Smart Meetings | Latest Destinations

Vail, Colorado

2008-10-02T11:23:59Z

The community was built around skiing and took off as a skier’s dream in the ’60s, never looking back as its popularity snowballed for decades.

At the heart of it is North America’s largest single ski peak, Vail Mountain, which spreads across more than 5,000 acres of terrain and seven natural bowls. But groups will also appreciate a host of other activities. Hiking and biking are popular spring, summer and fall pursuits on the mountain’s approximately 50 miles of scenic trails. Vail also provides a variety of shops and numerous dining options, ranging from casual grills to fine cuisine.

“There is something for everyone, with wonderful weather—300 days of sunshine a year—and a variety of activities from gondola rides to white-water rafting to mountaintop events,” says Chris Romer, director of marketing for the Vail Valley Partnership. “And the Town of Vail is a pedestrian mountain village that is easily accessible for everyone, with direct flights all year in and out of Eagle County Airport.”

Romer adds that while Vail is best-known for its wonderful winters and splendid summers, his “personal favorite time of year is the fall timeframe, with events such as Oktoberfest, the beauty of the aspen leaves changing colors, golf courses and other activities without the peak summer crowds.”

Cindi Williams, director of events for the Western Home Furnishings Association near Sacramento, recently brought a group to the Vail Plaza Hotel & Club, a new property just off Vail Village. She chose Vail, she says, because of “the natural beauty...the seclusion: The level of service to be had is certainly a plus for any high-end group.”

And, she says, “The value in the summer months is crazy good—there is just as much to do in the summer, if not more [than the winter].”

So whether your group is visiting Vail to bear down for business, focus on fun or a combination of the two, the town is among the best in the West all year-round.

MAJOR MEETING VENUES
Vail Cascade Resort & Spa is an upscale enclave of 292 guest rooms and suites (plus 72 condo residences) and 35,000 sq. ft. of high-quality event and meeting space. The resort also includes a 78,000-square-foot spa and fitness club complete with indoor basketball and tennis, professional spa treatments and much more.

Vail Marriott Mountain Resort & Spa, with a Swiss chalet look and feel, has 283 guest rooms and 61 suites—plus 21,000 sq. ft. of premier meeting space spread across 21 rooms. The Antlers at Vail is a condominium property with 98 lodging options that run the gamut from studios to four-bedroom units—plus about 2,500 sq. ft. of meeting and conference space.

And at The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch—less than 10 miles away in cozy Avon—the high-end lodge showcases 180 guest rooms and more than 13,000 sq. ft. of space. Another Avon property worth consideration is the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa, which provides 190 suite-styled guest rooms and about 20,000 sq. ft. of combined indoor and outdoor event space.

UNIQUE VENUES
Romer’s personal favorite “hidden gem” is the 4-Eagle Ranch. “This is an authentic western homestead with some original buildings; yet it provides a wonderful group venue for activities, meetings and events,” he says, of the handsomely revamped old ranch about 20 miles west of Vail. “They specialize in group events and dinners, and it’s an unforgettable group venue.”

Touting itself as the “highest public botanic garden in North America,” the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is a picture-perfect paradise of high-altitude flowers and other plants. While it’s a fine place for a group visit and tour, the gardens additionally contain some splendid event settings, including a rock garden terrace, the Ford Amphitheater and a picnic pavilion.

FUN ACTIVITIES
Even if you’re not visiting in cold weather, you can experience the region’s renowned skiing scene—by stopping at the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum and Hall of Fame. The bastion of old photographs and skiing artifacts is a short, fun stop, and illuminates visitors with plenty of info they probably didn’t know about the region—or the sport.

And for those who consider shopping a sport, the village is the perfect arena for it. While you won’t find any bargain-basement deals here, the depth and variety of stores for a small community is exceptional, from fine art and jewelry shops to trendy galleries to elegant clothiers.

The nightlife for a town of about 5,000 is outstanding as well. Bridge Street is at the heart of it all, and the highlights include Samana Lounge, where attendees can kick up their heels to DJ tunes in an L.A.-chic atmosphere; The Tap Room, a casual stop with a large array of beers and spirits; and The Red Lion (theredlion.com), a fun and festive bar and grill with frequent live music, plus no-frills but delicious meals like their locally famous spaghetti.

