Smart Meetings | Latest Destinations

Utah

2008-04-28T13:15:21Z

Few places on earth combine such spectacular terrain and unusual history as Utah. The state plays host to the majestic splendor of the Rocky Mountains, the colorful canyonlands of the Colorado Plateau and the remote deserts and arid mountain ranges of the Great Basin. This region beckoned as the Promised Land to members of the struggling Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the 1840s—a place where faithful members could survive and prosper in a land of their own.

The experience of journeying someplace special also makes Utah an outstanding choice for meeting planners. This once-insular state has put out the welcome mat and offers a variety of meeting destinations in both urban and more remote settings, all with top-notch meeting and convention facilities.

SALT LAKE CITY
The state capital and home to a major university, Salt Lake City boasts a rare combination of attributes. It is also at the center of a natural and man-made environment where all-seasons, big-as-all-outdoors recreation combine with the sophisticated comforts of urban living.

In contrast to Salt Lake City’s early settlers, for whom the area’s mountain-ringed isolation was important, today’s meeting planners find the city’s ease of access attractive. “Accessibility is increasingly one of Salt Lake City’s prime attributes as a meeting and convention center,” says Shawn Stinson, director of communications for the Salt Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Salt Lake City has an international airport within seven miles of downtown, and is within two-hours flying time from half the nation’s population. Accessibility is one of our strong suits.”

Getting around Salt Lake City is easy, too, particularly in the downtown area near the city’s premier convention and meeting space, the Salt Palace Convention Center. “The Salt Palace is within walking distance of 6,800 hotel rooms,” Stinson says.

The vast and striking Salt Palace has recently undergone a $58-million expansion that enlarged the facility by 40 percent. It now offers 515,000 sq. ft. of flexible exhibit space and 164,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, including a 45,000-square-foot ballroom and 66 meeting rooms. With this expansion, the Salt Palace is one of the largest convention centers in the West.

Even though Salt Lake City offers plenty of urban culture, a glance at the mountainous skyline that rises directly behind the city will tempt many visitors to get outdoors and explore. Four ski areas are just minutes from downtown, and Park City’s resorts are less than an hour away. Summer visitors will find lots to like after the snow melts: Most ski areas, including Snowbird remain open for warm-weather recreation, including mountain biking, hiking, trail rides, tennis and plain old relaxing.

COOL THING TO DO
While the imposing Mormon Temple in Temple Square is closed to non-Mormons, everyone is welcome at the Mormon Tabernacle. The best time to visit is during the free performances given by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings.

DAVIS COUNTY
Davis County is an urban area within minutes of Salt Lake City’s metro area and the Salt Lake International Airport. This month marks the grand opening of a major expansion of the Davis Conference Center in Layton, which now provides 59,000 sq. ft. of space. The expansion includes a 17,000-square-foot exhibit hall and more than 10,000 sq. ft. of contiguous meeting and pre-function areas. The county offers a block of 450 rooms within close proximity of the center, 147 of which are at the adjacent Hilton Garden Inn.

Even in the midst of Davis County, prime outdoor recreation is not far. In winter, Snowbasin Resort, which hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics men’s and women’s downhill, super G and combined races, is just minutes away. Antelope Island State Park features sandy beaches on the Great Salt Lake and free-roaming herds of American bison. Visitors can also enjoy sea kayaking, bird-watching and scenic cruises. “Where else could you float in salt water, watch the buffalo roam, ski in incredible powder, yet host a high-tech meeting?” asks Kathi Dysert, director of sales and marketing for the Davis Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “You can do it all here in Davis County.”

COOL THING TO DO
Lagoon Amusement Park is Utah’s largest, and when it’s hot, this is Davis County’s coolest place to be. In addition to dozens of carnival rides, go-carts and a re-created pioneer village, Lagoon–a-Beach offers six acres of beach, massive waterslides and rapids for tubing fun. Bring your swimsuits!

OGDEN
At the northern edge of the Wasatch Front urban area, Ogden remains very much its own city. As one of the West’s most important rail hubs at the beginning of the 20th century, Ogden’s downtown area preserves vestiges of the city’s early affluence.

One impossible-to-miss landmark of Ogden’s golden era is the fanciful Peery’s Egyptian Theater, a beautifully refurbished movie palace completed in 1924. Filled with columns, hieroglyphs and mummy statuary, the Peery is still in use both for live theater and musical performances—and as an optional 850-seat meeting and entertainment space for the adjacent Ogden Eccles Conference Center. The center, which sits in the heart of downtown Ogden, includes more than 50,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, including a ballroom that can accommodate 1,500 people seated theater-style (or 900 at dining tables). In addition, the center offers six 1,000-square-foot meeting rooms, plus the technology-ready Executive Room, which seats 80.

