Account: 184800 Smart Meetings Magazine Date: 06/01/2012 Pub Num: 12I­336 Circulation: 32800 City: Sausalito Section/Page: 147 DMA: San Francisco, CA State: CA Page Count: 1 / 5 Raw Beauty Deluxe Resorts City Escapes Guide to convening in Utah s varied landscapes I I ey michael hart ties both urban and rural When choosing a destination in Utah Utahassessis aeverythingland ofwidethatopencan naturalbe offeredwondersto attendeesand intimatewhen itcommunicomes to leisure time before during or after a meeting The variety of op tions is as broad as the dramatic canyons suggest Need lots ot exhibit hall space and enough meeting rooms for a national convention No problem Require thousands of hotel rooms and plenty of up scale dining options Ditto Prefer to keep the event close to an international airport Fine The hotel properties and meeting venues in and around Salt Lake City fit the bill There s also the 115 000 square foot South Towne Expo sition Center in suburban Sandy and hotels with thousands of square feet of meeting space available in the state s largest metropolitan tegion Options abound tor small selective incentive groups that want to enjoy a spa break between conference sessions of scout deer and elk on a trek A smattering of upscale resorts are tucked into the foot of some of the highest mountain ranges in the American December 2011 near the downtown alley that was West The Sundance Resort Montage Deer Valley in Park City the heart of Salt Lake s Asian community 100 years and dozens of other resorts offer opportunities for attendees to ago The Southeast Asian influenced menu features duck noodle soup short rib rendang shrimp and enjoy—at least for a few days—die outdoor experience Other groups may prefer a destination such as Moab or St George with grits with house made curry and dirty pork rice a quaint small town feel Perhaps theyd like to meet and sleep in a histotic with poached egg Shop here City Creek Center The largest re property that allows them to pull up a comfortable chair on a porch dine family style on traditonal American country cuisine and take a walk down the cent development in downtown Salt Lake City local main street to get a feel for the pioneers who struggled to settle the land this fashion and dining destination across the street from die Salt Palace Convention Center has more Whatever outdoor experience a group seeks it s doable in Utah Five na than 90 stores and restaurants including Tiffany tional parks 43 state parks seven national monuments and two national rec Co Nordstrom and Texas de Brazil Churrascaria reation areas are available These landscapes have been the backdrop for more The center s late March opening was the culmina than 900 movies and TV shows filmed in the state over the past 70 years dating back to the first use of Monument Valley as a setting for epics such as tion of a downtown transformation several years in The Searchers and Stagecoach as well as Butch Cassidy and the the making Sundance Kid and Romancing the Stone Utah s dramatic national parks—Bryce Canyon and Zion in Provo Utah Valley the southwest Arches and Canyonlands in the southeastern Why we love it One way to add an extra day when reaches—are natural draws but so are some or the incredible holding a meeting in Provo and Utah Valley is to new developments aiming to entice guests at destinations all suggest attendees visit the Mount Nebo Wilderness over the state Area where they can ride a mountain bike along the Blackhawk Loop Trail hike the Loafer Moun tain Trail or enjoy a picnic at Devil s Kitchen The less ambitious can simply take a drive along the Nebo Loop National Scenic Byway which winds 37 miles up 11 928 foot Mount Nebo the Utah Valley area s highest mountain Standout feature Timpanogos Cave National Monument About 18 miles north of Provo the park invites visitors to a subterranean wonderland in American Fork canyon Three limestone caves that were created 30 million years ago make up the monument where formations with names like draperies popcorn helicites and flowstone line the walls and ceilings Convene here Utah Valley Convention Cen ter The newest meeting venue in the state is lo cated in historic downtown Provo and opened for its first event in May This state of the art facility earned a LEED Silver certification for green design construction operation and maintenance it adds 32 000 total sq ft of available meeting space to Utah Valley Stay here In the north fork of Provo Canyon Robert Redford s 6 000 acre Sundance Resort is © Copyright All Rights Reserved. 