Attendees typically arrive in Colorado with elevated expectations that, more often than not, are exceeded. Cosmopolitan cities are within easy driving distance to some of the country’s most appealing mountain towns and resorts, and the abundance of high-tech meeting venues is onlysurpassed by the state’s range of outdoor activities.
From the Rocky Mountains to the western edge of the Great Plains, the Centennial State offers planners an ideal backdrop for inspiring gatherings.
Greater Denver: Upwardly Mobile
A boomtown many times over, the Mile High City of Denver delivers on many different levels. According to a Longwoods tourism study, the city broke tourism records in 2013 with 14 million overnight visitors spending more than $4 billion.
Jeff Willett, director of conferences for Associations International, praised the meetings market in Denver. “The Colorado Convention Center and Visit Denver work amazingly together like well-oiled machines,” he said. “In fact, the entire event community is well connected and helped us pull off a tremendously successful conference.”
Willett appreciated the layout of the convention center, the convenience of nearby hotels and the lively nightlife, all of which, for him, add up to make Denver “one of the best cities—if not the best city—to host a conference. Our attendees loved it.”
The centerpiece of downtown is the gold LEED–certified Colorado Convention Center. The center features 584,000 square feet of exhibit space and 63 meeting rooms. Its existing wireless network has been doubled—free Wi-Fi service is available at street level, in all common spaces and in meeting rooms. Other large venues include the 807,000-square-foot Denver Mart; the National Western Complex, which offers more than 600,000 square feet of space and a 6,600-seat arena; and the recently improved, 12-acre Civic Center Park.
With seven professional sports teams, Denver offers groups the ability to take in a game or meet at a major sports center. These include the Pepsi Center, which can host meetings of up to 21,000, and the Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium, home to the NFL’s Broncos, with stadium seating for up to 76,125 and indoor event spaces for up to 2,000. The 50,398-seat Coors Field, home to Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies, now features The Rooftop, a 38,000-square-foot area with views of the ballpark and downtown.
Several cultural venues include the Denver Art Museum, which has 10 spaces, the largest of which can host up to 500; the Denver Museum of Nature & Science can host functions of 3,500 and features a 5,000-square-foot outdoor terrace with spectacular city and mountain views. The 28,500-square-foot Clyfford Still Museum has reception space for up to 300 people; and the two-year-old History Colorado Center has special-event space for up to 525. Another cultural hub is the Denver Performing Arts Complex, which can host up to 950 people.
The upper floors of Union Station are home to The Crawford, which opened in July. Also new is the Renaissance/Denver Downtown–City Center, which opened in May in the revitalized Colorado National Bank Building. Looking forward, the 165-room Art Hotel is scheduled to open adjacent to the Denver Art Museum in December, and in 2015, the dual-branded Hyatt Place/Hyatt House is expected to open near the convention center with 248 and 113 guest rooms, respectively, while a 200-room Kimpton Hotel is scheduled to open near Union Station.
About 15 miles west of Denver is Golden, home to the famed Coors Brewery, which offers group tours. For functions, the Mount Vernon Event Center has event space for up to 300; the Astor House Museum, built in 1867, has space for up to 40; Clear Creek History Park offers space for up to 200; and the Golden History Center can host up to 100. Just south, near Morrison, groups of up to 9,450 can gather at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The 30,000-square-foot Red Rocks Visitor Center has unique meeting spaces as well.
Another place to enjoy entertainment is the mountain town of Black Hawk, which has the Ameristar Casino Resort Spa Black Hawk.
The Northern Front Range: Smart & Scenic Sites
Boulder is set amid the foothills of the Rockies. The first stop for many planners is the University of Colorado campus. Venues include club spaces within Folsom Field (which is adding a sports center and hospitality suite, to be complete in 2015), the 2,047-seat Macky Auditorium and the Coors Events Center, which can host up to 11,200 people.
Off-campus choices include the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art and the Event Center at Rembrandt Yard. Several of the two dozen or so popular breweries in town offer event space including the Avery Brewing Company, which has a warehouse that can host up to 150 people and a barrel room that can accommodate up to 30 guests.
A unique option is Chautauqua, a National Historic Landmark at the base of the Flatirons. It offers 60 guest cottages, two guest lodges and meeting space for up to 100. Another historic choice is the Hotel Boulderado. Next to the university, the Millennium Harvest House Boulder has been renovated.
Loveland, about 30 miles north of Boulder, is known as the Gateway to the Rockies. The Fountains of Loveland offers meeting space for up to 375 and an on-site La Quinta Hotel with 69 guest rooms. Also in town, and adept at handling larger functions, is the Ranch Events Complex, with 375,000 square feet of space, including the 7,200-seat Budweiser Events Center and an adjacent Embassy Suites.