“The Ogden Eccles Conference Center has been fantastic to deal with,” says Tawnya Thompson, executive assistant to the president for Browning, a firearms and outdoor recreation manufacturer, which recently held its five-day, 2008 annual sales meeting at the center. “The conference center is very competitively priced for the quality of its facilities.” Thompson was also pleased with the surrounding area, which appealed to the interests of her group. “Being in the hunting and outdoor recreation market, our meeting attendees love to come to Utah for the hunting, skiing, hiking, golfing, boating, all of which is very convenient to Ogden,” she says. “It’s just a great place.”

Despite its richly historic past, Ogden is a forward-looking city. The downtown area is undergoing a major revitalization with the building of The Junction, a commercial, entertainment and residential development just across the street from the Ogden Eccles Conference Center. The first phase of The Junction is complete, including a 13-screen megaplex theater and the Salomon High Adventure Recreation Center, a 122,000-square-foot facility that includes an iFLY wind tunnel for simulated skydiving, Flowrider wave pool for surfing and wakeboarding, a three-story rock climbing wall, restaurants and a games arcade, just for starters.

COOL THING TO DO
An hour’s drive northwest of Ogden is the Golden Spike National Historic Site, where in 1869 two rail lines met to form the continent’s first coast-to-coast rail service. The visitor center offers exhibits and programs, and watching the replica steam engines puff their way up the tracks is like traveling back in time.

PARK CITY
Park City is without a doubt the snow sports capital of Utah. With three ski areas—Park City Mountain Resort, The Canyons, and Deer Valley Resort—plus the Olympic Winter Sports Park located in the valley, Park City is noted worldwide for the quality of its slopes and the glitter of its après-ski nightlife. About 45 minutes east of Salt Lake via I-80, Park City hosted many events during the 2002 Winter Olympics and is also well known as the site of the annual Sundance Film Festival. In summer, guests flock to the resorts to golf and explore the scenic mountain landscapes on horseback, mountain bike or foot.

However, there’s a lot more to Park City than recreation: the well-heeled clientele that frequent the resorts have transformed this old silver-mining camp into the most sophisticated shopping, dining and lodging center in Utah.
“Park City was originally a mining town,” says Ashley Andersen, meeting and convention sales manager for Park City Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau. “It has retained its quaint and historic feel, but at the same time it also has big-city attractions like fabulous dining and high-quality cultural experiences. It’s really the best of both worlds.”

Park City’s blend of recreation, history and upscale lifestyles also makes it a popular destination for meetings and retreats. The city can accommodate groups as large as 700, with 27 professional meeting and convention properties offering more than 3,000 guest rooms, ranging from bed and breakfast inns to full-service hotels with fully equipped conference rooms and catering facilities.

COOL THING TO DO
One of the most charming aspects of summer in Park City is its wide selection of musical concerts. The Utah Symphony takes the stage at Deer Valley’s outdoor amphitheater for a summer concert series. The Canyons hosts rock, country and jazz concerts in summer, most of them free. The Park City International Music Festival offers a chamber music festival in July, with an Autumn Classics series in September and early October. And there are free concerts on Wednesday evenings throughout the summer at the City Park bandstand.

HEBER VALLEY
Heber Valley, with its principal towns Midway and Heber City, is just over the Wasatch crest from Park City, but is no less scenic or recreationally oriented. It’s easy to see why Heber Valley’s bucolic setting—a lush agricultural valley surrounded by lofty, snow-capped mountains—has earned it the nickname “Switzerland of America.”
“The beauty of the Heber Valley can be breathtaking,” says Tish Dahmen, communications and marketing manager for the Heber Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It is a quaint mountain community with many kinds of adventure only minutes away. But what makes Heber Valley a great spot for meetings and retreats is the area’s diversity and options.”

Heber Valley has two quite different, quite charming resorts that cater to conventions and meetings. One of the valley’s originals, the Homestead Resort was established in the 1880s around a series of natural hot springs. The Homestead offers state-of-the-art conference facilities that can accommodate up to 300 people, with 13,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space.

The new, chalet-style Zermatt Resort and Spa specializes in the “art of meetings.” The range of meeting rooms at the resort is impressive, from finely appointed board rooms to reception halls for up to 2,000. The Matterhorn Conference Center offers more than 28,000 sq. ft. of conference space, including 23 meeting rooms, five hospitality suites, a 2,500-square-foot carousel patio and a 13,000-square-foot exhibition center.