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Account: 184800 Smart Meetings Magazine Date: 06/01/2012 Pub Num: 12I­336 Circulation: 32800 City: Sausalito Section/Page: 147 DMA: San Francisco, CA State: CA Page Count: 2 / 5 ground zero for the Sundance Film Festival which Olympic Winter Games Museum and then board each year attracts Hollywood celebrities stargazers the Comet Bobsled Ride Go for an 80 mph trip and serious film buffs With 12 826 sq ft of meet down the winding course ing space available it s an excellent meeting desti Convene here Newpark Resort Hotel Con nation in summer or winter ference Center It s located near the historic Main Dine here Gourmet cooking with its own Utah Streer where attendees can experience how Park Valley touches can be found at Communal in City has preserved its friendly small town ambi downtown Provo Local owners Colton Soelberg ence all the while taking advantage ot Newpark s and Joseph McRae are former Sundance Resort multiple meeting options The center offers 7 000 chefs who focus on using local sustainable produc ers and purveyors Service is styled around the idea sq ft of function space of Sunday dinner—an excellent choice for groups Stay here Montage Deer Valley Designed in interested in networking Mountain Craftsman style the resort has 55 000 sq ft of meeting and event space and 154 rooms Moab and suites Located just five minutes from Park Why we love it Moab is in close proximity to sev City s Main Street the resort was selected as the eral of Utah s most exciting national parks Within U S Environmental Protection Agency s first En minutes of town you can climb in and around the vironmentally Responsible Redevelopment and out ot this world red rock landscape ofArches Na Reuse ER3 project tional Park Less than an hour s drive takes you to Dine here Silver among others Just this past Island in the Sky a corner ot Canyonlands Nation winter Silver opened with a 3 000 bottle wine list al Park that puts you on top of the world Escala Provisions Company went into business at Standout feature Dead Horse Point State Park Hyatt Escala Lodge Cena Risrorante Lounge About 30 miles outside of town this beautiful area started serving high end Italian cuisine at Ihe Cha offers views of the meandering Colorado River teaux at Silver Lake and Bistro at Canyons became 2 000 feet below the first certified kosher restaurant at any ski resort Convene here Star Hall In southeastern Utah in the U S the hall is one of the most colorful venues to gather Bowl here Jupiter Bowl Yes that s right Bowl in Built in 1905 and now on the National Regis at one of Park City s most exciting new entertain ter of Historic Places the 292 seat auditorium has ment venues with 16 luxury bowling lanes three been used as a social hall classroom audirorium pool tables and an arcade Surrounded by multi and chapel After undergoing renovations in 2008 screen audio video music and sports the cutting it s now available for a variety of meetings plays edge bowling alley can accommodate groups of concerts and festivals up to 400 serving American classic cuisine and Stay here Amangiri With more than 25 000 sq ft of function space the property has a Dob specialty cocktails in either a full service restaurant sonian telescope making it an excellent venue setting or lane side for evening receptions beneath the stars Another lodging possibility in and around Moab is Sorrel St George Ranch Resort Spa which has 7 500 sq ft of Why we love it St George is a gateway to Zion National Park which unlike the Grand Canyon is available meeting space often experienced from the bottom up Zion offers a Dine here Canyonlands by Night and Day The number of short scenic hiking trails including ways dinner and river tour provides access to a sound to see Weeping Rock Emerald Pools and the River and light show hailed as one of the most unique side Walk The Zion Canyon Shuttle is the best way dining experiences in Utah After a cowboy style to access the most visited section of the park during Dutch oven dinner guests board a boat and head the peak season April to October up the Colorado River Once darkness falls the Standout feature Red Desert Adventure The canyon walls come to life widi 40 000 watts of il company offers an outdoor adventure service that lumination along with guides stories about the includes guided canyoneering rock climbing formation creation and history of the area mountain biking hiking and instructional courses You can impress even yourself as you safely learn Park City to rappel cliffs squeeze through slots down climb Why we love it Park City makes it so easy Ar obstacles and swim across pools of water rive at Salt Lake City International Airport in the morning drive 35 minutes to Canyons Resort A Cleaner Park City Park City Mountain Resort or Deer Valley Resort For groups who want to ensure the destination for an event is as eco friendly as pos exchange your airline boarding pass for a free same sible here s an overview