Colorado creates energy as high as its peaks

It’s a common misconception that Colorado only has its Rocky Mountains to offer. It’s another that the Centennial State requires snow gear at all times. In fact, the opposite is true. “With more than 300 days of sunshine, [Colorado] outshines Miami and San Diego,” says Jenni Gaherty, director of sales and marketing for the JW Marriott Denver at Cherry Creek.

Though there are days of snow, the next day can (and often is) followed with 65-degree weather. “It’s a phenomenal meeting destination 12 months a year,” she says of her property, which is located in the state’s capital city of Denver.

Mary Ann Mahoney, executive director for the Boulder Convention & Visitors Bureau, agrees there are plenty of options in Colorado that break your preconceived notions. For instance, the state has a noteworthy “value season,” Mahoney says; Colorado is not simply a ski destination—ski season is November through April, leaving the other months open to great prices and outdoor options that are seemingly limitless. Also, “[Colorado] is in the center of the country, airfare is reasonably priced and there is great value on hotel rooms,” she says. “Meeting planners should know that there are variable weather patterns in the state, and [although] Colorado has snow, there are still a lot of cities that can handle their group.”

Colorado is also home to the most 14,000-foot-high mountain peaks in the U.S. (it has 54 in total). As you can imagine, 14,000-foot-high peaks are inspirational—and a perfect backdrop to a meeting, whether incentive or business. So if there is one thing you can be sure of, it’s that every city and town in Colorado has a mountain—great for outdoor activities in the summer, snow sports in the winter and unbelievable year-round vistas.  

DENVER
Denver is a great group destination because of its central location and ambience. “With Denver International Airport, attendees can come from the South, West, East…and all for affordable fares,” Gaherty says.

Plus, the nearly 150-year-old, Mile High city has a laid-back vibe and appealing local culture, which includes art festivals, galleries and boutiques—all paired with a walkable downtown that effortlessly blends its history with a brand-new convention center and chic, upscale hotels. It’s also a convenient jumping-off point for year-round outdoor recreation, as well as home to several major sporting venues (the Colorado Rockies’ Coors Field and the Pepsi Center, to name a few), which are located in what Denverties affectionately refer to as “Lodo,” meaning lower downtown.
 
MAJOR MEETING VENUES
The city’s major meetings venue is the Colorado Convention Center. The facility was created by more than 100 professional meeting planners (along with architects, of course) to design and construct every aspect of the building so that it was accessible, easy to use and state-of-the-art. It is located in the heart of exciting downtown Denver, and its exhibit level alone provides 584,000 sq. ft. of space. Other options inside include 63 meeting rooms that total 100,000 sq. ft. (all on one level), an 85,000-square-foot ballroom and a 5,000-seat theater.

Adjacent to the convention center is the Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center with 60,600 sq. ft. of function space. The large, 1,100-room property showcases stunning views of the Colorado Rockies, and is within walking distance of the capitol building.

The Denver Marriott Tech Center is another major contender with 42,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, including a flexible 10,200-square-foot ballroom. It’s the third largest hotel in Denver with 625 guest rooms and 33 suites; the hotel has also earned the prestigious Energy Star label from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its eco-friendly practices.

Only a few minutes from downtown Denver, the 196-room JW Marriott Denver at Cherry Creek offers 8,400 sq. ft. of meeting space, including the 3,150-square-foot Grand Ballroom and eight other meeting rooms. All public areas and meeting rooms also come equipped with high-speed wired and wireless Internet.

Casey Girard, assistant director of national events for AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) held a week-long event over the Democratic National Convention this past August at the JW Marriott Cherry Creek. “It was wonderful and suited our needs perfectly,” she says. “Our Denver office had hosted [events] at the property before, and they had a great experience.” AIPAC has a lot of special needs, and the property accommodated all of them, she says. “We even did kosher catering that they fully accommodated, which is unique to find.”

Girard adds that she would go back to Denver in a heartbeat. “From the initial talks about the contract to coming through with it, both on-site and following up, [the Marriott] was above and beyond any group I’ve ever worked with,” she says. “They made our experience top-notch.”



Nearby, and the closest ski destination to Denver, Loveland is known as “the sweetheart city” (fairly obviously due to its name), and is often referred to as the “gateway to the Rockies” for its location in the valley at the entrance to the Big Thompson Canyon.

