Step off the plane at Albuquerque International Sunport and you immediately feel like you have entered another world. Unlike cookie-cutter airports, Albuquerque’s terminals sport a different vibe, with terra-cotta-colored walls, turquoise-tinted signs and Native American craft and jewelry stores that put high-end shops in other parts of the country to shame. And that is just the airport.
What is on the outside is far more spectacular. Framed on the east by the Sandia Mountains and on the west by five dormant volcanoes, and bisected by the Rio Grande, Albuquerque is a sight to behold, and its vibrant Old Town heart is a highlight of the destination.
Just up the road is the city of Santa Fe, a one-of-a-kind artists’ colony and unique shopping mecca. Visitors are instantly charmed by Santa Fe’s wealth of adobe-style structures and numerous art galleries, tasty restaurants and specialty boutique shops.
Driving farther north, visitors find themselves in the pristine community of Taos. The area, home to ski resorts, galleries and quaint restaurants, is an easy choice for outdoor adventure-seeking groups, with year-round activities such as skiing, biking, hiking, and rock climbing.
Albuquerque
The natural and cultural beauty of Albuquerque is everywhere apparent upon arriving in the “Duke City.”
Between its mountains, volcanoes and high desert sits the bustling city of about 450,000 residents that offers a laid-back attitude and welcoming climate, complete with 310 days of sunshine per year. Around every corner visitors will find adobe-style homes and buildings, a testament to the city’s passion for preserving its Spanish and Native American heritage.
Yet even with its many attractive attributes, Linda Brown, vice president of convention sales and services for the Albuquerque CVB, says the destination is not well known.
“What is really different about Albuquerque is that it is a destination that very few people know about,” she says. “So when people come here, it is a surprise when you look at the history, culture and architecture. When you come here for a meeting, you come away with so much more.”
Attendee experiences might include a visit to the city’s array of museums, a look at its exciting development projects and a taste of its many world-class restaurants.
Albuquerque’s Old Town is a visitor favorite, with its 300-year-old-plus history seeping out of every corner. The neighborhood is anchored by its plaza, an open gathering place surrounded by shops, restaurants and the soaring San Felipe de Neri Church, built in 1793 and still welcoming parishioners today.
While preserving its past, Albuquerque is also looking to the future with a heavy emphasis on group satisfaction.
The destination, which already hosts a variety of indoor meeting spaces, recently changed its restrictions on serving alcohol outdoors—a plus for convention-goers.
“One thing that has totally changed is our alcohol laws,” Brown says. “As of December 2006, we can have outdoor receptions, giving groups more opportunities to experience more parts of the city. It has really helped the business community and it shows that the city is serious about the meetings business.”
Other Albuquerque developments include a revitalization of its downtown district over the past several years, bringing in new residences, shops, restaurants, and entertainment options.
Also downtown, the Albuquerque Convention Center completed a renovation of 16 of its meeting rooms in August and discussions are under way for additional renovations.
Meanwhile, the city is revamping its hotel product. The Hyatt Regency Albuquerque is scheduled to begin a room renovation soon, and the Doubletree Hotel Albuquerque (connected to the convention center) recently completed a major overhaul.
Other meetings-friendly properties have also undergone upgrades, including the Radisson Hotel Albuquerque, Albuquerque Marriott Hotel and Plaza Inn Albuquerque. La Posada de Albuquerque is currently closed for a renovation and will reemerge under a new name in mid-2008.
The Embassy Suites Albuquerque and Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town, which recently expanded its Q Bar, are also popular options for groups.
Following a day of meetings, Brown says groups often like to kick up their heels for a night on the town.
“One of the trends we are seeing is that groups like to have a night in Old Town,” she says. “We will work with shops to stay open late.”
Shopping is another popular draw, and after a little retail therapy, groups enjoy events at one of the city’s many museums. The National Hispanic Cultural Center offers sizable indoor and outdoor meeting space complete with an outdoor plaza, as does the exquisitely decorated Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, home to a bright lobby and large outdoor amphitheater.
Just outside Albuquerque, planners can also book groups at the Sandia Resort & Casino, home to 228 guest rooms and 50,000 square feet of meeting space, and at the 350-room Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa, located on the Santa Ana Pueblo.
Santa Fe
New Mexico’s capital city of Santa Fe is nicknamed the “City Different,” and in this case, different is good.
