Western update.

Meet in the Wild and Wonderful West!

There has never been a better time to take your group west. The region is brimming with new and expanded facilities, and there has never been more choice in exciting destinations that are prefect for a wide range of meetings. From quaint seaside and mountaintop resorts to massive convention centers in some of America's most popular tourist destinations, the Western United States offers it all.

ARIZONA

PHOENIX

A new era has begun for conventions in Phoenix. A $600 million expansion of the Phoenix Civic Plaza Convention Center is slated to begin in mid-2004 and be completed in 2009. The project will be undertaken in three phases and will more than triple the center's total rentable space to more than 900,000 square feet. The center will be open for business during all three phases.

Area hotel development is active as well with Marriott, Sheraton, and Westin recently opening major resort hotels. Other area resorts and hotels that were recently completed, or are currently undergoing substantial renovations, include The Phoenician, The Wigwam Resort, Scottsdale Plaza Resort, and the Crown Plaza Phoenix-Downtown, which was renamed the Wyndham Hotel Phoenix.

The largest area hotel upgrade belongs to the Arizona Biltmore Resort. The famed resort has embarked on a $32 million renovation and expansion that added a 25,000-square-foot ballroom in June.

According to respective reports by the Airports Council International and J.D. Power and Associates, Phoenix Sky Harbor is the fifth-busiest airport in the United States and ranks second nationally in customer service. The airport facility is located just three miles from the downtown Phoenix Civic Plaza Convention Center.

TUCSON

Downtown Tucson is in the midst of a rebirth, with plans for new park space, a science center, shopping, housing, and museums. Other recent downtown developments include the pending re-opening of the Art Deco Fox Theatre after extensive renovations and free shuttle service that provides easy connections throughout downtown and to the Fourth Avenue entertainment district.

Recently named the nation's fourth most cost-effective city for meetings by GetThere (a Sabre Company), Tucson boasts numerous world-class resort hotels and the Tucson Convention Center, with its 205,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space.

Tucson will have an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space when the 575-room Starr Pass Marriott Resort & Spa opens in late 2004. Located in the Tucson Mountain foothills, the new resort also will offer an expansive spa and 27 holes of championship golf.

CALIFORNIA

ANAHEIM/DISNEYLAND

Who could ask for more from a meetings destination than Anaheim? Start with the Anaheim Convention Center, fresh from a $180 million expansion that increased total meeting and exhibit space to 1.6 million. The center anchors the 1,100-acre Anaheim Resort district along with Disney's new California Adventure theme park and entertainment district.

Additionally, the 9,000-seat Anaheim Convention Center Arena is receiving a $10 million upgrade. A new addition to the Anaheim Resort district--the Anaheim GardenWalk--also is under development with a new aquarium opening next year.

Hotels are a big part of Anaheim's appeal, with 20,000 rooms in the city. Two hotels Days Inn & Suites and Residence Inn opened this summer in the Anaheim Resort area. The Anaheim Desert Palms Hotel across from the Disneyland Resort also completed an expansion this fall that included 75 new guest rooms and 6,000 square feet of meeting space. Overall, there are more than 7,000 hotel rooms within walking distance of the convention center.

LOS ANGELES/UNIVERSAL

STUDIOS

Los Angeles officials like to say, "It's All Right Here" when promoting their city. With a massive convention center, great hotels, warm weather year-round, and world-class cultural amenities, it's hard to disagree.

Located within walking distance of the city's downtown business district and more than 4,700 hotel rooms, the Los Angeles Convention Center offers 887,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space, a theater with 300 tiered seats, 5,700 parking spaces, and two soaring towers that serve as landmarks against the city skyline.

Meeting planners also are finding the city's 80-plus stage theaters and 300 museums make great venues for a variety of group events. Even the glitzy Kodak Theater, home of the Academy Awards, is available for private events.

And there's always Universal Studios Hollywood, with the props, sprawling facilities, and production expertise to stage a meeting, reception, or memorable theme party for up to 20,000 people.

