One of the reasons the Southwest is such an attractive meetings destination is its magnificent natural beauty.
“Groups would be remiss to come out here and not experience a taste of it,” says Douglas MacKenzie, spokesman for the Greater Phoenix CVB.
Throughout Arizona, home of Grand Canyon National Park, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and New Mexico, coined the Land of Enchantment, planners can count on sunshine and an abundance of outdoor activities that get groups up close and personal with each state’s stunning scenery.
From hot-air ballooning in Albuquerque and skiing in Taos to hitting the links in Scottsdale and horseback riding in the Grand Canyon, the Southwest offers ample outdoor opportunities to complement any meeting agenda.
ARIZONA
Greater Phoenix
When the Puebloans and miners first visited the Sonoran Desert, they flocked to and remained in the Greater Phoenix area, in large part because of its natural outdoor beauty, according to MacKenzie.
“What sets Greater Phoenix apart is our sunny weather, easily accessible outdoor settings and experienced outfitters,” he says, adding that the sun shines more than 300 days a year, and just about every resort and hotel, including the downtown Phoenix Convention Center, is within 10 or 15 minutes of a hiking trail or golf course. “Our CVB has more than 100 members who are outfitters or guides, and these professionals can tailor outdoor experiences for team building or just sheer fun.”
Among the outdoor group options in Phoenix, MacKenzie cites hot-air ballooning complete with a champagne breakfast, Jeep tours to remote portions of the Sonoran Desert or aerial flights above the Grand Canyon.
One DMC that arranges tours of the Grand Canyon is USA Hosts/Circa Arizona. According to General Manager Lauren Abbl, it also hosts team-building events. A popular option, set in the Sonoran Desert, is based on The Amazing Race TV show.
“The event focuses on communication, problem-solving, strategy and a real need to be creative,” she explains. “We had one group that wanted a very active version—the event required hiking through the desert, mountain biking, horseback riding and kayaking. Everyone felt like they really got to experience the desert in every way possible.”
Tempe is another perfect locale from which to explore the Sonoran Desert, according to Mark McMinn, director of sales at the Tempe CVB. He says from any of Tempe’s hotels, meeting attendees can arrange a scenic desert hike, a boating outing on Tempe Town Lake or a guided tour of the historic Apache Trail.
Detours of Arizona facilitates a tour of Apache Trail, featuring a stop at Tonto National Monument and a picnic in Fish Creek Canyon. And at Lake Tempe, meeting attendees can rent boats and kayaks from Rio Lago Cruise Co. and partake in a team-building paddleboat or kayak race.
Groups convening in Mesa, according to Pam Williams, convention sales manager at the Mesa CVB, will enjoy close proximity to Tonto National Forest and five area lakes, as well as splendid views of beautiful Superstition Mountain.
“Planners are amazed at just how accessible this unfamiliar terrain is,” she says.
The latest offering for small groups visiting Mesa is Trapeze U. Featuring a full-size outdoor flying trapeze setup, Trapeze U offers specially tailored team-building programs focusing on teaching trapeze artistry to adventure enthusiasts.
Scottsdale
The Sonoran Desert also serves as Scottsdale’s backdrop and sets the destination apart, according to Renee Angeles, director of sales and services at the Scottsdale CVB.
“So many of our activities are just 15 to 20 minutes away from our luxurious hotels and resorts, and this makes it easy for attendees to experience the Sonoran Desert in a single afternoon,” she says.
With access to Camelback Mountain, the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and Pinnacle Peak Park, hiking is a popular activity in Scottsdale.
If the group is feeling particularly adventurous—if they’d like to sleep in bunkhouses and learn about horsemanship—planners may want to check out Arizona Cowboy College.
Another option is an off-road adventure with Desert Wolf Tours, which provides one desert tour via a Tomcar, the vehicle originally developed for use by the Israeli Defense Forces.
Northern Arizona
Nestled in the midst of the world’s largest ponderosa pine forest at an altitude of 7,000 feet, Flagstaff attracts outdoor enthusiasts year-round with its spacious vistas and cool, clean mountain air, according to Gail Jackson, meetings and events specialist at the Flagstaff CVB.
“Flagstaff is known for its natural beauty and outdoor recreation opportunities,” she says. “Many groups enjoy the variety of things to do in and around Flagstaff, especially unique activities like disc golf.”
Flagstaff is home to three disc golf courses. Instead of clubs and a ball, the increasingly popular sport uses differently sized and weighted discs.
