Smart Meetings

Spurred by Hollywood images, desert neophytes typically imagine endless dunes of lifeless sand, a relentless, masochistic sun and the skeletal vestiges of unsuccessful water seekers.

Not so in Tucson, where the magnificent Sonoran desert sits comfortably at 2,400 feet of elevation, is bordered by five picturesque mountain ranges and is home to an incredible diversity of fascinating plant and animal life.

That strange, pig-like creature—the javolina—scurries about with other oddities like the road runner, antelope jackrabbit, desert tortoise, gila monster, giant desert centipede and stick insect. The better-known animals of the desert, like the scorpion, tarantula, rattlesnake and mountain lion, thankfully stay well out of the way, unless you really seek an encounter. Tucson is also home to an incredible collection of hummingbirds and butterflies, rounding out the area as a nature-lover’s paradise.

Perhaps nowhere else in the world is the stereotype of a lifeless desert more defied than in Southern Arizona, yet this fact is just the beginning of Tucson’s many pleasant surprises. While the sun graces the sky 360 days a year, winters bring perfect weather, and semi-regular monsoons provide adequate water. Numerous hills and mountain crags break up the landscape and offer countless terrain for hiking, horseback riding and spectacular vistas.

For meeting planners who want to capitalize on the beauty of the area, the foothills of the surrounding mountain ranges shelter nearly a dozen top-notch resorts with their own meeting facilities, all of which have very distinct designs and personalities. Below, the downtown is ripe with authentic Southwestern culture, from mesquite and chile-spiced cuisine to rich Native American artwork and earth-toned adobe buildings. Tucson locals take pride in the fact that this is a real Southwestern town, and carries an air about it that quickly seduces visitors through all of their senses.

“It is really about nature and the openness of the place,” says Al Wynant, managing partner of a6 Consultants, a meeting management company and DMC. “When you choose Tucson as a meetings destination, you know exactly what you want.”

Wynant, whose company plans and advises on meetings all over the U.S., has lived in Tucson for more than 20 years, and witnessed the city grow and evolve while retaining its distinct Southwestern charm and outdoor focus. He says that, while Tucson has a lot of great restaurants and culture in town, “You don’t come here for the downtown experience.” What Wynant is referring to is the distinct division between the city’s two types of accommodations and meeting facilities—one being the convention center and the hotels in town, the other the many remote resorts tucked into the foothills above. For many groups coming to Tucson, their resort is the only place they will visit; not only are most of them a good half-hour’s drive outside town, but they also have their own meeting facilities, restaurants and activities, making them easy one-stop shops.

This is not to say, however, that there isn’t plenty to see outside the resorts—several museums, national parks, observatories and historic sites make excellent off-site daytrips or team-building activities that can be combined with meetings. Film buffs will probably already know that Tucson was a Hollywood favorite for many westerns, drawing the likes of Gene Autry and John Wayne to the set of the Old Tucson Studios. Today, the large and detailed fake western town is open to the public and is an excellent venue for meetings.

Tucson is also known for its ideal star-gazing (the cosmic kind), and has a whopping five observatories within the county. Head to the Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium at the University of Arizona to see the stars through the observatory’s 16-inch telescope or take part in a number of educational seminars and demonstrations. Most of the resorts in Tucson even have their own telescope set up for guests, and there are rules about how much light the town can use and give off, so that the night sky retains its clarity.

The stars of professional golfing also know Tucson well, as the perfect weather and spectacular views have lured the sport’s top names to the area to design an abundance of world-class courses. While plenty of public courses are available, many of the resorts also have their own on-site.

 

Meeting Venues
It’s an easy task to find the Tucson Convention Center, which is set in the middle of a handful of high-rises that are the only buildings in Tucson taller than a few stories. With 205,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space, the convention center is a good size for Tucson, and often uses several other buildings for large gatherings, such as an adjacent arena and music hall. The primary hotel for the convention center is the 309-room Hotel Arizona, just next door, with 40,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and excellent views of the city.

Within a few years, however, the area around the convention center will be hardly recognizable. As part of a major downtown expansion program, the city is looking at building a brand new arena, significantly adding to the convention center and reviewing bids for a major convention center hotel. With such flags as Sheraton, Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton having presented designs for a property that could exceed 700 rooms, a decision is expected by the end of the year.

But perhaps it is best to see for yourself what is in store for Tucson, and that is exactly what the Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau suggests you do—its extremely successful “You Fly, We Buy” program lures meeting planners to the area with complimentary airfare, three nights’ accommodations and individual site tours. But the bonus is that the program includes a guest, so planners can bring along a spouse or child to make the trip a little easier. “We try to take the pressure off of a visit,” explains Toby Parks, director of convention sales for the MTCVB. “Once we get them here for site visits, the booking rate is really high.”

 

The Resorts
It’s not just the CVB’s hospitality or the convention center that impress planners when they visit; it’s also the many truly unique and beautiful resorts tucked into the hills that help seal the deal. While all the properties share incredible views and backyard access to desert nature, they help each other by being extremely unique.

The JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa is the newest kid on the block, opening in 2005 with 575 guest rooms and more than 66,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space. Building on the idea of the do-it-all resort destinations in Tucson, the Marriott provides a pretty package with 27 holes of golf, a 20,000-square-foot spa, several restaurants and impeccable views from each room’s private patio or balcony. Additional seductions include the standard evening communal tequila toast and a gorgeous front patio with a swimming pool. A “lazy river” surrounding the property is expected to be completed next summer.