MONTEREY

Monterey is one of America's most beautiful meetings destinations, and freshly upgraded facilities add to its appeal. The Monterey Bay Aquarium began a two-year, $10 million renovation project this fall that will create a new entrance and an overhead connecting bridge.

The Doubletree Monterey hotel also is receiving a $7 million upgrade that will give the 370-room property a more residential feel. The project is completely redesigning the guest rooms and adding new amenities as well as refurbishing the Atrium Lobby and Lobby Bar. The Doubletree's 14 meeting rooms combine with the adjacent Monterey Conference Center to offer more than 58,000 square feet of meeting space.

The Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa also completed a $5 million renovation this fall that included enhanced amenities. Located on historic Cannery Row in the heart of Monterey, the hotel also features a 10,000-square-foot, European-style spa.

NEWPORT BEACH 

Located between Los Angeles and San Diego near the Orange County/John Wayne Airport, Newport Beach combines location and convenience with the stunning beauty of a beach community. Located just outside the city's border, Wayne Airport is serviced by 11 airlines that offer 290 daily flights, including 21 nonstop destinations.

A true resort community, Newport Beach offers some of the finest resort properties anywhere. In May, the landmark Balboa Bay Club & Resort opened expanded facilities that included a new 132-room waterfront hotel adjacent to the 55-year-old Balboa Bay Club. The resort offers a 7,000square-foot ballroom, 10 breakout rooms, and spa facilities.

The Newport Beach Marriott also announced a $63 million renovation beginning in early 2004. The protect will upgrade the guest rooms and meeting space and add a world-class spa. Overall, Newport Beach offers more than 100,000 square feet of meeting space and more than 2,600 hotel guest rooms.

OAKLAND

Oakland is one of the West Coast's key transportation hubs, with the nation's second-largest containership port and an airport that offers more than 200 flights daily. It's no wonder Oakland is a popular meetings venue as well, given its spectacular views of the downtown San Francisco skyline.

The heart of the Oakland meetings package is the 484-room Oakland Marriott City Center and Convention Center. The complex offers 89,000 square feet of meeting space.

Other notable venues for group events include the historic Rotunda Building in downtown Oakland, which offers a memorable setting with a 120-foot-high elliptical dome, and the new Jack London Aquatic Center, which provides scenic waterfront views for events while seating 185 people.

Considered by many bay residents to be the area's most convenient airport, Oakland International Airport serves more than 11 million passengers annually. Sixteen carriers provide nonstop service to 38 destinations.

ONTARIO

With its superior location near an international airport and within minutes of all the attractions that make Southern California a visitor magnet, Ontario is an affordable, convenient, and memorable meetings destination.

Located only two blocks from Ontario International Airport and its 100-plus daily nonstop flights is the Ontario Convention Center and its 70,000-square-foot exhibit hall, 20,000-square-foot ballroom, and 24,000 square feet of meeting rooms. More than 2,000 hotel rooms are within walking distance of the center, including Marriott, Doubletree, and Sheraton properties.

Most of the hotels near the center offer guests complimentary shuttle service to the center, airport, and even nearby Ontario Mills Mall, Southern California's largest entertainment and outlet mall with 23 anchor stores, more than 200 specialty shops, and 83 movies screens. A 105-room Baymont Inn & Suites opened in October adjacent to the mall.

PALM SPRINGS

A legendary playground with world-class resorts and golf courses, Palm Springs is making a bold move to increase its meetings business. The Palm Springs Convention Center's $27.5 million expansion will nearly double its space. Phase I was completed in May when a 5,700square-foot meeting room and expanded kitchen facility opened.

The convention center expansion is scheduled for completion in spring 2005. The expansion is adding 20,000 square feet of meeting and ballroom space, 35,000 square feet of exhibit space, and 38,000 square feet of prefunction space.

Conveniently located to downtown and the Palm Springs International Airport, the convention center is directly accessible to the 410-room Wyndham Hotel and within easy walking distance to several other large hotels.

Several area hotels also have completed major upgrades recently, including a $65 million expansion of the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, which added 142 guest rooms and a 50,000-square-foot meeting facility that houses a 20,000-square-foot ballroom.