The Embassy Suites Loveland is a full-service hotel with 40,000 sq. ft. of function space and 263 two-room suites. The Grand Ballroom can accommodate up to 2,900 guests, and all meeting rooms are equipped with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment and sound systems.  

COPPER MOUNTAIN
About 75 miles from Denver, in the heart of the Rockies, Copper Mountain is a skier’s paradise with 2,450 acres of skiable terrain. The area offers world-class conference facilities, as well as approximately 600 resort guest rooms, boutique shops, more than 21 restaurants and endless outdoor recreation.

The mountain averages 282 inches of snow during ski season; however, summer activities abound with fishing, biking, hiking, golf and Jeep tours, making it an all-encompassing destination for attendees and visitors alike. Copper also has a booming nightlife scene, which includes everything from stomp and rhythm performers to fire jugglers—just a small glimpse into what the town is made of.

MAJOR MEETING VENUES
This past February marked the grand opening of Woodward at Copper, an action sports training facility on Copper Mountain. The 20,000-square-foot barn has conference space and team-building options, as well as training opportunities for those who want to perfect their slalom.    

Copper Mountain Resort has anywhere from 25,000 to 68,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, depending on the season. The 16,000-square-foot Copper Conference Center is in close proximity to Jack’s at Copper One meeting room and the Copper Pavilion, which can be used in conjunction to provide a combined 41,000 sq. ft. of space, while keeping an easy flow for guests. The largest ballroom in the Village at Copper (which has numerous meeting venues ranging from boardrooms to larger exhibit showrooms) is part of the resort as well, and guests can take advantage of the complimentary inter-village shuttle while they’re there.

The Copper Mountain Pavilion (available June through September), has 18,000 sq. ft. of space and can hold up to 1,200 guests reception-style. A unique meeting option is The School House at Union Creek, on the west side of Copper and available during the summer months. The facility is more private, as it sits against the forest and is geared for retreats or seminars that need a bit more focus. It’s also just a five-minute walk (on a paved sidewalk) from the shops and slopes at the Village, making it a convenient option.  

BOULDER
“Whether you are in an up economy or not, everybody is always having to justify their bottom line—and Boulder can do that,” says Mary Ann Mahoney, executive director for the Boulder Convention & Visitors Bureau. “People have walked away and told us that their meetings were more productive, fresh and vibrant because of our active, creative community,” she says. “People get energized here.”

Her reasons to take your meeting to Boulder are practical ones: “We have great weather, accessibility and value.” The city is well-suited for smaller meetings, and its ideal size group is anywhere from 70–125. But, in addition to its complement of hotel rooms and meeting facilities, it has upscale shopping, progressive restaurants and lots of history. Mahoney says everyone she knows (herself included) moved to Boulder “because of the great quality of life.”



Boulder also prides itself on its eco-initiatives. “We’re one of the most environmentally conscious [cities] in the state,” she says. And love of the outdoors is evident in every resident. “We can be outdoors all day long,” she says. “We like to get people [outside] and share a bit of our environmental practices that date back to the
’50s. We’ve been doing this for decades to preserve for the future.” Downtown Boulder is also home to the Flatirons, five distinct rock formations that guarantee views from almost every window in the city.

MAJOR MEETING VENUES
The Millennium Harvest House Boulder is the largest property in the city, and is located adjacent to the University of Colorado in the foothills of the mountains. The hotel has 18,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and 269 guest rooms and suites, nearly all of which feature beautiful views of the nearby mountains or the hotel’s luxurious gardens (as it sits on 16 landscaped acres).

Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, the Hotel Boulderado, which was named after Boulder and Colorado so that no guest would ever forget where he/she stayed, offers 160 guest rooms and several reception venues for a maximum of 300 guests. Since its public opening on New Year’s Day 1909, the historic hotel has prided itself on “timeless elegance and new world service.”

Only four years old, the St. Julien Hotel & Spa is a full-service, world-class hotel in downtown Boulder. The property offers more than 15,500 sq. ft. of meeting space both indoors and outdoors. The outdoor event space consists of four terrace and garden areas, which total 6,810 sq. ft.