COOL THING TO DO
The world-class Olympic recreational facilities and lodge at Soldier Hollow offer 27kms of meticulously groomed cross-country trails and 1,200-foot-long tubing lanes with lifts. In summer, Soldier Hollow has an 18-hole golf course and mountain bike trails that follow the challenging Olympic courses. In both summer and winter, guests can try their hand at biathlon events, which traditionally combine target shooting with cross country skiing. At SoHo, as locals call Soldier Hollow, groups can combine target shooting with a choice of mountain biking, running, roller skiing, snowshoeing or cross country skiing.

UTAH VALLEY
Utah Valley (Utah Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau), which includes Provo, Orem and other communities in Utah County, represents the southern reaches of the Wasatch Front metro area. Downtown Provo has a very striking setting, directly at the base of soaring, 11,000-foot Provo Peak. At the center of the city’s pleasant older downtown is the Provo Marriott & Conference Center, which offers 28,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and 330 guest rooms.

For meeting planners seeking something unique, many other of Utah Valley’s jewels are a bit farther afield. Just a few minutes north of Provo, perched in a side-canyon of Mt. Timpanogos, is famed Sundance Resort, established in 1969 by actor Robert Redford. With more than 10,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, a variety of outdoor venues and lodging options ranging from studio suites to three- and four-bedroom log homes, Sundance is ideal for groups looking for rustic surroundings combined with luxury-level facilities.

Utah Valley’s other noteworthy destination for retreats, meetings or corporate events is Thanksgiving Point, a 55-acre park and entertainment center that offers something for everyone—including meeting planners. In addition to acres of formal gardens, 13,000 sq. ft. of shopping, an eight-screen megaplex movie theater, farm exhibits and multiple restaurants, Thanksgiving Point is home to the world’s largest dinosaur museum, the Museum of Ancient Life. Thanksgiving Point has seven meeting rooms, the largest with 3,500 sq. ft. and seating up to 300. For larger and less formal gatherings, the 11,000-square-foot Show Barn offers maximum flexibility, and the Electric Park, with 15 acres of manicured lawns and a covered pavilion that seats 1,000, is perfect for large outdoor gatherings.

COOL THING TO DO
In summer, ride ski lifts up to Sundance Resort’s mountaintop lodge, the Bearclaw Cabin. Take in the spectacular 360-degree views of Heber and Utah Valleys and the surrounding Wasatch Mountains. Up to 60 guests can enjoy a private event or catered barbecue at this exclusive wilderness getaway.

ST. GEORGE
The largest city in southern Utah, St. George is just a few miles north of the Nevada border, and the city shares warm winter weather, desert landscapes and a resort lifestyle with its southern neighbor.

Utah’s “sunbelt” is a great destination for meetings and retreats, says Brittany McMichael, marketing specialist for St. George Convention and Visitors Bureau. “St. George is so different from northern Utah,” McMichael says. “It’s warm all year round, so meeting planners can count on outdoor activities to add variety and fun to a meeting or conference agenda.” Top of the list of activities for most attendees is golf: St. George has 10 courses that are tournament and group friendly, but the recreational options are hardly limited to the fairways, she says.

Immediately north of St. George is Snow Canyon State Park, a stunning outcrop of red rock formations deeply cut by canyons. The park offers a variety of easy hikes, and rangers are available for presentations on the park’s natural history. With a box lunch and hiking boots in hand, Snow Canyon is a great spot for an off-property meeting, McMichael says. “It’s like a smaller version of Zion National Park, but it’s only seven minutes from St. George.”

St. George’s massive Dixie Center is the largest convention facility between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, with a 47,500-square-foot, column-free convention hall, and an additional 32,000 sq. ft. in flexible meeting room space. In addition to the Dixie Center, St. George has seven conference hotels, each with between 5,000 and 7,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.

COOL THING TO DO
Both located just north of St. George, Green Valley Spa and Red Mountain Spa are Utah’s largest spas, and offer sports and recreational facilities in addition to a full range of wellness, therapeutic and beauty treatments for both men and women. For a wilderness experience, Zion National Park is just 45 minutes from St. George.

MOAB
The recreational capital of southeastern Utah, Moab is at the center of some of the most stunning landscapes in North America. Only minutes away are Arches and Canyonlands national parks; the Colorado River’s Cataract Canyon begins a few miles downriver; and landmarks like 900-foot-high Fisher Towers and the La Sal Mountains adorn the skyline.

