The Colorado Convention Center, located in Downtown Denver, recently completed a 200,000 sf rooftop expansion. Courtesy Photo

Set against a ravishing variety of backdrops, from snow-topped peaks to rolling plains, and with environments ranging from the big city diversions of Denver to a wealth of mountain towns offering year-round activities, Colorado is one of America’s top destinations, inviting meeting planners to think outside the box. Incentive programs can be organized in beautiful dude ranch settings, at plush spa retreats, or within the state’s abundant ski towns, inviting attendees to unplug and bond, or to simply celebrate a job well done, pre- or post-conference.

With one of America’s best-connected airports, Denver is one of the country’s fastest-growing and most desirable cities, thanks in part to its 300-plus days of sunshine annually. Situated at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, the “Mile High City” is reached under four hours from every major U.S. airport, it’s located just 340 miles west of the exact center of the continental U.S. As the nation’s third busiest hub, Denver International Airport has nonstop flights from almost 200 U.S. cities, plus service from 25 international destinations in 13 countries.  Downtown Denver alone boasts more than 13,000 hotel rooms within a short walk of the Colorado Convention Center, making it a natural for larger events, such as the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, expected to draw 11,000 attendees this April.

The Colorado Convention Center put its finishing touches on a 200,000-sf rooftop expansion last December and it is now open for business. The center includes the 80,000-sf, column-free Bluebird Ballroom — the largest in Colorado — divisible into 19 different configurations. The expansion features 35,000 sf of new pre-function and networking space that wraps around the ballroom, cutting-edge technology improvements, and a 20,000-sf rooftop outdoor terrace with sweeping panoramic views of both the city and the Rockies, all seamlessly integrated with the existing building.

“Denver was a great destination for us, because it’s easy to get to from both the east and west coast and the city itself is very walkable,” said Jessica Rife, events director, CMP for E Source, a sustainable utilities research consultant. “Attendees can easily get around and explore everything the city has to offer. There are restaurants, museums and entertainment all over the city or they can venture up into the mountains for more recreational activities or just to sightsee. Denver is also reasonably priced in comparison to other destinations, for both attendee travel and event costs.”

For its annual, 600-attendee event last September, E Source chose the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, the city’s largest hotel and recipient of an $80 million renovation completed in 2022. The hotel is one of the first to introduce Sheraton’s new branding, which emphasizes community and productivity and makes the lobby a kind of co-working space, offering both shared tables and glass-enclosed studios that can be reserved for smaller meetings. In addition to 1,238 redesigned guest rooms, the hotel features over 133,000 sf of innovative meeting space and fresh new culinary experiences.

“The Sheraton offered us ample event space all on one level, and it’s large enough to host our group all at one property for both guest and meeting rooms,” explained Rife. “Their central downtown location allows easy access from the airport, as well as lots of options for offsite activities and dinners.” Rife noted that she had strict budget requirements to work within and credits her event manager for spending time talking through creative ways to keep the event within budget. “He really went above and beyond to make it work without sacrificing the attendee experience.”

“We hosted several offsite dinners and our annual closing night party at Ace, Eat, Serve, a ping pong hall within walking distance from the Sheraton,” added Rife, who calls it a highlight of the program. “It has 12 ping pong tables, both indoors and out, and really great food and drinks. We also offered optional afternoon tours to give attendees a chance to get out of the hotel and explore the city.  We did a brewery tour, a wine tasting, a tour of the National Western Complex, a Best of Denver walking tour and a run. Attendees like being able to network with their peers in a more social setting and the shared experiences giving them a greater sense of camaraderie.”

But although E Source spent time off-property, Rife noted the Sheraton’s culinary team constantly raises the bar with their food and beverage offerings. “Especially when it comes to catering to dietary restrictions,” said Rife. “I often find myself measuring other properties against what the Sheraton offers and then asking for similar options to fit our attendee’s needs.” This year, the Sheraton also introduced Parlur Denver, a casually elegant off-site event space in the heart of downtown on the 16th Street Mall.  The flexible venue offers 7,000 sf of both indoor and outdoor space for curated group experiences.

With its guest rooms located in two separate towers, Rife made some suggestions for meeting planners considering the Sheraton: “If possible, ask for your guests to be put in the tower your meeting is in. It can get confusing for them to figure out how to get to the meeting space if they have to cross towers and aren’t familiar with the hotel layout.”

Denver offers plenty of places for off-site events, such as brewery tours, wine tastings, a visit to the art museum or the National Western Complex, or a tour of the state capital. Photo Courtesy of Jessica Rife

Other downtown options include the 613-room Hilton Denver City Center, which offers 50,000 sf of meeting space, including the 14,352-sf Colorado Ballroom. The newly renovated 432-room Westin Denver Downtown provides 36,686 sf of total meeting space. The Grand Hyatt Denver is located right on the 16th Street Mall and features 516 rooms and 52,600 sf of meeting space.

