Smart Meetings

Take the city of Phoenix, for instance. Over the past two years, Phoenix has undergone a massive transformation with direct applications to the meetings market, as well as benefits to residents. Count among them the opening of a greatly expanded convention center (state-of-the-art and state-of-green, by the way), a new 1,000-room headquarters hotel, a new light-rail system that connects with Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and newly opened downtown Arizona State University buildings, all of which put feet on the now-vibrant street.

Scottsdale is another case in point. With more “diamonds” than a winning poker hand, this destination has undergone its own metamorphosis. Downtown has seen a $3.3-billion redevelopment that has put a “there” there, with both sides of the Arizona Canal the beneficiary, along with meeting groups looking for dining, entertainment and shopping options. New resorts have risen from the ground up, and existing properties have renovated and expanded their offerings, all with meeting facilities as major elements.

These meetings-centric improvements aren’t the standard five-year shave-and-a-haircut hotel touch-ups; they’re huge investments in the present and the future. And they add to a natural setting in thousands of acres of Sonoran Desert, a vibrant Native American culture and 320 days of sunshine a year.

Sweetening the meetings-value and affordability angle are two programs of interest to planners (and their bosses) who now may want to give these destinations another look. The Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau recently launched a Guilt-Free Meetings promotion, good now through December 31, 2009, in which a number of hotels offer “pick your perks,” discounts or other options. The Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau has debuted the Scottsdale Room Rate Challenge, in which the bureau will work with any planner’s RFP from a competitor and one of their 40 participating properties to meet or beat the room rate, dates, meeting facility space and room night requirements (some restrictions apply, but all meetings must be booked and actualized in Scottsdale through March 31, 2010).

Don’t have short-term business? No worries. You’ll find that the Greater Phoenix area is primed for your meeting with a huge variety of venues, attractions and prices that will make you re-think the Valley of the Sun as more than a resort destination.

PHOENIX

Although this capital city has one foot in the past, when the Hohokam Indians created their community here, it’s right in step with the present—not to mention a future that will see the expansion of the Metro light-rail. It has long served as the area’s cultural hub, with museums like the Heard Museum of Native Cultures and Art, which focuses on the Native American history and cultures of the American Southwest, and the Phoenix Art Museum, a world-class showcase for early and contemporary art. (Both museums can host groups for private events.)

It’s also a sports hub, with the downtown Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks Major League Baseball team. The air-conditioned field also has a pool and retractable roof, and is available for groups.

Major Meetings Venues    

First and foremost of Phoenix’s meetings venues is the Phoenix Convention Center, which welcomed its first meeting group in January 2009. The $600-million renovation and expansion sparkles with dramatic architecture across three campuses, décor that reflects its surroundings, up-to-the-minute technology and dozens of  eco-friendly elements, like solar paneling and a water-harvesting garden. Its 900,000 sq. ft. tripled the size of the original, the culmination of a five-year project.

The center was the site, last February, of the fan-friendly NBA All-Star Jam Session, when 100,000 basketball fans poured through the doors, and the NRA convention with 60,000 delegates last May. More recently, the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, together with the Ladies Auxiliary, brought 10,000 people to the city, highlighted by an appearance by President Barack Obama (see sidebar, page 93, for details).

Also new on the meetings scene is the Sheraton Downtown Phoenix, a $350-million project that added 1,000 rooms to the city’s guest-room inventory and 80,000 sq. ft. of flexible space. The hotel, only a block from the convention center, is the largest in the entire state, but loses none of its contemporary, art-filled ambience as a convention headquarters.

Two other nearby hotels have significant meeting space: the recently renovated Wyndham Phoenix, with 520 guest rooms and 60,000 sq. ft. of meeting space; and the Hyatt Regency Phoenix, with 712 guest rooms and 48,000 sq. ft. of function space.

Unique Venues and Activities

Phoenix offers the full spectrum of off-site venues and attractions for groups. The historic Orpheum Theatre, fresh from a dazzling, $14-million restoration, features a 1,400-seat auditorium ideal for awards ceremonies and product launches. Spreading across 145 acres, the Desert Botanical Garden has more than 50,000 plants on display, plus numerous indoor and outdoor venues for small and large group events.

In addition to more than 200 golf courses in the metro area, outdoor recreation opportunities can take your attendees on off-road nature and historical tours, barbecues and other Southwestern activities. Arizona’s Desert Events offers a variety of guided programs for small groups, or custom programs for 20 or more (think half-day or full-day activities, topped by an evening of cowboy games and a cowboy cook-out). In nearby Laveen, Corona Ranch can host up to 3,000 for a Mexican and Western Rodeo (audience participation!), complete with a Mexican fiesta and Western steak fry.

