Phoenix

Why Phoenix for Your Next Meeting or Event?

Greater Phoenix has long been a go-to destination for all types of meetings and events, and it’s not hard to understand the appeal. There’s the stunning desert landscape, a seemingly endless array of cultural attractions and nearly 300 days of sunshine a year. (The Sonoran Mexican food doesn’t hurt, either.)

Yet some of the destination’s biggest draws await outside the meeting room. Attendees can browse museums and galleries, head into the Sonoran Desert for an outdoor adventure, or sample a dining scene that ranges from inventive

Southwestern cuisine to nationally acclaimed wood-fired pizza. Then there’s the convenience factor. Downtown Phoenix is just minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, and the city is largely walkable, making it easy for attendees to move between hotels, restaurants and the Phoenix Convention Center.

Source a Phoenix Hotel

Transportation in and Around the Area

• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX): Just a few miles from downtown Phoenix, Sky Harbor provides convenient access to the city. The airport is connected to public transit via the free PHX Sky Train.
• PHX Sky Train: The free, automated PHX Sky Train operates 24/7, connecting the airport terminals with the Rental Car Center, parking facilities and the 44th Street/Washington station, where passengers can transfer to Valley Metro Rail.
• Valley Metro Rail: The region’s light-rail system connects Phoenix with neighboring Tempe and Mesa. Airport passengers can access light rail by taking the PHX Sky Train to the 44th Street/Washington station, providing a convenient public-transit connection between Sky Harbor and downtown Phoenix.
• Valley Metro buses: Valley Metro operates bus service throughout the Phoenix area. For airport connections, Route 13 serves the 24th Street PHX Sky Train Station, while Route 44 connects with the 44th Street PHX Sky Train Station.
• Taxis and ride services: Ground transportation options are available at Phoenix Sky Harbor for travelers heading downtown or elsewhere in the Valley. The airport’s proximity to downtown makes car transportation particularly convenient for groups staying near the Phoenix Convention Center.

With three ballrooms, 99 meeting and breakout rooms, a 2,300-seat performance hall and an Executive Conference Center, the Phoenix Convention Center gives large groups plenty of room to work with. For planners looking to take an event beyond the convention center campus, however, Phoenix has myriad noteworthy alternatives.

Meeting Hotels

• Sheraton Phoenix Downtown: Near the Phoenix Convention Center, the 1,003-room hotel has more than 110,000 square feet of meeting and event space across 26 rooms, including a 27,170-square-foot ballroom.
• Arizona Biltmore, LXR Hotels & Resorts: The historic, 710-room Phoenix resort has more than 200,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, ranging from ballrooms and conference facilities to lawns and the historic Aztec Room.
• Hyatt Regency Phoenix: This 693-room downtown hotel has 50,000 square feet of meeting and event space across 19 venues, the largest of which measures 14,000 square feet. The property is near the Phoenix Convention Center and other popular attractions.
• Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel: Steps from the Phoenix Convention Center, the 521-room property has more than 51,000 square feet of event space and can accommodate gatherings of up to 950 attendees.
• Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass: The 500-room resort has more than 100,000 square feet of meeting and event space across 29 venues. The Komatke Ballroom can host up to 1,400 guests, while outdoor spaces feature stunning mountain scenery.
• JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort & Spa: The 453-room resort has approximately 128,000 square feet of meeting space across 26 venues, including the 15,048-square-foot Paradise Ballroom. The Arizona Ballroom, meanwhile, can accommodate up to 2,100 guests for a reception.
• Gila River Casinos & Resorts Wild Horse Pass: This gaming property features 446 guest rooms, eight dining outlets and 25,000 square feet of meeting space. Available spaces include two ballrooms, the 12,000-square-foot Palo Verde and the 8,000-square-foot Acacia. The property also welcomes events outdoors on its 7,000-square-foot lawn.
• Hilton Phoenix Resort at the Peak: Across its 33 meeting rooms, the 432-room resort has more than 50,000 square feet of event space. The largest, the 9,516-square-foot Anasazi Ballroom, accommodates up to 1,020 guests theater-style or 1,000 for a reception.

Venues

• Desert Botanical Garden: Groups can hold meetings, receptions and other events surrounded by the Sonoran Desert landscape, with a range of indoor and outdoor spaces.
• Heard Museum: A range of indoor and outdoor event spaces are available here, including auditoriums, plazas and courtyards. The 10,500-square-foot Freeport McMoRan Plaza accommodates up to 500 guests for a banquet or 750 for a reception.
• Musical Instrument Museum: A distinctive setting surrounded by musical instruments and cultural exhibits from around the world, this venue includes the intimate, 300-seat MIM Music Theater.
• The Churchill: This Roosevelt Row gathering space centers on a 9,000-square-foot open-air courtyard surrounded by local restaurants and retail concepts. Full venue buyouts accommodate up to 500 guests.

Arts and Culture

Spend an afternoon museum-hopping at Phoenix Art Museum, the largest visual-arts museum in the Southwest, and the Heard Museum, known for its collection of traditional and contemporary Native American art.

Head to Roosevelt Row, downtown Phoenix’s arts district, where galleries, independent shops, restaurants and colorful murals make it easy to spend a few hours exploring on foot.

Catch a concert, opera or other live performance. The Phoenix Symphony and Arizona Opera are among the local options, with performances throughout the year.

Phoenix Staples

Explore Papago Park, just minutes from downtown, where red-rock buttes and desert trails surround the popular Hole-in-the-Rock formation.

Hike Camelback Mountain for sweeping views across the Valley. Both the Echo Canyon and Cholla trails are strenuous, so this outing is best reserved for experienced hikers.

Slow things down at the Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix, a 3.5-acre Japanese stroll garden near downtown with stone footbridges, streams, a waterfall, a koi pond and a tea garden.

Get out into the Sonoran Desert at South Mountain Park and Preserve, which encompasses more than 16,000 acres and over 100 miles of trails. For a more accessible option, take Summit Road to Dobbins Lookout for views over the Valley. (For warm-weather programs, planners should schedule the more physical outdoor activities early in the day and check trail restrictions and heat guidance before heading out.)

Unique Tours

Take to the skies on a hot-air balloon ride over the Sonoran Desert. Hot Air Expeditions offers group flights with round-trip hotel transfers, and has daily capacity for groups of more than 100 passengers.

Trade the tour bus for something a little more adventurous with a guided Jeep excursion into the Sonoran Desert, giving participants a chance to cover more ground without committing to a strenuous hike.

Get a taste of Phoenix on a guided food tour, pairing stops at local restaurants with a closer look at the neighborhoods and culinary influences that have shaped the city.