“Moab is a gateway to adventure,” says Marian DeLay, executive director of the Moab Area Travel Council, “and what makes Moab a great destination for retreats or meetings is that there’s so much to do in the area outside of the meeting room.”

While a number of hotels in Moab offer full conference and catering facilities, the area’s most compelling meeting destinations are a few miles east of Moab, along scenic Highway 128. Red Cliffs Lodge is a guest ranch right on the banks of the Colorado River that offers 7,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. In an unusual twist for a Utah guest ranch, the lodge is also the headquarters for nearby Castle Creek Winery, whose 2,500-square-foot tasting room is available for functions.

The Moab area’s top-of-the-line destination for corporate retreats and special events is Sorrel River Ranch Resort & Spa. With 7,500 sq. ft. of indoor meeting facilities in six separate rooms, a 5,000-square-foot covered pavilion, and a 2,400-square-foot deck perched on the banks of the river, Sorrel River Ranch offers a variety of meeting options, with all the amenities and services of both a dude ranch and luxury resort.

COOL THING TO DO
Saddle up and head out to the Bar M Chuckwagon, just north of Moab, where tasty cowboy-style cooking is served up from chuck wagons, followed by a variety of Western entertainment, including rope tricks, silly skits and live music from a country-western band.

Based in the Pacific Northwest, Bill McRae is the author of numerous guidebooks, including Moon Publications’ Utah Handbook and Montana Handbook.

Long Beach, California

2008-04-25T16:08:00Z

While that’s certainly true, and both business and pleasure thrive along the city’s shores, there is much more to consider in the state’s fifth-largest metropolis, home to about 465,000 residents.

“Long Beach is composed of more than 80 distinctive neighborhoods, creating a perfect blend of big city urban sophistication and the welcoming charm of a small town,” says Bob Maguglin, director of public relations for the Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau. “In the past 10 years, over a billion dollars has been invested in redevelopment in downtown Long Beach, transforming our waterfront into a premier convention and tourism destination.” Plus, he says, thousands of new residential units have been added downtown, which have created a demand for dining and entertainment options that also benefit visitors to the city.

MAJOR MEETING VENUES
The main venue here is the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center, an imposing facility that includes 34 meeting rooms, and three exhibition halls totaling nearly 225,000 sq. ft. Conveniently nestled between the city’s shoreline and busy downtown, the center includes the cavernous Long Beach Arena, which seats 13,500 and can’t be missed, as it’s adorned with Wyland’s massive “Whaling Wall” mural. On-site catering is capably handled by SAVOR, Catering by SMG, which can tend to off-site dining needs as well.

Nearby properties with meeting space include the Hyatt Regency Long Beach, which has 528 guestrooms and more than 27,000 sq. ft. of function space, plus the city’s only waterfront ballroom. The Hilton Long Beach and Executive Meeting Center, a few blocks away, provides 397 rooms and 40,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, while The Westin Long Beach, showcases 469 guest rooms, 51,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and a ballroom with a capacity for more than 1,500 attendees. Yet another enticing downtown option is the recently renovated Renaissance Long Beach Hotel, with 374 guest rooms and 21,000 sq. ft. of overall meeting space.

If you’re seeking proximity to the airport, the Holiday Inn Long Beach Airport Hotel (hilongbeach.com) has 222 rooms and 5,600 sq. ft. of function space.

UNIQUE VENUES
The Queen Mary, the historic ocean liner permanently docked on the city’s waterfront, is now a fabulous floating hotel with more than 300 rooms and its original Art Deco decor. The famous vessel also contains 80,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space spread across 14 stylish salons, and an additional 45,000 sq. ft. of convention space can be found in its tri-level exhibit hall.

Another ideal spot for an elegant sit-down dinner or cocktail reception is the Long Beach Museum of Art. “Their outdoor garden is a perfect group venue,” says the CVB’s Maguglin, praising its bluff-top location with a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean and downtown Long Beach. The garden can host up to 250 for a reception, and the site’s catering branch, Claire’s at the Museum, has served such groups as Exxon Mobile, The Port of Long Beach and Merck Pharmaceuticals.

FUN ACTIVITIES
The great outdoors isn’t limited to the coastline, as 92 different parks dot the community and cover more than 3,000 acres in total. A favorite for visitors is the El Dorado Regional Park, with attractive lakes, an expansive nature center and picnic areas perfect for an informal group outing.

