A welcoming locale that visiting groups can truly get to know, Boise is a green-minded meetings destination with high-quality, environmentally friendly facilities, plenty of outdoor diversions and lodging and activity prices that will make planners’ worries vanish into the fresh mountain air.
Idyllically positioned in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, Boise takes its outdoor adventures seriously. Depending on the season, ambitious visitors can check off the trifecta of Boise pastimes in one day.
“The weather and environment are really conducive to groups,” says Pat Rice, executive director of the Boise Centre, the city’s main group venue. “In March and early April, it can be possible to fish in the morning, play golf in the afternoon and go skiing at night.”
As the largest convention venue in Idaho, Boise Centre is an easy choice for regional meetings.
The facility, which offers 45,000 square feet of rentable space and can accommodate groups of up to 600, takes pride in its sustainable practices as well as a dedication to keeping the 21-year-old structure up-to-date.
Getting there: Boise lies just off Interstate 84. A growing number of cities offer nonstop flights to Boise and several downtown hotels run a complimentary shuttle service from Boise Airport.
“We have hotel-quality ballroom space and are fortunate to have the capital to reinvest annually,” Rice says.
As a traditionally outdoorsy locale, Boise holds itself to high environmental standards, and Boise Centre’s overall initiatives reflect the city’s local, sustainable focus and its strong sense of community.
Boise Centre—as well as many government properties, downtown buildings and local homes—runs on geothermal energy. The facility’s kitchen gets its cheese from the Ballard Family Dairy & Cheese farm in Gooding, and much of its beans and rice come from a producer in the northern region of the state.
The surrounding agricultural area provides a bounty of seasonal produce, and 45 percent of wine served at Boise Centre is grown and produced in Idaho’s booming Snake River Valley vineyards. The facility also participates in a wine bottle recycling program, where empty glass bottles are transformed into elegant glassware. Nearby farmers pick up leftover produce trimmings to use for livestock feed and the facility’s recycling compactor saves 45,000 pounds of waste from landfills annually.
Across the street from the convention center, Hotel 43 offers intimate meeting space well-suited for board meetings and participates in a number of environmental initiatives that have enabled it to secure the only Green Eco-Leaf lodging certification in Boise. With 112 guest rooms, its boutique style and high-end service offers an upscale experience that sets it apart from larger branded hotels.
Meanwhile, the scenic greenbelt that runs through downtown and follows the sparkling Boise River for almost 30 miles accents this gem of a meetings destination.
