Nature has blessed Arizona with some of the most gorgeous topography imaginable. Glowing red pinnacles reminiscent of European cathedral steeples peak above golden mountains. Vast canyons, plateaus and deserts seem transplanted from Africa into the American Southwest. Fragrant forests, rushing rivers and clear blue skies excite the eyes and all the senses. Visitors feel completely immersed in nature’s canvas while exploring this land of extremes.
Arizona is home to one of the seven wonders of the world: Grand Canyon National Park, covering more than a million acres of land. Several Native American tribes occupy numerous reservations around the state, and the flavors and colors of Mexico blend with the laid-back lifestyle along its southern borders. The Wild West is alive and thriving at guest ranches and rodeos.
Creature comforts abound amid this astonishing natural and cultural backdrop. Arizona has more than 300 world-class golf courses and three of the world’s top destination spas. Scottsdale alone has more spas per capita than anywhere else in the country, and masterful therapists around the state incorporate indigenous ingredients and Native American and international techniques in their treatments. Chefs in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tucson and Sedona have created an exciting Southwest cuisine scene, while fashionable dining rooms at lavish resorts garner international attention.
Opportunities for exciting, invigorating and inspiring meetings abound.
Cities throughout Arizona are constantly improving their tourism services and facilities. A $600 million expansion of the Phoenix Convention Center will reach completion in January 2009. Plans are under way for a major redevelopment project in downtown Tucson, including an update of the existing convention center and construction of a new 12,000-seat arena. Flagstaff is home to the new High Country Conference Center, and this fall, a new conference center will open in downtown Yuma.
Several cities are also transforming their downtowns into exciting urban centers. Developments totaling more than $3 billion are under way in Scottsdale, where the Arizona Canal’s banks are sporting new hotels, condos, shops and restuarants. Yuma is undergoing a multifaceted 10-year development plan; Gateway Park, a $4.4 million facility on the banks of the Colorado River, opened in 2007 adjacent to historic downtown Yuma.
Meanwhile, Arizona’s art scene is thriving in impressive galleries, historic opera houses and cutting-edge theaters, including four separate stages at the $95 million Mesa Arts Center, the state’s largest arts complex.
Meeting planners find extraordinarily diverse venues and activities in Arizona. Attendees can work on their team-building skills while hiking through Saguaro National Park or rustling cattle at a working ranch. They can cruise down the Colorado River beneath Lake Havasu City’s historic London Bridge or kick up their heels at a Route 66 roadhouse in Flagstaff. Sports fans can watch the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners and other Major League Baseball teams work out the kinks during spring training in the Phoenix area and Tucson.
This year started off with a blast thanks to Phoenix’s role as host to Super Bowl XLII, and the state expects visitor arrival figures for 2008 to break records.
With communities and private businesses throughout the state demonstrating an increased commitment to meetings and conventions, the time couldn’t be better for planning a gathering in Arizona.