If serenity is your goal, consider a visit to the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden at California State University, Long Beach, an enclave of pretty pagodas, beautiful bridges and exotic plant life such as black-stemmed bamboo. Organized tours are available for groups of 10 or more, and the garden is also a splendid setting for a reception or corporate dinner.

The Aquarium of the Pacific, one of the largest in the nation, is home to more than 500 species, from sharks to seals, and a substantial Shorebird Sanctuary. Planners can arrange a formal dinner or an elegant reception here, and guests can mingle as sea lions and stingrays swim by in the background.

The Pike at Rainbow Harbor, situated between the Aquarium and the Convention Center, is a lively hub of popular restaurants, trendy shops and diverse entertainment. A fun place to blow off steam—or just relax—after a busy day, the Pike allows attendees to sip a Mai Tai at a tavern, knock down some pins at the bowling alley or climb aboard a towering Ferris wheel for a different perspective on the downtown.

Seafaring adventures are accessible and diverse, whether you want to play detective aboard a riverboat, savor an elegant evening dinner cruise or take a narrated tour of the harbor and outlying Pacific (longbeachcruises.com). If time allows, plan a day trip to Catalina Island, a picturesque island about 22 miles offshore, known for its beaches and unspoiled nature.

For a birds-eye view of Long Beach, groups of up to six can climb aboard a helicopter alongside The Queen Mary and take to the skies; another offbeat way to explore your surroundings is to rent Segways and go on an organized tour—or just scoot around at your own whim.

Maui, Hawaii (Maui Nui)

2008-04-25T15:01:50Z

And you did it with a unique combination of untamed wilderness and glamorous resorts, contemporary comforts and historical charm, superb service and friendly residents.

But, like a diva who wants to remain number one, you’d take some action—refreshing those resorts, developing new attractions and finding ways to share your distinct culture more fully than ever—to ensure your position for the next year.

And that’s just what’s happening in this Hawaiian paradise, where idyllic temperatures (a balmy 75-85 degrees) and breathtaking beauty (not to mention 81 beaches) are also part of its popular appeal.
“Maui is very magical for people,” says Teri Knebel, director of sales and marketing for Incentive Management in Wichita, Kansas. “Clients can go there and it’s exotic, but it’s familiar. English is spoken, and the dollar is [strong]...And the air in Hawaii is amazing—it’s so soft there.”

Which is why the planner recently brought two incentives to Maui, where she booked her clients at the Maui Prince Hotel and The Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa, “two wonderful resorts,” she says.

Knebel planned welcome receptions outdoors, with beautiful sunsets as a backdrop, then provided each couple with a car and “the most precious thing there is today—time,” she says. Her clients, a group of broadcast station owners, gathered with their top producers and top advertisers each morning at breakfast—a relaxed setting to interact with one another—after which they were free to pursue their individual interests, which “rewarded them with a wonderful environment and free time to do the things they wanted to do,” she says.

Knebel has also brought groups to Lanai—one of Maui’s neighboring islands and one of a trio (including Molokai) that today make up Maui Nui, as they’re collectively called. These share an ancient past, when they were all one big landmass.

Today, separated by volcanic eruptions over the eons, the three are within easy ferry or air distance from one another as destinations or pre- and post-stays that will make a Maui adventure your best meeting yet.

A MEETINGS PLAYGROUND
As a meetings destination, Maui is manageable to navigate. Its West side, home to Kahului airport, harbors four full resort communities, plus Lahaina, an old whaling port that’s now a fun hub for casual dining, entertainment and shopping. On the east coast is the more rural, laid-back Hana, reached by a circuitous road that snakes past scenic waterfalls and shimmering pools. The island’s towering, 10,000-foot landmark is Haleakala, an extinct volcano.

Maui also offers a huge array of accommodations, meeting space and activities. For example, the island features 18,000 rooms and condominiums at properties with brand names such as Hyatt, Fairmont, Sheraton, Westin and Ritz-Carlton, to name a few. There’s more than 600,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor function space, ranging from the 28,000-square-foot grand ballroom at The Grand Wailea—which is the largest in the state of Hawaii and can host 3,200 of your closest friends—to private gardens and homes for smaller groups. The island of Molokai has 106 rooms, and Lanai has 338 rooms at its two Four Seasons resorts.

But you won’t be herding your meeting-goers into sessions the entire trip, and that’s where Maui’s other advantage—plenty to do—comes into play. Name an activity and you’re likely to find it, from ocean sports like kayaking, surfing and snorkeling to land-based fun like hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking. Ziplining, whizzing above the treetops, is also a thrilling new option. Golfers will also find many reasons (13, in fact) to bring their clubs. And you can’t get any better spa-ing (the new golf) than on Maui.

