Smart Meetings

Bordered by the Tonto National Forest, and surrounded by three lakes and two rivers within a 30-minute drive, Mesa serves as a playground for just about every outdoor recreational activity imaginable.

But, located about 25 minutes from Phoenix, the city of 455,000 also has its share of shopping, nightlife and upscale hotel accommodations. “Even though it has all the amenities of a big city, it has the feel of a small town,” says Rick Elder, communications manager for the Mesa Convention and Visitors Bureau (mesacvb.com). “It’s the biggest city nobody heard of.”

Although that conception is changing rapidly. Small-to-midsize groups are increasingly gathering at the Mesa Convention Center (mesaconventioncenter.com). The full-service event facility features 19,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space along with an additional 19,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space, encompassing 15 meeting rooms that can be configured to accommodate a wide range of groups.

As of late, the city has become a performing arts haven with the recent opening of the Mesa Arts Center (mesaartscenter.com), the largest arts complex in the state and one of the largest municipal campuses in the Southwest. Opening its doors just two years ago, the 212,000-square-foot center houses five galleries and four theaters that host everything from Broadway-style theater to musical entertainment. For an unforgettable reception amid the arts, host a cabaret event at the center’s Anita Cox Farnsworth Studio Theater, which can also be configured for meetings, exhibitions and receptions.

For another memorable meeting, hold a 1940s-themed event surrounded by classic WWII, Korea and Vietnam aircraft fighter jets in the Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force Aircraft Museum (arizonawing-caf.com), a nonprofit museum dedicated to preserving aviation history and wartime relics. The museum’s 30,000-square-foot event space can accommodate groups up to 2,000.

Or take your group on the water—literally—with a cruise on the Dolly Steamboat (dollysteamboat.com). Bring your binoculars and scout for wildlife as you cruise through the Sonoran Desert on a 90-minute narrated tour. Or reserve the boat on a not-to-be-forgotten dinner cruise as you wend through the inner waterways of Canyon Lake.

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Getting There

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (skyharboraiport.com) is served by 19 airlines with nonstop service to more than 100 U.S. cities. Tucson International Airport (tucsonairport.org) is served by 11 airlines with nonstop services to 17 cities and connections to more than 121 destinations. Back to Top