Another top meeting destination is the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa. With 487 guest rooms and 64,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space, the Four-Diamond Westin has long been a staple for meetings in Tucson, and for good reason. In addition to its large and impressive public space, the Westin offers a 27-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, a Red Door spa, five swimming pools, 10 championship tennis courts and a 177-foot waterslide.

Featuring the only Five-Diamond restaurant in Tucson, the Ventana Room, Loews Ventana Canyon Resort can look to the recent acquisition of award-winning executive chef Marc Ehrler to keep its culinary offerings going well ahead of the curve. With 398 guest rooms and 37,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, the resort is also well-known for its beautiful nature trail, which winds through the back of the property toward the Santa Catalina mountains amid well-marked cacti and desert flora. Guests can stop at a number of resting spots, such as in the butterfly garden or next to a creek that trickles down from the nearby 80-foot waterfall.

There is plenty of excitement to be found at the 428-room Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort, with three golf courses, 31 lighted tennis courts, four swimming pools, two fitness centers, an equestrian center and a court or field for just about every other sport imaginable. Much of the fun takes place down at the Last Territory Steakhouse and Music Hall, a creaky wooden tribute to old-time saloons, where regular music performances, western shoot-outs and a friendly resident steer keep guests entertained for hours.

The 244-room Westward Look Resort also knows how to show guests a good time, with a number of themed breaks and group activities that include night-vision-goggle hikes, jeep tours, rock climbing or a Mexican fiesta party.

After emerging from a $90-million makeover this month, the new Desert Diamond Casino Hotel will feature 148 guest rooms and almost 10,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. In addition to providing a smoke-free, state-of-the-art casino, other amenities include complimentary wireless Internet, full food and beverage service and electronic drop-down screens. The property is also conveniently close to Tucson International Airport.

At the other end of the spectrum, Miraval Life in Balance Resort & Spa is one of the best destinations in the world for mental and physical rejuvenation. In fact, it was voted the No. 1 destination spa by Condé Nast Traveler in 2006. A practically limitless calendar of healthy activities (yoga, meditation, cooking classes, rock climbing, photography, stress reduction) keep you fully engaged during the day, and 106 comfortable casitas recharge you at night. Miraval also excels at small meetings and team-building exercises, including its on-site ropes course.

  

Unique Meeting Venues
Unique meetings in Tucson are a snap, as the area itself is a one-of-a-kind blend of desert nature, unique wildlife and Southwestern charm. Most of the resorts capitalize on these features by providing a number of fun activities, such as horseback riding, outdoor BBQs, desert hikes and nature tours. Yet one of the most magical places to experience the desert is at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, which is a perfect blend of well-marked natural desert pathways, live animal exhibits, museums and meeting space. Completely remote, out past the edge of town, the museum is as beautiful and tranquil as it is fascinating. This bodes well for meeting planners looking to impress a group, as the facility can be rented after-hours. What is most surprising about the museum is that, not only does it host such spectacular exhibits as an enclosed walk-through hummingbird room, mountain lion den and live animal shows, but it also has several top-of-the-line meeting facilities, many with gorgeous panoramic views of the desert, and a brand-new 270-seat theater. In addition to hosting educational classes for groups, the museum can do 200-seat formal dinners or outdoor evening cocktail receptions.

If your attendees really crave a desert experience, take them out to the timeless Tanque Verde Ranch. With more than 200 very happy and playful horses, the ranch retains an authentic Southwestern feel, and excels at helping city slickers loosen up and get their jeans a little dirty. As an all-inclusive, guests can pack their days with everything from breakfast horseback rides to outdoor BBQs to mountain-bike expeditions. And, while the various wranglers and stable boys working the ranch are about as authentic as possible (think handlebar moustaches), the accommodations are not correspondingly Spartan. Many of the 74 guest rooms include patios and fireplaces, and those saddle “sores” can be worked out in one of the saunas or hot tubs, or with a private in-room massage. Meetings are well taken care of with 4,000 sq. ft. of indoor space, plenty of outdoor meeting options and a great number of team-building programs.

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Getting There

Tucson International Airport hosts 12 different airlines offering nonstop service to 26 destinations and connections to more than 125 cities.

 

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Not To Be Missed

• The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a world-renowned tribute to the unique Sonoran desert and everything that inhabits it. The remote setting makes it an unforgettable meeting destination, with a number of brand-new meeting rooms.

• For a taste of authentic Tucson nightlife, take a group downtown to Club Congress, the uber-hip music venue and nightclub at the historic Hotel Congress.

• Fox Tucson Theatre: This ornate and highly celebrated 1929 theater was a hotspot for old films back in the day, and that reputation has not changed. The 1,200-seat auditorium makes for a great presentation or large meeting.

• If gun-slinging gets your heart racing, head over to the infamous O.K. Corral, where Wyatt Earp made every little boy want to grow up to be a cowboy. Re-enactments of the historic gunfight that took place there run throughout the day.

• Old Tucson Studios: Near the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum on the outskirts of town, this popular setup for western movies has been well-preserved, and gives a good feel of what Tucson was like when the size of your gun really did matter. Re-enactments and group activities are plentiful.

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