Phoenix & Central Arizona

As the nation’s fifth largest city, Greater Phoenix is the Southwest’s premier meetings and leisure travel destination. The metropolitan area offers meeting planners an immense variety of venues, architectural styles, themes and cuisine. Add in the multitude of recreational opportunities and Phoenix is the perfect blend of business and pleasure. The Phoenix metropolitan area, locally known as The Valley of the Sun, encompasses 23 contiguous cities with Phoenix in the center, and includes Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Glendale, Fountain Hills and other smaller communities.

The vibrant look of Downtown Phoenix might be unrecognizable to someone who hasn’t visited in a few years. The unique local boutiques, emerging nightlife scene and eclectic art galleries are bustling with renewed energy, spearheaded by the arrival in 2009 of the METRO light rail system and the major expansion of the Convention Center.

Scottsdale continues to evolve with fresh dining, resort and event options. New stores include Barneys New York and Forever 21; both just opened at Scottsdale Fashion Square along with several new dining options. Glendale is now an international dateline for significant sporting events such as the 2008 Super Bowl. And that’s just for starters. With more than three million citizens, top-rated arts, shopping, dining, and outdoor attractions, plus the world-class Sky Harbor International Airport – it’s easy to see why Greater Phoenix is the political, commercial and recreational heart and soul of the Southwest.

Phoenix

As the fifth largest city in the U.S., Phoenix has the resources to meet every meeting planner’s need, from the everyday to the obscure, while still holding on to the small town ambiance that ensures a personal touch. It challenges even long-time residents of Arizona to comprehend that Phoenix has risen to be the fifth largest city in the U.S. To be sure, there are plenty of amenities, such as professional sports teams, innovative restaurants, a superior international airport and modern public transportation. Nonetheless, the city’s historic Southwestern and Native American roots and relaxed, Western hospitality remain firmly entrenched. Saddle up for a horseback ride, stroll through a downtown art gallery or just look out at the cactus-studded mountains, drenched in a reddish-purple sunset and the raw, distinct beauty of the place registers instantly.

Downtown Phoenix is home to Copper Square – 90 blocks of urban lifestyle, attractions and business in the heart of Phoenix. From sun-up to sundown and well into the night, Copper Square provides a truly unique urban environment with more than 90 restaurants, bars, and markets. Copper Square is anchored by the Phoenix Convention Center which recently completed a $600 million dollar expansion (early 2009). Copper Square is also home to museums, live theater, and music events, as well as professional sports at US Airways Center or Chase Field. If you’re touring the area and have any questions about concert and theater venues, athletic events, art gatherings such as “First Fridays” or just about anything else, flag down an orange- and khaki-clad Copper Square “Ambassador.” They’re there to help.

Delve into the region’s cultural center with a trip to the Heard Museum, an unmatched representation of Native American art and folklore. Don’t miss a visit to the gift shop. It’s a treasure trove of the finest in locally produced crafts. The perfect complement is a stop-off at the recently expanded Phoenix Art Museum. Continue with a walk through the brand new Phoenix Children’s Museum, located in the historic 1913 Monroe School Building, which includes everything from engaging projects and exhibits for young children to educating parents and caregivers about child development and parenting techniques. A final stop on the “learning is fun” circuit is the nearby Arizona Science Center, where a planetarium, a five-story, giant-screen theater and a slew of permanent and temporary exhibits will amuse young and old alike. All three of these facilities are available to groups for meetings and events.

Downtown Phoenix’s performing arts scene includes the Orpheum Theatre, which inspires awe even before the show begins thanks to elaborate Spanish-colonial-revival architecture outside and a circular staircase and star-sky ceiling inside. For a completely different vibe, there’s the sleek Dodge Theatre, which marries the classic rigging of a Broadway stage house with the pulsating excitement of modern arena technologies. Elegant statues of nude dancers decorate the palm-studded grounds of the Herberger Theatre, signaling that this is a venue for free spiritedness and artistic discovery. Here, Arizona’s most widely acclaimed professional theater troupe, the Arizona Theater Company, enchants audiences with contemporary and classic productions. The Herberger is also home to several other companies, including Childsplay, Actors Theatre, Center Dance Ensemble, and Black Theatre Troupe. Chandeliers constructed of hand-blown Venetian glass and hanging tapestries hand-woven by Mexican artisans greet visitors inside Phoenix Symphony Hall. This magnificent concert hall, which is also known for its Peacock Fountain, is where the Phoenix Symphony has captivated audiences for 55 years. Along with the Orpheum Theatre, Symphony Hall is also where you can see performances by Ballet Arizona.

