and Salt Lake cities. The property has 401 guest rooms and 28,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, plus a separate 13,000-square-foot exhibition area. Amenities are equally impressive, including a gigantic spa, championship golf course and some of the best skiing in Utah. The property has so much to offer it’s essentially like being in a small Swiss village, and attendees will appreciate the resort’s comprehensive nature. Back to Top

Getting There

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