CENTRAL COLORADO
Denver.org; @VisitDenver—Known as “The Mile High City” for its mountain location, Denver is the complete package: an outdoor playground complemented by its vast culinary and cultural offerings. “Urban sophistication meets outdoor adventure in Denver,” says Richard Scharf, president and CEO of VISIT DENVER. “With 300 days of sunshine, a walkable downtown, thriving arts and culture, an award-winning culinary scene, a state-of-the-art convention center, and the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop, Denver is the perfect place for meetings, events and conventions.”
Meetings and events held in Denver practically all start with the city’s accessibility. Denver International Airport is consistently ranked one of the busiest airports in the country; it offers hundreds of nonstop flights around the world every day. “Denver International Airport makes Denver a convenient place for attendees to travel to,” Scharf says. “In addition, an airport rail direct to downtown allows attendees to easily travel sustainably.”
Sustainability is top of mind for many meeting planners and groups choosing Denver. “Ensuring meetings are sustainable is of the utmost importance for Denver,” Scharf says. “While the city’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency works to enable a sustainable, resilient, climate-safe future for all, VISIT DENVER also collaborates with venues, hotels, and other partners to ensure we are offering sustainable options for a prosperous community, where people and nature thrive.”
Colorado Convention Center is recognized for its sustainability as an LEED Gold-certified venue. The center’s waste management, energy, water, and air-quality systems all focus on ways to make every event sustainable. Colorado Convention Center recently expanded to add 35,000 square feet of pre-function space and 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting and ballroom space to its 600,000-square-foot exhibit space. In addition, the expansion boasts a 20,000-square-foot outdoor terrace, offering attendees incredible, unobstructed views of the city’s Rocky Mountains skyline and providing an easy flow for memorable indoor/outdoor events.
The new National Western Complex is part of renovations to Denver Coliseum. Once completed, the campus will span 246 acres and offer more than 2.2 million square feet of indoor and outdoor space for hosting such events as National Western Stock Show & Rodeo, concerts, festivals, trade shows, and conventions.
Denver boasts more than 55,000 hotel rooms throughout its metro area, including 13,000 guest rooms in the heart of downtown Denver. New Denver properties planned to open by 2025 will include Fairfield Inn & TownePlace Suites, a Marriott hotel; Train Denver Boutique Hotel; and a Virgin hotel. In addition, Courtyard by Marriott Denver Stadium and Populus at Civic Center Park are scheduled to open soon. Courtyard by Marriott Denver Stadium will bring 118 rooms near Empower Field at Mile High. Populus at Civic Center Park will feature 265 guest rooms; a flexible area suitable for meetings, co-working spaces, and events; hospitality-style suites for private and corporate events; and a rooftop restaurant and bar with garden terrace. Developed by Urban Villages and designed by Studio Gang, Populus at Civic Center Park is targeting LEED Gold certification. Sustainability measures—including windows designed to mimic Colorado’s iconic Aspen tree, with “lids” stretching outward according to solar orientation to shade the interior and to channel rainwater—contribute to its distinction as the country’s first carbon-positive hotel. In addition, the property will not include onsite parking, in an effort to encourage the use of public transportation and further reduce the carbon footprint.
Groups can get a true feel of the city through various teambuilding opportunities and excursions. With five sports stadiums and six professional sports teams, Denver offers a variety of sports outings to enjoy. Denver also has a vibrant art scene. Meow Wolf Denver is a permanent installation, featuring the work of Colorado-based artists. The exhibit spans four floors of rooms and includes a music venue with a 450-person capacity, a café, and retail space. New to 16th Street Mall is Museum of Illusions, offering visual, sensory, and educational experiences in more than 80 exhibits featuring holograms, stereograms, optical illusions, and immersive rooms. Groups can experience nature by visiting any of Denver’s more than 200 parks in the city and 20,000 acres of parks in the nearby mountains. Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, which has been designated as a National Historic Landmark, is a unique Denver destination for enjoying a show, hiking, and even participating in group yoga.
