Valley of the Sun – A Truly Award-Winning Destination

Phoenix and the Valley of the Sun offer meeting planners the best of options – lavish resorts and spas, world-class golf courses, exceptional dining and shopping, and a sophisticated arts and cultural scene, all within steps of the action packed adventures that lie ahead in the stunning Sonoran Desert. Add in non-stop arrivals, accommodations including the latest in technology and communications, superior services, and desirable weather – the Valley of the Sun proudly makes dreams come true.

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, Paradise Valley, Carefree, Fountain Hills and other smaller communities.

The region is rapidly growing with several cities within the Valley listed in the top growth communities in the country. The population of the Phoenix metropolitan area increased by 45 percent from 1990 through 2000, compared to the average U.S. rate of 15 percent. At the end of 2006 Arizona had displaced Nevada as the fastest growing state in the country. The 2000 Census reported the metro area population at over 3,000,000, which by the beginning of 2006 increased to an estimate close to 4,000,000.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is the fifth-busiest airport in the nation with a daily average of 1,498 airplanes serving over 100 cities around the world. The airport’s three terminals provide service to 19 million passengers annually. USA Today reports that Phoenix has more low-fare service and more destinations than any other facility in the U.S., adding to the desirability as a meeting destination. Sky Harbor is ranked second in the country for excellence by J.D. Power & Associates.

The Valley is a consistent award-winner in numerous categories, but one ranking is of notable importance for meeting planning professionals. In 2006 Maritz Travel ranked Phoenix as one of the top ten destinations for incentive travel destinations as well as one of the top five corporate meeting travel destinations. Meeting planners appreciate the variety and abundance of world class resorts and hotels in the Valley, from the restored historical properties developed in the 1920s to the latest in fine hotel concepts just now being introduced. The area offers convention accommodations to meet the needs of nearly every size meeting group with additional conference facilities continually added.

Other awards of significance for the Valley include being consistently ranked at the top for the number of Four and Five Diamond/Four Star resorts in this area. Greater Phoenix, according to Condé Nast Traveler magazine, boasts more top resorts than any other metro area in North America. More than 32 million people visit Arizona each year, with more than half of those visiting the Phoenix metropolitan area.

This dynamic area is young by historical standards, Phoenix itself having been incorporated in the 1880s and other Valley cities following during the first half of the 1900s. The area has evolved from its agricultural foundations to a vibrant urban area offering meeting planners just about every form of entertainment in sports, recreation, arts, culture, dining, and lodging. The beautiful sunny weather of the Valley offers year-round enjoyment of outdoor activities and is an ideal climate for outdoor events.

Golf is one of the Valley’s most popular outdoor activities and Greater Phoenix offers more than 300 pristine courses. The late January FBR Open annually televises desert beauty from the TPC Scottsdale’s course to a worldwide audience. Several of the clubs here enjoy the highest course ratings awarded in golf.

Take time to pamper yourself at one of the many lavish spas the Valley has to offer. Spa programs are increasingly popular additions to meeting programs and your group will find a collection of the world’s most renowned resort spas as well as outstanding day spas. In fact, many have been featured in publications such as Travel + Leisure, Mobil Travel Guide, Condé Nast Traveler and Spa Magazine as being a sample of the finest spas in the country. A variety of specialty treatment programs are available including some inspired by Native American traditions. Resort spas are also a good choice if some of the group wants to golf and some want to Spa. 

A special demonstration of the Valley’s determination to take exceptional care of all visitors is a 2006 award from the American Automobile Association. The group named Greater Phoenix as one of the five best destinations in the nation to travel with your dog. Two-legged or four-legged – Phoenix is committed to providing the very finest visitor services. 

Valley of the Sun Arts Scene
The artistic flavor of the Greater Phoenix area is incredibly rich and diverse. The fine arts have been celebrated here for centuries. The world of arts and culture is comprehensive and diverse in the Phoenix area. From the artistry of ancient petroglyphs to the outstanding achievements of today’s visual and performing arts community, the Valley of the Sun is a cultural gem.