PASADENA

Pasadena offers a superior location only 30 minutes from the Los Angeles International Airport and 15 minutes from the Burbank Airport. In July, travel to and from Pasadena got even more convenient with the opening of the 13.7-mile, $859 million Gold Line light rail system. The Gold Line transports passengers from Pasadena to downtown Los Angeles and points in between for only $1.35 each way.

In 2007, the Pasadena Conference Center will complete a major expansion that will bring total exhibit space to 57,600 square feet and total meeting space to 38,800 square feet. Among the new additions will be a 24,800-square-foot ballroom.

Located in the heart of downtown, the center is an easy walk to four major hotels and one of Southern California's hottest entertainment districts--Old Pasadena. The newly opened Pasadena Museum of California Art also offers a rooftop terrace for private events.

SACRAMENTO

A mild climate and the cosmopolitan amenities of a capital city make Sacramento an appealing meetings host. The Sacramento International Airport, with its 150-plus daily flights, is located only 15 minutes from downtown. The city also is strategically located at the junction of Interstates 80 and 5.

Once in Sacramento, 10,000 guest rooms await in first-class hotels such as the Doubletree, which is undergoing a $6 million renovation. Two thousand hotel rooms are within walking distance of the Sacramento Convention Center, which has 134,000 square feet of exhibit halls, a 24,000-square-foot ballroom, and 31 meeting rooms. The 350-acre Cal Expo complex also provides numerous event options, and the new Well Fargo Pavilion provides a unique theater-in-the-round option with 2,200 seats.

Recreation is a big draw, with San Francisco, Napa Valley, and Lake Tahoe less than a two-hour drive away.

SAN DIEGO/LA COSTA

San Diego's convention package took a giant step forward with the August opening of a 750-room addition to the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, The Hyatt now boasts 125,000 square feet of meeting space and 1,625 guest rooms.

The Hyatt and the 1,301-room San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina are the primary properties for groups meeting at the recently expanded San Diego Convention Center, which now totals 615,701 square feet of exhibit space and 204,114 square feet of meeting space, San Diego will get yet another boost when the 511-room Omni opens next spring next to the new PETCO Ballpark.

Just north of San Diego is the legendary La Costa Resort and Spa, which has received a $50 million renovation that upgraded the 478 guest rooms and added a new spa and fitness center. The Spanishstyle resort features 50,000 square feet of meeting space and a 10,000 square-foot outdoor pavilion overlooking its two championship golf courses.

SAN FRANCISCO/SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO

With the june completion of the 300,000-square-foot Moscone West addition and a flurry of hoLe[ activity, San Francisco looks better than ever as a convention destination. The Moscone Center now offers more than 900,000 square feet of function space, complemented by 16,000 nearby hotel rooms. Adjacent to the center is the San Francisco Marriott, a 1,500-room hotel with 100,000 square feet of meeting space that completed a $33 million renovation this fall. Two new hotels also recently opened--the 252-room Argonaut Hotel and the 171-room Adiago Hotel.

Located only one mile north of San Francisco International Airport and 15 minutes from downtown, the South San Francisco Conference Center offers 16,500 square leer of function space, including the 13,500-square-foot grand ballroom that separates into 10 rooms. The conference center, located in San Mateo County with its 15,000 hotel rooms, is considering an expansion.

SAN JOSE 

The April opening of the San Jose Marriott and a recent merger of the city's convention center and convention bureau sales staffs have created a true "one contact" way to book meetings in San Jose, with the 506-room Marriott connected to the San Jose McEnery Convention Center and the Hilton San Jose, planners now have three facilities under one roof that collectively offer 70,000 square feet of meeting space, 143,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, and 860 guest rooms.

Other area meeting facilities include the Silicon Valley Conference Center, located less than one mile from the Mineta/San Jose International Airport and five miles north of downtown San Jose. The center has 17 flexible meeting rooms equipped with high-speed T-1 and wireless Internet access, as well as multipoint videoconferencing capabilities. The HP Pavilion at San Jose also can accommodate general sessions for 18,000 people or 131 8' x 10' exhibit booths.