GROUP DINING
Undoubtedly one of the best eating establishments in the region, Kelly Liken serves creative, seasonal fare your group will be lovin', like elk carpaccio, roasted beet salad and potato-crusted trout filets. While there’s no private seating area, buyouts for groups of up to 70 are available. Chap’s Grill & Chophouse, in the Vail Cascade Resort, is a likeable combo of country comfort and delicious dining. While you’ll find the expected tasty steaks and meats, a pleasant surprise are the vegetarian and lighter choices, including oven-roasted sea bass and cast iron-skillet trout.

Another top-notch dining destination for groups is La Tour Restaurant & Bar, with an easy-going ambience that belies its classy cuisine. Group options include a private back dining room that seats 40, and the faultless French cuisine is complemented by an award-winning wine selection of more than 350 varietals.

Sonoma, California

2008-10-03T09:13:11Z

With a warm, Mediterranean climate enhanced by about eight months of sunshine, amazing wine and dining choices, and a spectacular natural environment, it’s no wonder that this stunning region, close to San Francisco and Sacramento, has wide appeal.

Though both areas are equally beautiful, Napa and Sonoma are distinctly different. Napa Valley is the more famous destination, of-fering pre-eminent wineries, dining experiences and upscale lodging all packed into a relatively small area. Napa’s hospitality indus-try was established earlier (thanks in large part to wine visionary Robert Mondavi).

Sonoma, on the other hand, is much larger, encompassing a variety of regions as it stretches its way west to the ruggedly hand-some Pacific Coast. Although you’ll find a similar complement of wineries, restaurants and lodging, life is a bit slower in Sonoma, things are generally more easy going and less expensive.

NAPA VALLEY
Napa Valley is a long north-south valley running between the Mayacama Mountains on the east and west. The county itself is com-prised mostly of the city of Napa (the county seat) and several towns that hug Highway 29 as it travels through the valley.

“We don’t have the opportunity to host large groups, like San Francisco or Sacramento, but we do offer spectacular scenery, winer-ies and cuisine. Plus our exceptional venues can make for memorable meetings,” says Jeri Gill, the new acting CEO of the Napa Valley Conference & Visitors Bureau. “Our location is our silent partner,” she adds.

NAPA
In years past, most visitors headed “up valley,” meaning north toward the wineries and towns of Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga, bypassing the city of Napa. But times have changed—the city is booming. Copia, the American Center for Food, Wine and the Arts, started it all back in 2001. Copia has undergone many changes since its inception, but it remains the valley’s cultural and fi-nancial magnet, and hosts many private events.

The city has now gained enough “traction” for investment by upscale hotels, including the brand new Westin Verasa Hotel and The Ritz-Carlton, scheduled to open in 2010. The relatively new Meritage Resort & Spa offers the largest meeting areas in Napa. Already hosting many groups and meetings, their underground Spa Terra is a unique and fascinating feature.

Other popular hotel spaces include the Napa Valley Marriott Resort & Spa, Silverado Resort, the bucolic Christian Brothers Retreat and Conference Center and the Napa River Inn.

Cindy Tompkins, vice president, special events manager for UMB Financial Corporation, headquartered in Kansas City, has successfully brought numerous groups to Wine Country. “We bring the CEO of each winning company and a guest for a three-day trip. Our guests are winners of a ‘Best in Business’ contest in four of our markets,” she says.

These groups visit exclusive, hard-to-find wineries like Constant Vineyards, sample elaborate cuisine and generally have a blast. “Groups are typically 24–30 in number, with several UMB executives along with the winning CEOs. “Our purpose is to provide an experience that our guests couldn’t get on their own and turn prospects into customers,” Tompkins says. “Napa is a lovely location, and very different from the Midwest.”

Napa also encompasses a number of intriguing off-sites. The recently opened Oxbow Public Market, similar to the Ferry Building Market in San Francisco, offers a myriad of culinary delights, while wine and food tastings, seminars, classes, films and concerts occur daily at Copia. The Napa Valley Opera House, located on Main Street, offers many event possibilities, plus presents concerts, comedy, lectures and theater—and the occasional opera, too.

Excellent Napa restaurants include Cuvee, Celadon, Angele, Julia’s Kitchen at Copia, and a local favorite, Bistro Don Giovanni.

YOUNTVILLE
This small town is the jewel of Napa Valley. Quaint shops vie with chic properties, world-class dining and wineries in every direction; happily, it’s very walkable.