“We have a great selection of facilities for meetings and wonderful activities, as well as rest-and-recuperation opportunities like spas,” says Terryl Vencl, executive director of the Maui Visitors Bureau, your best resource for planning a Maui meeting. “One of our biggest assets here is diversity. We can go small or large and offer shopping, cuisine and a wide array of things to do when not in a conference.”

In fact, according to Vencl, the laid-back vibe on the island allows people to “lie back and beach and sun it, or if they want to be active, they can have soft adventures or extreme.” The mellow ambience allows people to become “a sponge,” she says, soaking up both the island atmosphere and the meeting’s content.

OCEAN ACTIVITIES
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the Maui Ocean Center is the largest tropical reef aquarium in the Western Hemisphere. Give your group an overview of Hawaii’s marine life at this three-acre facility, named the top attraction in Hawaii by ZagatSurvey, with a naturalist-led tour before settling down to a reception or dinner at an indoor or outdoor venue. Try cocktails in the long acrylic tunnel in the middle of a 750,000-gallon habitat, and be sure to include a dive presentation—it’ll be one of the evening’s highlights. The center can accommodate groups from 60 up to 850; buyouts are possible.

For your dive and snorkeling enthusiasts, there’s Molokini, a tiny, crescent-shaped island just three miles off Makena. It’s actually the crater rim of a long-extinct volcano, and its waters harbor some of the best diving in the world. Catch a tour from Maalaea and Lahaina.
Two-thirds of the entire population of North Pacific humpback whales migrate to Hawaii from Alaska each winter, and Maui’s the best place to observe them. Peak season is January through March—board a comfortable catamaran from The Pacific Whale Foundation from Lahaina, which offers excursions to the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary with marine-biology trained crews.

BEYOND THE BEACH
The island of Maui is encircled by 120 miles of coastline, so finding a beach hardly requires a map. But there’s so much more to Maui than sand and surf.

While the prospect of a 4 a.m. wake-up call may seem daunting, watching the sun rise at the top of Haleakala (Hawaiian for “the house of the sun”) is one of the great Maui experiences. Trust us—dawn here is like no other; the pilgrimage is worth the effort.

For those with a finely honed sense of adventure, climb on mountain bikes and descend the 38-mile trail down the mountain on a group ride that’ll take you through Maui’s scenic upcountry. You’ll downshift through ranchland where Hawaii’s paniolos (cowboys) still ride and rope, farms grow plump strawberries and sweet onions, plus fascinating botanical gardens and even Maui’s one winery, Tedeschi Vineyards.

Or, connect with Maui Eco-Adventures, which offers guided hikes not only in Maui’s open-to-the-public rainforests, replete with waterfalls, but also on private property where the only sounds you’ll hear will come from nature. Consider the four-hour Waterfall Experience, or if you want something really unique, they’ll customize an excursion, such as a three-island helicopter tour and four-wheel drive experience where you’ll end up with lunch on a beach or a forest knoll.

Haleakala Ranch, Maui’s largest working cattle ranch, dates back to 1888 and encompasses about 30,000 acres that begin at the ocean and extend upward to the border of Haleakala National Park. You can saddle up with Pony Express Tours for a two-hour morning ride that will take you through rolling pastureland with stunning views (there’s also an afternoon ride, if you did a morning trek to Haleakala Crater). If you prefer horsepower instead of legs, Haleakala ATV Tours will put you in the driver’s seat of a 350cc four-wheel-drive quad that’s easy to operate; “Jeep Wranglers” are available if you’d prefer to leave the driving to them.

A SENSE OF PLACE
You can find authentic Hawaii on Maui. The state’s unique culture is woven through the fabric of everyday life, and it’s accessible to visitors as well. You can find it in the music, whether traditional, like slack-key guitar or ukulele, or as part of the new renaissance of Hawaiian music, like Hapa and the Brothers Cazimero, that’s reached the Billboard charts.

Cuisine is another aspect. Hawaii Regional Cuisine, a world-recognized culinary movement that began a decade ago with an emphasis on fresh local produce and artisanal products, counts numerous chefs on Maui as its originators. But a simple plate lunch or ethnic meal at one of the many mom-and-pop restaurants that dot the countryside also offers island flavor.

Hula, danced by both women and men, is an ancient, ritualistic dance that expresses joy in a way that goes beyond shaking ti-leaf skirts and feathered gourds. Banned in public for nearly 50 years during the missionary era, the art form was later restored and evolved into its present-day version; it’s said to have originated on Molokai.