Situated 7,000 feet above sea level, Santa Fe offers mild year-round temperatures as well as a wealth of cultural draws.
“I think the sense of uniqueness catches people by surprise,” says Christine Madden, director of sales for the Santa Fe CVB, adding that the destination is a perfect setting for a meeting because its atmosphere “may just be what you want to soften [attendees] for new thoughts and ideas.”
Madden says the pristine beauty of Santa Fe, from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, which can be seen piercing the sky just east of the city, to the commercial draws of specialty shopping, brings a sense of peace to many a meeting attendee.
“There was an old ad campaign that said, ‘Don’t just have a meeting, have an epiphany,’” she says. “Hosting a meeting in Santa Fe helps [attendees] reach into parts of their brain that they may not be exercising.”
The city of Santa Fe is anchored by its plaza, a historic center surrounded by shops, restaurants and the soon-to-be-renovated La Fonda on the Plaza hotel.
“If it is an annual meeting and planners want to attract as many people as possible, they see Santa Fe and all of a sudden they have time on their schedule,” Madden says, adding that the city often goes up against destinations such as New York City, Chicago and Seattle for meetings, and wins. “It surprises me that Santa Fe is so small but has such a large reputation.”
The city with a population of less than 75,000 residents may be more miniature compared with other meetings destinations, but it definitely holds its own.
Currently, Santa Fe is buzzing about the city’s new convention center, slated to open next August with nearly 40,000 square feet of function space, including more than 26,000 square feet of meeting space. It replaces the Sweeney Convention Center, which was demolished in February 2006 to make way for the new facility.
In the meantime, the city entertains groups at properties such as the Eldorado Hotel & Spa, Inn and Spa at Loretto and Hilton Santa Fe Historic Plaza, all of which recently have been renovated.
In addition, Hotel Santa Fe, home to The Hacienda at Hotel Santa Fe, is scheduled to open its new spa in April 2008; Encantado, An Auberge Resort, is slated to open next July; and La Posada de Santa Fe Resort & Spa, A Rock Resort, is another popular option, with a 4,500-square-foot conference center.
Off-site choices abound in the Santa Fe, with a wealth of art galleries available for group events (Santa Fe is the second-largest art market behind New York City), as well as Museum Hill, offering group-friendly venues such as the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture and the Museum of International Folk Art.
Groups craving New Mexican food with a twist can head over to La Casa Sena, where they can hold indoor and outdoor events on its foliage-filled patio and listen to top-notch singers perform Broadway show tunes nightly.
Taos
Attendees who come to Taos are sure to be impressed in part by its long history of hosting meetings, says Jeanne Kitzman, sales and marketing manager for the Taos Convention Center.
“One of the things we always like to say here in Taos is that this has been a great meeting place for the last 600 years,” she says. “In the 1500s when the Spanish came through the Camino Real, Taos was their trading hub. It was the center of trade and meetings.”
Like Santa Fe and Albuquerque, breathtaking mountains make a picture-perfect backdrop for visitors and provide outdoor enthusiasts with endless hours of entertainment, something Kitzman says groups are catching on to.
“Increasingly, we have seen a trend toward taking advantage of the outdoor activities we have to offer,” she says. “We are getting on the map for white-water rafting, hiking, biking, rock climbing, and horseback riding. We are seeing people want to do more active things than ever before.”
Meanwhile, one of the destination’s most interesting attractions is Taos Pueblo. The pueblo, which has been continuously inhabited for more than 1,000 years, is located just outside the city center and offers group tours.
In addition to its Native American cultural highlights, Taos is also a well-known artists’ colony, offering a wealth of galleries and shops around its central plaza.
The destination entertains groups of from 250 people to 500 people at the Taos Convention Center, and meetings-friendly properties include the newly expanded El Monte Sagrado Living Resort, Hotel La Fonda De Taos, Sagebrush Inn & Conference Center, and Columbine Inn & Conference Center.
After a long day of meetings, groups can enjoy a tasty off-site event at eateries such as Joseph’s Table and the nearby Sabroso Restaurant & Bar.
An inviting group getaway about 40 minutes east of Taos is Angel Fire Resort, a popular ski destination with accommodations and meeting space.
For More Info
Albuquerque CVB 505.842.9918
www.itsatrip.org
Santa Fe CVB 505.955.6200
www.santafe.org
Taos COC 505.758.3873
www.taoschamber.com