“Napa Valley is special because it is a place where people specifically come to eat and drink,” says Thomas Keller, world-famous chef and proprietor of Yountville’s The French Laundry, among his other restaurants. The French Laundry it-self is a major draw (make your reservations early!), as is Keller’s fun spot, Ad Hoc.

In Yountville, the new Pavilion at The Vintage Estate is located on the 23-acre Vintage Estate, which encom-passes the Tuscan-themed Villagio and the Vintage Inn. Elegant and upscale, these properties along with the new Pavilion venue and the exquisite new Spa Villagio provide everything for a truly unfor-gettable Napa Valley meeting experience.

Food Network star Michael Chiarello will soon debut Bottega Napa Valley at the V Marketplace in Yountville. Additionally, the Vintage Estate properties will then offer menus from Chef Chiarello for their corporate and social clients. “I’m thrilled to be stepping back into my chef’s jacket and clogs at Bottega,” Chiarello says.

Among the town’s many other culinary assets are Bouchon (bouchonbistro.com), the fabulous Bistro Jeanty, the long-admired Mustards, etoile at Domaine Chandon and Redd.

ST. HELENA
St. Helena is the quintessential “up valley” small, American town. Main Street runs through it, with many high-end shops, restau-rants, an old-fashioned hardware store, chocolate makers and wineries all around. Meadowood Resort is the top, well-known luxury accommodation for groups, beautifully set back in the woods. The Harvest Inn is a newer, boutique property close to town.

St. Helena has many options for off-sites. The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone is a one-of-a-kind event venue. Hosting many professional culinary programs, as well as numerous wine education classes, the CIA (as locals call it) can provide special meetings and demos; its presentation theater is second to none. Across the tree-shaded street, the Carriage House (circa 1881) at Charles Krug Winery may very well be the oldest event space in the valley. Recently re-modeled using old redwood tanks from the original winery, the space is striking and can accommodate 290 guests upstairs and 280 downstairs.

Another fine St. Helena area event location is at Clos Pegase, located in the northern tip of the valley. The win-ery offers a selection of venues that can accommodate groups of various sizes, including the Clos Pegase Cave Theater, one of the largest and most spectacular event spaces in Napa.

Fine dining spots in St. Helena include the acclaimed Tra Vigne, Martini House, Terra and the always enjoyable Market.

CALISTOGA
Located at the “top” of Napa Valley, Calistoga was founded on thermal waters and, in fact, the Old Faithful Geyser still erupts on Tubbs Lane about every 30 minutes. Calistoga’s rejuvenating mineral waters have been a big part of its history, and mud baths are a huge draw in this town, which is still part Old West and part Wine Country.

Smart new dining spots such as Jole and BarVino mix with established restaurants like Brannan's Grill and Wappo Bar and Bistro.

The incredible new Castello di Amorosa Winery is an event planner’s dream: an actual castle in Calis-toga, with crenellated towers, a great hall and space for 3,000. Other lodging and meetings options include the new, eco-friendly Solage, the tony Calistoga Ranch set back in the forest and the Mount View Hotel & Spa, an intimate boutique property in downtown.

Depending on the time of year, visitors to Napa (or Sonoma, for that matter) can participate in harvesting, budding, pruning, or sorting and blending. There are even numerous “wine camps” where enthusiasts learn the entire process of wine-making. Other types of Napa activities include hot-air balloon rides, golfing at many championship courses, hiking, bicycle touring, cooking schools, art classes in the vineyards and more.

Be it walking, hiking or biking, Napa Valley and Sonoma County offer miles of well-paved trails. Join a group, grab a guide or let Napa Valley Adventure Tours arrange all the details. Another option is Beau Wine Tours; along with transfers and sightseeing tours, the company is also a DMC and can arrange site visits and cor-porate events.

SONOMA COUNTY
Sonoma County is three times the size of Napa Valley. Its boundaries encompass vineyards, wineries, vibrant cities, rural villages and a dramatic Pacific coastline. According to Mark Crabb, new director of sales for the Sonoma County Tourism Bureau, “Sonoma ‘Country’ has so much to offer meeting planners and their clients. We have first-rate meeting facilities that are tucked in charming, pristine locations. This area invites attendees to extend their stays and discover an authentic Northern California experience while tasting exquisite wines, strolling along the rugged coast, dining while watching the sunset over the moun-tains, or getting lost among the redwoods.”