A fun way for groups to enjoy Hawaiian traditions is at a luau, generally held in the evening and available for buyout. A few popular ones are Old Lahaina Luau, Drums of the Pacific, held at the Hyatt Regency Maui, the Royal Lahaina Luau and the Maui Sunset Luau held at the Maui Prince Hotel. Ho'omana'o, presented by Old Lahaina Luau, is a morning event where guests experience a glimpse into Hawaiian history and traditions following a lavish breakfast buffet.

MAJOR VENUES
While the island’s major resort hotels have ballrooms and meeting spaces galore, there are several intriguing options for off-site events. The Maui Arts Cultural Center is a state-of-the-art performing arts center in Kahului. Hub of the island’s social scene, it hosts more than 1,700 concerts, recitals, stage productions and other live events during the year. There’s a range of facilities of interest to planners, including a 1,200-seat theater, an outdoor amphitheater and courtyard, a gallery and more.

The Maui Theatre, in Lahaina, is home to Ulalena, a dramatic stage production similar to Cirque du Soleil, which tells the history of Maui using choreography, acrobatic feats, hula and modern dance, music, lights and costumes. The theater can be rented out for private use (700 seats), or hold your cocktail reception for 250 there.

Located on the outskirts of Waikapu Town, Maui Tropical Plantation is a 60-acre working plantation encompassing orchards, gardens and a large country store. A private tram provides several tours daily. It’s possible to hold your function here for up to 500 guests indoors or 3,000 outdoors (banquet services available).

WEST MAUI
Maui’s west coast is largely dry and sunny, with sugary white sand beaches (hence the preponderance of resorts on this side of the island).

LAHAINA
The town of Lahaina enjoys a colorful history, as whaling ships and missionaries arrived around the same time, during the mid-1800s. As you’d imagine, laws and regulations were made, and broken, as the streets became lined with saloons, dance halls and other emporiums that were visited—or decried—by each group, depending on their side of the fence. At one time, it was the busiest port in the islands, surpassing even Honolulu.

Downtown is still a gathering place for this side of the island; its landmark banyan tree (the largest in the U.S.) takes up most of a city block. The old wooden stores are now filled with clothing and jewelry shops, galleries and restaurants, some, like Kimo’s, where ocean waves lap under the outdoor deck, literally at your feet.

No longer a form of transportation for pineapple field workers “commuting” to work, the Lahaina-Kaanapali Railroad’s historic steam train chugs along a scenic six-mile track from Lahaina town to the Kaanapali resorts. Charter the “Sugar Cane Train” for up to 175 guests for a nostalgic taste of Maui’s past (the singing conductor will point out places of interest along the way).

KAANAPALI
Located in between Kapalua and Lahaina on the oval-shaped peninsula on the northwest coast—and just a 10-minute drive from Lahaina—is Kaanapali Beach Resort. Flanked by a three-mile beach (the longest in Hawaii), the resort encompasses five luxury hotels (including the Sheraton, Royal Lahaina, Westin, Hyatt and Kaanapali Beach Hotel) along with condominium properties and vacation-club resorts. Choose one hotel—or if you’ve got a really large group or a group needing various price points—choose several. As they’re connected by a paved beach walk, your group will also feel connected as well.

Along with the beach and water activities there are 36 holes of championship golf. The Royal Kaanapali Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., was refurbished in 2006. The second, the equally scenic Kaanapali Kai Course, was also recently renovated.

Available to guests of the Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa is the Shangri-La, a 65-foot sailing yacht that offers custom-designed charters for up to 49 passengers. The luxury cruiser features a full galley with catering service for your private snorkeling, scuba diving, sunset sail or dinner cruise—or an outer island adventure if that’s your pleasure. Also docked at the resort is the Kapalua Kai catamaran, which offers daily snorkel, sunset sails and whale watching trips in season (there’s a glass-bottom viewing port if your meeting-goers prefer to stay topside).

Tucked among the hotels is Whaler’s Village, an open-air, ocean-front center offering high-end retail (think Coach, Louis Vuitton and Tommy Bahama) and restaurants like Hula Grill, celebrity chef Peter Merriman’s Hawaii regional seafood in a vintage Maui locale.

KAPALUA
The northernmost of the four resort areas, Kapalua Resort is set on 23,000 acres, amid a working pineapple plantation. Only 10 miles north of Lahaina, this ultra-luxe master-planned community features the long-anticipated, recently re-opened Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua as its centerpiece.

