Guide to Meeting & Event Planning in

Arizona

Updates and group ideas for event planners looking to host a gathering in Phoenix or Tucson.

by Lisa Grimaldi and Lizzie Wilcox
March 31, 2026
The Phoenix Skyline from South Mountain Park
The Phoenix Skyline from South Mountain Park Photo Credit: Visit Phoenix

Why Arizona for Your Next Meeting or Event?

This Southwestern state is prized for its climate, classic resorts and glorious desert landscapes. It’s also a mecca of wellness, sports, unique cuisine (Tucson has been named a gastronomic capital by UNESCO), and outdoor settings and venues, all in high demand by groups today.

Recent Updates for Phoenix

Near the Phoenix Convention Center, the PHX Arena and Chase Field, the Denū Hotel and Spa is accepting reservations beginning Oct. 1, 2026. Meaning "valley of the sun," the Denū will have 236 rooms, including 15 suites and a presidential suite, as well as more than 22,000 square feet of event space for groups.

A $25 million renovation of the spa at the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort and Spa was completed in February 2026. The 32,000-square-foot retreat now offers 20 redesigned treatment rooms; a wellness studio with sound baths, yoga classes and meditation sessions; desert-inspired treatments using indigenous ingredients, such as adobe clay, prickly pear cactus and agave nectar; and Ora Cafe, serving a menu that was developed with a licensed nutritionist. Outdoor wellness programming includes three hydrotherapies: the main pool, a saltwater pool and a cold plunge, while indoor options range from a Himalayan salt sauna to an aromatherapy steam cavern. 

Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home in Scottsdale, is expanding. Venues range from a garden courtyard to an intimate theater designed by Wright himself. The UNESCO World Heritage Site accommodates up to 350 people for private events.

What started as the mobile First Place Coffee truck has transformed into Matilda's All Day Cafe, which debuted in February in the former home of the Garden Bar. The coffee shop and restaurant currently is open for breakfast and lunch with plans to begin welcoming guests for dinner in April.

Formerly the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch, the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale completed a multiphase renovation in November 2024. The project encompassed the 493 rooms, dining establishments and 75,000 square feet of meeting space. Two restaurants and luxury cabanas with food-and-beverage packages also were added to the pool deck, which reopened at the start of last summer.

Scheduled to begin welcoming guests at the end of 2026, the VAI Resort in Glendale will be the largest property in the state. Blueprints for the island-inspired oasis include 1,100 rooms, suites and villas throughout four towers; 90,000 square feet of function space; and an amphitheater that can hold up to 11,000 people.

AirFrance began flying nonstop between Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and Charles de Gaulle International Airport in Paris on May 23, 2024, just in time for the summer travel season and Olympic Games. The first direct service between the destinations, flights depart PHX on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:10 p.m., arriving in CDG at 9:15 the following morning. Flights have a capacity of 279.

The 141-room Global Ambassador opened in early December 2023 with more than 36,000 square feet of meeting space. Culinary offerings include a Parisian steakhouse, a Mediterranean restaurant on the rooftop, and a Mexican and Peruvian-inspired eatery.

The Wigwam debuted a $20 million upgrade in fall 2023, a complete refresh of the interiors, including all 331 suites and casitas. The property features more than 100,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space.

The Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa completed a multimillion-dollar renovation in 2023, upgrading the 293 rooms, including 38 luxury suites and two presidential suites, and the more than 100,000 square feet of event space.

The massive renovation project at the Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch was completed in spring 2024, dropping the property’s room count to 276.

As part of an $80 million project at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, the pool area has been transformed into the 140,000-square-foot AquaRidge Waterpark with three waterslides, a lazy river and an adults-only area. New this fall is the Asian-fusion restaurant Kembara. In 2023, the resort upgraded the lobby and all 950 guest rooms, and added a restaurant.

In February 2023, the W Scottsdale unveiled five new penthouse suites, bringing the property's total to 241 rooms. The spaces range from 1,000 to 2,700 square feet, with floor-to-ceiling windows, private balconies, full kitchens and in-unit laundry facilities. 

The highly anticipated 215-room Ritz-Carlton, Paradise Valley, finally opened on Nov. 15, 2023. The 20-acre resort will feature about 20,000 square feet of indoor event space and seven outdoor event lawns. Luxury amenities include a spa offering outdoor hydrotherapy treatments; an expansive fitness studio; and a pool deck with a 400-foot-long swimming pool, a hot tub and views of Camelback Mountain.