SANTA CLARA 

Santa Clara's meetings package is freshly upgraded and located in the heart of Northern California's technology corridor. Located five miles from the Mineta/San Jose International Airport and less than an hour from San Francisco, the Santa Clara Convention Center recently installed a new communication infrastructure and completed a $500,000 upgrade to its public spaces, The versatile facility offers a 100,000-square-foot exhibit hall, a 607-seat theater, 25 breakout rooms, and 2,000 free parking spaces.

More than 3,800 hotel rooms are in Santa Clara, with many of them either directly connected to the center or within a brief walk.

COLORADO

DENVER

Denver's growth has continued unabated since the 1990s, when the Mile High City's population increased by 30 percent. More than $6 billion in developments debuted last decade, including the nation's largest airport, three sports stadiums, a light rail system, new convention center, and 15,000 hotel rooms.

New projects under development include the Colorado Convention Center expansion and a $75 million restoration of the Denver Auditorium Theater adjacent to the center expansion. The 2,400-seat theater will be a cornerstone of the nine-theater Denver Performing Arts Complex.

The center's expansion will double the facility's contiguous exhibit space to 584,000 square feet when completed by late 2004. A 1,100-room Hyatt Hotel with 85,000 square feet of meeting space will open near the center by early 2006.

KEYSTONE

The Keystone Resort and Convention Center is located just over an hour from Denver, providing a scenic drive through the Colorado Rocky Mountains. It combines the incredible scenery of the Rockies with the latest in meeting technology in more than 100,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including three contemporary ballrooms and 50 meeting rooms suitable for large or intimate gatherings and featuring unparalleled views, After a day of meetings, delegates can enjoy skiing, snowshoeing, or strolling the villages of this friendly destination.

VAIL

Mountaintop meetings will be on the rise as the result of two new meeting facilities in Vail. In August, the $2.8 million Donovan Pavilion opened with indoor meeting space for 200 people and a large outdoor terrace. Inspired by the great national park lodges, Donovan Pavilion has a spacious great room, a breakout room, and a kitchen.

A $46 million conference center facility also is under development. The new facility will include two 20,000-square foot meeting rooms and two 5,000-square-foot meeting spaces.

New on the entertainment front is the June opening of Colorado's first Greg Norman-designed golf course at the Red Sky GoLf Club west of Vail.

IDAHO

BOISE

With growing technology and manufacturing sectors, it only makes sense that Boise's meetings package is growing as well. Plans are progressing on the expansion of the city's main exposition facility, the 87,000-square-foot Boise Centre on the Grove. The expansion calls for an additional building with 85,000 square feet of function space, three exhibit halls, and a full-service kitchen.

The existing facility includes a 322-seat auditorium. It is adjacent to Grove Plaza, an outdoor events area in the heart of downtown. Also located at Grove PLaza is the 5,000-seat Bank of America Centre. More than 1,000 hotel rooms are within walking distance of Grove Plaza, with 4,600 rooms citywide.

The expansion will highlight downtown's western entry and anchor area redevelopment. One new development underway is the 8th Street Marketplace, a $62 million project with shops, restaurants, a cinema, and hotel that is scheduled for a fall 2004 opening.

NEVADA

LAS VEGAS

With approximately 7.5 million square feet of meeting space and 128,000 hotel rooms, Las Vegas is no gamble to any group seeking world-class facilities. Coming on the heels of the Las Vegas Convention Center's 1.3 million-squarefoot expansion in 2002 is more than $4 billion in new projects.

The biggest project is the Wynn Las Vegas Resort under construction on the former Desert Inn site. With 2,701 guest rooms and 200,000 square feet of meeting space, the Wynn Resort is scheduled to open in April 2005.

The Venetian Resort opened a $250 million expansion this summer that included 1,013 additional suites and 150,000 square feet of meeting space. The resort now has 4,049 suites and nearly 1.9 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space when combined with the adjacent Sands Expo Center.

Mandalay Bay also opens a 1,122-room hotel tower this fall, following the January opening of its new convention center that features almost 1 million square feet of function space. The Flamingo also opened a new 18,000-square-foot, 14-room conference center in May, while the 825-room Westin Casuarina opened in September.