Farther north, in Fort Collins, event sites include the LEED-certified Lincoln Center, with eight spaces, the largest of which can accommodate up to 500; the Fort Collins Country Club, which can accommodate up to 230 in its main ballroom; the Drake Centre, with 12,000 square feet of space and conveniently located near Colorado State University; and the CSU campus itself, which offers meeting space for up to 6,000 people during the summer months. The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery can be rented for events of up to 1,500. And the Gardens on Spring Creek has indoor classroom space for up to 35 and outdoor space for up to 750 people.
On the hotel front, the Courtyard/Fort Collins has renovated its guest rooms and lobby, and an 83-room Candlewood Suites is expected to open this winter. Groups that have held meetings in the area of late include the Colorado Assisted Living Association, the American Chiropractic Association and the Colorado Rock Art Association.
To the southeast, in Greeley, the University of Northern Colorado welcomes groups, as does the Island Grove Events Center, with 60,000 square feet of dedicated space. Convenient to both is the full-service Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, with eight meeting rooms. A Homewood Suites is scheduled to open late 2015. Additional event venues include the Union Colony Civic Center and the Greeley Country Club.
Excursions to Rocky Mountain National Park are on the agenda of many visiting groups. In Estes Park, just three miles from the park entrance, the historic Stanley Hotel has been restored to its original grandeur. The main hotel now also runs the adjacent, 40-room Lodge at the Stanley Hotel (formerly the Manor House), which has been remodeled.
About 60 miles south of the park, near Granby, the C Lazy U Ranch features 40 newly renovated cabin accommodations. The ranch can host groups of up to 120 people.
Eighteen miles away, in Tabernash, the Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa features the Broad Axe Barn and the new 50,000-square-foot High Lonesome Lodge, Barn & Pavilion.
Colorado Springs area: Climb Every Mountain
The eastern foothills of the Rockies tower over Colorado Springs. The city’s nearby Pikes Peak and the 230-acre Garden of the Gods park were named as some of the nation’s greatest public spaces by the American Planning Association. Groups that have headed to Colorado Springs recently for events include the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Affordable Housing Management Association and the Military Officers Association of America.
In April, more than 250 attendees attended the Joint Rail Conference, which was organized by eight associations and held at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort. “Colorado Springs was a logical choice for our conference: easy to get to, steeped in traditions and history, midway between our two tour options of Denver and Pueblo and with plenty of opportunities to extend the week’s activities,” said Steve Dedmon, conference chair. “The venue was great—an excellent choice. Great atmosphere, friendly service and good food.”
Other popular options include the downtown Mining Exchange, a Wyndham Grand Hotel, and the Broadmoor Resort, which opened the redesigned Broadmoor West building this spring. Later this summer, the Broadmoor plans to open Cloud Camp, a retreat on Cheyenne Mountain. Other rollouts include the spring 2015 opening of the Fishing Camp and the Seven Falls attraction.
Large meeting venues include the 8,099-seat World Arena, which features 180,000 square feet of meeting space; the Pikes Peak Center, a performing arts venue that can accommodate up to 2,000; the University of Colorado–Colorado Springs, with meeting spaces for up to 1,500; and the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, which has meeting space for groups of up to 400 people.
Other options include the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, which can be booked for up to 1,000, and the 8,500-seat Security Service Field, with 5,360 square feet of meeting space. There is also the ProRodeo Hall of Fame & Museum of the American Cowboy, with event space for up to 600, and the Pikes Peak International Raceway.
Just west of the city, in Manitou Springs, is the renovated Cliff House at Pikes Peak. Also in town is the Garden of the Gods Trading Post, whose Peak View Conference Center provides 2,600 square feet of space.
Forty-five miles south of Colorado Springs is Pueblo. Meeting sites include the Pueblo Convention Center, which has 21,000 square feet of meeting space. A few blocks north, the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center offers space for up to 500. Groups can hold events at the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo. The city has also been utilizing a $14 million grant to revitalize its downtown and plan the addition of new conference facilities.
Southwestern Colorado: Outdoor Opportunities
Time spent in Durango is never dull. A pavilion at the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad’s terminus in the San Juan Mountains can be reserved for parties. About 110 miles north of Durango, Telluride is a National Historic Landmark District. From town, a gondola ride up the hill drops visitors at Mountain Village. Meeting hotels include the Peaks Resort & Spa and the Fairmont Heritage Place Franz Klammer Lodge. Both are adjacent to the Telluride Conference Center, which offers 77,000 square feet of meeting space.
Farther north, in Montrose, the Montrose Pavilion has 44,000 square feet of event space and views of the San Juan Mountains. Additional meeting spaces include the Ute Indian Museum, the Museum of the Mountain West and the Turn of the Century Saloon.
Eastward into the Rockies is Crested Butte. At the base of the Crested Butte Mountain Resort are the renovated Elevation Hotel & Spa and the Lodge at Mountaineer Square. Near Crawford is Smith Fork Ranch, which can accommodate up to 26 guests in restored cabins from late May through November 1.
Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs & Aspen: Aspiring & Inspirational
In Grand Junction, downtown’s Two Rivers Convention Center is the largest convention center between Denver and Salt Lake City with 23,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space. Meetings and receptions can be held at the historic Avalon Theatre, which is undergoing a $9.6 million renovation scheduled to finish in September. Lincoln Park, a hospitality suite within the 8,000-seat Stocker Stadium, can also be used for events.
Depending on the season, Skiing at nearby Powderhorn Mountain Resort is popular. Or groups can schedule visits to local wineries including the Two Rivers Winery & Chateau and, in nearby Palisade, Colorado Cellars Winery and Plum Creek Winery. The business lobby at the Courtyard/Grand Junction has been upgraded and the Residence Inn by Marriott has been renovated.
Groups that have recently convened in the area include the Colorado & Mountain Plains Chapter of the National Association of Housing & Redevelopment, the American Public Works Association and the Ski Area Vehicle Maintenance Institute. Fifty miles southwest of Grand Junction, in Gateway, the Gateway Canyons Resort offers the new Kayenta Conference Center, a LEED-certified event center and an amphitheater.
Ninety miles east of Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs is home to the landmark Glenwood Hot Springs. Groups often meet at the Glenwood Canyon Resort. Hotel Denver offers groups The Loft, which can host up to 99. Another option is the Glenwood Springs Community Center, with space for up to 200.
Other attractions include Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park with event space for up to 400 people. The nearby Sunlight Mountain Resort has meeting spaces for up to 200. Organizations holding events in the area of late include the North American Society for Sport History and Holy Cross Energy, which held its Colorado Rural Electric Operations & Engineering Conference at the Courtyard by Marriott/Glenwood Springs.
Set amid the scenic Roaring Fork Valley are Aspen and neighboring Snowmass. In Aspen is The Little Nell, St. Regis Aspen Resort and the historic Hotel Jerome (now an Auberge Resort), which offers refurbished guest rooms.
On the western end of town, the Aspen Meadows Resort offers gold LEED–certified function space, including the $14 million Doerr-Hosier Conference Center and the expanded Paepcke Auditorium. One of the many groups that uses the resort as a base each year is the Association of Governing Boards of Universities & Colleges, which has held its annual Institute for Board Chairs & Presidents of Independent Colleges here for more than a decade.
“The environment speaks volumes; being surrounded by photos of great thinkers with big ideas inspires us. The staff is fantastic, the accommodations are world-class and the complete meeting package is a gift to a meeting planner. I look forward to coming to Aspen Meadows every year,” said Audrey Young, director of conferences.
Smaller groups might look to Kimpton’s Sky Hotel, which recently updated its guest rooms and public spaces. And the Gant, by Destination Hotels & Resorts property, recently completed a $5 million renovation of its conference center. Off-site venues include Gondola Plaza and the Wheeler Opera House.
Nine miles from Aspen, properties in Snowmass Village include the gold LEED–certified Viceroy Hotel and the Westin/Snowmass.
Vail Valley & Summit County: Experiences Meant to Last
On Vail Mountain in Vail, the Game Creek Restaurant can host up to 150 for dinner or up to 200 for receptions, and The 10th is open to groups in the summer. In Vail Village, up to 200 people can gather at Elway’s Steakhouse at the Lodge at Vail, which is undergoing renovations through December. And the Matsuhisa/Vail sushi restaurant in the lobby of Solaris Residences can seat up to 500 indoors or up to 1,200 beneath an outdoor tent. Other event sites include Donovan Pavilion, with 5,205 square feet of gathering space.
Many of Vail’s hotels have undergone guest-room renovations, including Sonnenalp, Sebastian, the Vail Cascade Resort and Wyndham’s Lion Square Lodge. And green meetings can be organized at any of the four local RockResorts properties: Arrabelle at Vail Square and the aforementioned Lodge at Vail, and in Beaver Creek, the Osprey at Beaver Creek and the Pines Lodge. Another choice is the Park Hyatt/Beaver Creek, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary; it just finished a redesign of its guest rooms and a multimillion-dollar update of Ford Hall. In Avon, near Beaver Creek, is the Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa. And minutes away is the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, which recently completed a $15 million renovation.
Farther east along Interstate 70 is Copper Mountain, another noted resort. In nearby Silverthorne, the Silverthorne Pavilion can seat up to 260, and in Keystone, the Keystone Resort & Conference Center features 100,000 square feet of function space.
Breckenridge is another mountain resort town that attracts groups year-round. Breckenridge Hospitality has 40,000 square feet of space at planners’ disposal; notable sites for events include the Lodge at Breckenridge, which is scheduled to complete a property-wide renovation by the end of the month (it will continue to remain open), and the Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum & Hall of Fame, which can host special functions of up to 150 guests.
The Height of Possibilities
At 5,280 feet above sea level, Denver prides itself on going the extra mile, and many of the state’s mountain resorts rival that attitude with awesome scenery to match. No matter the destination or agenda, groups will be welcomed throughout Colorado with a variety of venues and distinct amenities and recreational options.