The refurbished Egyptian Motor Hotel opened at the end of January 2023 with 49 rooms and more than 6,000 square feet of event space.

The Omni Tempe Hotel at ASU opened on Arizona State University's campus at the beginning of May 2023. Among its amenities are several retail outlets and four dining options, including a pool bar and a rooftop restaurant. The 330-room property offers 36,000 square feet of meeting space, making it the largest venue in the city. 

Game On
The Phoenix area hosts a number of major sporting events every year, including college football’s Fiesta Bowl and Cactus Bowl; the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Phoenix Open, and NASCAR events each spring and fall.

The 266-room Caesars Republic Scottsdale opened in March 2024 — with nary a slot machine in sight. The resort’s meeting space includes a 7,000-square-foot ballroom. The property has the distinction of being Caesars’ first nongaming U.S. hotel. 

Arizona's first Black-owned wine bar, Chic Chef 77, debuted in Tempe in February 2023. Owned by celebrity chef Nik Fields, the bar pours from a rotating list of 200 bottles, and serves craft cocktails, appetizers and charcuterie boards.

BWH Hotel Group has partnered with hotel management company Midas Hospitality to run the Vib Hotel in Tempe. The 102-room boutique property opened in March 2022.

The 119-room Royal Palms Resort and Spa renovated its meeting spaces, including the Estrella and Palmera Salons, the Cervantes Room and Lounge, and the Vernadero Room. The property, part of Hyatt’s Unbound Collection, has 20,000 square feet of event space.

After opening its first location in Surprise, Ariz., back in 2020, Bonfire Craft Kitchen and Tap House entered the Tempe dining scene in September 2022. The American restaurant offers burgers, pizzas, sandwiches and more. 

Group Venues

Treat attendees to an authentic fusion of Mexican and Western rodeos at Corona Ranch. The charreada, or Mexican rodeo, focuses on horsemanship, while the Western portion features bull-riding and trick-roping. Event areas include the Great Hall, 13 landscaped areas and a 16,000-square-foot patio. The venue accommodates groups of up to 3,000.

Tell your friends about Tell Your Friends, an underground cocktail and live-music lounge that opened in Scottsdale in Summer 2025. With a 1920s vibe, the venue can hold events for up to 100 people. Offerings include small bites, an elevated cocktail menu and a stage for presentations or performances.

Warehouse215 opened in June 2024 in a restored historic building. The art deco venue has 37,000 square feet of event space, and can host up to 2,500 people.

Culinary Dropout is a former warehouse that has been converted into a restaurant and bar. Nine areas are available for off-site events, such as the grand dining room, as well as a covered patio with lawn games and fire pits. The venue accommodates up to 275 guests for full buyouts, and the showcase room hosts up to 200.

Built in 1888, the Hackett House is an historic venue just a few blocks from Arizona State University with a maximum capacity of 200 people (150 outdoors and 50 indoors). All proceeds from events go to the Tempe Sister Cities organization, which runs the house, and to the city's educational programs.

Discover 50,000 desert plants at the Desert Botanical Garden. Several areas are available for events; the largest, the Dorrance Center, holds up to 400 people.

The stunning Wrigley Mansion, built in 1932 by chewing-gum tycoon William Wrigley Jr., provides gorgeous vistas of Phoenix and its surroundings. The full venue accommodates up to 1,500 people for receptions; smaller group events can be held in any of the mansion’s 15 individual spaces.

The Arizona Science Center in Phoenix offers guests more than 300 hands-on displays, as well as the Dorrance Planetarium. Private events for up to 300 attendees are accommodated.

Sedona News
Ambiente, a Landscape Hotel, debuted in Sedona in early 2023. The property’s 40 distinctive atrium "cubes" offer rooftop firepits and panoramic views of the area’s red rocks. 

 

Go Western out at Desert Foothills, which hosts groups of up to 1,500 people at its outdoor cookout area, 10,000-square-foot barn and 2,500-square-foot patio.

Scottsdale is home to one of the world’s best hotel bars, according to Forbes: the Thirsty Camel at the Phoenician. The rooftop bar, which was renovated along with the resort in 2019, features modern décor and panoramic views. The menu pairs Sonoran Desert-inspired cocktails with sharing plates and to-die-for desserts.

