WESTERN UPDATE.

Whether it's the crisp mountain air of the Rockies, the serenity of the ocean, or the buzz of the city that gets your group going, there's nothing like the West to inspire mind, body, and soul. The region is keeping pace with its popularity pumping billions of dollars into bigger, better conference facilities, hotels, and one-of-a-kind attractions. So as you think about your next meeting destination, here's a closer look at what's happening on this fabulous frontier.

ARIZONA

Phoenix

It's not known as the Resort Capital of the World for nothing! Phoenix is about to add to its portfolio of premier properties: the Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa will in fact be Arizona's largest when it opens in November 2002. The 950-room resort will feature more than 200,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting venues, as well as a full-service spa, and two championship 18-hole courses designed by golf greats Arnold Palmer and Nick Faldo.

But certainly the biggest development in the works is the Phoenix Civic Plaza, which is in the early stages of an expansion that would almost double the convention center's size from 375,000 to 700,000 square feet. Currently five exhibit halls combine for a total of 300,000 square feet with the capacity to connect to a 28,000-square-foot ballroom. Future plans also call for a $32 million interior and exterior renovation.

Mesa

Down the road from Phoenix, the fastest growing Arizona city is making a name for itself in the meetings business. Mesa offers great conference spaces and places, including the Mesa Community and Conference Center downtown, conveniently located next to the Sheraton Mesa Hotel. The pair of properties just completed a $6 million renovation to all 283 guest rooms and 52,000 square feet of meeting space. And planners can really have fun with the center's 4,200-seat outdoor amphitheater!

There's a new hotel in town, the Residence Inn by Marriott, which features 117 guest rooms and four meeting rooms, And in other recent property developments, the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites in Mesa expanded the Rio Salado Ballroom to increase its meeting space to 11,000 square feet--just right for groups up to 500. The Hilton Mesa Pavilion underwent a $1.2 million renovation of its 263 guest rooms and 20,000 square feet of meeting space, which now feature high-speed Internet connections, as well.

One of Mesa's premier properties is the Arizona Golf Resort, and with a championship course just steps from the conference rooms, the green is as good a meeting place as any!

CALIFORNIA

Anaheim and Orange County

In a matter of months, one of California's leading meeting destinations will have a brand new look. Scheduled for completion early next year, Anaheim's $4.2 billion makeover includes two major resorts, a new Disney theme park, and a 300,000-square-foot entertainment district.

Located within the grounds of Disney's California Adventure park will be the Grand Californian Hotel, an elegant 750-room hotel designed in the American Arts & Crafts tradition. The cornerstone of the project is the redesigned, expanded Anaheim Convention Center, now the largest on the West Coast with 1.6 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space under one roof. The sophisticated comfort of its new design will delight planners with its emphasis on layout, flexibility, and accessibility.

These exciting property developments are all part of what's now known as The Anaheim Resort. Every inch of the 1,100-acre district has been transformed, with lush landscaping, pedestrian walkways, new signage, and more.

Carlsbad

Already a popular tourist destination, Carlsbad's reputation as a convenient meeting place continues to increase. This sunny picturesque town just 30 miles north of San Diego has ample room for meetings. Its world-class resorts of La Costa Resort and Spa and Four Seasons Resort Aviara, ocean front lodges, and business hotels offer meeting attendees and group organizers a variety of venues to explore.

Hotel revenues are up and growth is expected to continue as new properties and facilities are continually being developed. With this in mind, the Carlsbad Convention and Visitor's Bureau has created two tools to help simplify the planning process--a comprehensive 16-page meeting planners guide minimizing the time to obtain rates and availability from the various facilities in the area and an interactive CD ROM featuring "virtual tours" and over 40 Internet links to local attractions.

Huntington Beach 

The big news in Huntington Beach is the development of the Grand Coast Resort, which will encourage executives to get down to business with style. This oceanfront conference center will expertly serve the needs of the business traveler and meeting planner with 52,000 square feet of space that includes a 20,000- square-foot ballroom adjoined by a terrace with stunning views of the Pacific, and a 15,000-square-foot lawn specifically designed with outdoor events in mind. Two additional ballrooms that feature ocean views and offer 6,200 square feet and 3,300 square feet are also available.

