Smart Meetings

In summer, outdoor sports reign supreme. A 75-mile drive northeast of Vancouver, the pedestrians-only village is tucked into the magnificent Coast Mountains. And with 150,000 sq. ft. of meeting space spread over multiple venues, it’s a perfect place to meet.

Whistler has 115 hotels and more than 5,400 guest rooms that can accommodate over 24,000 visitors, so it’s a safe bet that every planner will find what they need here. Whistler’s more than 90 restaurants and bars include an array of award-winning dining establishments.

The TELUS Whistler Conference Centre (whistlermeetings.com/wcc/wcc.asp)  offers 65,000 sq. ft., accommodating 2,000 attendees. One of its ballrooms has a capacity of 2,000 people in 16,500 sq. ft. of space. The dramatic Grand Foyer pre-function area can host 4,258, while 14 breakout rooms can host 1,000. Other offerings at TELUS include a 300-seat amphitheater and a 740-square-foot business center. The center features sustainable building materials and practices throughout.

Aside from the winter sports selections, the area offers white-water rafting, golf, horseback riding and hiking in the summer. But planners who really want to give their group an experience to remember should be thankful that Ziptrek (ziptrek.com) exists. Excellent for team-building or just some good old-fashioned fun, this is an incredible journey during which visitors are strapped into a harness, then are attached to suspension cables where they slide across hundreds of feet above Fitzsimmons Creek and the forest floor. More than a mere ropes course, Ziptrek gives the sensation of gliding over Whistler’s natural spectacles.

Getting There

The Whistler Mountaineer (whistlermountaineer.com) will begin daily service between North Vancouver and Whistler, starting May 1 through October 14, 2007. 

West Coast Air (westcoastair.com), offers floatplane service between Victoria and Whistler from early June through late September. The spectacularly-scenic flight takes about an hour.

There are also regular nonstop bus charters from Vancouver International Airport or from downtown Vancouver, about a 2-hour drive along the Sea to Sky Highway, 99 North.