Known not only for its spas and sunshine but also as a southwest hub of culture and entertainment, Phoenix and its surrounding areas, including Scottsdale, Mesa and Tempe, are also ideally suited to groups looking for an easily accessible meeting point.
“Phoenix is a destination that is easy to fly into for delegates,” says Doug MacKenzie, director of communications for the Greater Phoenix CVB. “We have two of the largest low-cost carriers: Southwest Airlines and US Airways, so it makes it very convenient and value-oriented for delegates year-round.”
In addition to its trouble-free air accessibility, the tightly-knit area will soon be a breeze to navigate on land with the introduction of a new street-level mass transportation system named METRO, scheduled to come on-line in December 2008 and connect Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa with 28 stops along 20 miles of track.
An array of other developments are in the works in the Phoenix area as well as in Sedona, located a couple hours by car from Phoenix in the northern part of the state. Even though each community has its own flair, from urban to outdoorsy to artsy, growth is a unifying thread, with billions being invested in meeting sites, hotels, mixed-use developments, and downtown revitalizations.
Phoenix Area
Boasting more than 325 days of sunshine per year, Phoenix brings out smiles in each of its nearly 1.4 million residents as well as in its wealth of yearly visitors.
According to MacKenzie, the city offers groups a variety of well-appointed meeting venues in addition to the natural beauty of the desert and attractions highlighting Native American culture.
“I think what is wonderful about Phoenix is that you have a mix of cosmopolitan modern technology coupled with Southwest culture,” he says. “You are in a high-tech downtown but within minutes you are in the middle of the desert with blooming flowers.”
In addition to its natural beauty, Phoenix’s downtown core is blossoming at lightening speed with the $600 million expansion of the Phoenix Convention Center (formerly named the Phoenix Civic Plaza).
Even after opening its new West Building in July 2006, crews are still busy at work on the building’s expansion, which is set to be unveiled in December 2008 with nearly 900,000 square feet of function space.
Phoenix also plans to welcome several hotels near the expanded convention center, including a W Hotel and the 1,000-room Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, slated to open in October 2008 with 80,000 square feet of function space.
Outside the meeting room, groups have a plethora of unique attractions and off-site venues to choose from in Phoenix, including the Desert Botanical Garden, the Heard Museum and the newly expanded Phoenix Art Museum.
For a taste of the Old West, meeting planners can host themed events with rodeo entertainment at the Corona Ranch and Rodeo Grounds, located in nearby Laveen.
Besides its interesting diversions, Phoenix also provides a variety of accommodation offerings, MacKenzie says.
“The selection of over 50,000 hotel rooms [in Phoenix] offers groups different venues, from luxury resorts to economical settings for meetings,” he says, highlighting properties such as the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa, scheduled to finish a meeting space upgrade next year; the Wyndham Phoenix, undergoing a guest room renovation; the Hyatt Regency Phoenix; the Pointe South Mountain Resort; the Pointe Hilton Resort at Tapatio Cliffs; the Pointe Hilton Resort at Squaw Peak; and the Arizona Biltmore Resort and Spa.
Right outside Phoenix, the community of Glendale will take center stage next January when it hosts Superbowl XLII at the University of Phoenix Stadium.
“The community is very excited about it,” MacKenzie says, adding that the event will “showcase Phoenix to the world.”
Nearby Litchfield Park provides another option for groups with The Wigwam Golf Resort and Spa, home to 38,000 square feet of meeting space.
Scottsdale
Although known as a golfer’s paradise with 200-plus courses, the picturesque community of Scottsdale offers more than long stretches of green fairways, says Dan Tavrytzky, vice president of sales and services for the Scottsdale CVB.
“We are so much more than what people thought we were in the past. People used to think we were just a golf destination. We are more than that,” he says, adding that the community is an adventure and culinary destination with options for hiking, biking and climbing, and popular eateries such as Cowboy Ciao.
Recognized as an upscale meetings hot spot with properties such as The Phoenician Resort, the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, the Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North, the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa, and the Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, Scottsdale not only entertains corporate, association, SMERF, and incentive groups with deep pockets, but also caters to budget-conscious groups by offering attractive seasonal fares.
“We are a seasonal destination,” Tavrytzky says, adding that the city’s peak season runs from January to April. “A lot of customers can use us in the summertime and pay up to a 60 percent discount versus what you pay in season.”
Like Phoenix, Scottsdale is going through its fair share of growth, with hotel renovations, new builds and even new neighborhoods sprouting up.
One such neighborhood is SouthBridge, a five-acre development situated along the Arizona Canal and scheduled open this winter with a variety of independent shops and restaurants.
Scottsdale’s hotel scene is also enjoying a number of updates. The 453-room Camelback Inn, A JW Marriott Resort and Spa, is scheduled to finish a $35 million renovation next March, and the Mondrian Scottsdale, Hyatt Place Scottsdale Old Town, FireSky Resort and Spa, Royal Palms Resort and Spa, and The Phoenician have all been recently refurbished.
Hotels in the pipeline include the W Scottsdale Hotel and Residences and the InterContinental Montelucia Resort and Spa (formerly the Doubletree La Posada Resort), both scheduled to debut next year.
Just north of Scottsdale, the community of Carefree presents groups with The Boulders Resort and Golden Door Spa and the 465-room Carefree Resort and Villas, which plans to finish a renovation of its main lodge rooms by fall 2008.