Also situated with views of the Flatirons is the full-service Boulder Marriott. The 157 boutique-style guest rooms complement the mid-size, meeting-friendly 5,400 sq. ft. of meeting and event space.

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
Located in the Northwestern part of the state along the Yampa River, Steamboat Springs is known as “Ski Town USA,” so it’s no surprise that the town thrives during the winter months with nearly 3,000 acres of snow-sport terrain. Steamboat is actually a complete mountain range with peaks that include Mount Werner, Sunshine Peak, Storm Peak, Thunderhead Peak, Pioneer Ridge and Christie Peak.

Aside from skiing and snowboarding, the town is almost picture perfect with storefronts entrenched in western-style charm (complete with plastic horses atop cowboy mercantile shops). The town is also filled with culture, music, history and a vibrant arts scene.
 
MAJOR MEETING VENUES
With a $20-million renovation completed in December, the Sheraton Steamboat Resort & Conference Center is the only full-service conference, ski-in/ski-out resort in Steamboat Springs. The 213-room property has 17 meeting rooms, the largest being the Grand Ballroom at 6,300 sq. ft.



At the base of Steamboat Ski Resort, the Steamboat Grand Resort & Condominiums has 17,000 sq. ft. of total function space, including the 5,484-square-foot Priest Creek Ballroom. The property has 327 guest rooms and suites all showcasing views—either looking up at the mountains or across the picturesque Yampa Valley.

VAIL & AVON
Vail has been described as “like nothing on Earth.” And frankly, they may be right. With a mountain that has more than 5,000 acres of free-ride terrain, and the largest ski resort in the U.S., the destination is hard to beat.
“People have a perception that Vail is extremely expensive, but our business is seasonal,” says Rob LeVine, general manager of Antlers at Vail hotel and conference center. “We have competitive rates and very comfortable, reliable weather,” he says.

Once you arrive in the Vail Valley, transportation is easy, as the area boasts the country’s largest free, year-round bus service, which transports visitors through Golden Peak, Vail Village, Lionshead, East Vail, West Vail and Cascade Village. Avon and Beaver Creek (approximately 10 miles from Vail) also provide free shuttle services to link their communities. Many of the valley’s transportation buses use hybrid fuels to support eco-friendliness—making the communities easy to get to, stay at or simply visit for the day. Vail is also a more family-oriented town, which makes tagging a vacation onto a meeting much more likely with several options for spousal activities, as well as entertainment for children.

“When people walk away [from Vail] they are taking something personal with them,” says Kristen Pryor, director of sales and marketing for The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa, Avon. “It’s just being in the mountains—whether you want to ski a world-class mountain in the winter or go white-water rafting in the summer.”

MAJOR MEETING VENUES
Just 150 yards from the gondola at Vail Mountain’s base, The Antlers at Vail provides meeting planners with a 2,100-square-foot conference center, complete with 13-foot-high ceilings and windows. “Our sweet spot is groups of 50 or 60,” LeVine says of the property. “In addition to the large ballroom, we built an elegant boardroom on the top floor. It has vaulted ceilings and big windows.” The 500-square-foot boardroom is top-notch, with 12 oversized leather chairs and beautiful scenery. The property was also recently awarded the Green Business of the Year award from the Vail Valley Partnership, which is also a great resource for your meeting needs.

The alpine-inspired lobby at the Vail Plaza Hotel & Club welcomes attendees with true mountain-resort warmth. The 100-room property features 7,000 sq. ft. of meeting and conference space, including two ballrooms and 10 breakouts. The hotel also offers 38 suites for VIPs, complete with natural stone fireplaces and mountain-view balconies.

With 45,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, the Four-Diamond Vail Cascade Resort & Spa can accommodate up to 800 attendees. The resort has both indoor and outdoor venues, almost all of which showcase the famous mountains. The property also has the largest function room in Vail Valley, with their 19,234-square-foot Gore Range Hall.
And in nearby Avon, you will find The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa, Avon. Located at the base of Beaver Creek Mountain, the 210-room resort has 4,000 sq. ft. of meeting space plus the 23,000-square-foot Spa Anjali.

“We booked a space at the Westin in fall 2007, before they built the hotel,” says Diane Egner, corporate travel agent (and one-time meeting planner) for Cain Travel. The three-day meeting consisted of general sessions and several breakouts, and Egner says the property was absolutely gorgeous. “There’s lots of windows and it’s open and welcoming,” she says.

