Rich in Native American culture, arresting landscapes of red rock and palm oases, mineral springs and peppery cuisine, the desert Southwest is a vast and multifaceted region stretching from southeastern California across Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. It’s an inspirational canvas on which to create distinctive events and experiences that can’t be found anywhere else.
CALIFORNIA
Greater Palm Springs
With its year-round sunshine and stunning juxtaposition of mountain peaks and desert terrain, Palm Springs and the surrounding communities of the Coachella Valley invite groups to break away from the indoor meeting room, according to Rick Blackburn, vice president of convention sales and services for the Greater Palm Springs CVB.
“Everything here is about enjoying the outdoors—even our airport is an outdoor experience,” he said. “Hotels will talk to you about using their outdoor space, not just for social events but even for actual meetings. It’s all about breaking out of the same old format.”
At the Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, the 262,000 square feet of outdoor space lends itself to a variety of open-air events, including carnivals held on the Pete Dye Driving Range with a Ferris wheel, food booths and balloon rides over the desert.
At Two Bunch Palms, a 70-room resort in Desert Hot Springs, events can be built around the property’s natural mineral springs. The many options for groups include yoga and movement classes, guided meditation, tai chi sessions and sunset wine tastings around the lake.
“We’re all about serenity and minimizing noise and clutter so that people can find their better selves,” said Katie Camarena, event and marketing manager at the property.
Local outfitter Desert Adventures offers myriad ways to delve into the heart of the desert, including the San Andreas Fault Jeep Tour, which winds through a labyrinth of geological cuts and canyons to the spot where the two massive tectonic plates of the San Andreas earthquake fault come together. Along the way, participants walk through a steep, narrow canyon created by powerful forces of tectonic activity and explore a natural oasis where clear waters bubble up from an underground aquifer in a grove of rare native palm trees. Along the way, naturalist guides speak about the geology, wildlife and culture of the Cahuilla Indians and how they use the desert plants for food, medicine, tools, weapons, shelter and more.
“Attendees can come back year after year and have a totally different experience, as each guide has a specialty,” said Kelley Howard, director of sales for ACCESSS Destination Services, which often incorporates the desert tours into meeting programs. “We’ll take up to 100 participants through twisting canyons through the fault and to a replica Cahuilla village on a historic Indian site.”
NEVADA
Reno
While known for its proximity to Lake Tahoe and alpine forests, Reno is also a place where wide-open stretches of high desert provide intriguing possibilities for events. At Animal Ark, a 38-acre sanctuary for injured and orphaned wildlife, groups can tour the preserve, learn about native black bears and other wildlife, and engage in volunteer activities.
Located at Animal Ark, Raptor Adventures offers falconry demonstrations, where attendees can witness falcons, owls and hawks taking flight over the desert and get the chance to launch and land a raptor.
“It’s a visually stunning experience where you see the birds flying in at 100 miles an hour,” said Jim Tigan, company founder and a licensed master falconer. “For large groups, we can do a cocktail hour where we bring in the birds and talk about the ancient sport of falconry. Smaller groups can really engage with the birds, which is an exciting, hands-on activity.”
ARIZONA
Phoenix/Scottsdale
Groups meeting in the midst of Arizona’s largest metro hub need not stray far to enjoy the wonders of the Sonora Desert. Just north of Phoenix and Scottsdale, the 3 million-acre Tonto National Forest offers abundant opportunity for float trips, paddle-boarding, hiking and teambuilding activities in a wilderness area that encompasses ponderosa pine forests, saguaros and other cacti, the Salt River and Saguaro Lake.
“We’ll take groups out in Hummer vehicles to Saguaro Lake for a four-hour experience where they can take pictures and learn about the desert flora and fauna and how the Native Americans lived off the land,” said Lori James, president and owner of AZA Events. “You can mix it in with a scavenger hunt or geocaching activity through the desert.”
Another great way to experience the region is via desert orienteering, in which teams are given a map, clues and a compass as they make their way through a predetermined course on foot, mountain bike or horseback, according to Loren Abbi, owner of Phoenix-based Circa DMC.
“The orienteering really encourages people to work as a team,” she said. “We can customize the clues and questions to reflect the objectives of the meeting. In particular, the desert vegetation fascinates people. To go out and see hundreds of saguaros as well as choyo and other plants is an amazing experience.”
PageBreakRight within Phoenix, the Desert Botanical Garden, nestled among the buttes of Papago Park, is a group-friendly site with thematic trails that illustrate how desert plants are used for nourishment and healing, the relationship between desert plants and animals, and the diversity of desert wildflowers. The garden offers a wide range of sites for groups large and small, including a 400-seat banquet hall, an auditorium and numerous patios, terraces and courtyards.
“The Desert Botanical Garden is a great place for events and they are always adding new experiences, including a flashlight tour where you enjoy the desert at night,” said Douglas MacKenzie, spokesman for the Greater Phoenix CVB.
Tucson
Surrounded on the east and west by Saguaro National Park, Tucson makes it easy for groups to experience the desert environment, according to Graeme Hughes, vice president of sales for Visit Tucson.
“No matter where you go in Tucson, you are only about 20 minutes away from a national park,” he said. “And a lot of our meeting resort properties actually border national park lands, so there’s no need to transport people. For example, at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, the Ventana Canyon trailhead is just off the parking lot. At the JW Marriott Tucson Star Pass Resort, a specialty offered at the concierge is a desert hike every morning. It’s a great way to start the day out.”