After a long day of meetings, you might be craving an empty-your-lungs shout-out. Fortunately, a plethora of seasonal sporting venues wait to let you indulge. The NBA’s Phoenix Suns take their aim at the US Airways Center, a home they share with the Phoenix Mercury, who won the WNBA Championship in 2009. The facility took center stage internationally when it hosted the 2009 NBA All-Star game. Spring, summer and early fall is the time to catch the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. The retractable roof means the game might be indoors or outdoors, but the stadium’s biggest splash might be its unique swimming pool, situated just beyond the home run fence in right-center field. If spring’s your thing, in terms of baseball, catch the Oakland A’s and Milwaukee Brewers at home in Phoenix for Cactus League action.

Be that as it may, odds are pretty good that you’ve touched down in Phoenix to experience one of the sunniest, driest climates on earth – and that means outdoor fun – which Phoenix boasts in abundance. Hikers in your group will quickly warm to the trails at Piestewa Peak, where a dazzling view of downtown Phoenix awaits those who ascend to the top. Camelback Mountain, an aptly named local landmark, South Mountain Park, the Phoenix Mountain Preserve and the Papago Buttes are other sterling examples of back-to-nature fun for those looking to hike, bike or walk the desert. Practically next door to the Papago Buttes are the wide paved walkways of the Phoenix Zoo and of the Desert Botanical Garden, both of which will instill everything anyone ever wanted to know about local flora and fauna.

Check out the Zoo’s newest (opened November 2009) and largest animal exhibit, Land of the Dragons. Home to two full-grown Komodo Dragons, the exhibit has multiple viewing areas, a tropical setting, heated rocks next to windows for up-close viewing, and a 7,000-gallon pool for the dragons to swim in.

As you might expect, there’s no shortage of outstanding dining experiences in Phoenix, with an emphasis on continental and southwestern fare. Award-winning chefs creating inspired cuisine in stunning surroundings defines the Greater Phoenix culinary scene. Chef Douglas Rodriguez of Deseo at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa is widely regarded as the inventor of Nuevo Latino cuisine, elevating Latin American food to a cultural art form. Heightening the pleasure of dinner, the striking views of the surrounding mountains and plush golf course seen through Deseo’s floor-to-ceiling windows are breathtaking. Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau, 602.254.6500, VisitPhoenix.com

Scottsdale and the Northeast Valley

Scottsdale exudes charm, style and sophistication. Set in the serene Sonoran Desert with a vibrant arts-oriented downtown, celebrated resorts, championship golf, one of a kind shopping and world-class restaurants, Scottsdale is truly nirvana for meeting planners. With activities from rock climbing to race cars to golf, and tours from horseback rides to Jeep safaris to balloon flights, options for entertaining are nearly endless. Scottsdale’s more than 70 hotels and resorts range from five-star luxury to nicely appointed accommodations that will maximize your group’s budget.

It wasn’t that many years ago that Scottsdale was better known for rodeos and round-ups than for retail therapy and relaxing at the spa. Today, there’s an easy co-existence between the Old West and the new. Vestiges of the town’s cowboy legacy blend seamlessly with its superb collection of top-ranked golf resorts, cutting edge art scene and pleasing excess of clubs and restaurants. What never changed are the compelling mountain panoramas, myriad cultural opportunities and endless grab-bag of outdoor attractions.

It’s little wonder why two upscale national magazines recently named Scottsdale as the best city in the U.S. for golf. Serious golfers have long flocked to the 200-plus courses that are sprinkled throughout the Valley of the Sun. Traditional tree-lined “parkland” courses, nine-hole “beginners” courses and dramatic “target-style” desert courses all beckon, but for those seeking top-rated “trophy” courses, Scottsdale overflows. Start with the TPC Stadium Course, home to the largest crowds in golf when the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Phoenix Open takes place there in late February. The par-3 16th hole, where Tiger Woods scored his famous ace in 1997, is considered the most raucous in golf. The TPC Stadium’s sister course, the Champions, is every bit the challenge of its Tour-worthy sibling.