The county has many hotels, inns and conference facilities, as well as a bounty of wineries and restaurants that can help make meetings special. As an added bonus, the Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa now connects travelers from Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle and Las Vegas.

Among the larger hotels providing meeting space are the Fountain Grove Inn and the Hilton Sonoma Wine Country in Santa Rosa. Yet, for some groups, smaller wine country locales might be better suited. “As a small, intimate setting in Sonoma wine country, the Kenwood Inn and Spa is uniquely able to offer a high level of ser-vice and exclusive amenities both on our property and in the surrounding area. It’s an ideal setting for executive, board or strategic planning meetings,” says Jeannine Baptiste, group sales manager.

HEALDSBURG
Considered the “trendy” town of Sonoma County, Healdsburg has undergone a dynamic renaissance that blended the old-fashioned farm-ing community with contemporary wine culture and Wine Country style. Top-notch accommodations like the Hotel Healdsburg can cater to any group’s needs. Alternatively, the singular Les Mars Hotel is an exclusive treat.

Healdsburg is also where three wine regions converge, thus many wineries and event spaces are available and within easy reach. Healdsburg’s superlative dining choices include the Michelin-starred Cyrus, Dry Creek Kitchen and Madrona Manor.

A number of wineries offer planners terrific options to consider. The magnificent Chateau at the Kendall Jackson Wine Center sits amid 120 acres in Fulton, just outside of Healdsburg. Events can be enhanced by culinary and sensory garden tours or a special reserve wine and food tasting prepared by the executive chef.

Healdsburg’s J Winery supplies a marvelous setting, various event spaces and some of the best bubbly this side of Champagne—France, that is.

SANTA ROSA
Santa Rosa, the largest city in Sonoma County, has undergone a fair transformation of it own as of lately. Downtown is hopping and 4th Street buzzes on the weekends. The nearby Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel and Spa is a thriving hotel catering to groups. The Flamingo Resort is an old Santa Rosa standby, conveniently located close to down-town and many wineries.

One of the most celebrated restaurants and large spaces in Santa Rosa, John Ash & Co. blends seamlessly with the lovely, adja-cent Vintners Inn. This is a fine one-two punch of John Ash’s fresh California cuisine and a prime Wine Country conference facility that’s hard to surpass.

The Charles M. Schulz Museum is another Santa Rosa draw for groups. Planners (and guests) love its mix of popular culture, history, cartooning (by the creator of the Peanuts comic strip) and just plain fun.

SONOMA
The town of Sonoma grew around a Mexican-style plaza, which remains its hub today. It abounds with California history, dating back to the Bear Flag Republic, but it also represents the present with a clutch of boutiques, shops, restaurants and galleries.

Sonoma is well known for its premier property, The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, still going strong in Boyes Hot Springs just outside of downtown. The acclaimed resort has more than 11,000 sq. ft. of prime meeting space, and also features an award-winning restaurant, a PGA sanctioned golf course and an unparalleled spa. Other venues include The Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance Resort & Spa, which also offers plenty of meeting space in a conven-ient location.

Sonoma offers many programs that can create a memorable team-building experience. According to Laurie Harrison, director of hospitality at Viansa Winery in the Carneros region of Sonoma, “We can accommodate 220 for a gourmet lunch, with our on-premise executive chef, which few wineries can do.” Viansa also offers a “Master Blend” class where groups create their own wine blend and label, to be judged against competing teams.

A revolutionary approach to leadership and team development can be found at Sonoma’s SkyHorse Ranch. This program combines interactive activities with horses to explore the gentler skills of leadership and communication, as numerous corporate clients have discovered. After a recent event Whitney Hirschier, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, wrote: “Thank you for letting our group spend a day with you at your beautiful ranch. It was a great team-building experience, and we made great progress on our goals.”

For those groups who want to rev up their team building, there’s the Audi Driving Experience, which takes place at Infineon Raceway, home to many NASCAR events. Participants can learn and experience the thrill of driving hard on a sanctioned track, trying to navigate each turn and straightaway, caressing the “paint” and pushing the car as fast (and safely) as possible—a truly adrenaline-pumping team-building experience.

