Destination: Denver Area Meeting & Event Planning City Guide
Featured Venue
Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel
1550 Court Place, Denver, Colorado, 80202-5107
1225
133,000 sq ft
Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel: Largest hotel in Colorado.
Destination Articles
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Inside Colorado's Great Outdoors
By David Vranicar
March 26, 2013
In Colorado, it is much harder to avoid nature than to enjoy it. With venues that are either in the mountains or staring right at them, not to mention a food and beer culture shaped by a love of the outdoors, Colorado is bursting with reminders to enjoy yourself. While skiing and hiking excursions are always on the table, there is an abundance of outdoor-event opportunities as well.
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New Meetings in the Old West
By Steve Winston
December 31, 2012
If you’re looking for a room with a view, you’ve come to the right place. The Rocky Mountains have plenty of room. And the views are certainly spectacular. Meetings here are often more productive simply because the surroundings are so energizing. The air is fresher. The terrain is grander. The excitement level among attendees is higher. And the opportunities for memorable meetings and team building are exceptional.
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What's Cookin' in Colorado
By Steve Winston
July 30, 2012
Three mountain cities bring sustainable cuisine to the forefront
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A Guide to the Top
By Jessie Fetterling
March 29, 2012
Colorado has long been known for its natural riches. Miners from across the States came to the area in the 1800s to find gold and other precious metals and stones. Ever since, visitors have come to soak in its raw glory—natural hot springs, hundreds of lakes and rivers, national parks and monuments, and, of course, the mountains.
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Peak Experience
By Nikki Gloudeman
December 30, 2011
Talk about a sense of arrival: Book a meeting in the Rocky Mountains, and your attendees will be greeted with the sight of natural wonders shaped over the course of millions of years, soaring thousands of feet into the sky. They will have access to ample winding trails, snowy crests and wildlife. They will be able to ski, bike, hike—pretty much any outdoor pursuit imaginable.
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Riding Slow in Colorado
By Nikki Gloudeman
August 08, 2011
In today’s fast-paced world of slick cars and fancy jets, it’s easy to forget that the nation’s modern identity owes much to the steady pace of classic trains and automobiles. Nowhere is this impact more evident than in Denver, Colorado Springs and Estes Park, all of which have deep roots in early modes of transportation.
The region’s history endures today in various attractions and museums that pay homage to old-fashioned passage. For planners, this adds another level of distinction to an area already known for its rugged surroundings, Old West heritage, array of brewpubs and microbreweries (including two of the largest in the nation), cutting-edge sustainability initiatives and assortment of meeting-friendly venues.
Learn about Denver Area for Event Venues, Services & Meeting Destinations
Destination Description
Smart Stats:
Number of Meetings Hotels: 30
Total Hotel Rooms: 2,078
Number of Special Events Venues: 17
Local Airports: Denver International Airport (DEN)
Local CVB: Visit Denver, Breckenridge CVB
Smart Snapshot:
Denver was born as a boom town during Colorado’s silver and gold rushes, and many of its downtown high-rises were built during the energy surge of the 1980s. In 2011, the Queen City of the Plains is ready to reclaim that title. Lonely Planet travel guides chose it as the sixth-best U.S. travel destination in 2011, describing is as “Paris in the West,” and civic leaders love the comparison.
It will complete a renaissance that began in 1995, when Coors Field Baseball Park opened in the historic warehouse district on the east side of Union Station. LoDo attracted some of the city’s earliest loft dwellers and is still nightlife central. Contiguous neighborhoods such as Commons Park, Ballpark, Highland, River North and South Broadway came next, gaining a reputation for their edgy art galleries and new restaurants.
Seeds planted decades ago are just now sprouting, thanks to residents willing to tax themselves to fund the finer things in life. In 1988, they approved the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, a lifeline to the city’s art, history, natural history and art museums, the zoo, and a four-square-block performing arts complex. Visitors get to enjoy the results, including a new wing at the Denver Art Museum, which opened in 2006; a Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver’s historic LoDo district that opened in 2007; and a host of other cultural projects still in the pipeline.
Denver’s historic Union Station depot and the 20 acres that surround it will become the hub for rail and bus service, modeled after Washington D.C.’s Union Station. Development is in the early stages, but once completed, Union Station’s abandoned rail yards will become an urban high-rise neighborhood with retail and office space.