Other hotel projects coming on line soon include the 925-room Bellagio expansion, the 1,000-room Caesar's expansion, and the opening of the 528room Renaissance by Marriott.

Located next to the Las Vegas Convention Center is the Las Vegas Hilton, with more than 200,000 square feet of meeting space and 3,174 recently upgraded guest rooms. Additionally, plans are progressing to transform the 2,567-room Aladdin into a Planet Hollywood resort.

RENO

Reno's standing as a popular gaming destination means there are lots of top-notch hotels and entertainment options for meeting delegates. With 20,000 area hotel rooms and a thriving gaming industry, it made perfect sense to expand the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in 2002. With the addition of two column-free exhibition halls, the facility now offers more than 500,000 square feet of space.

Logistics are easy in Reno, with the Reno-Tahoe International Airport only four miles from downtown and complimentary airport shuttle service offered by many hotels.

Planners also can use the Reno-Livestock Events Center, which provides 35,000 square feet of exhibit space, an indoor arena seating 6,200 people, and an outdoor arena seating 9,000 people.

Reno's great outdoors is getting more inviting, too, with construction now under-way on a $1.5 million whitewater sports attraction at Wingfield Park on the Truckee River.

OREGON

PORTLAND

Portland's expanding MAX light rail system makes getting around the lovely city a breeze. MAX transports passengers arriving at Portland International Airport to the newly expanded Oregon Convention Center for $1.55. Come fall 2004, the new 5.8-mile Interstate MAX will link the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center to the downtown hotels and convention center.

The Oregon Historical Society recently re-opened after a $3-75 million transformation that created new space for private functions. Also on the museum front, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry has retrofitted its popular Omnimax Theater to show feature-length films.

Portland's most significant meetings-related project came to fruition this spring when the Oregon Convention Center unveiled its 407,500-square-foot expansion. The $116 million project was undertaken to allow more simultaneous events. Flexibility was created with ballrooms of 34,400 and 25,200 square feet, 50 breakout rooms, and 255,000 square feet of exhibit space.

UTAH 

SALT LAKE CITY

Salt Lake City combines the amenities of a big city with the charm of an alpine resort community. Meeting delegates can do it all in Salt Lake City, a clean, walkable,and safe city where 10 ski resorts are less than an hour from downtown.

Salt Lake City is bursting with new and upgraded facilities from hosting the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. The Salt Palace Convention Center's expansion and the recent opening of South Towne Exposition Center created 613,000 square feet of new convention center space.

The Salt Palace Convention Center, with 370,000 square feet of exhibit space, is surrounded by 8,000 hotel rooms and more than 300 restaurants and nightclubs. The South Towne Exposition Center offers 258,000 square feet of function space as well.

The Gateway, a 650-acre, $375 million entertainment district just west of the Salt Palace, leads new developments in Salt Lake City's vibrant downtown.

WASHINGTON

SEATTLE

Culturally rich Seattle got an elegant new opera hall in June. The Marion Oliver McCall Hall features a 2,890-seat auditorium, 400-seat lecture hall, and outdoor public plaza. Located at the 74-acre Seattle Center urban campus, it is convenient to the newly expanded Washington State Convention & Trade Center and the city's major hotels.

Seattle's newest hotel is the Silver Cloud Hotel Broadway. The 179-room hotel features 2,000 square feet of meeting space, a business center, and complimentary shuttle to downtown Seattle. The Silver Cloud joins a host of top-notch properties throughout Seattle, including more than 6,000 guest rooms within an easy walk of the convention center.

Getting to the gateway of the Northwest is more convenient than ever, thanks to new nonstop service initiated by Alaska Airlines and Southwest Airlines. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is undergoing a $2.4 billion expansion that includes construction of a third runway and expansion of Concourse A.