Both Sonoma and Napa are well suited toward midsized to smaller groups, incentive teams and corporate retreats. There are plenty of polished properties, gorgeous wineries, stellar restaurants, spas and unforgettable activities ready to house, cater and entertain. Really, what attendee wouldn’t be chomping at the bit to sign up for a conference in the Napa-Sonoma Wine Country?

Phoenix, Arizona (HERE COMES THE SUN!)

2008-10-02T11:23:59Z

Without sacrificing the area’s cultural history—which continues to weave its magic with a renewed sense of place—the Phoenix metropolitan area is finishing up a fabulous, massive transformation. Coming up shortly is the opening of the vastly expanded Phoenix Convention Center—more than triple the size of the original—plus brand-new and renovated hotels that will quickly capture a meeting planner’s close attention. And, once on-site, your groups will whiz around town, starting this December, on the first line of the Metro light-rail system.

Scottsdale is undergoing its own resurgence, with a $3.3-billion redevelopment program that has seen both the north and south sides of the Arizona Canal, an ancient Native American system, glammed up with high-end shopping, nightlife, restaurants, hip ho-tels and residences. They’ll be linked by a stunning pedestrian bridge designed by world-renowned architect Paolo Solari (ground-breaking is slated to begin this winter—which in Phoenix/Scottsdale means blue skies and 70-degree temperatures).

All this activity and development takes place with the scenic backdrop of Camelback Mountain, a Phoenix landmark. From its slopes you can see what’s loosely defined as the Valley of the Sun, encompassing more than 20 cities that sprawl across the gor-geous Sonoran Desert. The desert of course surpasses anything manmade.

“There is a special feeling that you get from the desert that you don’t get anywhere else in the world,” says Kevin Kamenzind, sen-ior vice president of sales and marketing for the Greater Phoenix Convention and Visitors Bureau (visitphoenix.com). “Whether it’s the spectacular sunsets, the dramatic rock formations of the local mountains, or the unique flora like the Saguaro cactus that is found nowhere else but right here.”

PHOENIX
There are remains of prehistoric ball courts, dating back to the Hohokam Indians, which suggest ceremonial games involving various communities were played in the area. Today is no different. Greater Phoenix is home to a raft of national sports teams, from football and baseball, to basketball and hockey.

Last February, nearby Glendale played host to the 2008 Super Bowl, a mind-boggling extravaganza they captured for the first time (rumor is, they’ve put in a bid for another event in the not-too-far-distant future). This January sees the NBA All-Star Game bring another huge contingent of sports fans to the city.

But Phoenix is no stranger to large groups—nor small to midsize ones either. The weather is appealing—“That, combined with nearly 400 hotels and 30 resorts to choose from gives the meeting planner plenty of options regarding the type of property required, with a range of rates,” Kamenzind says. “Also, it’s accessible. Sky Harbor Airport is only minutes from downtown and is served by more than 20 airlines.”

Plus, the bureau exec says, “I don’t recall ever hearing of a meeting being affected here in Phoenix due to the airport being shut down because of bad weather.”

And speaking of weather, the sun shines 320 days a year, allowing visitors to
take advantage of the uniqueness of the Sonoran Desert, whether playing a round of golf on one of more than 200 area golf courses or hiking the local mountain trails. “Phoenix is a great place to mix business with pleasure,” he says.

MAJOR MEETING VENUES
You can’t get more major than the expanded Phoenix Convention Center (phoenixconventioncenter.com), which opens its doors to the first meeting group this January. After five years, the $600-million dollar project goes live on three campuses with 900,000 sq. ft. of exhibition and meeting space, three ballrooms with cutting-edge A/V technology and outdoor meeting spaces.

Along with its dramatic architecture and vibrant colors, it showcases a host of eco-friendly features like solar paneling and a water-harvesting garden.

One block from the convention center, the brand-new, $350-million Sheraton Downtown Phoenix (starwoodhotels.com) opened last month. Not only is this hotel the largest in the Greater Phoenix area, with 1,000 guest rooms, it’s the largest in the entire state.

Its conference center houses more than 80,000 sq. ft. of flexible space, including 17 meeting rooms, two ballrooms, two board-rooms and a terrace for outdoor events.

Other nearby properties include the newly renovated Wyndham Phoenix (wyndham-phx.com) with 530 guest rooms and 60,000 sq. ft. of space, and the Hyatt Regency Phoenix (hyatt.phoenix.com), with 712 guest rooms and 48,000 sq. ft. of function space, including multiple boardrooms. Plans for a new W Hotel have fallen through, at least for the time being.