SCOTTSDALE

Downtown Scottsdale definitely has a buzz ($3.3 billion in new development tends to create that type of reaction). As the city settles into its chic, urban persona, it has seen the creation of several districts that draw visitors and locals alike. The $250-million Waterfront, along the north side of the Arizona Canal, sprawls 1.1 million sq. ft. and features luxury condominiums among the restaurants, boutiques and shops. There’s also an outdoor amphitheater and recreation paths on the canal. Along the south side of the canal is Southbridge, another retail, dining and cultural center. And, not to be missed, is the Entertainment District, the happening nightlife center of town. Several new, hip hotels have also carved their identities into downtown, including the Hotel Valley Ho with 156 signature guest rooms and more than 10,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, and the 224-room W Scottsdale that has 10,000 sq. ft. of function space.

MEETING SPACES

Scottsdale is well-known for its resorts, and for good reason. Not only are these oasis-like properties a retreat for groups, they’re jam-packed with amenities that keep attendees on-property and focused. As many properties have expanded their meeting space, they’re often able to attract larger—and different—groups than in the past.

Among these is Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch, which completed the third and final phase of its $50-million transformation last December, renovating not only its 492 guest rooms but also redesigning its Vaquero Ballroom and adding the new Executive Boardroom. Also a $50-million project was the renewal of the Camelback Inn, A JW Marriott Resort & Spa. Among other features was the addition of a new 20,000-square-foot ballroom.

Newly opened is the $325-million InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa, a luxurious, Andalusian-inspired property with 253 guest rooms, 27,000 sq. ft. of indoor meeting space and an additional 74,000 sq. ft. of outdoor event space.

Unique Venues and Activities

For something a little different, Sassi of Scottsdale is a 20,000-square-foot private meeting and event space in an Italian villa setting at the base of Pinnacle Peak. This venue features private dining rooms, including a wine cellar, and indoor and outdoor space for up to 150 guests. Taliesin West, the winter home and school of renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, is not only open for tours, it’s also possible to hold private events there as well. And there’s the Crown P Corral at The Fairmont Scottsdale, an on-property, 26,000-square-foot out- door arena with Western town facades, picnic tables, a dance floor, covered bandstand, built-in bars and firepits. It can seat up to 1,000 guests for a real hoe-down.

The lure of the Sonoran Desert is strong here—this spectacular landscape is unlike any other, and it entices visitors to explore and experience it in many different ways. Fort McDowell Adventures offers City Slicker cattle drives through the desert, where groups of 12 or more can participate in a two-hour round-up pushing cattle back to the stables. Or try a barbecue dinner at La Puesta del Sol, which can accommodate up to 1,600 guests.

Another option is to hop on one of Stellar Adventures’ H1 Hummers, M1009 4x4s or ATVs for tours where you explore ghost towns, Native American ruins and the Four Peaks and Bradshaw Mountain ranges.

If you’re looking for team-building opportunities, Scottsdale has them. Similar to the top-rated TV show, Arizona Outback Adventures’ pits teams against each other (and against time) with a series of clues and tasks. Arizona Cowboy College will teach participants authentic cowboy skills such as riding, roping, cutting, herding and branding, all the while stressing team-building and cooperation—great for groups from merging companies or departments.

MESA

The third-largest city in Arizona, Mesa, is well-known as an affordable destination that’s only 12 miles from Sky Harbor Airport and now even more accessible via the new Metro light-rail line. Planners, particularly in this economy, are looking at the Mesa Convention Center, which provides 40,000 sq. ft. of exhibit and meeting space. It’s complemented by the adjacent Phoenix Marriott Mesa, which has 275 guest rooms and a total of 52,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space. The Mesa Arts Center, the largest art center in Arizona, with a new state-of-the-art campus also offers four theaters as well as exhibition space, studios and outdoor venues.

Other hotel options include the recently opened, 150-room Hyatt Place, with 1,100 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space and an on-site putting green, and the 246-room Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, which just completed a $10-million renovation that included its 10,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, lobby, restaurant and lounge.

Residents and planners have been awaiting construction of Gaylord Entertainment’s planned anchor resort and convention hotel. According to a report filed in August with the SEC, Gaylord said its Mesa project is still on the books and design work continues; however, there is no set date to break ground.

