Phoenix and West Valley

Phoenix is “enjoying a culture boom – with a young, raw arts scene, well-cooked food and world-class spas.” – New York Times

Every trip to the nation’s fifth-largest city should include a visit to the many options in museums, theaters, concert hall and historic sites that Greater Phoenix has to offer. With a near-perfect climate, a variety of activities and attractions, and easy access via a bustling international airport – you have a destination sure to please even the most discerning travelers.

Phoenix is the capital city of Arizona and the financial and business hub of the Southwest. Ideal year-round weather conditions continue to entice corporate relocations and business expansions, as well as millions of visitors annually.
A shopping spree is an essential part of any great getaway. Downtown Phoenix’s Arizona Center combines restaurants of varying cuisine, specialty shops, a 24-screen movie theater and acres of gardens, fountains and pools. For a change of pace, Phoenix’s Public Market features Arizona-grown foods, breads, pastries, flowers, Southwest arts and crafts and more every Saturday morning at the corner of Central and McKinley.

A luxury retail center is being planned for North Phoenix, but for now, the Biltmore Fashion Park at 24th Street and Camelback Road has upscale shops and wonderful restaurants. The outdoor mall is a popular weekend window-shopping destination.

Downtown Phoenix is home to two of the four professional sports teams in the Valley, the Arizona Diamondbacks playing at Chase Field and the Phoenix Suns playing at US Airways Center. The nearby Copper Square area houses world-class business-oriented hotels, including the new soon-to-open 1,000-room Sheraton in 2008 and the W Hotel in 2009. Numerous theaters, museums, sports venues, restaurants and shops are all located within walking distance of each other.

Just west of Phoenix, Glendale is quickly gaining recognition for the very latest designs in multi-use professional sports complexes. The Arizona Cardinals opened the NFL season in the University of Phoenix Stadium, the first stadium in North America to feature a retractable roof and a roll-out grass field. The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl now calls the stadium home and the National College Football BCS Championship game played here in 2007. Super Bowl XLII also returns to Phoenix and this facility in 2008. Nearby Jobing.com Arena is home for the National Hockey League Phoenix Coyotes and new hotels and numerous restaurants are springing up surrounding these sports venues.

Live thoroughbred racing is available from the end of September to the end of May at Turf Paradise, the third-largest sports attraction in the state. Turf Paradise rates as having one of longest racing seasons in the country. A restaurant, private rooms and fun group activities are available.

Just an hour northwest of Phoenix and presenting perhaps the most complete Western experience in Arizona, Wickenburg is an excellent place for city slickers to saddle up for horseback rides and cattle drives, strap in for Jeep tours, hold on for motorcycle or four-wheeler touring, or float away on hot air balloon rides. The Western experience is backed up by a variety of guest ranches, Western art galleries, unique Western shops, historical attractions, Old West experiences, cultural activities and natural attractions.

The range of activities in Phoenix is endless, as is the catalog of accommodations. From the opulence of luxury resorts and spas, to the authentic western experiences, far more than our famous endless sunshine awaits those coming to Phoenix for Arizona Meetings and Events.

Phoenix Convention Center
Exciting new possibilities for professional meetings began with the completion of the first phase – phase two is scheduled for completion in late 2008 – of the massive expansion program for the former Phoenix Civic Plaza. When both phases are complete the Phoenix Convention Center will offer nearly 900,000 square feet of rentable space and more than two million square feet total.

The new West Conference Center provides planners the latest and best in flexibility and amenities in a facility which expands over 62,400 gross square feet of exhibit space and 48,000 square feet of meeting space, and includes a 45,300-square-foot, multi-purpose ballroom. An impressive, 140-foot glass atrium welcomes delegates into a gathering place reminiscent of the Grand Canyon. Other highlights include: a 21,000-square-foot conference-style meeting space level inclusive of a 192-seat amphitheatre, built-in sound and recording capabilities in all meeting rooms, and a 45,000-square-foot ballroom that includes telescoping risers with 1,200 integral folded seats to enhance site lines.

Gasketed loading dock spaces allow the exhibition space and docks to be climate controlled during move-in and move-out and exhibit hall floors are scored on a 10x10 grid; coordinated with a 30x30 utility grid to reduce the amount of time and labor for event setup.

A 312,000-square-foot underground exhibition hall will connect the North and West Buildings under the street. The four-level North Building will be three times the size of the new West Building, and will feature amenities such as a 45,000-square-foot street-level ballroom, a food court with five themed eateries and more than 55 meeting rooms.

Unique outdoor spaces add beautiful Phoenix weather to events. Meeting planners also have available to them the newly renovated Symphony Hall, which offers an additional 2,400-seat theater with full theatrical capabilities. With its high ratio of diverse meeting space (150,000 square feet), to exhibition space (500,000 square feet), complimentary wireless communication in all public areas, as well as a $three-million commitment to public art – it’s sure to please even the most discriminating clients.

Located less than 10 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and surrounded by cultural and sports venues, restaurants, nightlife and shopping, this facility makes Phoenix competitive with the finest convention centers in the country. It serves as an ideal venue for conventions of any size with spacious, high-tech accommodations and client-friendly services. The facility is projected to meet the needs of nearly 85 percent of all convention requirements and is able to simultaneously host multiple conventions, shows and meetings offering greater scheduling flexibility and capacity for shows to grow and prosper. Two large conventions can be hosted concurrently, minimizing downtime between events, and optimizing use of hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions.

Completion of the Phoenix Convention Center expansion triples the size of the original facility, moving it from the 67th-largest convention center in the U.S. into the top 20, and positions Phoenix as a premier destination for nearly all conventions.