Travel Essentials

Airport transit: Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, about 5 miles from downtown Phoenix; transfer by taxi, about $23; transfer by taxi to downtown Scottsdale, about $32

Taxes: Hotel tax, 5.3%; local tax, 3%; state tax, 5.6%; total tax on hotel rooms, 13.9%
 
Convention Center: Phoenix Convention Center; exhibit space, more than 900,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 99
 
CVB: Visit Phoenix

2025 Stella Award Winners

2024 Stella Award Winners

2023 Stella Award Winners

Tucson Mountain Park
Tucson Mountain Park Photo Credit: Digital Masters for Adobe Stock

Why Tucson for Your Next Meeting or Event?

The always-warm climate in Arizona's second-largest city is slightly cooler than its northern counterpart, partly because Tucson is about 1,300 feet higher in altitude than Phoenix. One of the southern city's main resorts, the El Conquistador, has been revamping and renewing, getting ready to welcome back more and more meetings as the months roll on.

Sustainable Soirées
Cloth & Flame arranges unique dinners in memorable natural settings all around Arizona. The event firm leases lands from owners to help protect the acres from development.

Recent Updates

To celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2025, the JW Marriott Star Pass Resort and Spa is undergoing a $70 million renovation. The project began in May 2025, and new cabanas with upgraded amenities already have been completed at the pool. This summer, the transformation of all 575 guest rooms and more than 100,000 square feet of meeting space will be unveiled.

The 98-room Solana Spanish Villas is launching a unique Southwest clamping experience in November. Inspired by Conestoga designs, used by pioneers to cross the plains, four luxury covered wagons will bring a touch of the 19th-century American West into the present day. Unlike those of the early settlers, Solana's wagons are equipped with hot water, air conditioning and heating, and appliances. Guests will have full access to the Solana estate amenities, including a swimming pool, a pickleball court, walking paths and more. 

The Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort has added a 3,400-square-foot residence with two bedrooms, two patios and 2.5 baths. The space can be used for intimate receptions of up to 35. 

Chef Aaron Lopez's Ursa restaurant launched in October 2025 in Tucson's historic Central Block Building. Honoring the Sonoran, Mojave, Great Basin and Chihuahua deserts, the menu highlights indigenous ingredients, drought-tolerant crops, and sustainable foraging in collaboration with local farmers and native communities. For $75, foodies can enjoy a five-course, Omakase-style meal; or they can splurge on the $170 tasting menu for a 10-12 course, 2.5-hour experience.

After being vacant since 2012, the Hotel Arizona is being rebranded as a Hyatt Regency. The renovation project is estimated to cost nearly $67 million over the course of 18 months, with an anticipated opening date of September 2026. Plans for the property, which is near the Tucson Convention Center, include 290 rooms, a fitness center and meeting space, although the exact square footage has not yet been determined.

Voco the Tuxon debuted in August 2024, marking the 71st hotel for the global brand. The property offers 112 rooms, a cactus garden, two food-and-beverage outlets, and four event rooms. Committed to sustainability, the Voco's duvets and pillows are filled with 100 percent recycled materials.

As part of a $35 million upgrade, the Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa opened two new restaurants in early October 2024: Casa 71 Tequila Lounge, serving small bites and 71 premium tequilas and mezcals; and signature restaurant La Luz, featuring dishes such as Baja sea bass curd, rigatoni bolognese and chicken enchiladas. The property also recently renovated all 487 rooms and the La Paloma Country Club Banquet Room to accommodate larger events better. The resort offers more than 92,000 square feet of meeting space for groups, and the cabana-side Sabino's Pool Bar & Grill.

The former Foothills Mall area is being transformed into Uptown, a mixed-use development that will feature retail outlets, several restaurants, apartments and hotels. Tucson developer Bourne Cos. said the site could have up to three properties offering about 400 keys, including the 144-room Tempo by Hilton Tucson Uptown, opening in late 2026.

Samurai Sombrero, once a food truck, has opened a brick-and-mortar location. Like the name, the menu is Japanese-Mexican fusion, serving rolls made of ceviche, lobster popcorn and more. 

The Leo Kent Hotel began welcoming guests in May 2023. Tucson's newest boutique property features 145 rooms, 1,400 square feet of meeting space and a signature restaurant, St. Cruz, which uses regional ingredients for the menu, and serves local beer, wine and liquor at the bar.

The Omni Tucson National Resort, home of the PGA Tour Champions Cologuard Classic, completed a multimillion-dollar renovation December 2022. The project revamped the 130 guest rooms, the lobby, and the hotel's more than 25,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space; four new dining options were added.