UNIQUE VENUES AND ACTIVITIES
Phoenix abounds with intriguing off-site venues for meetings and events—both indoors and outdoors. The renowned Heard Mu-seum of Native Cultures and Art (heard.org), which focuses on the Native American history and cultures of the American South-west, has a variety of spaces and can accommodate from 20 to several hundred guests. Housing a world-class collection of early and contemporary art, the Phoenix Art Museum (phx.art.org) is also ideal for receptions and dinners.

Reveling in a $14-million restoration, the historic Orpheum Theatre (ci.phoenix.az.us) has state-of-the-art production services to match the splendor of its 1,400-seat space. Operated by the city, it’s available for buyouts—think awards ceremonies and product launches.

A terrific option is the Desert Botanical Garden (dbg.org), which showcases one of the world’s finest collections of desert plants. It has several traditional meeting spaces, but also hosts private events in a variety of open-air pavilions, scenic courtyards and his-toric settings.

Or, if your dudes are aching for a taste of the Old West, Corona Ranch (coronaranch.com) will customize a rodeo for your group with plenty of adventure and audience participation, including bull riding, roping and barrel racing. Ten minutes from the convention center, the ranch can accommodate 30 to 3,000 guests for a rodeo and banquet, either Mexican-style or Western steak fry.

SCOTTSDALE
Scottsdale is sizzling with new development. The Waterfront, a huge retail, condo and restaurant complex on the north side, and SouthBridge, an “urban village” with high-fashion boutiques, restaurants and open-air courtyards on the south, have opened, as have some very hip urban hotels, such as the Hotel Valley Ho (hotelvalleyho.com).

They add to the attributes Scottsdale is most noted for: its championship golf courses, luxurious spas and world-class resorts, says Rachel Sacco, president and CEO of the Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau (scottsdalecvb.com).

Plus, there’s the desert, whose exquisite beauty always surprises first-time visitors. “The towering Saguaros, mountain vistas and abundant wildlife give Scottsdale a natural advantage over other destinations, and provide scenery unlike any other in the world,” she says.

MEETING SPACES
Like Phoenix, Scottsdale has also seen a flurry of hotel openings, with more to come. According to Sacco, two world-class hotel brands made their Arizona debut last month: Arizona’s first W Hotel, the W Scottsdale Hotel & Residences (starwoodhotels.com), and the InterContinental Hotel Group’s first InterContinental Hotels & Resorts property in the U.S. The W features 224 guest rooms and its meeting space includes a 3,500-square-foot ballroom and 2,000-square-foot outdoor terrace. The InterContinental Montelucia Re-sort & Spa (montelucia.com) is an Andalusian-style property that offers 253 guest rooms, a 31,000-square-foot spa and 27,000 sq. ft. of indoor meeting space.

Sprinkled throughout the area are a number of other resorts of interest to planners. Set on 125 acres at the base of Mummy Mountain, the Camelback Inn, A JW Marriott Resort & Spa (marriott.com) has wrapped up a $50-million renovation that featured upgrades to its 300 guest rooms and expansion of its meeting space to include a 20,000-square-foot ballroom. The Five-Diamond resort also features 36 holes of golf.

Another great option is the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale (fourseasons.com), which recently saw a $17-million enhancement that included its 210 casita guest rooms and suites, the creation of a new restaurant and expansion of its lobby lounge. The resort is located adjacent to the Weiskopf & Morrish-designed courses of Troon North, where hotel guests have priority use of both the Pinnacle and Monument championship courses.

Also of this caliber is The Boulders Resort (theboulders.com) in Carefree, picturesquely wrapped around ancient boulders on 1,300 acres. Along with 160 casitas and 55 villas, the property encompasses 12,000 sq. ft. of dedicated meeting space and a world-renowned Golden Door Spa. The Boulders also features a recently expanded organic garden, which can be utilized for al fresco events. One fun team-building experience that takes advantage of the garden is the new Mixer Mixology program, a build-your-own-cocktail bar for groups.

UNIQUE VENUES AND ACTIVITIES
The spectacular Sonoran Desert awaits exploration, and one way to experience it is via jeep tour with Arizona Cowboys Jeep Tours (arizonacowboysjeeptours.com). This company will guide you through the Tonto National Forest, bringing the desert to life with a mix of history, legends and facts about the unique eco-system. They can also get your group of two to 200 started for the day with a cowboy breakfast cookout—or end the day with a Western dinner.