For the non-golfers, Scottsdale offers a dizzying array of recreational options. Nestled in the lush Sonoran Desert, Scottsdale is bordered by the McDowell Mountains and McDowell Sonoran Preserve, which consists of 16,460 acres of protected land. These areas provide the perfect landscape for mountain biking, hiking and backpacking. The McDowell Sonoran Preserve also offers guided hikes in the area that range from three to more than eight miles in length.

Professional climbing guides can help your group experience the thrill of recreational rock climbing and rappelling. You’ll experience some of the desert’s most beautiful scenery from new heights, while building self-confidence and enjoying a great sense of accomplishment. On any given weekend, the granite cliff-faces will be dotted with tiny figures in bright clothing dangling at the ends of long ropes.

Off road Jeep and Hummer tours are a wonderful way to enjoy the desert’s Old West history and experience its beautiful flora and fauna. Interpretive guides provide entertaining stories of the Old West (including a tall tale or two!) as well as interesting facts about the cacti, plants and animals that make up the desert’s delicate ecosystem. Tour options can include gold panning, pistol shooting, Jeep/horseback and Jeep/river rafting combinations, chuck-wagon cookouts, and more.

For a truly western experience, book a sunrise horseback ride through the McDowell Mountains followed by a hearty cowboy cookout for breakfast. From high in the saddle, you’ll see exotic cactus, rolling desert foothills and crystalline streams. As you explore the pristine, natural habitats, your guide will entertain you with the stories and legends of Arizona’s first cowboys.

The Sonoran Desert is a unique and beautiful place when observed from ground level, but the view from above is astounding in its expansiveness and grandeur. Hot air ballooning is a wonderfully tranquil experience for visitors of all ages. Sunrise and sunset flights provide magnificent vistas of desert terrain and towering mountain ranges. The view from the balloon’s handcrafted wicker basket is virtually unobstructed.

Rafting, kayaking and canoeing are popular ways to explore the lakes and rivers in the Scottsdale area. Several Scottsdale-based adventure travel companies provide raft and kayak trips on both the Salt and Verde Rivers. These excursions offer the opportunity to view the desert wildlife including eagles, herons, egrets, hawks and occasionally larger species such as coyotes, javelina and deer.

Of course, after all of that activity, the body may need some pampering. Where luxury spa treatments are concerned, Scottsdale is virtually unbeatable. Among the elite are Agave, the Arizona Spa at the Westin Kierland, and Joya Spa at InterContinental Montelucia Resort. Offering the ultimate in privacy, Agave Spa is located just steps outside the resort and features a quiet lap pool beside a relaxing courtyard and garden. Agave Spa has 20 treatment rooms, a full service salon, a movement studio, weight training and cardio studios, as well as cabanas providing guests with private areas for outdoor relaxation and spa therapies. The free-standing, 31,000-square-foot Joya Spa channels the raw splendor of Moorish Andalucía Spain with whitewashed walls contrasting vibrant hues of ochre and multi-colored, custom-made Moroccan tiles. As InterContinental’s first U.S. resort property, the resort features 253 guestrooms and 40 suites, plus 34 privately-owned luxury villas that are managed by the resort.

If you’re looking for an exciting way to build attendance, reward your top performers or simply enhance your group’s itinerary, consider incorporating one of Scottsdale’s unique events into your next meeting or incentive program. Every January, the celebrity-laden classic car shows come to town, among them the nationally televised Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction. In February, the cars drive away from the WestWorld facility, replaced by horsepower of a different kind – the pageant-filled Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show. March brings the San Francisco Giants to town for Spring Training baseball. In April, the Scottsdale Culinary Festival draws more than 40,000 visitors looking to enjoy fabulous food, fun, festivities and fabulous weather. For a complete Scottsdale events calendar, visit www.experiencescottsdale.com.

