By Steve Kinsley
What is it that makes Colorado so attractive when you begin planning a conference and are thinking about destinations? Lets look at a few key questions that come up when planning national meetings here in Colorado on behalf of our customers.
We think about that question all the time. Our answers vary depending on the customer we are working with, however, it comes down to three pretty straightforward answers.
- Air access – Denver International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the country and the world. Geographically, Denver is pretty close to the center of the country and there are direct flights from most major cities and many second-tier cities. Fares are also very competitive into Denver with two major airlines (Southwest and United) battling it out every day.
- Great meeting hotels – From the mountains down to the plains, Colorado has every level of meeting hotel, and we have used most of them at one point or another. Colorado for the most part is still a pretty good value when it comes to rates as well. If you are flexible with your dates, you can find the right value.
- So much to do – We all know that the meeting itself is the reason that we are getting together; however, when the time comes, we also need to let off some steam and there is no better place than Colorado in winter, spring, summer or fall. Great golf, numerous fly fishing opportunities, skiing and snowboarding, great biking (road and mountain) … the possibilities are endless. We also have great destination management companies (DMCs) here that are extremely creative in building that perfect team-building program involving all there is to do in Colorado.
We honestly cannot think of a good reason not to hold a meeting in Colorado, unless the boss wants a beach. If you have any questions about Colorado, meeting planners and services here in the state are happy to answer them for you!
Steve Kinsley, president of Kinsley Meetings, has more than 30 years of experience in the hospitality and meetings industry. His career has taken him to such diverse properties as The Broadmoor, Westin St. Francis, Keystone Resort & Conference Center and Hotel Teatro. Steve currently serves on the Meetings Industry Council of Colorado executive committee.