Colorado is without a doubt one of the most attractive states in the country, where attendees will thank planners for some time outdoors.
The state’s main meetings players—Denver, Boulder and Colorado Springs—invite delegates to step into the sunshine and enjoy pursuits ranging from simply people-watching within their bustling city centers to biking and hiking around their naturally beautiful surroundings.
That is, of course, after they get their work done.
To aid in successful meetings is an impressive lineup of convention facilities, hotels and resorts to accommodate groups with varying needs.
Denver
Denver, with 300 days of sunshine per year, is heaven on Earth for outdoorsy types. Located just East of a major mountain barrier, the city enjoys a mild and dry climate, and visiting groups enjoy getting out into the fresh air.
“Convention delegates love the outdoors in Denver,” says Rachel Benedick, vice president of sales and services at Visit Denver, The CVB, citing bike rides along the city’s 850 miles of trails, concerts under the stars at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, golf outings on some 90 courses and much more.
The Brookings Institute, she adds, recently named Denver the fourth most walkable downtown in America, as everything is easily accessible by foot.
“There are 28 outdoor cafes on Denver’s 16th Street Mall, a mile-long pedestrian promenade with horse-drawn carriages, live music and people-watching,” Benedick says. “Free shuttle buses stop on every corner of the 16th Street Mall, making everything even easier to reach.”
Denver also boasts a fantastic mix of brewpubs, outdoor cafes and music clubs, as well as three major art museums and three sports stadiums. It’s really got everything a planner needs when one also factors in some 8,400 hotel rooms, 300 restaurants and the Denver Performing Arts Complex, within a short walk of the convention center.
“With 4.5 acres of glass, the Colorado Convention Center is visually stunning, as well as one of the most practical and user-friendly meeting facilities ever built,” Benedick says, explaining it has two levels with a total of 584,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, 63 meeting rooms totaling 100,000 square feet of space, a 5,000-seat theater and two ballrooms.
The center is located on 14th Street, which is on track to emerge anew by the end of the year after a streetscaping project that began last fall.
Among the city’s meetings-friendly hotels are Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center, Sheraton Denver Downtown, which recently underwent a $70 million refurbishment, Westin Denver Downtown, Denver Marriott City Center and Embassy Suites and Four Seasons properties that opened last year.
Scavenger hunts on 16th Street Mall, progressive dine-arounds in Larimer Square or LoDo, and brewery tours are fun group activities.
Boulder
Located just 35 minutes from downtown Denver and 45 minutes from Denver International Airport, and situated where the mountains meet the plains, Boulder is another popular sun-kissed Colorado meetings player where attendees will be thrilled to spend some time outdoors.
Boulder is surrounded by 45,000 acres of wide-open spaces that are immediately accessible for unique team-building options, including biking, hiking and fly-fishing, according to Mary Ann Mahoney, executive director at the Boulder CVB.
“This land gives meeting attendees places to clear their heads, take an evening walk on a trail or go for an early morning run,” she says, adding that the Boulder Creek Path goes right through downtown and runs parallel to Boulder Creek. “It’s another great place for strolls.”
As the craft beer movement continues to sweep the nation, planners will find an increasing number of brew-centric activities for interested groups. In Boulder there is the Boulder Brew Bus, a weekly tour of three of Boulder’s nine breweries: Avery, Twisted Pine and Upslope.
“The bus is a hoot,” she says. “It’s been retrofitted to look like a hillbilly shack.”
Where there is great beer, as a rule, there is a great lineup of restaurants, and Boulder is no exception. It’s nationally recognized dining scene—Bon Appetit named it “America’s Foodiest Town” in October 2010—features master sommeliers, a cooking school and a popular farmers market.
“There is a very high concentration of nationally recognized chefs, innovative restaurants and wine programs in this college town of just 103,000 people,” Mahoney says.
Cultural attractions include events at the University of Colorado-Boulder, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, the Colorado Music Festival and the Boulder International Film Festival.
Boulder’s group-friendly properties include Boulder Marriott, Hotel Boulderado and St. Julien Hotel and Spa, and a top off-site venue is the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art.
“It’s a historic building full of contemporary work, so it’s an interesting contrast,” Mahoney says.
Colorado Springs
Contrary to popular belief, Colorado Springs gets very little snow and, like Denver and Boulder, enjoys more than 300 days of sunshine annually.
“This provides a great opportunity to hold an event or meeting in shoulder seasons,” says Kathy Reak, director of convention sales at Experience Colorado Springs CVB, who adds that the scenic beauty of the Rocky Mountains, Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods “is refreshing and inspirational to attendees.”
The area boasts adventurous pursuits and team-building opportunities, including zip line tours, a ropes course, a Colorado Mountain Brewery Tour and downtown walking tours.
“Rock climbing or riding horseback in Garden of the Gods is always an exceptional way to see the park,” Reak says. “We have over 60 attractions and activities in the region that cater to many different interests—there’s always something to see, do or experience here.”
Another unique aspect of Colorado Springs and the region, according to Reak, is that guest rooms and convention facilities range from full-service hotels to mountain cabins.
“Offering nearly 14,000 guest rooms means we can fit many needs, budgets and sizes of events,” she says.
Some of the larger group-friendly properties and venues include The Broadmoor, Crowne Plaza Colorado Springs, Cheyenne Mountain Resort, Colorado Springs Marriott and Colorado Springs World Arena.
Popular off-site venues include CityRock, an indoor climbing facility that’s perfect for a combination meeting and team-building event; the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center; and Pikes Peak International Raceway.
Carolyn Blackburn is a frequent contributor to Meetings Focus West.
