A. Pages 1-31_Layout 2 1/4/19 3:59 PM Page 9 DENVER IS ONE OF THE TOP MEETING DESTINATIONS * IN AMERICA *2016 Watkins Study PUBLIC ART + Meeting planners consistently rate GREAT HOTEL PACKAGE Denver as one of the top meeting and Downtown Denver has more than11,000 convention destinations in the nation. rooms within walking Here’s why: distance of the center, including Hyatt, EASY ACCESSIBILITY Hilton, Sheraton, Denver is 340 miles from the exact center of the continental Westin, Four Seasons, United States and served by Denver International Airport Ritz-Carlton, Magnolia, (DEN), which the Wall Street Journal named the best Embassy Suites, an airport in the U.S. The sixth busiest airport in the nation, AC/Le Méridien and DEN offers more than 1,600 daily flights to more than many wonderful 200 worldwide destinations and a downtown rail line. boutiques. There are Hug a Bear. Plus the compact, walkable downtown makes getting nearly 50,000 hotel, The 40-foot-high Blue around a snap! resort and spa rooms Bear – officially known citywide, with all as I See What You Mean PRACTICAL FACILITIES brands and price points represented including a 519-room The user-friendly Colorado Westin at Denver International Airport. by local artist Lawrence Convention Center has just Argent – in front of the three levels: 584,000 square SERVICE Colorado Convention feet of contiguous exhibit VISIT DENVER has won all major convention industry Center is just one of space and the 5,000-seat service awards for the past 26 years. The staff of 63 full- many public art sculp- Bellco Theatre on the first; time employees are ready to assist you. tures to be discovered 100,000 square feet of around town, part of meeting space on the second; DESTINATION APPEAL Denver’s love of the and two hotel-quality ball- Denver consistently sets and breaks attendance records. arts. Metro Denver rooms on the third. Unique With a clean, safe, lively and fun downtown, filled with collects more public venues like Red Rocks museums, stadiums, brewpubs and chef-owned restaurants, money for the arts, per Amphitheatre and the Denver Art Museum ensure you’ll all centered around a mile-long pedestrian mall, Denver never lack for creative offsite space. is the perfect city for a convention. And when the meeting capita, than any other is over, the history, beauty and adventure of the Colorado U.S. city. From the na- AFFORDABLE Rocky Mountains is just minutes away. tion’s second-largest Corporate Travel Index ranked Denver as one of the least performing arts complex expensive cities for business travel (13th – lower is better!) SAFETY to the amazing Denver including 20th in hotel costs and 48th in car rentals! Also, Downtown Denver is ranked by the FBI as one of the Art Museum…in Denver, DEN fares are 20 percent lower than the U.S. average! Top 10 safest downtowns in America. art is in the air! VISITDENVER.com/conventions DENVERDESTINATION PLANNING GUIDE 9 A. Pages 1-31_Layout 2 1/4/19 3:59 PM Page 10 DENVER IS ACCESSIBLE YOUR RIDE’S HERE! + Located just 340 miles from the exact BY BIKE center of the continental United States Denver was the first (closer to the center than any other city in city our size), Denver is accessible: America to introduce BY AIR large-scale Denver Interna- bike sharing; today, B-cycle offers more than 700 bikes tional Airport at nearly 90 stations, now available year-round. For a (DEN) is in the small fee, hop on at your hotel and leave the bike at your top three largest destination. Plus, there are miles of paved, off-street bike domestic networks trails to explore. Air to Rail in the U.S., with Connection more than 1,600 BY FOOT Denver’s billion-dollar daily flights to 200 Denver is the fourth rail connection from worldwide destina- most walkable city in downtown’s historic tions, including 25 the nation, according Union Station to Denver international cities. to the Brookings Institution. Down- International Airport In the last few years, town Denver has opened in 2016, DEN has added more than 11,000 making it effortless to nonstops to Tokyo, Paris, London, Reykjavík, Zürich, Panama City and hotel rooms and 300 travel from the nation’s Calgary, joining routes to Munich, Frankfurt and beyond. restaurants within a fifth busiest airport to In 2018, the Wall Street Journal named DEN the best short walk of the convention center, as well as museums, its fourth most walkable U.S. airport. DEN is in the middle of an extensive ex- nightspots, brewpubs, stadiums and parks. downtown. The pansion project that will add nearly 40 gates to the three BY BUS renovated Denver concourses over the next few years, which will ensure The Regional Transportation District (RTD) offers Union Station is a continued accessibility growth. On top of this, the Great eco-friendly bus transportation throughout the metro transportation and Hall expansion will vastly improve the traveler