TEMPE

Also linked to Phoenix’s fast, inexpensive light-rail system is the city of Tempe. Home of the main campus of Arizona State University, it also features the 2,000-acre Papago Park and Tempe Town Lake, a manmade lake on the Salt River, and the well-used park along its shores.

Six full-service conference hotels attract meeting groups, among them the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel, in the heart of the popular Mill Avenue District. This IACC-certified property has 303 newly redecorated guest rooms and 30,000 sq. ft. of multifunctional space. Also, there’s the Sheraton Phoenix Airport Hotel, which recently underwent a $7-million renovation, with nearly 10,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and 210 guest rooms, and the Embassy Suites Phoenix-Tempe, with 224 two-room guest suites and 10,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.

For a resort experience, there’s The Buttes, A Marriott Resort, with 345 guest rooms and 40,000 sq. ft. of meeting space—the largest in the area.

Additional options include the new Tempe Center for the Arts, which overlooks Tempe Town Lake and encompasses a 600-seat theater, a 200-seat studio theater and a 3,500-square-foot gallery, and the university’s Grady Gammage Auditorium, with seating for more than 3,000 attendees.

CHANDLER

Located in the southeastern portion of the Valley of the Sun, Chandler has a historic downtown district with award-winning restaurants, galleries and even a winery. It also has a burgeoning appetite for both giant tech companies and retail complexes, creating a hip, vibrant community. Nearby is the Crowne Plaza San Marcos Golf Resort and Conference Center, a landmark since its 1912 debut. Arizona’s original golf resort, it features 295 guest rooms and 35,000 sq. ft. of meeting and banquet facilities on its 123 beautifully landscaped acres.

Located on the ancient Gila Indian River Community, the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa delivers a sense of place along with its 500 culturally-inspired guest rooms and 70,000 sq. ft. of conference facilities. A few months ago the resort debuted a new 15,000-square-foot ballroom, two additional 1,000-square-foot meeting rooms and an 8,884-square-foot prefunction foyer. There’s also a 17,500-square-foot spa, 36 holes of Troon-managed golf and an equestrian center.

Also on the Gila Indian River Community is the new location of Rawhide, a replica of an 1880s Western town with staged gun battles, steak dinners and cowboy music, among other
entertainments. Plans are to divide up the main street to include private areas for parties and corporate events.

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CASE STUDY

Planner: Vanessa Kane, Manager of Meetings and Events, Veterans of Foreign Wars of
the United States, Kansas City, Mo.
Event: 110th Annual Convention; 96th Convention of Ladies Auxiliary
Location: Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Ariz.
Number of attendees: Between 8,000 to 10,000 in the city; the hall was set up for 5,700
Guest Speaker: President Barack Obama

Q: Do you have in-house staff to help plan such a large event?
A: I’m a department of one right now, but the convention center was great; there’s a good event manger and all the vendors were really good. I had several good hotels to work with, and their directors of sales and marketing—those folks become an extension of yourself. It’s like you have a 5–6 person staff when working with them.

Q: What hotels did you use?
A: The Hyatt Regency Phoenix, the new Sheraton and the Wyndham. We like to do our housing assignments by state, so certain states were booked in certain hotels, which is a little unusual, but [the attendees] all like to be together. We assign rooms based on their history.

Q: It’s traditional for the President of the U.S. to make an appearance. What were the challenges?
A:  The Secret Service is great to work with. Last year was an election year and the candidates used their own backdrops. This year, we worked with one set of everything—it was VFW backdrops, so it was a good savings for us. The President’s advance team was easy to work with.

Q: What about security?
A: The Secret Service has to make the location safe, and the convention center had an exceptional security vendor. Everyone worked together to make it all happen. Attendees have to go through hoops every year (can’t go into the hall yet, have to have a badge, doors open at such and such a time), but they’re used to it. It went smoothly this year.

Q: What advice would you give to other planners involved with an event of this magnitude?
A: Most planners would do the same things I do—I have a multipage resume document with what I need, when I need it, how I need it. People say, “Wow, you’re so organized.” That amazes me. I’ve been in the industry for 30 years, and I’m surprised how many planners don’t do a resume, don’t provide information in a timely fashion, which opens up all kinds of possibilities for error. They do themselves and the location a disservice if they don’t do this. You need to treat these [vendors] like they’re an extension of your staff. You can’t expect them to do something if they don’t know what to do. You have to make sure your communication is very good.

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Getting There

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has nonstop service to more than 100 cities and is served by 20 airlines, including US Airways and Southwest. Back to Top