The resort is renowned for its golf: The Bay Course, where the signature hole #5 requires driving over Oneloa Bay to a small green, and The Plantation Course. The resort is the site of the annual PGA TOUR’s season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship. A golf academy is on-site, as is a huge tennis facility for those who prefer racquet sports.

Newly opened at the resort is the Kapalua Adventures complex, which is the check-in point for mountain activities (consult with the activity concierge to arrange outings and custom corporate adventures). The highlight of the project is the Kapalua Adventures Mountain Outpost, which is located about 1,500 feet up the nearby mountains. Here’s where you can ride eight ziplines, which whoosh over the tree canopy and deep ravines, or tackle a ropes challenge course or a climbing wall.

SOUTH MAUI
Two other resort areas draw groups to Maui, with luxurious resorts, golden-sand beaches and more championship golf: Wailea, and a little farther south, Makena.

WAILEA
At the base of Haleakala, Wailea is another, smaller (1,500 acres) master-planned community, with a panoply of luxury resorts, among them The Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa and The Fairmont Kea Lani. Choose among five crescent-beaches (all beaches in Hawaii are public, by the way) for sand and surf fun, or head to The Shops at Wailea for a little retail therapy with the likes of Fendi, Gucci and Guess.
Wailea has three 18-hole championship golf courses to challenge your duffers—the Gold Course, The Emerald Course and The Blue Course. Or organize a tennis round-robin at the Wailea Tennis Club, which has 11 courts, a pro shop and clinics to help you improve your serve or to work on your backhand.

MAKENA
Makena segues quietly from the southern end of Wailea. Its principal meetings destination is the newly renovated Maui Prince Hotel. Adding to Maui’s fame as a golf destination are two hotel-owned courses (the North and the South), both designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr.

The tiny island of Molokini is just three miles offshore, so it’s possible to take a catamaran from Makena Beach and be snorkeling in one of the most pristine underwater sites in the world in less than a half an hour.

OFFSHORE
Maui Nui’s other two islands are uniquely different from one another. They’re separated from Maui itself by deep channels, and from each other by virtue of history.

LANAI
Located six miles offshore from Lahaina, Lanai was once the Dole pineapple plantation, which accounts for its largely undeveloped terrain—there are only 16 miles of paved roads, for example, and not one traffic light. Getting around is best by four-wheel drive. However, there are two Four Seasons Resorts, and two challenging golf courses that rank up there with the best in the world.

The Manele Bay property is situated on the water, a tropical beachfront experience. The other, The Lodge at Koele, is inland, in the cooler upcountry. They’re ideal for smaller groups and incentives. If you’ve got a larger group, there’s a 6,000-square-foot Conference Center and the brand-new Hale Halawai, a beautifully situated 13,582-square-foot ballroom and terrace, at Manele Bay.

Each of the resorts has its own notable golf course: The Challenge at Manele, designed by Jack Nicklaus, and The Experience at Koele, by Greg Norman and Ted Robinson. But the island is much more than a golf destination: try swimming with dolphins nearby, horseback riding and big-game fishing. Exploring the picturesque island requires that four-wheel drive, but offers fabulous off-site adventure.

MOLOKAI
Sometimes called “the most Hawaiian” of the Hawaiian islands, Molokai is a small island (7,000 residents) that’s 10 miles across the Auau Channel from Lahaina. (If some of the scenery looks familiar, it’s because parts of Jurassic Park and Pirates of the Caribbean 3 were filmed here.)

The island is noted for its 2.9-mile hike (or mule ride) down from a sea cliff to Kalaupapa National Historic Park on the Kalaupapa Peninsula. This is the remote site where islanders suffering from Hanson’s Disease (formerly called leprosy) were kept in isolation from 1866 to 1969, ministered to by a noted Belgian priest, Father Damien. The site became a national park in 1980. Mule rides can be arranged through Molokai Mule Rides, a national park service concession.

While both the Kalaukoi Golf Course and Molokai Lodge Ranch have recently closed—“a business decision by the owners,” says the Visitors Bureau’s Vencl—there’s still plenty to do and a newly renovated property, the Molokai Hotel, for groups to enjoy.

Among the natural features you'll find—and want to explore—are rain forests, lava tubes and caves, and habitats for rare native Hawaiian plants and animals, including endangered mammals like Hawaiian Monk seals. There’s also kayaking and snorkeling amid the 32 miles of barrier reef, horseback riding and sport fishing, plus one of the state’s longest white-sand beaches for unparalleled relaxing.