Smart Meetings

Las Cruces is also just 40 minutes from the 275 square miles of pure gypsum sand known as the White Sands National Monument. California may take much of the glory, but New Mexico is still the oldest wine-producing region in the United States. Las Cruces celebrates the region’s bounty with the New Mexico Wine Harvest Festival, (nmwine.com/festivals). It's held over Labor Day, at the same time as the Hatch Chile and Hillsboro Apple festivals, making the holiday weekend one of the city’s busiest. However, nothing in Las Cruces compares to the annual Whole Enchilada Fiesta, (newmexico.org/event/loc/calendar/page/DB-event/event/3035), part of the Southern New Mexico State Fair. In addition to food, rides and music, the festival includes the making and eating of the world’s largest enchilada, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

The largest conference facility in southern New Mexico is the Corbett Center at New Mexico State University, about three miles from the downtown area. The university, which recently hosted the X-Prize competition, offers 14 rooms of various sizes and an auditorium that seats 280. In addition, the Corbett Center ballroom can be divided into three sections and can accommodate up to 1,200. The center provides wireless Internet access throughout the building as well as monitors, DVD players, data projection equipment and even a baby grand piano. Pipe and drape are also available for up to 60 exhibition booths. The center’s conference service staff will work with meeting planners throughout the event. For an additional fee, the staff will also create a Web page for the event, handle all requests and establish a database. (nmsu.edu)

Located on a mesa overlooking Las Cruces and the Mesilla Valley, the Hilton Las Cruces is the only AAA Four Diamond hotel in all of southern New Mexico. The hotel provides 10,360 square feet of function space, with its two largest meeting rooms totaling more than 7,000 square feet. The Hilton’s 203 guest rooms are decorated in Southwestern style. The hotel also includes an outdoor heated pool and 24-hour fitness center. (hilton.com)

The New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum might seem an unusual choice for an event venue. But that’s exactly what leads some planners to schedule their events there. Opened in 1998, the museum’s 47 acres of exhibits, theaters and outdoor demonstrations tell the history of the state through the growth of its agriculture and technology. Meeting rooms are available for groups ranging in size from 25 to 300, with catering, decoration and a full-range of audiovisual equipment at hand. The museum can also host theme parties or make some of its activities available for private groups. (spectre.nmsu.edu)

The Las Cruces Convention and Visitors Bureau can also accommodate other off-site requests, such as an Old West chuck wagon dinner for meeting guests. When planning a meeting in Las Cruces, however, it pays to book early. The bureau can also suggest particular activities for groups of different sizes. (lascrucesvcb.org)

Las Cruces may be a wonderful place to do business, but it’s proving to be just as popular with those who are ready to relax. It doesn’t hurt that the city offers some of New Mexico’s most challenging golf courses at relatively low prices. The state’s newest and longest is the 7,000-yard New Mexico State University Golf Course. (nmsu.edu/~golf) 

Getting There

The Las Cruces International Airport (LRU) is a thriving general aviation airport located right off Interstate 10 on the West Mesa about 8 miles from downtown Las Cruces. (las-cruces.org/facilities/airport)

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