Tempe
Groups looking for a welcoming, pedestrian-friendly destination that offers affordable yet high-quality accommodations feel right at home in Tempe.
Home to Arizona State University, the community’s eclectic atmosphere is evident on a stroll down the tree-lined Mill Avenue District, a favorite spot for many a meeting attendee with its variety of shops and restaurants.
“There are so many things to do within the Tempe borders,” says Michael Martin, executive vice president of the Tempe CVB. “If someone wants to have a nice night out for dinner, the Mill Avenue District offers over 65 restaurants, all within easy walking distance.”
Additionally, groups can enjoy a visit to Tempe Town Lake, which is adjacent to the city’s downtown district and is bustling with development, including the construction of Le Meridien–Tempe Town Lake. The property is slated to open in September 2009.
Other developments in the area include the opening this fall of the Tempe Center for the Arts, which will feature a 200-seat theater, and the new 1.3 million-square-foot Tempe Marketplace, a shopping and entertainment district.
Delegates have a variety of meeting space and accommodations choices in Tempe, including The Tempe Mission Palms Hotel and The Buttes, A Marriott Resort, which features 40,000 square feet of meeting space and plans to finish an upgrade this month. Meanwhile, the Tempe/Phoenix Airport AmeriSuites will become the Hyatt Place Tempe/Phoenix this fall, and several other properties are undergoing renovations, including the Fiesta Resort Conference Center, the Embassy Suites Phoenix–Tempe, the Sheraton Phoenix Airport Hotel Tempe, and the Holiday Inn Phoenix–Tempe/ASU.
In addition to well-appointed hotels, Tempe offers a host of off-site venues, according to Martin.
Mesa
Located roughly six miles east of Tempe, fast-growing Mesa is well known as a value-inherent destination boasting plenty of outdoor recreation, according to Robert Brinton, executive director of the Mesa CVB.
“The thing that Mesa offers when you are looking at the whole Valley of the Sun area is the value. It’s the same sun but less burn,” he says, adding that outdoor-loving groups often like to go tubing down the Salt River or host an event at Golfland SunSplash, two adjacent facilities offering a waterpark and mini-golf activities. “We can offer the same sunshine, but it is going to be at a more economical price than other areas.”
Groups visiting Mesa can enjoy everything from top-notch golf and spring-training baseball games to cultural lures such as the $100 million Mesa Arts Center, one of the destination’s latest additions. The center features four theaters showcasing a variety of performing arts, in addition to 5,500 square feet of exhibition space in five galleries, outdoor gardens, courtyards, and private gathering space.
The destination’s principal group facility is the Mesa Convention Center, offering 19,000 square feet of exhibit space and 19,000 square feet of meeting space.
Hotel meeting space can be found at the 187-room Arizona Golf Resort Hotel and Conference Center, which features 12,000 square feet of meeting space and plans to begin a renovation and expansion next year; the Phoenix Marriott Mesa; and the recently renovated Hilton Phoenix East/Mesa.
Off-site venues abound in Mesa, with group-friendly eateries such as The Landmark Restaurant and Rancho de Tia Rosa, as well as entertaining options like the Broadway Palm West Dinner Theatre, the Rockin’ R Ranch and the Ponderosa Gardens and Reception Centre.
About 18 miles north of Mesa groups will find themselves in Fountain Hills, where well-appointed group venues include CopperWynd Resort and Club, Inn at Eagle Mountain and Radisson Fort McDowell Resort and Casino.
Eight miles south of Mesa, the community of Chandler is another popular group choice, with properties such as the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa and the Crowne Plaza San Marcos Golf Resort.
Sedona
Famous for its soaring red rocks, spas and spiritual vortexes, Sedona sits roughly two hours north of Phoenix by car, and groups happily flock to the destination for a picturesque dose of peace and quiet.
“The scenic beauty of the area really makes it a great place to be with co-workers and family and friends,” says Jennifer Wesselhoff, president and CEO of the Sedona Chamber of Commerce. “It is really a beautiful place to have meetings and be inspired, especially if you are doing strategic planning. The creativity that you find in Sedona with the scenic beauty is really special.”
The destination’s allure has only been enhanced, Wesselhoff says, with the recent completion of a revitalization to the city’s Uptown district, aimed at beautifying the area and making it more walkable.
“We’ve just completed an Uptown enhancement project to make it more pedestrian-friendly and accessible,” she says, adding that the project has created more room for shops and outdoor eating spaces.
Popular group activities in Sedona include hiking and biking as well as group yoga and meditation sessions and visiting Native American ruins.
“There is just so much here,” Wesselhoff says. “That is why people like it so much—it can be what they want it to be. If they want it to be an outdoor experience, they can do that, but they might not know anything about the Native American ruins down the street.”
Top meetings-friendly hotels in the destination include the recently renovated Radisson Poco Diablo Resort; Amara Resort and Spa and L’Auberge de Sedona, both of which recently added spas; Sedona Rouge Hotel and Spa; Enchantment Resort; and Hilton Sedona Hotel and Spa.
For More Info
Greater Phoenix CVB 602.254.6500
www.visitphoenix.com
Mesa CVB 480.827.4700
www.mesacvb.com
Scottsdale CVB 480.421.1004
www.scottsdalecvb.com
Sedona Chamber of Commerce 928.204.1123
www.visitsedona.com
Tempe CVB 480.894.8158
www.tempecvb.com