If you’ve got a really large group, consider Fort McDowell Adventures (fortmcdowelladventures.com), which can handle up to 1,600. Located on the Yavapai Indian Reservation, the company will saddle up your city slickers on cattle drives and trail rides, and get them working with each other on team-building exercises like buckin’ barrel races and Wild West shoot-outs.

Geo-caching takes a new twist here—as in searching for gold in the Superstition Mountains foothills. It’s one of several group ex-peditions offered by Apache Trail Tours (apachetrailtours.com), a full-service outdoor adventure and special-event company with a client list that includes Xerox, Toshiba, Westinghouse and Honeywell.

A truly unique venue, Taliesin West (franklloydwright.org) was the winter home and school of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. It’s now an architectural school and offers an educational component to a visit and a variety of event spaces for functions.

An offbeat opportunity for group fun—and perfectly suited for the Arizona desert—is a Moroccan theme party. A local company—which operates throughout the U.S.—Zohar Productions (zoharproductions.com), can create an entire Arabian Nights and Moroc-can evening with shimmering tents, decor, food and entertainment under the stars.

MESA
Mesa (visitmesa.com) is well known to planners as a convenient, affordable alternative to Phoenix—becoming all the more conven-ient with the new Phoenix Metro light-rail service beginning this December. The Mesa Convention Center (mesaconventioncen-ter.com) provides 40,000 sq. ft. of exhibit and meeting space. Next door is the 275-room Phoenix Marriott Mesa (marriott.com), which has a variety of venues for groups, including a separate convention center with 52,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space plus an outdoor amphitheater.

The big news in Mesa, of course, is the announcement by Gaylord Entertainment that the company is planning to build an anchor resort and convention hotel
at the Mesa Proving Grounds. The project will also include a Westcor retail
development, a golf course designed by Tom Fazio, office space and residences, among other components.

TEMPE
Also being linked to Phoenix by light rail, Tempe (tempecvb.com) is home to the 2,000-acre Papago Park, Tempe Town Lake and the main campus of Arizona State University. Among its largest event venues is the new Tempe Center for the Arts (tempe.gov/tca), a complex that encompasses a state-of-the-art, 600-seat theater, a 200-seat studio theater and a 3,500-square-foot gallery. Overlooking Town Lake, with views of the Papago and Camelback mountains, it is available for meetings and special events.

The university’s Grady Gammage Auditorium (asugammage.com), which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is another pos-sibility; it seats a total of 3,017 people on the main floor, grand tier and balcony.

A number of meetings hotels have undergone renovation over the past couple of years. The largest, The Buttes, A Marriott Re-sort (marriott.com), has 345 guest rooms and 40,000 sq. ft. of total meeting space. Embassy Suites Phoenix-Tempe (hilton.com), with 224 suites and more than 10,000 sq. ft. of function space, completed its multimillion-dollar re-do last summer. And the Sheraton Phoenix Airport Hotel Tempe (starwoodhotels.com), with 10,000 sq. ft., completed a $7-million renovation that included its 210 guest rooms and outdoor oasis pool. Plans for a Le Meridien hotel have fallen through, but word is that another major brand of equal luxury status is considering the site.

CHANDLER
A former agricultural town and Phoenix suburb, Chandler has seen recent growth due to the influx of such tech giants as computer chip manufacturer Intel, which has several locations throughout the city, including a LEED-certified factory. Its historic downtown, lined with galleries, shops and restaurants, is also home to the Chandler Center for the Arts (chandlercenter.org), a 1,500-seat regional performing arts venue. Nearby is the Crowne Plaza San Marcos Golf Resort and Conference Center (sanmarcosre-sort.com), the first golf resort in Arizona, offering 35,000 sq. ft. of meeting and function space.

Located on the ancient Gila Indian River Community, the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa (wildhorsepassresort.com) is a 500-room, Four-Diamond resort with two 18-hole Troon-managed golf courses, a spa and an equestrian center. A boat cruise de-livers you to the Wild Horse Pass Casino and Rawhide Western Theme Town. Of particular note is the resort’s new initiative: Going beyond green, it promotes both cultural sustainability and environmental responsibility, becoming the first “GeoGreen” resort in the country.