Smart Meetings

Like the name implies, Bend sits at one of the many bends of the winding Deschutes River that cuts across its city center. However, located in the heart of Oregon’s Cascade Mountain Range that divides the state’s east from west, Bend is most often associated with the surrounding rugged mountains and deep evergreen wildernesses. Look to the southwest, and you’ll see Mount Bachelor, a magnificent presence and the town’s claim to fame as one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier winter recreation destinations. To the north are the unmistakable snow-capped peaks of the Three Sisters, attracting hikers, snowshoers and the most seasoned mountain climbers from all over the world.
Once a logging town, Bend, with a population of about 75,000, has now emerged as a center for culture and art, combining elements of Oregon’s green west with its high-desert east.
It’s no secret that Bend is becoming one of the state’s prime meeting destinations—and not just for its wealth of outdoor recreation. In Bend, you will find one-of-a-kind museums and attractions highlighting the area’s abundance of fossil beds and prehistoric lava flows. The city also prides itself on progressive thinking, conservation and open-mindedness that make it particularly attractive to people relocating from larger cities in the west. “The eclectic culture of the Bend area is evolving due to the rapid growth of the community and the interests and cultures of the incoming population,” says Alana Audette, president and CEO of the Central Oregon Visitors Association (covisitors.com). Here, biking is almost as common as walking, and you’ll find a strong and thriving city-wide recycling program. Plus, you will not have to look hard
to find outstanding cuisine and homemade microbrews—some of the best in the country.
Perhaps, then, it’s not surprising that tourism is the single largest industry in Central Oregon, generating more than a
half-billion dollars annually and employing more than 8,000 residents.
In and Around Town
Evidence of Bend’s growing urbanism can be seen everywhere, from its array of art galleries, theater and shopping venues to its microbreweries and fine dining restaurants.
“Bend is a town that has risen to a level
of sophistication as we transition into an
outdoor recreation Mecca where people
expect a certain standard,” says Maureen Mattingly, communications manager for the Bend Oregon Visitors and Convention Bureau (visitbend.com).
That standard is being recognized both nationally and internationally. The Blacksmith Restaurant (theblacksmithrestaurant.com), serving contemporary comfort cuisine,
was rated by Condé Nast Traveler as one of the Top 66 restaurants
in the world.
While you’re in town, visit the McMenamins Old St. Francis School (mcmenamins.com). Built in 1936, the building has evolved to a destination hotel, complete with classrooms-turned-guest rooms, a pub, brewery, bakery, movie theater and 4,400 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor meeting space.
“It’s all within walking distance once you get to the historic downtown core,” says Mattingly.
Also not-to-be-missed is the nationally acclaimed High Desert Museum (highdesertmuseum.org). For a unique living history experience, take your group inside an outdoor  tepee, walk through a dark mine shaft, pet a woolly sheep at the museum’s working homestead or stroll along a nature trail to see live animal habitats.

Playing With the Big Kids
In the past, Bend would have
to relinquish many larger meetings to the state’s northwestern venues, according to Ron Botts, director of sales for the Riverhouse Convention Center (riverhouse.com). Not so anymore.
Set to open in November is the new convention center, after an expansion and renovation to the existing Riverhouse Resort, Hotel & Conference Center in the heart of Bend’s downtown. Botts says that the new free-standing convention center, located on the banks of the Deschutes River, has already taken bookings through 2008.
“From an economic impact, it will give the city of Bend a tremendous boost to the economy for what we call the off-season,” says Botts. (For Bend, off-season falls after September
and before June.)
Altogether, the renovation adds about 30,000 sq. ft. to the center’s 6,000 sq. ft. of indoor meeting space, as well as 100 additional guest rooms for a total of 320. When complete, the new space will enable the city to host about 800 for a meeting and about 1,400 for an in-town banquet, which will keep Bend competitive with northern neighbors like Portland and Eugene, according to Botts.
“For our area, it’s just huge,” he says.

Places to Stay
Located 15 miles from Bend on 3,500
wooded acres, Sunriver Resort (sunriver-resort.com) offers more than 44,000 sq. ft.
of indoor and outdoor meeting and banquet space, plus Sage Springs Club Spa, an award-winning golf course, 35 miles of hiking
and biking trails, horse stables and an on-property stream for canoeing.
“I don’t know anywhere else you can go and take a group on a canoe float and see a herd of elk,” says ShanRae Hawkins, director of marketing and leisure sales for Sunriver Resort. Speaking of canoes, take a ride down the river—then be greeted by resort staff with an assortment of Oregon’s famous wines and cheeses on the beach at the end. The resort also offers a wide variety of guided team-building programs and activities.
Many visitors, however, come to Sunriver for its unparalleled 18-hole championship courses, designed by acclaimed architects John Fought, Bob Cupp and Robert Trent Jones, Jr. In fact, our cover photo was taken at Sunriver’s Meadows Golf Course.The resort’s Crosswater Golf Course was named one of America’s 100 Greatest Courses by Golf Digest and one of America’s Top 100 Modern Courses by Golf Week Magazine.
If you’re looking to stay a little closer to the mountain, the Mount Bachelor Village Resort & Conference Center (mtbachelorvillage.com) offers a variety of hotel and condominium room choices and a 5,400-square-foot conference center, along with a 125,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art private athletic club, two pools, six tennis courts and a 2.2-mile river trail. The inn also facilitates group activities; for a unique team-building experience, put your group through a high or low ropes course, a snowshoe race or “goofball” Olympics.

High-Altitude Fun
Ask any Bend local about Oregon’s most popular ski destination and the answer will likely be Mount Bachelor. With Mount Bachelor Ski Resort (mtbachelor.com) just 20 minutes from the city, taking a day trip to the slopes is a breeze. The mountain supports 71 runs over nearly 3,700 acres, and is served
by a network of 10 of the world’s fastest express lifts.
In addition to skiing, your group can experience snowshoeing tours, dog-sled rides and Nordic skiing. The ski resort also features four different terrain parks and an Olympic-size superpipe.
But the fun isn’t over once the winter snow melts. More than 40 million years ago, the area was alive with volcanic activity and now numerous remaining lava formations provide endless opportunities for exploration. For a one-of-a-kind Bend experience, visit the Lava River Cave, part of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument (fs.fed.us), 14 miles south of Bend on Highway 97. The mile-long cave is one of the longest lava tubes in the state. But be sure to bring extra clothes—the cave sustains an average temperature of 42 degrees.
While you’re at the monument, stop in
the Lava Lands Visitor Center and Lava Butte, open late April through early October, offering nature walks through the old lava flows, interpretive programs, and displays on geology, volcanology and Central Oregon’s cultural history.
If you feel especially adventurous, take a drive 75 miles east of Bend to the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (nps.gov/joda), where you’ll see enormous rock formations, colorful painted hills and fossil beds from the numerous hiking trails.
With the Deschutes River and abundant lakes literally at your doorstep, numerous
area trekking companies such as Wanderlust Tours (wanderlusttours.com) can take your group on daytime and moonlight canoe trips. Or, for a more physically demanding adventure, let your group test their skills and stamina at Smith Rock State Park (smithrock.com), known worldwide as a premier rock-climbing destination. The park is made famous by Monkey Face, a 350-foot spire resembling, well, a monkey’s face.  Back to Top

Getting There

• Near Bend, Robert Field Redmond Municipal Airport (redmond.or.us) is serviced by Delta, Horizon, United and United Express airlines, with direct flights from San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, plus weekend service from Denver. Back to Top