With 60,600 sf of meeting space and a location adjacent to the Colorado Convention Center, the 1,100-room Hyatt Regency Denver provides 35 different meeting rooms, including the 30,000-sf Centennial Ballroom and a complete range of executive services. The Peaks Lounge, located on the 27th floor and overlooking the city, can be used for smaller group gatherings during the day, or cocktails in the evening.

But don’t overlook the greater Denver metro area, which provides other options within a short drive of the airport. Located in the suburb of Aurora, the 1,501-room Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center is Colorado’s largest meetings hotel, providing more than 500,000 sf of meeting space within 15 minutes of the airport.

Access was a key reason that the Florida-based communications firm MasTec chose the Gaylord Rockies for two operational and strategic planning meetings this year, with another two planned for next year. “We have five people based in Denver, but most of our staff is coming from out of state, and Denver is easy to get to from around the country,” explained Lina María Valencia, executive assistant to CE&I Group Level Executives at MasTec Clean Energy & Infrastructure. “What makes Colorado special is the weather, the changes of the leaves and the snowy mountains. Our attendees love to golf. They do a lot of activities while they’re in Denver.”

Valencia said pricing for her planning meetings, which involve between 50 and 80 attendees each, are less expensive in Denver than other locations, like Miami, where the company is based. But what she really appreciates is the welcome she receives at the Gaylord Rockies.

“From beginning to end, even when the business is done, we communicate,” explained Valencia.  “I’ve done many events around the country, and it’s different with this hotel. They create an atmosphere of warmth and hospitality, and their personal touch and dedication to fulfilling even last-minute requirements makes me feel that nothing will go wrong. It’s truly unique and inspiring, and not something you experience everywhere.”

Valencia continued: “My executives get upgraded to the suites, they get champagne and chocolates and other amenities. Last June, we had the COO of MasTec, and he was planning to come for just the day, but he enjoyed it so much he ended up staying three nights.”

The Gaylord Rockies is in the process to reconceive three of its existing restaurants, launch a new dining experience, remodel the Grand Lodge and increase its function space. The first phase of enhancements was completed last year, including a redesign of the outdoor lawn spaces and the addition of dining terraces for Old Hickory Steakhouse and Mountain Pass Sports Bar. This year, phase two will add new bar and restaurant concepts in the Grand Lodge, and a new event space, Mountain View Pavilion, offering scenic views of the Rocky Mountains. The pavilion covers 12,118 sf of indoor event and pre-function space, plus outdoor terraces and patios, as well as turfed lawn areas.

The state’s cornucopia of ski resorts offer winter fun, but also plentiful outdoor activities in summer. The 75th anniversary of the Aspen Music Festival will be celebrated this year, with over 300 classical music events planned, including concerts by five orchestras, fully staged opera performances and more. Cycling, hiking and high-altitude golf at Aspen Golf Club — ranked Colorado’s top municipal course by Golfweek magazine — are among the summer diversions, while skiing and snowboarding options have been expanded on Aspen Mountain thanks to the new Hero’s high-speed quad lift, which adds 153 acres of skiing and riding to the area — Aspen’s first significant addition since 1985.

Nestled in the heart of Snowmass Base Village immediately west of Aspen, the newly renovated and renamed Snowmass Conference & Events Center is now open for bookings. More than a venue, the facility is a canvas for any event with four versatile meeting spaces, ideal for executive meetings and intimate occasions and features a 3,600 sf Grand Ballroom for larger gatherings.

The Grand Hyatt Vail has lots to reveal going into its winter season, including a new restaurant, Makoto Vail. The innovative menu by chef Makoto Okuwa, who has operations in Miami and Washington D.C., among other international cities, highlights preparations of Edomae-style sushi and other traditional Japanese cooking. The resort has also renovated its lobby and its signature Gessner Restaurant.

Opening in fall 2024, Hotel Polaris, located at the north gate of the Airforce Academy, will offer more than 26,000 sf of meeting space. Courtesy Photo

Just outside Colorado Springs, the Hotel Polaris is under construction near the North Gate of the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), in the shadow of 14,115-foot Pikes Peak. The new TrueNorth Commons is a 57-acre mixed use development that also includes the new USAFA Visitor Center, as well as commercial retail and office space located 30 minutes from the Colorado Springs Airport and an hour south of Denver.

