Is New Mexico the new Hollywood? That’s the question Fox News asked as AMC’s hit TV series Breaking Bad, filmed in and around Albuquerque, concluded its five-season run this fall. Actually, the state has flown high as a film center for over a century.
From Indian Day School, a 38-second short from the Thomas Edison Company released in 1898, to 2013 releases including The Lone Ranger and We’re the Millers, the Land of Enchantment claims an impressive, often iconic filmography.
Home to leading group destinations Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos, the state’s north-central expanse could have its own star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, with The Grapes of Wrath (1940), Easy Rider (1969), Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid (1969), Silverado (1985), Lonesome Dove (1989) and Cowboys & Aliens (2011) among the features shot in the region.
What does this mean for the association, corporate and incentive groups that routinely convene here? Sun-kissed virtually year-round and set amid a cinema-ready mix of ancient landscapes and soaring mountain peaks, these laid-back locales, rich in art and architecture and zesty in food and drink, are go-to places for “making good” ideas come to life.
Albuquerque
With convenient airlift options now including daily direct service from New York’s JFK Airport via JetBlue, visitors flying into mountain-backed Albuquerque International Sunport, perched above the city and the sweeping desert floor, are treated to a cinematic start to gatherings in the state’s largest city.
“Albuquerque’s blend of culture and heritage attractions, museums, beautiful landscapes, galleries, shopping and cuisine creates a distinct experience for groups from 10 to 10,000 attendees,” says Rob Enriquez, vice president of convention sales, services and sports for the Albuquerque CVB. “With 310 days of sunshine per year, gorgeous sunsets, blue skies and low humidity, we are perfect for all types of meetings and events.”
As the state’s film office is attracting filmmakers with incentives including refundable tax credits, and visitors with a growing number of “film tourism” programs, historic “Duke City” continues to enhance its group appeal with over $300 million in recent hospitality investments and planned developments that include hotels and off-site facilities. PageBreak
Among the major initiatives is a $20 million renovation of the Albuquerque Convention Center, built in 1972. Part of Mayor Richard Berry’s overall plan to reinvest in the future of the city, the two-phase project, which broke ground in February, includes a major facelift and modern upgrades for the facility. The renovation is slated for completion by next summer.
In the meantime, planners can take advantage of benefits such as a single contract for three hotels (700-plus rooms and 640,000 square feet of meeting space) surrounding the convention center. If booked by the end of 2013, the “Red & Green” incentive (themed around the chiles that define New Mexican cuisine) provides up to $25 per room night to be credited back to a group’s bottom line.
Major meetings properties include Albuquerque Marriott, Embassy Suites Albuquerque, Hotel Andaluz, Hyatt Regency Albuquerque, Isleta Resort & Casino, Sandia Resort & Casino and Sheraton Albuquerque Uptown.
With diverse venues including the recently expanded Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, Albuquerque Balloon Museum, historic Kimo Theatre and Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, the city also offers Breaking Bad visitor experiences, including trolley and biking tours of the show’s filming locations.
Santa Fe
Set in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains at the southern end of the Rockies, this celebrated center of creativity, founded by Spanish colonialists in 1610, is America’s oldest capital city. Free of high-rises and with no structure taller than the 1887 St. Francis Cathedral Basilica, historic downtown Santa Fe is a wonderful collage of earth-colored, organic Pueblo and Territorial adobe structures. Add its globally renowned art scene (see Zoom In Q&A with Bobby Beals, this page), numerous dining options, 15 major museums and year-round fiestas and festivals, and the appeal of the “City Different” is readily apparent.
“Santa Fe is unique in the United States for its culture, cuisine and history,” says Santa Fe CVB Executive Director Jim Luttjohann. “Along with the city’s natural beauty and many attractions, these are elements that attract meetings to Santa Fe and help boost attendance.”
Gatherings are a breeze in walkable Santa Fe, where the LEED Gold-certified Santa Fe Community Convention Center offers 40,000 square feet of versatile space and the warm and welcoming Eldorado Hotel & Spa, with 219 rooms and suites and 20,000 square feet of space, is the city’s largest conference property.
“As a host hotel for many citywide conventions, the Eldorado has been welcoming attendees and their guests for over 25 years,” says Doug Libby, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing. “Our close proximity to attractions including the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Lensic Performing Arts Center and historic Santa Fe Plaza makes us an ideal location to host events ranging from intimate gatherings to large conferences.” PageBreak
Other choice downtown properties include the landmark La Fonda on the Plaza, featuring 179 newly renovated rooms, and the 134-room Inn and Spa at Loretto. Just minutes from downtown, the 65-room Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado is a five-star choice for meetings and events. All hotels provide shuttles to and from Albuquerque Sunport, about an hour away, while delegates from Dallas, Phoenix, Denver and Los Angeles can fly direct into Santa Fe Municipal Airport.
Historic Walks of Santa Fe is a great resource for city and regional tours, with “museum docent” guides including Jack Cafferty, an actor who appeared in Lonesome Dove and other features.
“For over 20 years, we have shown private and corporate groups the hidden treasures of culturally diverse Santa Fe, one of nation’s largest art capitals,” says Carol Imrie-Mui, founder of the company.
Taos
Located 90 scenic minutes north of Santa Fe by car, Taos, described by writer D.H. Lawrence as “one of the chosen spots on earth,” is a dreamy, free-spirited mountain escape awash in adobe and steeped in history.
“Taos has been hosting visitors for over 1,000 years and is a truly special destination offering world-class art and museums, abundant outdoor activities, five-star dining and welcoming hosts,” says Joanie Griffin, coordinator for Taos Tourism.
Continuously inhabited by Taos Indians since its construction between 1000 and 1450 A.D., the multistoried Taos Pueblo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Historic Landmark, is the spiritual heart of this artful city and a must-visit for groups.
Meetings properties include the Native American-inspired El Monte Sagrado Living Resort & Spa, featuring beautiful indoor and outdoor meeting space and a mix of luxurious rooms, suites and casitas. Groups can also enjoy live music and mingle with the locals at the Adobe Bar, located at the landmark 44-room Taos Inn, opened in 1936.
The Museum Association of Taos offers a combination ticket for admission to five institutions, including the Taos Art Museum and the Millicent Rogers Museum, with 360-degree views of the multihued Sangre de Cristo Mountains. With “1,444,480 acres of outdoor ‘breakout’ room” for groups to explore, Taos Ski Valley is one of the premier ski destinations in the U.S., while llama rides are among the many outdoor pursuits.
Long-time Meetings Focus contributor Jeff Heilman’s best memories of his travels to the Santa Fe region? All of them.
