Guide to Meeting & Event Planning in

Colorado

Learn why you should host your next meeting, event or conference in Colorado. 

Why Colorado for Your Next Meeting or Event?

The Centennial State has a wealth of outdoor event and adventure space, and more indoor meeting space is on the way. Denver is in the process of expanding the Colorado Convention Center, and updates to the Denver Airport are underway, making more space for large groups and easing their arrivals.

Aurora

Event Venues, Additions & Renovations

• Construction continues apace on Denver International Airport’s $2.3 billion improvement project. The first phase, a renovation of Jeppesen Terminal that is expected to be completed by the end of the year, is enhancing security, improving passenger flow and increasing the facility’s capacity. For phase two, 39 new gates will be added by March or April, including 16 for Southwest Airlines. When the airport was built 26 years ago, it was estimated that the facility would see 50 million passengers a year; in 2019, more than 69 million people traveled through. 

• Ryman Hospitality Properties has purchased the final 35 percent stake in the 1,501-room Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center for $188 million, and is also buying 129 acres that are zoned for hotels, retail and more. An expansion to the convention resort had been ready to go before the coronavirus hit; that project, which would add 317 more rooms, could restart sometime next year. The property offers more than 517,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 47,748-square-foot ballroom.

• At Cherry Creek State Park, horse lovers can venture over to 12 Mile Stables for a ride. Outdoor events are welcome here for up to 250 people, complete with trail rides, Clydesdale-drawn hayrides, horseshoe pits, volleyball and Western cookouts.

Meeting Hotels

Group properties include the 1,501-room Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, 287-room Radisson Hotel Denver–Aurora, 250-room DoubleTree by Hilton Denver–Aurora, 249-room Hyatt Regency Aurora Denver and 238-room Denver Airport Marriott at Gateway Park.

To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit Northstar Meeting Group’s venue finder.

Transportation

Denver International Airport, 15 miles from downtown Aurora. Transfer cost:

  • By taxi, $42
  • By Lyft or Uber, $28

Taxes

  • Room tax, 8%
  • Sales tax, 5%
  • Total tax on hotel rooms, 13%, plus a $2 per night destination marketing fee

 

Contact:Visit Aurora

denvercc

Denver

Event Venues, Additions & Renovations

Notable Noshing
When the night calls for a truly special meal, Colorado has a host of singular eateries that provide the goods. These spots are among the best.

In Aurora, the place to go is Annette from chef Caroline Glover, who recently created a three-course meal for the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America: Denver. The restaurant serves its eclectic modern menu to up to 65 people for an event.

The Warehouse is a wise choice in Colorado Springs. Western and locally sourced are its food themes, and its largest private space, the gallery, hosts up to 150 people.

Denver has plenty of options, among them the Bindery, carved out of an old book bindery. A marketplace by day, the kitchen makes magic with unusual ingredients by night for groups of up to 135.



• As of the end of September, the $233 million expansion of the Colorado Convention Center has finally begun. Construction will add an 80,000-square-foot multipurpose room (Colorado’s largest ballroom) and a rooftop outdoor terrace. While the work is expected to finish up in late 2023, events in the new space are being scheduled for 2024. 

• The 1,231-room Sheraton Denver Downtown has completed an $80 million propertywide renovation. The hotel now sports the brand’s newest look in the rooms, lobby and 133,000 square feet of meeting space.

•  An independent hotel opened in the River North Art District in August. The 165-room Catbird is built around a four-bedroom historic home and offers a 3,300-square-foot rooftop with fire pits, an amphitheater, and the signature bar and restaurant, the Red Barber.

• Also new is the Rally Hotel across the street from Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies. The 182-room property has 21,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, including two ballrooms: the 2,061-square-foot Baseline Ballroom and the 1,783-square-foot Wynkoop Ballroom.

• The 216-room Thompson Denver, the first Thompson hotel in Colorado, will open in early 2022. The property will be on Market Street in LoDo (Lower Downtown), around the corner from Union Station. The design aims for a modern-day chalet vibe, evidenced in the oversized fireplace that will extend from the lower-level meeting space through to the lobby floor. Amenities will include a grab-and-go café that will become a bar in the evening. The brand’s signature Thompson Suite will be one of 15 luxury suites offered by the hotel. 

• Work is finishing up on the Denver Art Museum’s Martin Building, adding two dining spaces, including a restaurant from local chef Jennifer Jasinski. The building is scheduled to reopen for its 50th anniversary at the end of this year.

Meeting Hotels

More than 8,600 guest rooms are within walking distance of the Colorado Convention Center. To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit Northstar Meetings Group’s venue finder.

Colorado Convention Center

Colorado Convention Center; exhibit space, 584,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 63.

Transportation

Denver International Airport, about 30 miles from downtown. Transfer cost to downtown:

  • By taxi, $68
  • By Lyft and Uber, about $40

Taxes

  • Room tax, 10.75% 
  • Sales tax, 4% 
  • Tax on hotels with 50 or more rooms, 1% 
  • Total tax on hotel rooms, 14.75% (15.75% in larger hotels)

CONTACT: Visit Denver

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