Opening in the fall, the 375-room Hotel Polaris is an upscale property at TrueNorth designed to serve corporate, group and leisure guests. Food and beverage amenities will include a full-service restaurant, an outdoor pool, full-service spa and fitness center, as well as more than 26,000 sf of indoor meeting space on one dedicated floor, including a 12,000-sf ballroom and 11 breakout rooms, with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the Academy.

Andre Fournier, COO of CoralTree Hospitality, management company for the Hotel Polaris, said the developers talked about linking with an established name like Curio by Hilton or Marriott. “But we really felt the brand was the Air Force Academy,” explained Fournier, who added that groups of 100 to 300 attendees will be targeted.

“The Academy is forward-looking — that’s what makes it unique. So, we’ll be looking for companies that are building leadership within their organizations, or that are rewarding people for their sales efforts.”

In the spirit of its location, Hotel Polaris will offer a first: the only flight simulators at a hotel. The flight simulators will provide guests with an immersive, tactile, real-life pilot experience, reproducing the flight deck with seats, throttles, switches, pedals and yoke from original parts of real aircraft, using a 220-degree wraparound screen with HD imagery to make the experience as life-like as possible.

Also in Colorado Springs, the Garden of the Gods Resort and Club recently completed an extensive $40 million renovation. The makeover covered all 117 guest rooms, suites, cottages and casitas, four dining venues, its destination STRATA spa and more than 22,000 sf of indoor-outdoor meeting and events space. To complement events up to 250 guests, the resort provides gourmet catering services and state-of-the-art AV equipment. Groups can also take advantage of a variety of experiential and wellness packages designed to spark creativity, optimize well-being and foster team building.

Arrow Exterminators looked to Colorado Springs as a setting for its annual incentive program for 300 premiere club and circle of diamonds employees, and their guests, last fall. “It was an area of the country we’ve never been to,” said Lisa A. Tennison, Arrow’s senior meeting & event planner.  “We typically rotate between beach destinations and a city, and a western-themed area was never part of the equation.”

The historic Broadmoor has two iconic golf courses. Courtesy Photo

To confirm that Colorado Springs offered a quality property that could accommodate the incentive group, Tennison met with the Broadmoor’s director of sales. “We wanted to be in area with outdoor activities, we wanted a western theme and we wanted a great hotel. The Broadmoor is a classic, iconic resort — it’s a must-do, bucket-list kind of thing.”

Built in 1918, The Broadmoor has grown through the years and now has 784 rooms and had its most recent renovations in 2022. A new asset for the hotel is Bartolin Hall, which was completed during the pandemic and offers 125,000 sf of flexible event space, including 93,500 sf of true exhibit space designed specifically for trade shows. Bartolin Hall features polished concrete floors, 32 breakout rooms, 25-foot-high black piped ceilings, and direct connection to the resort’s 60,000-sf ballroom.  The addition of Bartolin Hall brings the total function space of The Broadmoor to over 315,000 sf.

Tennison worked with a DMC on décor but otherwise basic linens and chairs were provided by the hotel. “The aesthetics of the space we used was a bit higher-end than a normal four-wall ballroom,” noted Tennison. “The Broadmoor offers a bit of European flair, and it’s nice to have that elegant feel in a western setting.”  The Broadmoor sprawls over a large property that can take time to navigate, but Tennison said this did not present an issue. “We had sprinters pick up our VIPs, so they didn’t have to walk across property in heels. Otherwise, we liked being spread out a bit.”

One challenge was provided by the weather. “Everyone kept saying ‘September is a perfect month,’” said Tennison. “I said stop, you’re jinxing it, and, of course, we had rain during our program. Things happen, and so, flexibility is important. We were able to move inside an event that was planned for outside on the lawn.” Broadmoor’s ability to pivot quickly helped Tennison.

“We always do a golf tournament, so we have to have a golf course on the property,” she said.  “But they also have a bowling alley and so we did a bowling tournament.  I was really surprised — it superseded the golf signups.” Other events were done offsite, including a dinner for 250 of Arrow’s highest achievers at Cheyenne Lodge, which involved shuttles. “It was a fantastic experience overlooking the city. And then we hosted our awards event and reception at the Flying W Ranch, which was introduced to us by the CVB during our site visit. It’s located inside the Garden of Gods, and it was breathtakingly gorgeous. We had a live rodeo and the world-renowned Flying W Wranglers performed for you. We had Indian dancers and even axe throwers.”

The group sent out a survey at the end of each of these, and there were no complaints, she said. Everyone loved the Broadmoor and plans to go back. “Not everyone wants to go to a beach hotel, and some people don’t like a city location for one reason or another,” concluded Tennison. “If you were coming from Colorado, The Broadmoor might not be as spectacular. But everyone in our group loved it.” C&IT