Scottsdale once featured a tag line, “the West’s most Western town.” You can still find remnants if you know where to look. For fans of the Old West, downtown Scottsdale offers numerous galleries replete with paintings and sculptures, along with a small concentration of western wear stores and a few old-style buildings and hitching posts amid the modern surroundings. North Scottsdale is chock full of tasteful new developments that are nicely integrated into the desert but a few old standbys remain firmly entrenched. Greasewood Flats, Reata Pass and Pinnacle Peak Patio are three restaurants that represent the old guard, that were hewn in the days where paved roads were a rarity. For those who want to plunge into the cowboy way, pay your tuition at Scottsdale’s Arizona Cowboy College, where you’ll learn the tools of the trade at a real-live cattle ranch.

For many Scottsdale visitors, however, the mantra remains, “shop ‘til you drop.” Retail excitement reaches fever pitch in the winter/spring months, when outdoor shopping is a joyous occasion, but whether you’re inside or out, there are countless options to buy ‘til you’re happy. Return visitors likely have fond memories of Old Town, Kierland Commons and Scottsdale Fashion Square. Scottsdale Fashion Square recently unveiled a brand new 100,000-square-foot expansion wing with the addition of Arizona’s first Barney’s New York. Old Town is a paradise for walkers, with as much to photograph as there is to buy. Don’t miss Bob Park’s Horse Fountain and the stores that surround it. Kierland offers an ideal blend of indoors and outdoors, as well as a something-for-everyone experience with hotels, luxury loft living, shopping and dining. Landscaped pathways and pedestrian-only bridges highlight the Scottsdale Waterfront, which overlooks the Arizona Canal and boasts some of the Valley’s hottest dining emporiums

The legendary Fifth Avenue Shopping District in Old Town Scottsdale serves as a gateway to a world-famous concentration of boutiques and art galleries that fan out to Main Street and Marshall Way. Balmy Thursday evenings, when galleries extend their hours for the Scottsdale ArtWalk, are the most enjoyable way to browse and buy. You can stay in the neighborhood to celebrate your purchases because it’s home to the most eclectic grouping of nightspots in the Valley. Party spots range from Vegas-influenced, A-Lister haunts such as Modern Steak, Suede and Devils Martini, to rock-meets-western Saddle Ranch Chop House. More Vegas-style action is available at two Casino Arizona locations in Scottsdale, belonging to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Casino Arizona will be home to Arizona’s newest resort in early 2010.  Talking Stick Resort will feature more than 100,000 square feet of meeting space, 497 guestrooms, a gaming floor, entertainment and world-class spa.

Culture cravers will seek out Taliesin West, architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s one-time winter retreat and Cosanti, the workshop of futurist Paolo Soleri, whose hand-crafted bronze and ceramic wind chimes have long been one of the state’s most distinctive keepsakes. Looking to kick back? The charming, artsy town of Carefree just north of Scottsdale has an “Easy Street,” and an intersection of “Ho” and “Hum.” Not to be outdone, the rustic town of Cave Creek next door introduced the world to chili beer, consisting of a bottle of tasty brew that also holds a spicy jalapeno pepper. The beauty of Scottsdale and its surrounds is that there’s something for every taste. Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, 480.421.1004, experiencescottsdale.com

Fountain Hills& Fort McDowell

Although the Town of Fountain Hills and the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation are only a few miles east of Scottsdale, it feels as if they are a world away. The area is wreathed by scenic mountains, draped in the unique vegetation of the Sonoran Desert and blessed with panoramic views offering a wide range of outdoor activities such as golfing, hiking, biking, bird watching and boating. Lodging options for groups include the luxurious Radisson Fort McDowell Resort and the Inn at Eagle Mountain.

The white plume of Fountain Hill’s world famous fountain – the town took its name from the landmark – is visible for miles. At its full height of 560 feet, the fountain is higher than the Washington Monument and three times as high as Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone Park. It may seem surprising to have such a magnificent spout in an arid area, but this fountain is a celebration of water where it is most appreciated – in the middle of the desert.

Those with a sense of whimsy might check out the burgeoning arts scene in Fountain Hills; sculptures, water features and other works of art adorn the Community Center, the Avenue of the Fountains and public places. Twice a year, the Great Fair and the Fountain Festival of Arts and Crafts attract hundreds of thousands of art lovers to the downtown area. Galleries and small shops make it easy for shoppers to find their own art year-round. And, the award-winning Fountain Hills Community Theater is one of Arizona’s leading performing arts organizations.