For a traditional round of golf, planners can book an outing at Flagstaff’s Continental Country Club, set against the backdrop of Mount Elden.
Sedona is another outdoor wonderland for nature lovers, according to Jennifer Wesselhoff, president and CEO of the Sedona COC.
“With a mild four-season climate, bright clear skies, starlit nights, more than 100 trails for hiking and biking, world-class golf and tennis, land tours and aerial adventures in planes, helicopters and balloons, it’s easy to see why nature enthusiasts return to Sedona again and again,” she says.
Among the fun outdoor options for groups in Sedona are team-building experiences such as corporate rescues, Jeep expeditions and Survivor-style games via Terra Trax Teambuilding and Adventures.
Sedona-based Great West Adventure Co. provides daily guided tours to the Grand Canyon, departing from Sedona or Flagstaff.
As expected, a lot of activities available in Lake Havasu City are based around water, according to Char Beltran, CEO of the Lake Havasu City CVB.
“Depending on the group’s needs, we can refer them to companies to rent a whole fleet of personal watercraft,” she says, citing team-building options such as relay races.
Lake tours via the Dixie Belle paddle wheeler are also popular.
Southern Arizona
Tucson’s climate, according to Graeme Hughes, director of convention sales at the Metropolitan Tucson CVB, is perfect for outdoor activities.
“We’ve got 300-plus days of sunshine a year and natural, beautiful mountains and foothills, where so many outdoor activities take place,” he says. “Tucson has easy access to open space, plus national forests and extensive trail systems. In many cases, you don’t even need to leave your hotel or resort property to explore the outdoors.”
Surrounded by five mountain ranges, Tucson features a wide variety of hiking and biking trails for all skill levels. Merrell Performance Footwear, while meeting at a local resort, enjoyed the services of Southwest Trekking, which customized hiking and mountain biking excursions for the group’s various skill levels.
Attendees can also explore breathtaking landscapes via several horseback riding outfits, including Arizona Horseback Experience, which offers options like a wine-tasting ride to Sonoita Vineyards or a steeper, more challenging route through the Coronado National Forest.
What most people don’t realize about Yuma, according to Bob Ingram, executive director of the Yuma CVB, is that it’s surrounded by thousands of acres of wide-open spaces, including three national wildlife refuges and the Imperial Sand Dunes National Recreation Area.
“There are all kinds of outdoor adventures right on our doorstep—hiking, boating, fishing, birding and wildlife watching—along with great golf and easy day trips into Mexico for shopping and local color,” he says.
Two standby outdoor experiences for groups in Yuma are canoe or kayak outings down the Colorado River, and sunrise or sunset hikes in the Yuma East Wetlands, complete with a follow-up activity like brunch on the guard tower at the Yuma Territorial Prison or a picnic at Gateway Park, site of the historic Yuma Crossing.
NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque
New Mexico, like Arizona, isn’t short on mild climates and clear skies.
“With 310 days of sunshine, Albuquerque really is the perfect meeting destination for groups that love the outdoors,” says Linda Brown, vice president of convention sales and services at the Albuquerque CVB, citing options such as 14 area golf courses, biking, hot-air ballooning and hiking Sandia Peak.
Considered the “Ballooning Capital of the World,” Albuquerque features a number of outfitters that arrange group hot-air balloon excursions.
Albuquerque’s extensive network of flat trails and intense mountain biking trails within minutes of downtown also make it a great destination for cycling. In 2006, Sunset magazine named the Paseo del Bosque trail one of the top bicycle trails in the country. Active Knowledge Outdoor Adventures is one outfit that arranges guided bike tours.
Santa Fe
“Santa Fe is very much an outdoor town, surrounded by public land and sitting at the base of the Rocky Mountains,” says Keith Toler, executive director at the Santa Fe CVB. “Few cities combine Santa Fe’s amenities with proximity to so much outdoor opportunity.”
One go-to outfitter is Santa Fe Mountain Adventures (SFMA), which organizes scavenger hunts in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains utilizing GPS technology. After completing the hunt, attendees receive an attractive pocket compass/thermometer.
SFMA also offers “sundowner” hikes complete with an outdoor cooking class run by the Santa Fe School of Cooking, during which attendees enjoy a glass of local wine and fresh chips and salsa, as well as “star parties” lead by expert astronomers who engage the group using binoculars and telescopes for intimate views of galaxies, nebulae and star clusters.
Taos
Incorporating the outdoors into a Taos meeting program “is as natural as breathing,” according to Jeanne Kitzman, sales and marketing manager for the Taos Convention Center.
