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

Vail News
The 230-suite Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa in Avon completed a lobby and outdoor-space renovation last summer, adding firepits and more to its terraces, and just completed upgrades to the Athletic Club, adding numerous pieces of TechnoGym equipment.

The 344-room Hythe, a Luxury Collection Resort from Marriott, debuted in November in Vail. The property features four dining options, including the farm-to-table restaurant, Margie's Haas. For groups, the hotel features 29,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space.

New at the 285-room Grand Hyatt Vail, adjacent to Vail's Chair 20, are two Topgolf Swing suites, a  pop-up sushi restaurant, a 1,045-square-foot wellness studio and a 10-person yurt for early-evening events.

• In January, Denver International Airport’s expansion project received an additional $1.3 billion to complete the Great Hall construction, bringing the total cost of the facility's renovation to more than $2 billion. The first phase, finished last October, created new check-in areas for United, Southwest and Frontier Airlines. The second phase, opening in 2024, will unveil a new security checkpoint on Level 6 in the northwest corner of Jeppesen Terminal. The third phase will build new check-in areas for the remaining airlines and more security checkpoints to increase capacity by 60 percent; the last phase is scheduled for completion in 2028.

• The Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star certification. To earn the designation, buildings must use  35 percent less energy and produce 35 percent fewer greenhouse-gas emissions. An expansion to the convention resort had been ready to go before the onset of Covid-19; that project, which would add 317 more rooms, could restart sometime this year. The property offers Moore than 517,000 square feet oof meeting space, including a 47,748-square-foot ballroom.

• Take events to new heights at the Hangar at Stanley. With more than 18,000 square feet indoors and outdoors, and a capacity of up to 1,500 people, it's one of Aurora's largest venues.

• 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.



• The 190-room Kimpton Denver Tech Center is scheduled to open in early 2024, marking Kimpton's third hotel in the Denver metro area. The property will feature 190 guest rooms and 7,000 square feet of meeting space. For dining and entertaining, a signature restaurant and bar will be available on the ground floor, and a 19th-floor rooftop lounge will offer expansive views of the Rocky Mountains. 

• The Thompson Denver opened in Lower Downtown in February. The property has 216 rooms and more than 7,500 square feet of meeting space. On-site dining options include Chez Maggy, a French brasserie, and Reynard Social, a sixth-floor sunroom bar and lounge.

• The $233 million expansion of the Colorado Convention Center began last September. To be completed in late 2023, the project will add 150,000 square feet of meeting space, 600,000 square feet of exhibit space, an 80,000-square-foot multipurpose room and a rooftop outdoor terrace. The convention center will remain open during construction.

• An independent hotel opened in the River North Art District in August 2021. 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.

• The Denver Art Museum unveiled a $175 million renovation last October. The galleries that make up the seven floors of the Martin Building were completely reconstructed. The museum now features 11,000 square feet of exhibition space and a restaurant by celebrated local chef Jennifer Jasinski. The collections have also been made more inclusive. 

• Explore the vast craft brew scene with an event at one of 100 breweries in the metro area. An interactive map helps navigate the Denver Beer Trail. Group capacity varies by brewery.

• 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.

• 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. 

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

    colorado springs

    Colorado Springs

    Event Venues, Additions & Renovations

    • A dual-branded Hilton has been proposed near the Colorado Springs Airport. The Tru and Homewood Suites would be developed under one roof as a four-story, 175-room hotel with 2,500 square feet of meeting space. Developer Ed Ellsworth hopes to open the property by summer 2023.

    • Last October, a 120-room Hyatt Place opened downtown, where the number of guest rooms is expected to double in the next four years. The property features two customizable event spaces that can be adjoined to create a larger room for up to 140 attendees.

    • In April, the dual-branded SpringHill Suites by Marriott and element by Westin will open at the eastern foot of the Rocky Mountains with a combined 259 rooms. There will be a fitness center and a pool at the Element Colorado Springs Downtown; and a rooftop restaurant with indoor/outdoor seating and fire pits, as well as 3,615 square feet of meeting space at the SpringHill Suites Colorado Springs Downtown.

    • Cheyenne Mountain Zoo offers breathtaking views of Colorado Springs. Guests can feed giraffes, hang out with three-banded armadillos and get up close and personal with elephants. Event capacities range from 48 people at the Safari Lodge to 2,500 for a full buyout.

    • The Beijing winter Games might be over, but the Olympics happen year-round at the United States Olympic and Paralympic Museum. Learn the stories of Team USA since the Games began through interactive exhibits, test your speed with a running simulator or check out the display of Olympic Torches.

    • The Broadmoor’s brand-new 125,000-square-foot Bartolin Hall hosted its first event, the Space Symposium, in August. The new facility brings the 784-room resort’s event space to 315,000 square feet.

    Ski In, Never Leave
    The perfect mountain retreat awaits in Aspen, home to two properties in OneFineStay’s Luxury Ski Chalet Collection. Cloud Manor features six bedrooms and eight bathrooms at the base of Aspen Mountain.

    • The 40-room Kinship Landing opened in March. Its Greenhaus event space accommodates up to 120 guests.

    • A visitors center has opened at the top of Pikes Peak (the purple mountain of the song, "America the Beautiful"). Access to the 14,115-foot summit from Manitou Springs, near Colorado Springs, is by the Broadmoor Manitou Pikes Peak Cog Railway. Incredible panoramas and interactive exhibits are the highlights of the new building.

    • At the 116-room Garden of the Gods Resort and Club in Colorado Springs, the organic Strata Spa has the treatments your group needs.

    • Sure, you can take serious golfers out on the gorgeous courses at the Broadmoor, but who doesn’t also love a fun round or four of mini-golf? Adventure Golf features four layouts: Around the World, Journey Thru Time, Old West and Story Land. Groups are welcome.

    Meeting Hotels

    About 5,000 guest rooms are available for groups, including the 784-room Broadmoor, 313-room Cheyenne Mountain Resort and 303-room Colorado Springs Marriott.

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

    Transportation

    Colorado Springs Airport, about 13 miles from downtown. Transfer cost:

    • By taxi, $36
    • By Uber and Lyft, $19
    • Most area hotels offer shuttle service

     

    Taxes

    • Room tax, 7.35%
    • Sales tax, 2.9%
    • Total tax on hotel rooms, 10.25%

    Contact: Visit Colorado Springs, visitcos.com

    10  Awesome Attractions in the Centennial State

    1. Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver - nature
    2. Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs - nature
    3. Rocky Mountains - nature
    4. Main Street, Breckenridge - landmark
    5. Peak to Peak Scenic Byway, Estes Park - scenic drive
    6. Colorado Chautauqua: Park, Boulder - nature
    7. Maroon Bells, Aspen - nature
    8. Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and Museum, Durango - scenic railroad
    9. Boreas Pass Road, Breckenridge - scenic drive
    10. Pikes Peak, Colorado Springs - nature

     

    2021 Stella Award Winners
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