Though Egner is based out of Boulder, coming to Avon made her feel like she was “getting away” from it all. “I also cannot say enough about the service. Being a new property you are never really sure, but they were fantastic—from the front desk to the bellman to the people I directly worked with,” she says. “I would surely recommend it. It was lovely.”

Also nearby, The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch is situated in the mountain enclave of Bachelor Gulch, on Beaver Creek Mountain. The property features more than 13,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and 180 guest rooms, and has ski-in/ski-out access to the Beaver Creek Mountain slopes. The luxurious resort is stunning both inside and out. Outside, a vast array of wilderness waits. Inside, the property feels like an upscale take on the rustic American West, complete with large stone fireplaces and oversized leather chairs.

As a way to give back, the hotel also takes part in a program called Meaningful Meetings, which supports The Ritz-Carlton Community Footprints Fund as well as a charity of the group’s choice. Planners can select from a list of organizations that benefit hunger and poverty relief, education for disadvantaged youth, health initiatives and environmental conservation—a win-win.

?BRECKENRIDGE
Breckenridge is a quaint, 149-year-old Victorian town about 100 miles from Colorado’s capital city. At seven miles long and two miles wide, the town holds true to the state’s reputation of 300 days of sunshine a year, but also boasts an average of 300 inches of snow yearly—naturally making it a wonderful destination for your slope junkies in winter and a popular golf destination in the summer.   

MAJOR MEETING VENUES
Breckenridge Hospitality is a lodging division of Vail Resorts Hospitality, and it offers a combined 43,000 sq. ft. of function space in the small town of Breckenridge. It operates six hotel and lodging properties in the area, which include Mountain Thunder Lodge, The Village Hotel, The Village at Breckenridge, Great Divide Lodge, Crystal Peak Lodge and Breckenridge Mountain Lodge.

The Village at Breckenridge Resort is a ski-in/ski-out facility located at the base of the ski resort and within walking distance of historic Main Street. The property has 13 meeting rooms with a total of 22,000 sq. ft. of space for up to 500 guests.

Another option for meetings is the Beaver Run Resort & Conference Center, which also has ski access right outside their front door. The center consists of a 7,200-square-foot ballroom, the 3,520-square-foot Summit Gallery, a 5,400-square-foot ballroom and several smaller meeting rooms, including an intimate boardroom. During the summer, an event tent for up to 266 people is available.



ASPEN/SNOWMASS
Aspen/Snowmass is what many people imagine when they think of Colorado—a powerhouse of skiable mountains accompanied by a picturesque downtown that’s bustling with world-class restaurants and boutique shops.

Located high in the Rocky Mountain range, about 200 miles southwest of Denver, Aspen is home to a vast array of cultures, with a major annual music festival; it’s also host to the famous Winter X Games, which feature athletes from across the world. For groups, the Aspen Chamber Resort Association provides planners with more than 15 properties to choose from.

The town of Snowmass, on the other hand, is a bit more family-oriented and offers 75,000 sq. ft. of meeting space in total. Together, Aspen/Snowmass consists of four major mountains—Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk—with a total of 5,303 acres open for outdoor activities. Team-building options also include slope races, picnics and western-style barbecues, taking advantage of the area’s great outdoors and history.

MAJOR MEETING VENUES
The Snowmass Conference Center is one of the largest conference centers in all of the Rocky Mountains, with 35,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space, which includes an 11,000-square-foot ballroom and a 4,400-square-foot Roof Garden Terrace.     

In Aspen, The Little Nell has 92 guest rooms and multiple meeting options. Your group can take the 12-minute gondola ride up to the Aspen Mountain Club, located 11,200 feet above sea level atop Aspen Mountain. The 7,000-square-foot facility can accommodate up to 200 guests for receptions and dining.



The Sky Hotel, also in Aspen, provides 90 guest rooms and 3,300 sq. ft. of indoor/outdoor space, ideal for small- to mid-size groups. And in the heart of the city, Hotel Jerome has more than 7,500 sq. ft. of meeting space, including a 3,450-square-foot ballroom, along with 94 guest rooms and suites.