Exceptional meeting facilities can also be found next door at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort, where 18 meeting rooms offer more than 21,000 square feet of conference space. The 3,000-square-foot Pacific Room and 2,500-square-foot Cielo Mare Ballroom befit the most formal gatherings, while an airy, sea-view terrace is just right for a sunset reception.

It's no surprise that 12 million visitors come to Huntington Beach each year for the ambiance and attractions. And the city's about to get one more: Work has just begun on The Crossings at Huntington, a new retail and dining center with the architecture and spirit of an old Italian village.

Long Beach

Funny how California's fifth largest city feels more like a quaint beach town than a cosmopolitan center... and yet the all-inclusive conference facilities are a dead giveaway that this place knows how to handle the masses. Overlooking the ocean, the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center has more than 300,000 square feet of flexible meeting and exhibit space located within walking distance of 2,000 first-class hotel rooms.

The waterfront will be even more wonderful by the end of 2001 following phase two of the Queensway Bay Project, the redevelopment of 300 acres of oceanfront land adjacent to downtown. Coming soon, an entertainment and retail area to add to the two new major attractions: Rainbow Harbor and Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific.

To best serve the 10 million additional annual visitors expected as a result of these dramatic developments, Long Beach has some new hotels in the works, including a 162-suite European-style hotel named for one of Paris' best known museums, the D'Orsay, scheduled to open in fall 2001.

Speaking of museums, the newly expanded Long Beach Museum of Art offers some great alternative meeting spaces--the new Ocean View Room with its beachfront balcony or outdoor sculpture garden, which can accommodate up to 950 people for a reception or 500 for a banquet. And in Long Beach, you can expect sunny or starry skies year-round.

Monterey

Have your meeting the Monterey way: play! After all, what better way to energize the minds of your members? Monterey is home to Bay vistas, gardens, fun Fisherman's Wharf, and vineyards, as well as a revitalized downtown and more than 250 properties and 10,000 hotel rooms.

In the heart of it all is the Monterey Meeting Connection, home of the Monterey Conference Center, and three award-winning hotels--Doubletree Hotel, Monterey Marriott, and Hotel Pacific. The complex features more than 800 guest rooms and suites, 80,000 square feet of meeting space, and 30,000 square feet of exhibit space.

Just south of the city is Cannery Row, made famous by novelist John Steinbeck, with its quaint collection of shops, galleries, restaurants, and attractions including the spectacular Monterey Bay Aquarium. Nearby Pebble Beach and the communities of Carmel, Big Sur, and Pacific Grove offer plenty of pre- and post-conference options and attractions, as well.

Pasadena

Pasadena means "crown of the valley," and visitors will certainly get the royal treatment in this city surrounded by orange groves and the 9,000-foot San Gabriel Mountains. By the turn of the 20th century, Pasadena was a popular getaway for the rich and famous. Today, many of its grand hotels have been restored to their original splendor and make exquisite meeting venues.

The Ritz-Canton Huntington Hotel is among the favorites, with 387 guest rooms and more than 33,000 square feet of renovated meeting space including an 11,220-square-foot ballroom. Its Clara Vista Executive Retreat is ideal for small gatherings.

Pasadena's newest hotel brings the city's guest-room inventory to 2,500:The 314-room Old Pasadena Courtyard by Marriott opened in July 2000 and is the first hotel to be built in the heart of the city's historic district. Perfect for groups of 10 to 200, the hotel offers 6,000 square feet of meeting space.

In August, the Holiday Inn Pasadena became the Sheraton Pasadena Hotel following an extensive $4.5 million renovation. The 317-room property is directly adjacent to the 75,000-square-foot Pasadena Conference Center, which also completed a renovation this year. The center features three meeting venues under one roof: a 32,000-square-foot exhibition building, which has new carpeting and more natural light; a 28,000-square-foot conference building, with new furnishings and decor and the 3,000-seat Pasadena Civic Auditorium, one of Pasadena's many landmarks listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

San Diego

San Diego's reputation for warmth comes from more than just great weather--the city is brimming with hospitality and offers today's executives a number of special meeting venues, each with its own unique personality and charm.