Fort McDowell has become widely known for its casino and its live entertainment. In addition, they have 36 holes of golf at the acclaimed We-Ko-Pa Golf Club and Fort McDowell Adventures, an old west style recreation facility offering horseback rides, Jeep rides and other outdoor fun. Fountain Hills Tourism, 480.837.1654, visitfhfm.com

Tempe

Tempe teems with vibrancy – it is alive with a youthful and eclectic vibe in addition to an extensive arts scene, fine dining, resorts and special events. Rated as an All-American City, Tempe offers over 5,500 guestrooms and an abundance of meeting space. A mix of performing arts, sports and recreation venues and numerous restaurants provides options certain to complement any grown-up meeting agenda.

Admittedly, Tempe’s myriad attractions get dwarfed by its anchor tenant, Arizona State University, one of the nation’s largest institutions of higher learning. This is especially true on football Saturdays, when more than 70,000 maroon- and gold-clad fans pile into Sun Devil Stadium to cheer on their team. The school’s successful baseball and basketball teams have loyal followings as well. In early spring, baseball is in the air, as Tempe is the Cactus League home for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Nevertheless, there’s plenty more to explore in Tempe beyond the sporting scene.

Energy flows from tree-lined Mill Avenue in the center of downtown where some 250 businesses – from charming coffee shops to quaint stores and nightclubs – offer entertainment galore. Sidewalk artists and entertainers frequent the area giving the scene a lively and spontaneous sense of fun and excitement. Tempe Mission Palms is just steps from Mill Avenue and has 303 guestrooms, 30,000 square feet of meeting space and a rooftop pool. Even better, they arrange numerous unique afternoon activity packages from high adventure excursions to cultural tours.

ASU’s Gammage Auditorium, a Frank Lloyd Wright design, welcomes the public with a selection of art shows, plays, musicals, concerts and speakers. Visitors to Tempe will also enjoy the newly opened Tempe Center for the Arts. Funky local bands, award-winning local theater, blockbuster Broadway productions, comedy shows and contemporary dance companies are all part of Tempe’s arts and cultural scene.

Situated at the north end of Mill Avenue, Tempe Town Lake is a two-mile-long riverbed offering an urban oasis for boating, kayaking, rowing and special events. Rental canoes, kayaks and electric boats are available, and groups of up to 35 can charter tours on excursion boats or smaller groups can arrange for catered cruises. The banks of Tempe Town Lake are encircled by five miles of trails for running, biking, in-line skating and bicycling. More hiking and mountain biking trails are just south of Tempe at South Mountain Park, the largest municipal park in the U.S.

Tempe’s special events include: the Tempe Spring and Fall Festivals of the Arts, the Insight Fiesta Bowl Block Party (one of the country’s best places to celebrate New Year’s Eve according to USA Today), the spirited Circle K Tempe Music Festival, the exhilarating P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon & Half Marathon and the inspiring Ford Ironman Arizona.

Tempe offers professional meeting planners an excellent destination – with options from mountaintop views to a dynamic downtown – there’s a unique meeting venue for every taste and budget. From the younger crowd to the young at heart, Tempe has just what you seek for an interesting, fun and highly successful meeting location. Tempe Convention & Visitors Bureau, 866.914.0685, meetingtempe.com

Mesa

Mesa has nearly overtaken Tucson as the state’s second largest city, yet its claim to fame nationally has long been its status as the spring training baseball home to the Chicago Cubs, whose rabid followers turn every March exhibition game into an event. If the Cubs are a staple of Mesa’s rich history, then state-of-the-art celebrity-owned restaurants/attractions are a sign of its future. Country music superstar, Toby Keith, opened his “I Love This Bar & Grill” in the brand new Mesa Riverview. This 900-seat restaurant offers larger than life features, including an 85-foot guitar shaped bar, mechanical bull, stage and dance floor and over 50 TVs. Just recently legendary boxer Julio Cesar Chavez opened his very first Campeones in Mesa. This 30,000-square-foot facility features a restaurant, museum, event space and arcade.

Mesa boasts an art and cultural district like no other in the Valley. Mesa Arts Center is the largest arts and entertainment venue of its kind in the Southwest. It houses four theaters, five art galleries, and 14 art studios. Two other museums are within walking distance of downtown Mesa with Arizona Museum of Natural History serving as the anchor. Here, visitors can see some of the biggest dinosaurs that ever lived and understand the natural and cultural history of the Southwest. The Arizona Museum for Youth, a fine arts museum for children, features ArtVille – an art-inspired town for curious and creative toddlers.