The Valley is tied to the cultures of its origins in Native American and Hispanic heritage and laced with a rich mix of European, African and Asian influences. A multitude of local galleries draw art lovers from around the world with an endless variety of art experiences. The visual and performing arts community flourishes and cultural attractions showcase the history, arts and fascinating accomplishments of ancient Native American cultures. Several are dedicated to the legacy of the Arizona cowboy and the territorial beginnings of the state.

VISUAL ARTS – Museums, Galleries and Art Walks
The area sees people streaming in and out of galleries admiring artwork, meeting artists, sipping wine and making new friends at ArtWalk held every Thursday in Scottsdale and every first Friday evening of the month in downtown Phoenix.

The downtown Phoenix area represents a variety and quality of the arts. The Phoenix Art Museum and the Heard Museum, two world-class art venues, are located near each other, just north of Downtown Phoenix. With a showcase of 20th-century Western, Latin and European masterpieces, the Phoenix Art Museum is home to more than 17,000 works from around the world. The Museum’s four-level Ellen & Howard C. Katz Wing for Modern Art features a glass-enclosed lobby, canopied entry plaza, one-acre sculpture garden and expanded store, and presents a multitude of themed event possibilities.

One of the world’s most significant repositories of Native American art, the Heard Museum excels not only in the beauty and meaning of its exhibits, but in the vitality of the Indian events it continuously presents. The Heard has three Valley locations in downtown Phoenix, Surprise and North Scottsdale. The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art features a gallery devoted to the work of children. In nearby Fountain Hills, the River of Time Museum tells the story of the Verde River Valley from prehistoric times to the present.

For architecture buffs, Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece at Taliesin West is a must-see. For baseball fans, the opulent 1929 Wrigley Mansion – built by former Cub’s owner William Wrigley, Jr. – is a historical treasure in central Phoenix. A glimpse into the area’s rich Western architectural heritage can be found at historic Sahuaro Ranch in Glendale with 13 original buildings and a breathtaking rose garden.

Visitors to Tempe will enjoy the newly opened Tempe Center for the Arts in addition to more than 20 free museums and galleries on the campus of Arizona State University (ASU). The eclectic Vision Gallery in Chandler’s Historic City Center managed by the Chandler Cultural Foundation, features paintings, glass, mixed media and sculpture.

The Arizona Science Center in Downtown Phoenix has more than 300 hands-on exhibits in five themed galleries. It shares space in Heritage & Science Park with the historic Rosson House and the Phoenix Museum of History.

Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park, where you can experience a 1,500-year-old Hohokam village with prehistoric ruins and replicated ancient dwellings, is a stark contrast to the surroundings of modern-day Phoenix. A further view of ancient Arizonans can be found at Deer Valley Rock Art Center in North Phoenix, where there are more than 1,500 petroglyphs situated in a desert preserve. When you visit Papago Park for great hiking and biking trails, you’ll find the Phoenix Zoo, Hall of Flame, Arizona Historical Society and Desert Botanical Garden.

PERFORMING ARTS – Music, Dance and Theatre
Phoenix Symphony Hall recently reopened its doors in the heart of downtown Phoenix’s cultural epicenter. Symphony Hall has three resident companies: The Arizona Opera, Ballet Arizona and the Phoenix Symphony. The nearby historic, ornate Orpheum Theatre has also been restored and stages Broadway spectaculars. ASU Gammage, on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, features musical theater classics. Downtown Phoenix’s Herberger Theater Center is home to three resident companies: Actors Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, Center Dance Ensemble, and Childsplay have now found a home in the new Tempe Center for the Arts.

The Mesa Arts Center is the largest arts center in Arizona and the only one offering comprehensive professional arts, visual arts and art education. The Center hosted more than 400 performances during its inaugural season.

The area’s Native American cultures come to life every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at Native Trails presented by Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. These free noontime festivals celebrate indigenous cultures from Arizona and North Africa through dance, storytelling, art and native foods.