Colorado Springs Event Spaces

By Beth Buehler

Colorado Springs is one of those cities where it can take several visits to get a full taste of the immense variety of activities, attractions, venues and outdoor beauty. For groups, there also are abundant options for hotels and event spaces in Colorado’s second largest community, which is situated at the eastern foot of the Rocky Mountains near the iconic Pikes Peak, which can be explored on foot or via a cog railway leading to its 14,114-foot summit.

While Covid-19 slowed progress in some cities, it didn’t happen in this one! “Colorado Springs’ full-service properties hosted a total of 340 meetings in 2020. “We have a very full year coming up beginning in June and well into the first quarter of 2022,” says Kathy Reak, vice president of sales for Visit Colorado Springs. “The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum opened in July 2020, and the new Weidner Stadium (the stadium for our pro soccer team) is opening in late spring this year. Also, the iconic Pikes Peak Cog Railway along with the Summit House atop of Pikes Peak are opening in early summer, and the Flying W Ranch reopened in 2020.”

Major new event space at The Broadmoor 

The selection of Colorado Springs event spaces has expanded with the opening of The Broadmoor’s new 125,000-square-foot Bartolin Hall. Combined with the resort’s existing Broadmoor Hall, International Center and Colorado Hall, the spaces form what is now known as the Convention Center at The Broadmoor totaling more than 200,000 square feet. The Broadmoor has in excess of 315,000 square feet of event space on its spacious 3,000-acre property.

Bartolin Hall offers plenty of Colorado Springs event spaces to spread out. The grand foyer with large windows opens into a 93,500-square-foot exhibit space. There are 18 breakout rooms on the first floor, and the second-floor mezzanine has an additional 14 meeting rooms. While The Broadmoor has hosted numerous smaller meetings and events over the past year, the first event planned for Bartolin Hall is the Space Symposium, the planet’s largest space trade show scheduled for August 2021 if the status and guidelines of Covid allows the gathering to move forward.

The Broadmoor also has plentiful lodging options, beautiful outdoor event venues, and the secluded Cloud Camp and The Ranch at Emerald Valley properties in the surrounding mountains that are for ideal for small groups. Tennis, golf, wilderness experiences, and The Broadmoor Seven Falls are additional ways to get outdoors and be creative with venues. Just up the road is Cheyenne Mountain Zoo with event spaces and giraffes to feed and all sorts of animals nearby to admire.

U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum debuts

Also new to the Colorado Springs scene is the 60,000-square-foot U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum located downtown and dedicated to athletes and their stories as well as the core values of the Olympic and Paralympic movements that any group can plug into: friendship, respect, excellence, determination, equality, inspiration and courage. Twelve interactive galleries feature cutting-edge technology and memorabilia and focus on themes such as athlete training, summer/winter games, a parade of nations and more.

For years, the community has been home to the Olympic & Paralympic Training Center that provides housing, dining, training, recreational facilities, and other services for more than 500 athletes and coaches at one time in the complex. Experiencing both facilities and utilizing them as Colorado Springs event venues is sure to impress groups.

Three diverse options

Cheyenne Mountain Resort, Colorado Springs – A Dolce Resort also features plenty of event space, lodging, and outdoor fun for groups across 217 acres. With 316 guest rooms and suites arranged in eight residential lodges and more than 40,000 square feet of IACC-certified meeting space spread between 38 conference rooms, Cheyenne Mountain Resort is an oasis within the city. Altogether, there is 100,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space along with team-building activities, a spa, 18 holes of championship golf, five swimming pools, 16 tennis courts and more.

A truly unique geological feature of the city not to miss is Garden of the Gods Park, a registered National Natural Landmark and the backdrop for Garden of the Gods Resort and Club. Seeing the unique red rock formations against a deep blue sky for the first time is something attendees will always remember. Since being established in 1951, the resort and club has celebrated recreation, relaxation and refinement amid a setting of natural splendor. The property can host meetings and events for groups of 10 to 250 utilizing more than 12,000 square feet of indoor and 10,000 square feet of outdoor event space, 56 guest rooms/suites, and six cottages and casitas and offers golf, tennis, and a spa and salon for free time on an itinerary.

On the larger side of Colorado Springs event spaces, Eleganté Hotel Conference and Event Center has 500 guest rooms, indoor/outdoor swimming pools, an outdoor sport court, and more than 48,000 square feet of event space across 35 rooms, including four ballrooms. The hotel’s Springs Courtyard and light-infused Garden Atrium are beautiful Colorado Springs event spaces to consider.

Sunny outlook

“We are seeing a very bright future for Colorado Springs as Covid dissipates,” Reak emphasizes. “People see our area as an outdoor destination and feel very comfortable being here and being outside.”

Beth Buehler has been editor of Colorado Meetings + Events magazine for 16 years and helped launch Mountain Meetings magazine in 2013. She has planned numerous meetings and events and enjoys exploring Colorado.