For meetings in downtown, Mesa Convention Center offers 15,000 square feet of exhibit area and an additional 25,000 square feet of meeting space, comprised of 15 rooms of varying sizes. On-site catering and a state-of-the-art theater-style conference center are also available. Part of the Convention Center complex, the Mesa Amphitheatre offers festival seating for 4,200 on curved grass terraces and no seat is further than 175 feet from the stage in this lovely setting. The Amphitheatre consistently ranks at the top of the best outdoor concert venues in the Valley with national touring acts, community programs, arts and cultural events, and theatrical performances.

Downtown Mesa’s numerous shops and restaurants are mostly locally-owned with one-of-a-kind offerings. Nearby, Dana Park Village Square is a 400,000-square-foot fashion-focused lifestyle center while Superstition Springs Center and Fiesta Mall each offer more than 140 specialty stores and eateries. Mesa’s newest offering is Mesa Riverview featuring a mix of well-known stores alongside independent retailers. Boasting more than 1.3 million square feet of retail space, this entertainment complex is anchored by Arizona’s only Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World.

Mesa is known as an activity-oriented destination; heading east into the rugged slopes of the Superstition Mountains, one encounters the towns of Apache Junction and Gold Canyon. Until you’ve experienced the Superstitions, you’re missing one of Arizona’s wildest rides. Legend has it that hidden in these parts is a rich vein of gold. For more than 150 years, starry-eyed prospectors have hiked up and down the mountains in search of Lost Dutchman’s Mine. What anybody can find, however, are the dazzling kaleidoscopes of wildflowers that blanket the foothills in springtime following healthy winter rains. Now you can experience the beauty of the Sonoran Desert by the light of the moon with a guided moonlit hike offered by the Lost Dutchman State Park. To make sure your group has the energy for their full moon hike, stop by the Mining Camp Restaurant, where you will enjoy an all-you-can-eat family-style restaurant reminiscent of the early mining camps cook shanty.

Although Mesa is just 20 minutes from Downtown Phoenix and Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport, Mesa’s own Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport offers meeting planners a convenient alternative. Allegiant Air currently operates here, and other airlines are in negotiations to begin passenger service to cities outside Arizona.
Mesa Convention & Visitors Bureau, 480.827.4700, visitmesa.com

Chandler

Just east of Mesa, the trellis-covered walkways and colonnades of Historic Downtown Chandler lure people to this unique community with their ever-increasing inventory of unique galleries, charming boutique shops and independent restaurants.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Chandler’s Downtown Square was once a favored haunt of Hollywood luminaries and heads of state, and today is undergoing a major reconstruction with the start of a $76 million brand new City Hall development and the brand new Chandler Museum that will replace its current museum and increase its size by more than three times.  The historic square is home to a variety of award-winning, local restaurants, including an Arizona winery and micro-brewery, boutique shops, and entertainment creating a vibrant, eclectic arts and cultural district.

Chandler offers a variety of hotel accommodations, including Arizona’s original golf resort (located in downtown Chandler), the Crowne Plaza San Marcos Golf Resort that first opened in 1912. With its Spanish colonnades, old-world charm and probably the shadiest 18 holes of championship golf west of the Mississippi, it’s been a favorite for over 90 years.

The first Wednesday of each month features an art walk in downtown. Unique annual events include a Jazz Festival, Classic Car & Hot Rod Show, Tumbleweed Tree Lighting event, Ostrich Festival, and a Cinco de Mayo celebration including Chihuahua races.

Chandler is a premier shopping destination in the East Valley with a wide variety of options from one-of-a-kind boutique shops to internationally recognized retailers. Along with the shopping areas of Casa Paloma, Chandler Pavilions, the Falls at Ocotillo and Historic Downtown, the enormous Chandler Fashion Center with its mix of 240 different retail shops and restaurants offers a wide variety of choices.

Have your group rev their engines at the Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving. Meeting attendees can learn to drive like the pros in the largest facility of its kind, featuring over 200 race-prepared vehicles. After a few trips around the track you can utilize the facility’s event space and catering for banquet and meeting needs.