COLORADO SPRINGS
“There is just this feeling of [being] awestruck,” says John Branciforte, director of sales and marketing for Cheyenne Mountain Resort about Colorado Springs. If you’re looking at Colorado, and you want to fit the state into your company’s budget, “Colorado Springs is it,” he says. “We have nice price points, and there is a feeling of inspiration when you look up at Pikes Peak.”

He also mentions that a not-to-be-missed opportunity in Colorado Springs, in fact, is the Railway to Pikes Peak. “There’s just something about going 14,000 feet up a mountain on a train…and this is a mountain that at certain times of the day will cast an [overpowering] shadow,” Branciforte says. “It’s a great way to look at the plains.”

Chelsy Offutt, public relations manager for Experience Colorado Springs at Pikes Peak, agrees that Colorado Springs is conducive for meetings. The city has “more than a million square feet of meeting space,” she says. With the event facilities spread throughout multiple major meetings-focused properties, the area specializes in small- to medium-size groups, plus it has numerous unique venues.

“We’re also very accessible,” Offut says. “All the major resorts have shuttles, and there is development around the [Colorado Springs] Airport, so in the 5-to-7 minute drive, there is a lot going on,” she says. Colorado Springs is also much more than just a “ski destination,” as the weather permits many more outdoor activities. “We have a mild climate because the mountains block the harsh weather—you get these nice days all year round.”

MAJOR MEETING VENUES
The Broadmoor is a major player in Colorado Springs. Located on 3,000 acres of land below Cheyenne Mountain, the property houses 700 guest rooms and an Event Center Complex that features 185,000 sq. ft. of event space.
Along with meeting rooms and conference halls, The Broadmoor has three championship golf courses, a world-class spa, 18 restaurants, a fitness center and 25 retail shops.

Cheyenne Mountain Resort has a lot to offer in the way of meetings, with more than 40,000 sq. ft. of event space “[Colorado Springs] doesn’t have the cachet, but it can deliver the meeting…actually more than deliver the meeting,” Branciforte says. When you walk into the hotel you are looking out over Cheyenne Mountain, and “it truly is a Colorado resort,” he says, because what the property looks like now is what was envisioned 25 years ago when it was built.

The 316-room property is Four-Diamond with a special niche. Their Benchmark Conference Plan is a one-stop-shop for planners, allowing food and beverage, room blocks and audiovisual services to be bundled together.
Close to the resort (about 10 minutes) groups can take advantage of the Manitou Cliff Dwellings in Manitou Springs. It’s a great opportunity to see the history of the region, and the dwellings of the Anasazi Indians. “It’s unbelievable,” Branciforte says.

Newly renovated, the Crowne Plaza Colorado Springs provides more than 48,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, including a 13,600-square-foot ballroom and 500 guest rooms.

TELLURIDE/MOUNTAIN VILLAGE
Nestled in a canyon and surrounded by the 13,000-foot peaks of the San Juan Mountains, Telluride is a historic 19th-century mining town turned chic. Its location amid the towering mountains allows almost every street in town to showcase panoramic views, and in turn, it serves as a great locale for several annual music festivals, which keep the town’s rustic charm alive.

It was originally dubbed Columbia, which you can still see traces of in its street names, allowing you to step back into a bit of their history. The town was discovered as a ski destination in the early ’70s, and is now widely known for its “powder” snow. Since then, the ski resort has expanded to offer 2,000 acres of terrain,18 lifts and two gondolas.

Mountain Village is Telluride’s neighboring town and home to the Telluride Ski Resort. With a complimentary, 15-minute gondola ride, guests can enjoy its European style and close access to the slopes.

MAJOR MEETING VENUES
With more than 20,000 sq. ft. of total space, the Telluride Conference Center takes meetings higher (literally) at 9,500 feet above sea level. The space is accessible via gondola ride or through Mountain Village, where underground parking is available.

With its recent February debut, Capella Telluride includes 5,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, 100 ski-in/ski-out guest rooms and 60 suites. Located above the town of Telluride, the hotel redefines mountain luxury with amenities including the Capella lounge, a spa, a pool, a fitness center, multiple restaurants, entertainment venues and climate-controlled parking facilities. Also on-site are an ice skating rink, a golf course, tennis courts and a rock climbing wall—something, it seems, for everyone.