While much of the good stuff about Salt Lake City and Park City remains the same as it was in earlier decades (and centuries)—such as hearing the voices of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, which began spreading joy in 1873, and brushing past celebrities during the Sundance Film Festival, which started in 1978—the two destinations keep pace with the changes necessary to continually attract group business.
Upgrades at local meetings-ready properties, a focus on bookings during the three less popular (but just as incredible) seasons, and new-builds and attractions are all part of the ongoing evolution in two of Utah’s favorite locales.
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City promotes itself as a friendly, high-service, low-cost and scenic meetings and conventions destination, and a growing number of groups are buying what it’s selling.
“The biggest trend recently is the city’s increasing popularity and recognition within the convention industry,” says Mark H. White, vice president of sales at Visit Salt Lake, explaining that in the first six months of 2013, 28 percent more groups representing 48 percent more attendees have been booked than in the first six months of 2012.
The large percentage of convention clients that repeat Salt Lake, White adds, has had a major impact on the city’s booking pace.
“I believe there are two attributes fueling this trend: Salt Lake’s ever-friendly service providers and the increased number of restaurants, retail outlets and visitor attractions,” he says.
In May, a conglomeration of companies announced plans to develop mixed-use retail, a structured parking garage and two hotels on a 3.26-acre site in downtown Salt Lake. Situated adjacent to Energy Solutions Arena and the Salt Palace Convention Center, the project will include a 159-room Hyatt House Hotel, expected to open in fall 2014, and a 175-room Courtyard by Marriott, which is on track to open in spring 2015.
The current lineup of hotels accommodating groups includes Hilton Salt Lake City Center, Radisson Hotel Salt Lake City and Hotel Monaco, which all completed major renovations last year, as well as Grand America Hotel, Little America Hotel, Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, Salt Lake Marriott Downtown and Salt Lake City Marriott City Center.
The two most recent additions to the city’s portfolio of attractions that double as off-site venues are the Natural History Museum of Utah, with a Sky Gallery & Terrace boasting great views of the Salt Lake Valley, and The Leonardo, a science and technology museum that enjoys mountain and city views, and features an auditorium, boardroom and a large dining space for events.
Other standby attractions for groups are the area’s ski and summer resorts, including Antelope Island, where they’ll see free-roaming bison and antelope, and Snowbird, where they’ll find a zip line, alpine slide, guided hikes, ropes courses and an aerial tram that climbs to 11,000 feet. PageBreak
“When in Salt Lake, it’s almost obligatory to visit historic Temple Square,” White adds. “The attractions associated with Temple Square are all admission-free and include the world’s largest genealogical museum, garden tours, a large-format movie screen, pioneer homes and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, which rehearses on Thursday nights and performs on Sunday morning.”
The Utah Heritage Foundation facilitates a historic pub crawl for groups. This fun evening outing highlights downtown Salt Lake bars that have historic significance, and according to White, food and beverages are an important part of this team-building activity.
Located between Salt Lake and Park City is Utah Olympic Park, where attendees might very well witness ski jumpers, aerialists and bobsledders in action during a meeting.
The park sports several function spaces, including a conference room and outdoor pavilion, and opportunities for groups to get in on the fun, such as an alpine slide, zip lining and other team-building activities.
Park City
Park City is positioned as the most accessible mountain destination in North America, according to Carolyn Creek-McCallister, meetings and conventions regional sales manager at the Park City CVB.
“Being only 35 minutes from Salt Lake International Airport via interstate highway makes reaching Park City an easy transportation component for groups,” she says, adding that there are 67 nonstop flights and 10 one-stops that arrive at the airport before noon each day. “This gives planners the ease of beginning their meeting in the afternoon without having the expense of an additional night of lodging.”
And once in town, Creek-McCallister says Park City offers an area-wide bus service that is completely free, making getting around not only easy but affordable.
She adds that the focus in the meetings department at the Park City CVB is promoting spring, summer and fall business, and the many outdoor activities and venues available to meeting groups in those seasons.
“Often when you think about the mountains, skiing and winter sports come to mind,” she says. “The other three seasons here in Park City are spectacular and offer a value for the meeting planner that is not available during the winter season.”
A few good representations of non-winter off-session options are the Cowboy for a Day program at Blue Sky Adventures, hitting the links at Park City Golf Club and shopping along Park City’s historic Main Street.
“Group business in Park City is strong, with planners looking for a variety of adventure and team-building activities to complement their meeting experience,” Creek-McCallister adds, citing year-round outdoor opportunities such as skiing, hiking and outings to annual celebrations including the Deer Valley Music Festival, showcasing the Utah Symphony.
For off-site events, planners should look to the Egyptian Theatre, Swaner Eco Center and High West Distillery & Saloon for inspiring settings, as well as the Paint Mixer and Park City Culinary Institute, both of which also offer hands-on group-bonding experiences.
Before playtime, groups can take care of business in Park City at 30 meetings-friendly properties.
Among the options are Montage Deer Valley, Canyons Resort, Hyatt Escala Lodge at Park City, Stein Eriksen Lodge (which recently completed construction on its new Stein Eriksen Ballroom) and Hotel Park City and Park City Marriott, both of which recently underwent upgrades.
Carolyn Blackburn, a frequent contributor to Meetings Focus, fondly remembers swooshing down the slopes of Park City.
