Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/848446
B M & T ••• May/June 2017 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 42 AREA GUIDES D E N V E R MILE HIGH CITY THE PEFECT MEETING DESTINATION BY CLETUS RAMSEY With 300 days of sunshine, a walkable downtown, thriving arts and culture, an award-winning culinary scene, and the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop, Denver offers an affordable mix of urban sophisti- cation and outdoor adventure. When it comes to meeting planning, Denver has it all: A state-of-the-art convention center; a central location; an incredible shopping district packed with dining, nightlife and cultural attractions as well as thousands of hotel rooms. Located in the heart of Downtown Denver lays the Colorado Convention Center, which is ideal for any size meeting or convention group. Loaded with 584,000 sq. ft. of contiguous exhibit space, a 50,000-sq. ft. Mile High Ballroom and a 35,000-sq. ft. Four Seasons Ballroom, this venue definitely has the space to accommodate a group of just about any size. The convention center is also equipped with 63 meeting rooms and the Bellco Theatre, which can accommodate up to 5,000 people in an auditorium-style fixed seating format. Downtown Denver is home to 10,000 rooms (by the end of 2017) within short walking distance of the Colorado Convention Center, including an adjacent 1,100-room Hyatt Regency, the 1,200-room Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, the 615-room Marriott City Center, the 511-room Grand Hyatt and the 430-room Westin Tabor Center. Downtown also boasts upscale bou- tique hotels like the Five Diamond Ritz- Carlton Denver, Four Seasons Denver, Brown Palace Hotel & Spa, Hotel Teatro, Hotel Monaco, The Curtis Hotel, The Oxford Hotel and the Warwick Denver Hotel. Conveniently located just 15 minutes from Boulder and Denver, the Westin Westminster offers 369 luxury rooms with mountain or park views. The Omni Interlocken Resort has 390 rooms, a spa and 4-star golf course, while the Inverness Hotel and Conference Center has 302 rooms and a championship golf course. Metro Denver has 45,000 first-class hotel rooms in the area, conveniently linked to downtown by efficient highways and light rail. There are more than a dozen hotels in the Denver Tech Center led by the 628-room Denver Marriott Tech Center, all with easy-to-use light rail serv- ice to downtown. When the workday is done, there is no shortage of things for attendees to do and see. In the Five Points neigh- borhood, the history of African- Americans in the West can be studied at the Black American West Museum and the exciting Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library, while the surrounding shops and restaurants offer everything from soul food to jazz. The Denver Performing Arts Complex is the second largest in the nation with 10 venues seating 10,000 for opera, theatre, symphony and ballet. In Denver, You Are Never Far from Nature: Denver has the nation's largest city park system and the fourth largest museum - the massive Denver Museum of Nature & Science. In 2012, the Denver Zoo opened the Toyota Elephant Passage, while the Denver Botanic Gardens is regarded as one of the finest in the nation. Denver International Airport offers nearly 1,600 flights daily with nonstop service to 181 destinations worldwide. • • • STATS • • • HOTEL ROOMS Hyatt Regency 1,100 Sheraton Denver Downtown 1,200 Marriott City Center 615 Grand Hyatt 511 Westin Tabor Center 430 Denver Marriott Tech Center 628 Westin Westminster 369 Omni Interlocken Resort 390 Inverness Hotel and Conference Center 302 EXHIBITION FACILITIES Colorado Convention Center Total Exhibit Space 594,000 sq. ft Largest Ballroom 50,000 sq. ft Meeting Rooms 63 WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Visit Denver – (800) 892-1112 www.denver.org Denver city skyline Photo Credit Denver CVB