Smart Meetings

But the sheer scope of accommodations is nothing compared to the city’s multiple distinguishing characteristics that appeal to attendees from every walk of life. The Mile High city is one of only two in the country with eight professional sports teams. The city also breaks beer records by brewing 1,700 different beers, more suds than any other city in the country.

Plus, according to the Denver Metro CVB’s Grant, Denver is one of America’s fastest-growing and exciting cities. “In the 1990s, the city grew by one thousand people a week,” he says. “With this growth has come a complete revitalization of the downtown. The Brookings Institute just picked Denver as the fourth-most-walkable city in America—downtown has nearly 8,000 hotel rooms, 300 restaurants, three new sports stadiums, two new art museums, and the second-largest performing arts center in the nation, all within easy walking distance of each other.”

MEETING VENUES
The sheer volume of meeting venues is equally impressive. The Colorado Convention Center, which opened in 2004, is conveniently located in the center of downtown. The convention center also has its own light-rail station, making for easy connections to many of metro Denver’s hotel rooms. Plus, the center can accommodate meetings and conventions of almost any size via its three levels—592,000 sq. ft. of contiguous exhibit space on one level, 100,000 sq. ft. of meeting space on another level and two hotel-quality ballrooms of 50,000 and 35,000 sq. ft. on the third level.

In close proximity to the Convention Center are several new hotels with meeting space, including the 1,100-room Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center and the Hilton Garden Inn, a $35-million property that opened in July across from the Convention Center that has 221 rooms. Several posh properties, each with expansive meeting space, are also located downtown, including the new 202-room Ritz-Carlton, Denver, which includes 13,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, a 6,200-square-foot main ballroom and a junior ballroom.

While new properties abound in downtown Denver, classics like the 1892 Brown Palace Hotel and Spa should also be considered. This historic hotel, which got a multimillion-dollar facelift in 2006, offers more than 13,000 sq. ft. of meeting and function space.

Eco-conscious groups should be sure to check out the Denver Marriott Tech Center, which recently held a Green Practices event showcasing “green” goods and services to local hotels, DMCs and transportation companies in preparation for the Democratic National Convention, which comes to town this August. (The luncheon event itself earned a certified “Smart Meal” designation.)

UNIQUE VENUES
For those with a penchant for political history, The Pepsi Center will be the site of the 2008 Democratic National Convention and is also an ideal spot for meetings with its ability for groups ranging in size from 10 to 20,000. The outdoor Red Rocks Amphitheatre, which is carved out of 300-foot red rock cliffs, seats 9,000 and is also a picturesque setting for a meeting. 

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Getting There

Denver/Boulder/Breckenridge: Just 35 minutes from downtown Denver, 45 minutes from Boulder, and two hours from Breckenridge, the Denver International Airport has 1,500 flights daily and more than 140 direct flights to U.S. and international destinations (Canada, Europe and Mexico). It is served by 26 airlines and is a hub for United and Frontier. Transportation is available into town or directly to ski resorts and major attractions. Back to Top

What's New?

Mile-High News from Southwest | Southwest Airlines has expanded its Denver service with six new nonstop flights and two new desti...

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