The Eddy Hotel, a Tapestry by Hilton property, began welcoming guests in February 2023. The 106-room hotel features an outdoor pool and firepit, plus 3,000 square feet of event space.

Drawing inspiration from Spain's Basque region, Basqueria began welcoming diners earlier this year. Focused on tapas and shareable dishes, the menu includes ropa vieja, patatas bravas and tortillas Española.

The 10-room Citizen Hotel, which has a 5,000-square-foot wine bar and tasting room, has opened downtown. The boutique hotel is housed in the building that once was headquarters of the city’s oldest newspaper.

One of the newer properties is the 165-room Graduate Tucson at the University of Arizona. The hotel features two bars, a café, a rooftop pool and 2,700 square feet of event space.

Founded as the Tucson Fine Arts Association in 1924, the Tucson Museum of Art celebrates its 100th anniversary this year with retro exhibits from their archives on display.

Barrio Viejo, a downtown neighborhood that is home to the Tucson Convention Center, is expected to be designated a National Historic Landmark this year, thanks to a small Catholic shrine called El Tiradito. Recent decades have seen a focus on the area, such as the restoration of Carmen Teatro, a 300-seat theater, which is underway. The facade has already been refurbished, and a renewed interior will be revealed in 2025.

Sonora Moonshine Company opened in March 2024. The restaurant has an outdoor patio and speakeasy-esque basement bar that only will be open on weekends and for private events.

Old Tucson Studios, the city’s iconic movie location that’s been shuttered since 2020, has new owners. The attraction reopened with a Halloween-themed series of events for the public. Stay tuned for updated information on private events.

Group Venues

Set against the Saguaro National Park and the Rincon Mountains, the 74-room Tanque Verde Ranch is both a resort and a working cattle ranch. Activities include horseback-riding for all abilities. With more than 67,000 square feet of event space, the property can accommodate groups between 20 and 482 people. Venue options range from a rustic boardroom with wooden ceiling beams to an outdoor deck and event lawn surrounded by mesquite trees strung with lighting. 

Spark creativity by hosting your event at the Tucson Museum of Art. Offering indoor and outdoor venues, the space accommodates nearly 300 guests.

Featuring about 400 historic aircraft, the Pima Air and Space Museum takes events to new heights. The site offers six indoor hangar exhibits, half of which are dedicated to World War II, and can host groups of 300.

Featuring a collection of 20 gardens — including, naturally, one devoted to cacti and succulents — the Tucson Botanical Garden hosts more than just plants. The various indoor and outdoor venues hold up to 150 people, with food and drink provided by the in-house caterer.

Barrio Brewing Company serves a dozen beers on tap, plus appetizers and sandwiches. The 1,700-square-foot venue hosts events for up to 100 people.

Head out to the foothills for a nature-filled event. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum provides various indoor and outdoor venues with desert and mountain views that can host up to 265 attendees. Add local flare by brining in animals (and their handlers) from the zoo, such as an owl or a snake. 

Exhibits at the Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium range from the Wild World of Bugs and Puzzling the Past to Destination: Mars. The venue hosts private events of up to 225 people.

Whistle Stop Depot provides an industrial-chic setting for events of up to 300 guests. The former warehouse was rebuilt using recycled, repurposed and reclaimed materials. (520) 882-4969 

Get a taste of the town visiting restaurants with Tucson Food Tours, which welcomes private groups of 12 to 100 people.

Barrio Charro is the brainchild of two local James Beard–nominated powerhouses — baker Don Guerra and chef Carlotta Flores. The eatery joined the Tucson food scene this year serving staples like avocado toast and tamales, but what really sets Charro apart is the signature "tortamano" sandwiches. Guerra’s house-baked azteca bread made with heritage Sonoran white wheat holds the various fillings.

Up to 60 passengers can hop on an emission-free electric shuttle for a tour of Tucson’s Sabino Canyon. Learn how it was formed, what kind of plants and wildlife are native to the area, and other historical and cultural facts.

Travel Essentials

Convention Center: Tucson Convention Center, exhibit space, 148,000 square feet; meeting space, 205,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 24 

Airport Transit: Tucson International Airport, about nine miles south of downtown. Transfer cost by taxi, approximately $35

Taxes: Hotel tax, 6%; regional taxes, 6.05%; total tax on hotel rooms, 12.05%, plus a $4 per night room fee

CVB:Visit Tucson

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