5 Reasons Meeting Profs Love Arizona

Arizona’s stretch of historic Route 66 remains classic time travel showcasing roadside diners, stunning landscapes and quirky attractions like Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, with teepee-shaped guest rooms and vintage cars parked out front.

Eons of earthly time have endowed natural beauty famed the world over. The Grand Canyon is, well, grandest of them all, but also don’t miss Petrified Forest National Park and Canyon de Chelly National Monument, whose earliest inhabitants arrived over 5,000 years ago.

With its jaw-dropping red sandstone formations, Sedona is known for mystical and spiritual energy, making it the perfect setting for its many wellness resorts. Healing and rejuvenation can include outdoor adventures like hiking, biking, horseback riding and Jeep tours.

Hankerin’ for historic towns, ghost towns and Old West museums? You’ll find ‘em here. Check out Jerome, once known as the Wickedest Town in the West. It’s now a hub for artists, musicians and those seeking unique places. Jerome State Historic Park showcases mining artifacts, and visitors can pan for gold.

If you think Arizona seasons consist of hot and hotter, head for the high-country beauty of Flagstaff, where its four seasons include real winter with skiing and snowboarding. An international Dark Sky City, its lively, historic downtown is also a gateway to two national parks, six national monuments and eight state parks.

 

5 Places to Meet & Play

Boutique Weatherford Hotel in historic Flagstaff dates to 1897, and Western author Zane Grey wrote a novel in what is now part of the ballroom that bears his name.

Five event spaces (largest is 6,000 sq. ft. and can accommodate 1,000 guests; 17 guest rooms

From Albert Einstein to John Wayne, luminaries began flocking to La Posada Hotel & Gardens in Winslow when it opened in 1929 as one of the grandest resort hotels in the Southwest.

Total event space of 4,000 sq. ft. (largest conference room is 2,000 sq. ft.); 54 guest rooms

Enchantment Resort, a masterwork of the Southwestern motif, sits on 70 acres of endless beauty in Sedona, at the base of Boynton Canyon.

12,000 sq. ft. of indoor meeting space and 32,000 sq. ft. outdoors; 218 casita guest rooms

High Country Conference Center Flagstaff is sustainability-minded and beautifully designed in three unique buildings.

29,700 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space, including a ballroom for up to 800 attendees

Drury Inn & Suites Flagstaff, located on the campus of Northern Arizona University and linked by skybridge to High Country Conference Center, was the first LEED-certified hotel in Arizona.

Five meeting rooms totaling more than 3,700 sq. ft.; 160 guest rooms

 

Tribal Treasure

More than a quarter of Arizona is tribal land, on which sit some 20 Native American reservations. The largest, the Navajo Nation, is the size of Ireland and offers many visitor experiences. Other tribes welcome visitors to cultural ceremonies, while some limit access to commercial areas.

One of the best ways to engage your attendees with the state’s Indigenous heritage is a visit to the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, with its extensive collection of tribal artifacts on display in the Native Peoples of the Colorado Plateau exhibition, including traditional basketry, pottery, weaving, clothing and jewelry of fine silverwork. Behind-the-scenes tours for groups are available. The museum also hosts Native American cultural events like traditional performances and demonstrations by Native artists.

A completely different way to experience the state’s Indigenous presence is at a tribal-owned resort. Among the most preeminent is Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, owned by two Native American tribes that comprise the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. It offers over 100,000 sq. ft. of meeting space (including a 25,000-square-foot ballroom) for indoor and outdoor gatherings ranging from a full-scale tradeshow to an intimate gathering overlooking Camelback Mountain.

The art collection inside Talking Stick is recognized as the largest collection of contemporary Native American art outside of a museum, and the Cultural Center at Talking Stick Resort is an especially fascinating exhibition of Native American art, history and traditions. It includes two actual talking sticks—custom pieces from which the hotel takes its name.