Western meeting planners with Canada and Mexico on their agendas are presented with a diversity of international flavors just a stone’s throw from U.S. soil. For attendees and companies alike, it can be the best of both worlds—rewarded with a memorable cross-cultural experience without the expense and time commitment of an overseas trek.
But with so many choices to consider across these sprawling neighboring nations, it can make a group’s collective head spin just pondering the possibilities. To help provide some direction, Meetings Today explored some enticing points across the border—north and south—for some of the newest and trendiest places and properties.
Mexico
Perhaps the most compelling “emerging” locale in modern Mexico is actually a re-emergence. Los Cabos, ravaged by Hurricane Odile in September 2014, has made a quick and impressive rebound
Among the outstanding properties to make regal rebounds are the Resort at Pedregal, Cabo San Lucas, which returned in January with 66 rooms and suites and 22 homey villas as well as a handsome boardroom that can host up to 80 for receptions. And in spring, Marquis Los Cabos All Inclusive Resort & Spa and the One & Only Palmilla Los Cabos were also back in biz.
Other recent returnees include Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos, showcasing a modern conference center with more than 35,000 square feet of event space, and Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort, which reopened in summer with a ballroom hosting up to 800 and other spaces ranging from breakout rooms to posh poolside terraces.
Other news in the region includes the launch of Mar Adentro by Encanto, in San Jose del Cabo, a luxe new resort and residential property with five meeting rooms and upscale dining focused on fresh Baja seafood and organic cuisine. The property also focuses on wellness and health, with a spa creating customized treatments for each guest; healing water treatments and aromatherapy are two areas of focus here.
Elsewhere on the Baja peninsula, Ensenada boasts the trendy Hotel Coral & Marina, which has drawn groups ranging from business gatherings and incentive retreats to weddings and receptions. The luxe nautical resort offers outdoor gardens with a marina view and can host up to 350 attendees. Eight indoor spaces range in capacity from 10 to 500 guests, and the property also offers fine dining and its popular C spa.
Further down the Pacific Coast, it’s hard to debate the rising appeal of Acapulco for groups. The stunning seaside city known for its nightlife and cliff divers was given a big meetings boost by last year’s launch of Resort Mundo Imperial, which boasts more than 240,000 square feet of meeting and expo space. Earlier this year the resort hosted Tianguis Turistico, Mexico’s most robust travel fair.
“What’s appealing about Mundo Imperial is that it is a destination within a destination, ideal for fairs, exhibitions and massive events,” says Pedro Haces, president of the Acapulco Destination Marketing Office.
Meanwhile, in the charming artist colony of San Miguel de Allende set north of Mexico City, the elegant Rosewood San Miguel Allende has seen a rise in meeting clients wanting to use the property’s seven recently renovated residences for their functions.
“Since these residences have their own rooftop terraces, the hotel has the ability to host welcome cocktails or private meals such as company breakfasts or barbeques,” says spokesperson Alexandria Mao, adding that special rates are available for corporate meetings requiring more than two residences at one time.
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The property has 67 guest rooms in total, plus more than 5,000 square feet of indoor meeting space, a rooftop terrace, event lawn and exterior amphitheater.
Canada
Western Canada is a hotbed of rising meeting locales ranging from Vancouver’s metropolitan lures to outdoor oases like Banff National Park and Lake Louise. But a pair of promising upstarts are stealing some of the current spotlight, according to Robin Thompson, director of business events development, Western U.S. for Destination Canada.
Winnipeg, Manitoba’s capital city, boosted its allure with the recent launch of the snazzy Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Housed in a spectacularly modern structure, the unique venue offers some unforgettable event spaces ranging from the cavernous Bonnie & John Buhler Hall—with room for up to 700 guests reception-style—to the one-of-a-kind Stuart Clark Garden of Contemplation, set in the venue’s atrium and boasting space for up to 150 for receptions or 60 for a special dinner.
The venue also offers both guided tours (with a fee) of up to 25 and free self-guided tours. Regardless of how you choose to explore the singular setting, attendees are sure to remember the remarkably designed journey from the darkness of the subterranean levels to the naturally well-lit higher floors, as the museum aims to serve as a microcosm of the human rights journey.
Winnipeg is also humming over the debut of the greatly expanded RBC Convention Centre, set to open next year with more than 260,000 square feet of usable space that includes more than 130,000 square feet of third-floor expo space. For some fun with feathered and furry friends, visit the city’s acclaimed Assiniboine Park and zoo or take a side trip to nearby Arctic Safari in Churchill, known as the Polar Bear Capital of the World.
Westward in B.C., Kelowna and the surrounding Okanagan Valley have pumped up their meetings magnetism with wineries, a new resort and plenty more.
“This small city in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley is fast becoming the place to hold meetings and incentives,” says Jennifer Horsnell, director of sales for Tourism Kelowna. “Surrounded by wineries, golf courses, lakes and rolling mountains, Kelowna has venues and accommodation options to fit every type of meeting.”
Horsnell adds that other pluses include ample flight connectivity with three flights daily from Seattle with connections worldwide, and the nearby Sparkling Hill Resort, a premier wellness resort with a 40,000-square-foot spa destination, cutting-edge crystal architecture and an ideal setting on Lake Okanagan. The resort leaves a major impression, with more than 3 million crystals embedded into the property’s design and North America’s only cryotherapy cold sauna—a treatment favored by pro athletes where temperatures drop to -166 degrees Fahrenheit.