San Diego continues to evolve into one of the most desirable destinations, with diverse cultural opportunities and exciting downtown development. The San Diego Convention Center is more than halfway through a massive expansion that will double its size to 2.6 million square feet by September 2001. The convention center is one of the city's most recognized and revered landmarks, With its bright white sails and 90,000-square-foot pavilion, it is the largest, column-free, special-events area in North America. Located on 11 acres on sparkling San Diego Bay, the center will soon feature more than 615,000 square feet of exhibit space.

With increased convention business will come several new hotels, adding to the city's 45,000 guest moms. San Diego's historic Gaslamp Quarter welcomed a new 252-room Hilton this year. Other properties underway include a 750-room,

32-story Hyatt Regency expansion scheduled for completion in mid-2002.

San Francisco 

The Moscone Center, San Francisco's premier convention facility in the heart of downtown, is preparing to welcome the newest addition to its hospitality family. When it opens in 2003, Moscone West will add more than 300,000 square feet to an already impressive inventory of meeting and exhibition space.

Just half a block from its sister site, Moscone West's three floors of function space were designed with options and opportunities in mind. For example, 19 individual meeting rooms can easily be turned into a tradeshow floor for more than 500 standard booths thanks to highly flexible airwalls.

More than 18,000 of the city's 30,500 first-class hotel rooms are just a quick walk away, including the 685-room Grand Hyatt San Francisco located in Union Square. The Moscone Center was a catalyst for the recent rebirth of the South of Market area, flourishing with restaurants, nightlife, and a variety of cultural offerings including the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Yerba Buena Center for the Performing Arts, and the California Historical Society.

Getting in and out of the city is about to become a whole lot easier as the San Francisco International Airport nears the end of a $2.4 billion expansion. In addition to a 2 million-square-foot main terminal building, the master plan construction includes: two new international concourses; a light-rail system connecting all terminals; new entrance roadways and parking facilities; a consolidated rental--car center; a BART station linking the airport to downtown and beyond; and, in keeping with San Francisco's reputation as a cultural center, the world's first-ever fully accredited museum in an airport.

San Jose

The spirit of innovation is alive and well in Silicon Valley, and San Jose sits in the center of it all. The new San Jose Conference Center is the city's most technologically advanced meeting facility. Located just five miles north of downtown, the center features 38,000 square feet of meeting space, as well as multipoint video conferencing, T1 Internet access, and more.

Be sure to point and click to San Jose's big attraction, the Tech Museum of Innovation, a theme park for the brain. The Tech offers a variety of hands-on, cutting-edge exhibits designed to inform and entertain. A combination of spaces can accommodate 25 to 2,500 for a reception or up to 500 for a sit-down dinner.

But there's much more to this city than microchips--in fact, San Jose is home to some of the finest arts and culture around, with countless performing arts groups, a world-class symphony and one of the top 10 ballet companies in the nation. And although known as a major urban center, San Jose has more than 3,000 acres of parkland, creating exciting opportunities for special events and small gatherings.

COLORADO

Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Region

At 6,000 feet above sea level, amazing things happen: The air clears, obstacles shrink, and excitement and energy prevail. Perhaps this is the secret to Colorado Springs' world renown as a group destination.

The new Colorado Springs World Arena offers big things to meeting planners, with seating for 8,000 and more than 21,000 square feet of floor space.

Meanwhile, several large hotels in the area offer a wide range of facilities, from downtown convention properties to luxury resorts and historic inns.

The Broadmoor, the largest with 700 guest rooms, is in the middle of a massive renovation. By the time the project is completed in May 2001, the Broadmoor will have invested more than $100 million, continuing its commitment to excellence and supreme service. The resort will increase outdoor function space by adding a partially covered stone terrace that will accommodate 700 guests for cocktails and dinner. Five new state-of-the-art conference rooms have already been completed, and include the latest technical equipment and custom appointments. These rooms range in size from 800 to 1,600 square feet, and can host meetings of 25 to 125 people. In all, the Broadmoor offers more than 114,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, 11 restaurants and lounges, three golf courses--and a dramatic mountain backdrop.

