The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO. Courtesy Photo

From high plains to high peaks, Colorado’s grand landscapes provide an inspirational setting for events of all kinds, from executive board meetings and incentive travel programs to city-wide conventions.

Denver is well known but it’s not the only option. Mountain towns, backcountry, smaller cities and suburbs all offer planners and groups ways to fit their needs and budgets.

Aurora

“As Colorado’s third largest city, Aurora artfully melds capacity and an ideal location near Denver International Airport and the Rocky Mountains with areas to explore, award-winning chefs, craft breweries and a wide range of activities,” says Visit Aurora’s President & CEO Bruce Dalton. “Our city offers world-class facilities, easy accessibility and beautiful surroundings to enhance any event. Plus, our dedicated team is here to help with everything from logistics to planning unforgettable activities outside the conference room.”

Aurora is a good choice for medical, pharma and health-related meetings in part because it’s home to the University of Colorado Anschutes Medical Campus, which houses UC Health hospital and Children’s Hospital Colorado, among others. Aurora is also where the 1,387-room Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center is located, a meeting and convention property with an expansive waterscape of heated pools, slides and a lazy river, as well as more than 500,000 sf of meeting and function space.

Colorado Springs

The United States Airforce Academy, NORAD, the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame and Pikes Peak — one of America’s most famous mountains — are all here. Colorado Springs has hotels for every budget, one-of-a-kind venues and so many compelling adventures and activities that attendees will have a tough time choosing.

The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs is one of the nation’s most prestigious, historic resorts. Upscale and amenity-laden, it has multiple lodging choices for groups, from a rustic mountain-top lodge or wilderness streamside fly-fishing camp, to the main hotel with its evocative architecture, rich fabrics and furnishings, and timeless décor. Activities include genteel golf on a revered course but also hiking and ziplining in a Colorado canyon, riding a restored cog railway to the summit of Pikes Peak and trying your hand at falconry, among others.

Shannon Pharr, director of events at McGuireWoods LLP, brought a group of 450 to the resort for a partnership retreat last June. Pharr says there’s been a significant increase in events since the pandemic and registration is close to pre-pandemic levels. “We’re at about 90% back on registrations. I think many are working from home so may not go out as much as they used to or are not in a downtown location where an event is taking place,” she notes.

Colorado and the Broadmoor proved to be a big draw. “It was the destination that drew people. Our firm had not ventured farther than Chicago for our all-in partnership meeting. The Broadmoor property was the draw with its excellent level of service, magnificent grounds and delicious food — and I mean really delicious. There’s also the variety of activities that you cannot get on the East Coast. We struggled a bit with the airlines as we got caught not only in the inflated costs of flights but the pilots being grounded. We had flights cancelled which then drew difficulty in our ground transportation. People were relieved once they arrived, though,” she says.

Pharr continues,“I was very impressed with the level of service that I received from contract to execution.  My conference manager was amazing. Every detail was taken care of, solutions were always offered and we had a high level of customer satisfaction.” She gives her conference manager much of the credit, including when it appeared a storm was going to derail a planned outdoor activity. “My conference manager stood next to me as we watched the storm, but she had such confidence in the resort’s ability to pull it off. She knew the timing and had the confidence to stay put. It was beautiful.”

Pharr says the property’s AV was very good although her group brought in some of its own AV as well. They also used an outside DMC for décor, activities and transportation.

One tip, she says, is to allocate enough time for travel. “With Denver airport as large as it is and with the airlines being a little unreliable, give yourself a cushion. Book early for large meetings.”

As for Pharr’s group, she says they’ll definitely return to the Broadmoor. “Did I mention the food? Very, very creative, delicious and fun.”

A Texas-based agriculture and construction equipment company also based a program at the Broadmoor. The group of 276 gathered there last August for an annual sales incentive program. It was a change for the group. “This event typically takes place overseas. With the pandemic, we had to evaluate domestic options,” says Theresa Duncan, senior manager, corporate events. “Our challenge was to create an event in the domestic United States that could stand up against Paris, Costa Rica and New Zealand for the same budget. While the cost of the flight was lower than an international flight, the activities had to be elevated to make something familiar more compelling and exciting.”