WESTERN UPDATE ADVERTISEMENT

CONTACT INFORMATION

ARIZONA

Mesa Convention & Visitors Bureau

120 N. Center

Mesa, AZ 85201

800-283-6372; fax: [phone]

www.mesacvb.com

Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau

One Arizona Center

400 E. Van Buren St., Suite 600

Phoenix, AZ 85004-2290

602-254-6500; fax: [phone]

www.phoenixcvb.com

Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau

100 S. Church Ave.

Tucson, Arizona 85701

800-638-8350; fax: [phone]

www.visittucson.org

CALIFORNIA

Anaheim/Orange County Visitors & Convention

Bureau

800 W. Katella Ave.

Anaheim, CA 92802

714-765-8888; fax: [phone]

www.anaheimoc.org

Contra Costa Convention & Visitors Bureau

1333 Willow Pass Rd., Suite 204

Concord, CA 94520

925-685-1184; fax: [phone]

www.cccvb.com

Long Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

One World Trade Center, 3rd Fl.

Long Beach, CA 90831

800-4LB-STAY; fax: [phone]

www.visitlongbeach.com

Monterey Convention Authority

One Portola Plz.

Monterey, CA 93940

831-646-3388; fax: [phone]

www.montereyconventionauthority.com

Newport Beach Conference & Visitors Bureau

3300 W. Pacific Coast Hwy.

Newport Beach, CA 92663

800-94-COAST; fax: [phone]

www.nbcvb.com

Oakland Convention & Visitors Bureau

475 14th St., Suite 120

Oakland, CA 94612

510-839-9000; fax: [phone]

www.oaklandcvb.com

Ontario Convention & Visitor Bureau

2000 Convention Center Way

Ontario, CA 91764

800-455-5755; fax: [phone]

www.ontariocvb.com

Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau

171 S. Los Robles Ave.

Pasadena, CA 91101-2417

626-795-9311; fax: [phone]

www.pasadenacal.com

Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau

1303 J St., Suite 600

Sacramento, CA 95814

916-264-7777; fax: [phone]

www.sacramentocvb.org

San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau

401 B St., Suite 1400

San Diego, CA 92101-4237

619-232-3101; fax: [phone]

www.sandiego.org

San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau

201 Third St., Suite 900

San Francisco, CA 94103-3185

415-391-2000; fax [phone]

www.sfvisitor.org

San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau

125 S. Market St., Suite 300

San Jose, CA 95113

800-726-5673; fax: [phone]

www.sanjose.org

Santa Clara Convention & Visitors Bureau

1850 Warburton Ave.

Santa Clara, CA 95050

800-272-6822; fax: [phone]

www.santaclara.org

COLORADO

The Broadmoor

1 Lake Ave.

Colorado Springs, CO 80906

719-577-5762; tax: 719 577-5779

www.broadmoor.com

Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau

515 S. Cascade Ave.

Colorado Springs, CO 80903

800-888-4748; fax: [phone]

www.coloradosprings-travel.com

Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau

1555 California St., Suite 300

Denver, CO 80202

800-480-2010; fax: [phone]

www.denver.org

Keystone Resort

P.O. Box 38

Keystone, CO 80435

877-625-1556; 970-496-2316

www.keystoneresort.com

IDAHO

Boise Convention & Visitors Bureau

312 South 9th St., Suite 100

Boise, ID 83702

800-635-5240; fax: [phone]

www.boise.org

NEVADA

Lake Tahoe South Shore

P.O. Box 7139

Lake Tahoe, NV 89449

877-588-1122

www.laketahoesouthshore.com

Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority

3150 Paradise Rd.

Las Vegas, NV 89109-9096

702-892-0711; fax: [phone]

www.lasvegas24hours.com

Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority

P.O. Box 837

Reno, NV 89504-0837

800-443-1482

775-827-760O; fax: [phone]

www.renolaketahoe.com

OREGON

Portland Oregon Visitors Association

1000 S.W. Broadway, Suite 2300

Portland, OR 97205

800-962-3700; 503-275-9750

www.pova.com

UTAH

Salt Lake City Convention & Visitors Bureau

90 S.W. Temple

Salt Lake City, UT 84101-1406

801-52I 2822; fax: [phone]

www.visitsaltlake.com

WASHINGTON

Seattle's Convention & Visitors Bureau

701 Pike St., Suite 800

Seattle, WA 98101

206-461-5800; fax: [phone]

www.seeseattle.org