Among local outfitters that provide customized outings for groups is Southwest Trekking, which provides guided hikes and mountain bike tours through Coronado National Forest, Ventana Canyon, the foothills of the Catalina Mountains and other scenic places.
Working with the JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa, Southwest Trekking can arrange three-hour sunrise or sunset hikes to the Bowen House, a ruined stone house in the desert that is an evocative setting for a yoga or meditation session.
“It’s an amazing teambuilding experience, which I’ve done with my own staff,” said Marissa Bernal, spa manager for the resort. “We hiked back at sunset and then put on miners headlamps to make our way through the desert when it got dark.”
Meanwhile, Geoffrey Campbell, assistant general manager of Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort, a historic property in Tucson, said the national forest land around Tucson is ideal for teambuilding activities like geocaching on mountain bikes as well as guided hikes. A personal favorite is the trail up to Manning Camp, a ranger’s mountaintop lodge in Saguaro National Park.
Horseback riding and equestrian teambuilding at Hacienda del Sol is another option.
“You can do things like an egg and spoon race or a ride through a keyhole obstacle course,” Campbell said. “It connects people with the natural environment and is also an emotionally engaging experience for groups.”
For off-site venues, Hughes recommends the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, an attraction devoted to desert plants and wildlife with a variety of indoor and outdoor event spaces in natural settings.
“It can be closed off in the evening for groups to have the exclusive run of the place,” he said. “It’s a great interpretive center where people can really get immersed in the natural environment.”
Sedona
Surrounded by the red rock majesty of Boynton Canyon, an ancient site of spiritual significance to Native Americans, Enchantment Resort infuses meeting programs with local traditions and ways to enjoy the natural beauty of the area, according to Lindsay Curry Dowling, corporate director of sales for Enchantment Group.
“A lot of groups are looking for a takeaway experience and one really special way to do this is to incorporate Native American rituals and performances,” she said. “We work closely with local performers in the region to create experiences that are authentic and not hokey. You can have a blessing before a meeting and hear speakers talk about the significance of the land. Groups are encouraged to join in with the dances and drumming—it’s all very personal and true.”
Enchantment also partners with Pink Jeep Tours, which provides Jeep rides and guided hikes to such places as Devil’s Bridge Trail, renowned for its wildflowers and breathtaking vistas.
“You have to experience Devil’s Bridge to believe it,” Curry Dowling said. “Getting groups out into the red rock country is essential—it’s a large part of why people come to Sedona.”
NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque
Set in the Rio Grande Valley against the backdrop of the Sandia Mountains, Albuquerque provides ample ways for groups to experience the region’s high desert environment and Native American culture within the city limits, according to Tania Armenta, president and CEO of Visit Albuquerque.
“Our topography and culture ensure that your meeting has a unique feel,” she said. “One of our greatest assets is the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, where you can learn about all 19 of the pueblo communities in our state.”
A versatile setting for events, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center exhibits an extensive collection of pottery, jewelry, textiles, baskets, prints, paintings and archaeological artifacts from the pueblo communities. Its function spaces include conference rooms, banquet halls and a mural-lined courtyard.
The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is ideal for gatherings featuring Native American foods, artwork and hoop dance performances, according to Lydia Griego-Hansen, co-owner of Albuquerque-based Destination Southwest.
“It can be as upscale as you want it to be or something casual with tacos made with Indian fry bread and locally grown pinto beans,” she said.
Another way for groups to enjoy New Mexico’s unique culture and environment is at the 118-room Hotel Chaco, a luxury property operated by Heritage Hotels and Resorts that opened in Old Town Albuquerque earlier this year. The hotel features architectural details such as a circular lobby, sandstone exterior and latilla roof that pay homage to Chaco Canyon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northwestern New Mexico. Dozens of Native American artists were commissioned to create the sculptural pieces, weavings and paintings throughout the building.
Event spaces include a rooftop suite and terrace with sweeping views of the Sandia Mountains accommodating up to 150 guests. Hotel Chaco shares meeting space and a pool area with its adjacent sister property, the Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town. Day trips to Chaco Canyon can be arranged for groups.
Just outside Albuquerque, groups can retreat to a tranquil setting in the Rio Grande Valley at Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm, which offers seasonal workshops on cultivating lavender. The 20-room inn, which grows not only lavender but heirloom produce, is available for small meetings.
Santa Fe
Meeting in Santa Fe brings the chance to delve into New Mexico’s distinctive cuisine, a flavorsome blend of Native American and Hispanic influences that makes innovative use of the many varieties of the renowned chile peppers grown in the arid Hatch Valley.
“It’s really important to include a food element in the meeting,” said Arlene Schiffer, president of Santa Fe-based Passport DMC. “Our cuisine is different from any other, even that of Arizona and other Southwest states.”
Among Schiffer’s favorite venues is the Santa Fe School of Cooking, which offers a wide variety of experiences for groups, including workshops on cooking with red or green peppers and walking tours of the local restaurants and food purveyors.
“We’ve also worked with the cooking school to offer classes out in the vineyards,” Schiffer said. “It’s also possible to arrange traditional meals at a pueblo or in a beautiful private home.”
Meanwhile, among the favorite off-site venues of Randy Randall, executive director of Santa Fe Tourism, is the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, which offers event space for lectures, concerts, meetings and receptions among the orchards and flower beds at its in-town Museum Hill location. Designed to showcase the biodiversity of the region, the garden also includes the 35-acre Leonora Curtin Wetland Preserve, featuring a spring-fed pond surrounded by a diversity of native plants and wildlife.