Chandler is home to Rawhide Western Town and Steakhouseon the Gila River Indian Reservation (bordering Chandler), which dishes out a dose of the Wild West with stunt shows, shootouts, stagecoach rides and sing-alongs. City of Chandler, 480.782.3037, visitchandler.com

Glendale and the West Valley

It’s hard to imagine that only 30 years ago, the towns west of Phoenix were comprised of cotton fields, citrus groves, cattle ranches and an Air Force base. Today, Luke Air Force Base has got plenty of company. Glendale is the big enchilada out west and poised to celebrate its 100th birthday. Thanks to its prime attraction, the University of Phoenix Stadium, home to the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, the NCAA’s Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and special events, Glendale has emerged as a top event destination. Tours are available to see not only the retractable roof, but the retractable, roll-in, roll-out natural grass field as well, an engineering feat unique in the U.S. optimism runs realistically high to host a future Final Four.

Adjacent to the big stadium is a smaller sibling, the Jobing.com Arena, which serves as home for the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes, as well as to concerts and ice skating events. Glendale’s newest sports facility, a 13,500-seat baseball spring training site, Camelback Ranch, houses the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. If, however, it’s shopping, not sports, that gets your blood pumping, Glendale doesn’t disappoint. Its charmingly preserved downtown district is a haven for those in search of antiques and collectibles.

Avondale’s horizon ripples with the peaks of the Sierra Estrella Mountains, but the real action is at your feet, amid the ground-pounding, pulse-raising excitement of Phoenix International Raceway, which plays host to two NASCAR events annually. Peoria and Surprise have blossomed as spring training homes for a quartet of major league teams, the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners in the former, and the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers in the latter. In Goodyear, is the Cactus League debut of both Ohio teams, the Cleveland Indians and Cincinnati Reds. Come see the pros at the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex, host-site for the Cancer Treatment Centers of America Tennis Championships and the Fed Cup! Or sign up for lessons and play on the courts where Andre Agassi, John McEnroe and other tennis legends have played. Their tennis complex has 25 courts, seven lit for night play, so there are year-round opportunities for the tennis greats and novice alike.

Continue west on the Carefree Highway past Peoria and you’ll find the watery attractions of Lake Pleasant, a top draw for boaters. Just outside of Lake Pleasant you will find the stunning Cibola Vista Resort and Spa. This is the first resort to be built in the West Valley since 1929 and has exceeded all expectations of what a first-class resort should include. Named after the seven cities of Cibola, the Resort is designed in a village format with six cities comprising the different accommodations options and the seventh city is the resorts extensive amenity core. Expect to find ample amounts of boating, horseback riding, fishing and water skiing on Lake Pleasant.

Nearby, the Challenger Space Center of Arizona provides all ages an astronomical thrill. Part of an international network, the center allows groups of visitors to simulate a two-and-one-half-hour space mission, varying from a trip to the moon to a visit to a comet. The center also offers educational programs for individuals, families and schools as well as camps, stargazing, and corporate programs and rentals. With its unique affiliation to the Smithsonian Institute, access to national quality museum exhibits is the bonus. Within the beautiful facility, one of the wall murals was created by Robert McCall, NASA’s official space artist and an Arizona resident. And don’t forget to stop into the Galaxy Gift Shop while you are there.

If you’re yearning for a slice of the Old West, Wickenburg delivers. Located an hour’s drive northwest of Phoenix, Wickenburg is an old mining town with enough modern enticements to snag locals and tourists alike. Check into Wickenburg’s Rancho de los Caballeros Resort and you’re issued your own horse. Of course, his meal plan and yours are very different. The Desert Caballeros Western Museum, with its cowboy art, is one superb attraction. The museum is celebrating its 50th year and is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the history and art of Arizona and the West. It takes pride in being Arizona’s Most Western Museum. The permanent collection includes American Indian and late 19th- and 20th-century Western American paintings and sculptures. The museum also offers special exhibits, lectures, workshops, classes and tours. The Nature Conservatory’s Hassayampa River Preserve, where clear streams and migratory birds thrive, is another. This riparian treasure contains the spring-fed Palm Lake, a unique four-acre pond and marsh habitat.  Glendale Office of Tourism, 623.930.4500, headwestaz.com