experience. area. RTD also offers SkyRide bus service to and from entertainment hub, the Denver International Airport. with more than BY RAIL 11,000 nearby hotel RTD’s FasTracks program is building the largest light rail BY CAR rooms, restaurants, initiative in American history. The project includes miles Denver is the gateway to Rocky Mountain adventures. of new commuter and light rail tracks, bus lines, parking shopping and light rail Within a short drive, climb the highest paved road in spaces and enhanced service. connections to metro North America, explore the wonders of Rocky Mountain National Park, or discover charming, historic mountain Denver. Then hop on BY SHUTTLE towns. You can also get around Denver by car using one free, electric shuttle The eco-friendly hybrid buses on the 16th Street Mall of the many car share options available. buses that stop on all are free and shuttle 50,000 passengers a day up and down corners along the mile- the mile-long promenade, stopping on every corner in BY PEDICAB long 16th Street Mall. the heart of downtown from early morning to late Three-wheeled pedicabs are the descendants of rickshaws evening. and provide a fun, practical mode of green transportation. 10 DENVERDESTINATION PLANNING GUIDE VISITDENVER.com/conventions A. Pages 1-31_Layout 2 1/4/19 4:00 PM Page 14 DENVER IS ENTERTAINING DENVER ROCKS + From big ticket attractions and events Downtown Aquarium. See wildlife in a natural habitat to hidden gems around every corner, just a short drive from Denver at the Wild Animal Sanctuary, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge there’s never a dull moment in Denver. and Genesee Park, where a herd of buffalo roam the Rocky Mountain foothills. SHOWTIME The massive Denver ROCK OUT AT A MILE HIGH Performing Arts Live music lives in Denver at such legendary venues as Complex (DPAC) – Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, the Paramount Red Rocks Park & the second-largest such Theatre, the Bluebird Theater, the Ogden Theatre and Amphitheatre site in the United dozens of smaller clubs showcasing today’s top musicians Every true music fan States – is home to 10 and tomorrow’s big stars. should attend a concert state-of-the-art venues, under the stars at Red seating more than SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP Rocks Amphitheatre, 10,000 people. On any Spend a day the famed natural rock given night, the DPAC browsing (just steps from the arena that Rolling Cherry Creek Colorado Convention Stone named the best Shopping Center) hosts Tony Award-winning theater, blockbuster amphitheater in the District’s Broadway musicals, classical music, ballet and opera. diverse offer- country. This National ings, includ- Historic Landmark is MAGNIFICENT MUSEUMS ing upscale worth a visit even when Denver is home to numerous world-class museums – stores like Tiffany and Co. and Tor y Burch in the Cherry there’s no show. Check and many hidden gems - including the Daniel Libeskind- Creek Shopping Center and the unique boutiques of out the Colorado Music designed Hamilton Building at the Denver Art Museum, Cherry Creek North. Hunt for treasures in the city’s Hall of Fame and the the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, the Museum neighborhood art districts, trendy Larimer Square or on Performers Hall of of Contemporary Art Denver, the Clyfford Still Museum Antique Row, a whopping 18 blocks of antique shops. Fame, dedicated to and History Colorado Center. Find the perfect one-of-a-kind gift at a museum gift those who have rocked store. WILD DENVER the Rocks from the Amazing animals OLD WEST MEETS NEW WEST Beatles to Bruce are in abundance in Even amidst Denver’s fast-paced urban development, Springsteen. Hiking The Mile High everywhere you look, you’re sure to find traces of the city’s and biking trails, mean- City, from Denver pioneer past. Discover the state’s colorful history at the while, weave through Zoo featuring new History Colorado Center. Learn all about Old West the spectacular red The Edge tiger icon Buffalo Bill Cody at the Buffalo Bill Museum & sandstone formations. exhibit, to the Grave. 14 DENVERDESTINATION PLANNING GUIDE VISITDENVER.com/conventions A. Pages 1-31_Layout 2 1/4/19 4:00 PM Page 15 DENVER IS DELICIOUS TO MARKET, TO MARKET + Once known primarily for steakhouses, Jennifer Jasinski of Rioja and Alex Seidel of Mercantile The Mile High City offers culinary dining & provision have both won Best Chef: Southwest in recent years. In 2018, Chef Alon Shaya moved to delights and surprises at every turn. Denver to open the new modern Israeli restaurant Safta Elavated Halls in The Source Hotel. LOCALLY SOURCED Discover some of Denver’s superstar TASTE OF THE OLD Colorado’s best food at chefs all have one WEST gourmet markets! Stop thing in common: Western cuisine is still for lunch at Avanti F&B, a devotion to the thriving in Denver.