“A visit to Taos wouldn’t be complete without the opportunity to include some of the many things our ‘outdoor living room’ has to offer,” Kitzman says.
Popular group activities include horseback riding, golf and fly-fishing. They can also partake in a wilderness trek in the mountain meadows, during which a team of llamas tote lunch and serve as hiking buddies.
During the winter, the challenging slopes of Taos Ski Valley are open to skiers and snowboarders, and snowmobiling is also an exciting option.
From early May to late August, Los Rios River Runners and Native Sons Adventure Co. are two outfitters that execute white-water rafting team-building experiences for groups on the Rio Grande Gorge.
Northwestern New Mexico
Between 900 and 1150, Chaco Canyon was a major cultural center of the ancient Pueblo civilization, and today it’s a major draw for groups meeting in Farmington. According to Debbie Dusenbery, executive director of the Farmington CVB, planners often hire area tour guides to lead hikes at Chaco Culture National Historical Park, which is a World Heritage Site.
Dusenbery recommends Larry Baker at Salmon Ruins Museum for guide service.
“He is probably one of the most knowledgeable archeologists in the Southwest with regards to ancestral Puebloans,” she says. “Chaco Canyon is truly a one-of-a-kind experience, and with some assistance, a hike at this site could be combined with some interesting team-building activities.”
Los Alamos offers a range of possibilities for outdoor adventures, according to Kevin Holsapple, executive director of the Los Alamos Meeting and Visitor Bureau.
Among the outdoor experiences available to groups are ski lessons/outings at Pajarito Mountain Ski Area; golf outings at three courses within a 20-minute drive of Los Alamos; beginner climbing adventures in the Jemez Mountains after instruction at a local indoor climbing wall; and guided night hikes within the ancient ruins of Bandelier National Monument.
Southern New Mexico
The outdoor highlights of Las Cruces, situated at the north end of the Chihuahuan Desert, include the Rio Grande River and the Organ Mountains, as well as various species of birds. Groups might enjoy birding at Dripping Springs in the western foothills of the Organ Mountains just east of the city limits, and special arrangements can be made to visit Ladder Ranch just north of Hillsboro, where more than 200 species of birds have been observed.
The Las Cruces area also has 72 holes of golf available for year-round play, and about 45 miles east of town, White Sands National Monument, encompassing pure white gypsum dunes, offers tours such as the Sunset Stroll Nature Walk and Friday Night Star Talks.
Mesilla, a quaint, historic town featuring a plaza filled with shops and restaurants, is only minutes from Las Cruces. Here, groups can take a guided walking tour of town with fifth-generation native historian Precilliana Sandoval, who heads La Morena Walking Tours.
Ruidoso, according to Kathy Alexander of the Ruidoso Valley COC, is wonderful for two reasons.
“In the summer, we are cooler than the surrounding desert and the winters are mild,” she says. “We always love to gets lots of snow but the majority of the snow stays on the ski mountain and melts in town.”
Alexander recommends a team-building event at the Fort Stanton Cave via EcoServants, a local nonprofit organization.
In Roswell, the 36-acre Spring River Zoo serves as an attractive outdoor facility for groups, according to Elaine Mayfield, the zoo’s director.
“We have hosted many group activities, especially with wildlife and environmental groups,” she says.
For More Info
ARIZONA
Flagstaff CVB 928.774.9541 www.flagstaffarizona.org
Greater Phoenix CVB 602.254.6500 www.visitphoenix.com
Lake Havasu City CVB 928.453.3444 www.golakehavasu.com
Mesa CVB 480.827.4700 www.mesacvb.com
Metropolitan Tucson CVB 520.624.1817 www.visittucson.org
Scottsdale CVB 480.421.1004 www.scottsdalecvb.com
Sedona COC 928.204.1123 www.visitsedona.com
Tempe CVB 480.894.8158 www.tempecvb.com
Yuma CVB 928.376.0100 www.visityuma.com
NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque CVB 505.842.9918 www.itsatrip.org
Farmington CVB 505.326.7602 www.farmingtonnm.org
Las Cruces CVB 575.541.2444 www.lascrucescvb.org
Los Alamos Meeting and Visitor Bureau 505.662.8105 www.visit.losalamos.com
Roswell CVB 505.624.6860 www.roswellmysteries.com
Ruidoso Valley COC 575.257.7395 www.ruidosonow.com
Santa Fe CVB 505.955.6200 www.santafe.org
Taos County COC 575.751.8800 www.taoschamber.com