The Broadmoor Golf Club is consistently ranked among the best in the world. Courtesy Photo

Like other companies, this one experienced change during the pandemic, going to all-online meetings in 2020 (which drew more than double the normal event), then to hybrid meetings in 2021, which Duncan says involved working “to get back to safely meeting in person while still engaging those additional 3,000-4,000+ people online.”  The 2022 events exceeded pre-pandemic levels and the company has continued to evolve its online strategies. Hybrid meetings are no longer used for large events but content from meetings is available on demand afterward. “The technology that came out of the pandemic is a platform for some employees to attend or listen in on meetings without the expense of travel. We’ve also implemented a platform to distribute meeting materials in advance so attendees can review the week prior. This makes time spent in person more productive since the content isn’t brand new to the audience.  The pandemic pushed this company further down the technology path in a short amount of time so there are more options now than pre-pandemic.”

The Broadmoor met Duncan’s 2022 needs in several ways. “The Broadmoor is a historic hotel with a track record for superior service and experience. With staffing a challenge in the hospitality industry, we wanted a destination that we were certain would deliver the five-star experience our attendees are accustomed to. The group enjoys being outdoors and in a moderate climate in the summer. They also like to stay busy, so a variety of activities are necessary. The destination isn’t too highly priced, so we were able to elevate the program with little surprises for our incentive trip winners.  We also selected a destination in the domestic U.S. to ensure our attendance remained strong.”

Duncan calls the team at the Broadmoor one of the best. “They pulled out all the stops and embraced every crazy idea we had to make it a reality. Every employee there has a smile, and it’s clear they all feel like family.  This is a hotel that typically has already solved a problem before you even realize there was one! I wouldn’t hesitate to work with the Broadmoor again. By the end of the program, I was honored to feel I was a part of their family too.”

One hiccup was that the opening reception was moved indoors due to a thunderstorm. “The hotel and DMC teams worked miracles to make sure the ballroom met all the expectations set for the original event,” Duncan notes. “The creativity of the hotel and the DMC to go beyond the usual activities resulted in scores in the survey that matched those from international destinations.”

Duncan says to planners booking the Broadmoor: “Know that altitude sickness is the real deal. Have a strategy to address that because you will have someone go down.Drink more water!”

The city of Colorado Springs is definitely a positive, too. “There’s always something new to discover in Colorado Springs.  The crisp air, the beautiful views and a sense of peace and happiness will keep Colorado Springs among my favorite places!”

Denver

Colorado’s capital city is a vibrant center with snow sports, hiking, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, fly fishing and other adventures within a short drive. The city has drawn well-known chefs, arts and artists, as well as tech and other entrepreneurs who continue to expand the city’s business and cultural environment. As Richard W. Scharf, president and CEO of Visit Denver, notes there are many reasons for planners to choose Denver, including the expanded Colorado Convention Center.

“Home to the third busiest airport in the world, unique venues and a vibrant downtown serving as gateway to The Rocky Mountains, Denver offers an opportunity for meeting professionals to experience an urban adventure. The Colorado Convention Center expansion, slated for completion later this year, was designed by and made for meeting professionals. The 80,000 sf multi-functional rooftop ballroom is divisible into 19 meeting rooms. The 35,000 sf indoor/outdoor pre-function space has plenty of networking opportunities with great views, and the 20,000 sf outdoor terrace will have 150-mile views of the Rocky Mountains.”

As the saying goes, if you haven’t seen Denver lately, you haven’t seen it.

The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch. Courtesy Photo

The Mountains

While Denver and Colorado Springs sit in the high plains at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, there are also exceptional meeting destinations in the heart of the Rockies where grand landscapes easily inspire attendees. The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch, is just such a place. Attendees can fly into nearby Eagle County Airport or arrive via a scenic drive from Denver’s airport.

Nicole Bukovac, director of hospitality & events at Intersport, brought 60 attendees from a global consulting group for a March 2023 meeting at the resort. “Planning for our events is really reflective of the times, with locations selected based on ‘must-see’ or ‘bucket-list’ destinations,” she says.  “Since the pandemic, more are eager to fulfill those dreams, so the sky’s the limit. We plan exclusive events and they’re back to pre-pandemic levels with [attendees] more eager than ever to travel.”

In this case, the plan was a ski event. “This location is a great luxury destination spot with a variety of ski slopes.  We wanted to build the ultimate experience with convenience so the ski-in/ski-out access was a great feature,” Bukovac says. “We worked with destination management company RMC to help book an off-property snowmobiling excursion as well as furniture rentals.”