Denver

A big part of the boom being experienced in this mile-high city can be attributed to the Colorado Convention Center, which will double in size by 2003. The expansion is part of a grand plan to create the maximum amount of exhibit space with minimal impact on the current facility.

Construction begins in early 2001 with a green light from Denver citizens, who approved the $268 million project in a special ballot initiative last year. Once completed, the convention center will feature 584,000 square feet of contiguous floor space, plus 125,000 square feet of meeting space and two grand ballrooms.

Several property developments are tied to the expansion. Talks are in the works for a new 1,100-room Marriott, which would feature 85,000 square feet of meeting space. A block away, the Executive Tower Hotel is being converted into a new $108 million, 659-room Hilton. With the new hotels, Denver will have 6,700 first-class rooms within walking distance and a total of 35,000 rooms citywide.

Just two blocks from the Colorado Convention Center is the Denver Performing Arts Complex, the second largest performing arts center in the United States, with eight theaters and combined seating for 9,000. Last year, the Plex added an 11,000-square-foot ballroom, which seats 1,000 for banquets and offers an unobstructed view of the Rocky Mountains on three sides. No wonder more than 25 percent of all convention participants extend their stay!

Keystone

At the Keystone Resort, meetings seem to reach new heights, creativity flows, and people relax in the natural beauty that is the Colorado Rocky Mountains. And nothing beats the variety of recreational activities available year-round, from swimming and skiing to some of the greatest golfing around.

Keystone recently invested nearly $12 million in its award-winning conference center, more than doubling its size to 63,500 square feet of meeting and function space. Completed in June 2000, the expansion includes a 20,000-square-foot contemporary ballroom designed to accommodate today's high-tech needs.

The resort's 152-room Keystone Lodge features a 5,700-square-foot ball-room and 10 breakout rooms, and planners often choose to use the facilities in tandem with the conference center, From the rustic charm of The Outpost to the luxury of the Inn at Keystone, several smaller meeting facilities are available, as well.

"We've long been known for the easy access from Denver, the convenience of our one-stop shopping, gourmet cuisine, world-class recreational amenities, and outstanding guest services," says Alex Ruggieri, Keystone's director of conference services. "Now we'll build a reputation for providing high-tech capabilities in the heart of the Rockies, comparable to most major city convention centers."

IDAHO

Boise

Where the mountains meet the desert you'll undoubtedly find a city of pleasant contrasts. Boise is part urban center, part hometown, and all about options for conference planners.

Boise Centre on the Grove is the city's major convention facility, with 85,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space and early plans to double capacity by 2003. Located in the heart of downtown, it is within walking distance of nearly 1,000 hotel rooms, fine restaurants, shops, parks, and historic buildings.

In addition to the convention center, most Boise hotels offer traditional meeting and banquet facilities, as well. Among them: the 182-room Doubletree Hotel downtown; the 265-room Holiday Inn; and the 250-room Grove Hotel adjoining the Bank of America Centre, with more than 21,000 square feet of exhibit space and fixed seating capacity of 5,000.

Boise's range of recreational activities and one-of-a-kind attractions offer a multitude of alternatives for off-site events. Host a private reception at the Idaho Historical Museum or Botanical Garden, take a tour of the Old Idaho Penitentiary followed by a western-style barbeque served from covered wagons, or experience authentic Basque entertainment and cuisine in honor of the single largest colony of Basques outside of Spain.

NEVADA

Las Vegas

Once known primarily for gambling and glitz, Las Vegas has matured into a mega-meetings destination with first-class facilities, fine dining, and nightlife known the world over. The convention business is booming, and you can bet the city's keeping up with several exciting new developments.

Would you believe the largest convention center in the United States still isn't big enough? By the end of 2001, the Las Vegas Convention Center will bring its total meeting and exhibit space to more than 3.2 million square feet with the $150 million South Hall expansion, which broke ground in April 2000.

Eighteen thousand hotel rooms are within a few blocks of the convention center, and at the start of 2000, Las Vegas had more than 120,000 hotel and motel rooms in all. That inventory continues to grow with the all-new 2,600-room Aladdin Hotel among the latest developments.

