If the meeting agenda calls for con-temporary facilities, entertainment and spectacular high-terrain surroundings filled with recreation options, Reno is a prime destination choice.
Reno lies in a high-desert region near both Carson City, Nevada’s capital, and Lake Tahoe. It anchors a regional population of about 650,000 and is the birthplace of Harrah’s Entertainment, one of the world’s largest gaming corporations. Wild West heritage is easy to find in the area, as are outdoor activities that engage many attendees.
Once known mainly for gaming, the area now marketed as Reno Tahoe USA has transformed into a more diversified destination, delivering to groups what Ellie Oppenheim, CEO and president of the Reno-Sparks CVA (RSCVA), calls "far from expected" experiences. Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe and other Hollywood luminaries of yesteryear probably wouldn’t recognize their former playground today.
"Many meeting planners aren’t familiar with what we have to offer them—big city choices in tandem with small-town friendliness and convenience," Oppenheim says. "We’re a fun and exciting place that is easy to get to and get around."
Further to her point, Oppenheim says companies with the need for good distribution logistics—like Amazon and Barnes and Noble—meet in Reno because of its access.
Reno’s accessibility is due to six major air carriers serving the destination, an airport within 10 minutes of major hotel properties and a location near two interstate highways. And it comes with bottom line considerations such as competitive hotel and food and beverage costs, according to Oppenheim.
And there’s more to the city’s business-ready cache, like sparkling new hotels with plenty of built-in entertainment.
Reno’s renaissance over the past several years has included major enhancements to group-friendly properties like Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, which connects via a sky bridge to the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, with its 565,000 square feet of function space. Peppermill Hotel Casino now has a 62,000-square-foot ballroom in its portfolio of updated spaces, and Grand Sierra Resort and Casino is another highlight of Reno’s property list, with 200,000 square feet of meeting space.
Other major facilities include Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center, with two indoor and two outdoor arenas and a 20,000-square-foot exhibit hall. Downtown Reno Ballroom has 28,000 square feet of new space, and it is adjacent to the 118,000-square-foot Reno Events Center and the National Bowling Stadium, with 65,000 square feet of space.
Through July 31, the RSCVA is offering planners an incentive called "Meeting Planners’ Recession Survival Guide." The bureau works with groups to negotiate the best possible deal for their meeting while offering them extra incentives to help meet their budget. For more information, visit www.plannersurvival.com.
Reno’s year-round entertainment lineup includes several special events like Hot August Nights (a classic car convention and rally); Street Vibrations (a motorcycle fan gathering and rally); The Great Reno Balloon Race; the Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off (held in Sparks); a Cinco de Mayo celebration; bowling tournaments (held in the National Bowling Stadium); and the Reno Air Races.
Groups with the outdoors on their programs for either recreation or team building have choices in the city and the surrounding peaks.
There are even new white-water parks located downtown in both Reno and Sparks, and there are plenty of other adventures in the surrounding region.
For example, guided Jeep, Hummer and ATV tours are the specialty of Lake Tahoe Adventures, with half-day, full-day and overnight tours available. Some of the company’s backcountry routes are along the famed Rubicon Trail.
Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe, which lies within an hour’s drive of Reno, has long been considered the "Jewel of the Sierra," not only for its majestic scenic beauty, but also for the adventure available throughout its 193 square miles of terrain.
One of Tahoe’s most popular recreational options during the summer is golf, and there are around a dozen championship courses, including Edgewood Tahoe, rated among the top 25 public courses in the U.S. by Golf Digest.
The deep-water lake is also popular for waterborne activities such as kayaking, sailing, swimming and fishing, in addition to boating excursions.
At Kirkwood Mountain Resort, groups can take advantage of a ropes course, zip line, mountain bike park, disc golf and various summer expeditions designed and customized for groups. Expeditions include fly-fishing, rock climbing, mountain biking, white-water rafting, horseback riding and geocaching. Kirkwood also partners with area golf courses to provide discounted rates and transportation.
When the season brings snow and lower temperatures, Tahoe delivers winter sports in spades. The area is home to the highest concentration of ski resorts in North America and 22,000 acres of skiable terrain. Big ski names like Alpine Meadows, Boreal Mountain Resort, Heavenly Lake Tahoe and Northstar-at-Tahoe populate the mountainous landscape and draw skiers and snowboarders from around the world.
"In the right season, you can ski one day and golf the next," Oppenheim says. "And in April into early May, you can compress it into a morning of skiing and an afternoon of golf. Where else is this possible?"
For something unexpected, there are tours of historic Thunderbird Lodge, an opulent residential estate on the east shore of the lake. George Whittell built his 1939 hideaway with a design that blends harmoniously with the natural surroundings. Today, tour participants receive glimpses of the fabulous lifestyle the owner had as they walk through the Lighthouse Room, servants’ quarters with the original kitchen and 600-foot underground tunnel that leads to the Card House and Boathouse. Whittel’s yacht Thunderbird is housed there as a unique masterpiece of a bygone era. Thunderbird Lodge is available for private events.
Carson City
For a taste of the Old West, groups can head to the city that’s been Nevada’s capital since silver mining days. Its frontier-era architecture and historical attractions make it a great excursion or meetings destination for smaller groups.
New this year is the first full season (summer through October) of daily 90-minute scheduled runs for the restored historic Virginia & Truckee Railroad between Carson City and Virginia City. According to Janet Jones, group sales manager for the Carson City CVB, the train ride gives passengers glimpses of American Flats, a valley area replete with mid-19th century cemeteries, wild Mustang horses, old mines and mill sites.
"The flats have remained mostly untouched for more than a century," Jones says, adding that it is a great way for groups to get into the history. "They’ll see things they would never see from the road going into Virginia City."
According to Jones, once in Virginia City, the history really comes alive, as visitors see wooden sidewalks, people dressed in period costumes, street gunfighters and the like.
"Groups can party on the train and in Virginia City," she says. "One of the best ideas is to do a wine train with costumed characters and a conductor onboard who will relate the history of the flats."
Train buyouts are possible throughout the year for up to 144 people.
Carson City’s meeting facilities portfolio includes the Carson Nugget Casino, the Carson City Plaza Hotel & Conference Center and the Gold Dust West Casino Hotel. It also now includes an unexpected off-site alternative—a mega church.
"The Capital Christian Center has a huge facility with many classrooms and lots of versatility," Jones says. "It’s only a couple of years old and they have just about all the video and tech equipment you could want. It’s great for any group that doesn’t need alcohol with its F&B."