The resort fulfilled much of what the group wanted. “This hotel had a lot of great options for what we were envisioning for the experience,” she continues, “including the log-cabin feel, ease for skiers, spa accommodations and the level of service that the Ritz-Carlton brand usually provides. We worked closely with the director of events and his team. They were very accommodating, willing to go above and beyond and were extremely responsive during the planning process.”

Bukovac notes that since the pandemic she’s found the planning process can often be challenging because of many properties facing staffing shortages. “But this was a very different experience, with the team on top of every little detail.”

The group used the hotel space for a welcome reception and the outside terrace for après ski. “It was fabulous,” she adds. “We thought the hotel was perfectly designed, so in our renting of furniture and floral arrangements, we leaned into the existing design. We wanted the open fires for s’mores, the rustic leather couches and the fur rugs of a ski cabin. This hotel was a great location for a planned ski and spa experience.”

Bukovac says planners considering Bachelor Gulch should be aware of a couple of things.  “In ski season, Eagle County Regional Airport has a broader flight schedule (domestically) than in the off-season. The distance from Denver International Airport is about a 2.5-hour drive, which would take extra planning. And an additional thing to note,” she says, “is the jurisdiction between the hotel property and Vail Resorts and ski shops.  All are different entities and have different roles, allowances, signage, etc. My suggestion would be to get more clarity early in the planning process.”

The town of Aspen needs no introduction. Its reputation as an upscale yet approachable destination with a range of resorts and dining, and plenty of activities from indulgent spas to challenging hiking and biking, not to mention skiing, is well known. Among its top meeting resorts is Aspen Meadows, now part of Salamander Hotels & Resorts. It spreads across 40 acres along the Roaring Fork River, creating a sanctuary within Aspen. That’s where a leading tech company held its leadership seminar for a group of 25 in April.

Like other companies, this one has made many changes as a result of the pandemic. “We’ve changed a ton,” says Patricia R., chief of staff for the company’s CMO. “We used to get on a plane much more often than we do today. Now we’re back to a hybrid mode, sometimes at the same time — face to face, virtual, all of it. We’re still not fully back to pre-pandemic registration levels, and I don’t think we ever will be. Our events are streamlined now and we’re navigating through that to see what makes sense for each situation.”

She says Aspen appealed for many reasons. “Our previous CMO started doing the meeting in Aspen and it’s become a tradition and legacy choice for us.  There’s also Aspen’s history, as well as its unique relationship with the Aspen Institute.”

Mountain towns can present travel challenges but that’s to be expected. “This time cold and weather conditions made it difficult to arrive on time, which can always be a factor when traveling to Aspen in the winter/spring,” Patricia says.

The group chose Aspen Meadows Resort because of its connection to the Aspen Institute. “It’s a beautiful place to be. It allows for reflection. You just relax and feel very grounded when you’re there, and that’s one of the main reasons we continue to go back.”

The resort’s spaces are a good fit. “Everything worked perfectly. We used a seminar room in the Koch Seminar Building, and then came to the resort’s central building (the Walter Isaacson Center) for all of our meals,” Patricia says. “The meals were amazing — breakfast and lunch in particular — but we were surprised that the food served in the breaks wasn’t super healthy. We changed the offering after the first day, but I would advise planners to pay attention to the options for breaks.”

The resort has undergone a refresh so groups who have met there previously should check it out. “The rooms at the resort have recently been redone, and they’re amazing. It’s a huge difference from previous years,” Patricia adds.

Among the resort’s amenities is shuttle service within Aspen. “We use the shuttle a ton; it’s great. They’ll pick you up, and even after dinner, you can go and have a drink in town, like at the J Bar (at the Hotel Jerome) and the resort will have different times to pick you up. We used it a lot since it was cold this last visit.”  And, of course, there’s skiing. “Some of our attendees came in early and skied,” Patricia notes, “which is a wonderful amenity for this location.”

There’s always something to entice attendees back to Aspen, even if they’ve met there multiple times. For Patricia and her group this year, it was a museum. “One of the things we wanted more time for was visiting the museum, the newly opened Bayer Center.  It’s right on the resort property.” She encourages those booking Aspen Meadows to include it in their program. “You should definitely make time for the museum and make the visit a part of your program. We went and we all wanted to be there longer but couldn’t because it wasn’t part of the program we’d set up in advance. “

Plains or mountains, urban or rural, large or small, Colorado has a perfect spot for every kind of meeting. C&IT