In other hotel news, the famous Caesars Palace Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip is getting a $60 million face-lift, and the 3,036-suite Venetian will double in size when construction of its beach-theme tower gets underway early next year. Meantime, Vegas visionary Steve Wynn recently purchased the 715-room Desert Inn Hotel on the Strip, home to several of his other properties, including the Bellagio, Treasure Island, and Mirage Hotels.

Reno

Reno just keeps getting better, with multimillion dollar renovations either finished, planned, or underway The Reno-Sparks Convention Center is in the middle of $105 million in changes, which will bring its total to more than 500,000 square feet of meeting space when the expansion is completed in 2002. The center's just two miles from the airport, and within five miles of 20,000 world-class hotel rooms.

Reno's Peppermill Hotel Casino continues its grand metamorphosis: A recent $65 million renovation is just one part of a major expansion which, when complete, will total almost $300 million and put the guest-room total at more than 2,230.

The Atlantis Casino Resort is reaching great heights with a new 27-story tower, part of its recent $75 million development. The hotel also added 20,000 square feet of meeting space for a total of 32,000 square feet. Earlier this year, the Silver Legacy Resort Casino brought its meeting space to 90,000 square feet following a 10,000-squarefoot expansion. Combined with the Legacy's sister properties, Circus Circus and Eldorado, the complex offers 4,200 hotel rooms and more than 110,000 square feet of convention space, making it northern Nevada's largest destination resort.

When the work is done and it's time for fun, delegates won't want to miss Lake Tahoe, just 45 minutes away Rich in history, the area offers everything from skiing to scuba, and a setting that can't be beat.

OREGON

Portland

In Portland you'll find the perfect mix of comfort, convenience, and cool. The free downtown transit system makes it easy to get around, and the city just added the Oregon Convention Center to its list of stops. This past fall, the center broke ground on a major expansion that will double its size by 2002.

Portland's expanded facility will include 265,000 square feet of contiguous space, a 35,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom, more than 55 meeting rooms, and 35,000 square feet of lobby and additional function space. Rising on the banks of Portland's Willamette River, the convention center has been hailed for its beauty and design, which is functional and downright friendly.

Earlier this year, the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center (Expo) undertook a project to demolish and reconstruct Hall D to include a two-floor lobby and atrium skylight, meeting rooms totaling nearly 6,000 square feet, and 72,000 square feet of column-free exhibit space. The Expo's 60-acre site includes four interconnected buildings with a total exhibit space of 345,000 square feet. The rebuilt structure will open in April 2001.

Portland's reverence for things natural has truly guided the construction of this modern West Coast city, which features more than 9,000 acres of parks and seemingly endless nature trails. The buildings are tall, but city codes ensure they don't block Portland's incredible views.

UTAH 

Salt Lake City

The desert's never been so cool...Salt Lake City is gearing up and getting ready to host the ultimate meeting, the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, but groups of all sizes can already take advantage of the exciting changes.

The new Salt Palace Convention Center offers first-class, flexible meeting and exhibit space, and just finished an $85 million dollar renovation and expansion. Work finished up this fall on nearly 114,000 extra square feet of space, bringing the center's total to 365,000.

Close to 3,000 hotel rooms have been added to Salt Lake's inventory in the past two years, bringing the total number to more than 16,000. The Grand America will open in March 2001 with 775 deluxe guest rooms, two major ballrooms, and meeting space totaling 80,000 square feet. Together with the Little America Hotel next door, this will be the largest hotel in Utah, with more than 1,600 rooms in all. Meantime, construction is just about complete on the Salt Lake City Marriott City Center, a new $35 million, 372-room property located in the heart of downtown. Salt Lake's newest hotel is adjacent to the outdoor Gallivan Plaza, and will feature more than 20,000 square feet of meeting space.

TRAX, a $312 million light rail system linking downtown Salt Lake with the southern part of the valley began service last year, providing delegates easy access to the different attractions within the Salt Lake valley. The "free fare" zone in the downtown area provides transportation between hotels and the convention center, shopping centers, and historical and cultural attractions at no charge.