Meetings and Events City Profiles

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"We're next door to one of the greatest natural wonders in the world, the Rocky Mountains, which has 58 peaks over 14,000 feet," says John Hickenlooper, mayor of the City and County of Denver. "What's happened in the last 10 years (from a business point of view) is the hospitality industry made a commitment and voters agreed to double the size of the convention center."

Accessibility is another reason meeting planners give the Mile High City high marks. When it opened in 1995, Denver International Airport (DIA) created a state-of-the-art gateway for travelers. Just 35 minutes from downtown, DIA is easily accessed by interstate highways via car shuttle services, taxis and RTD buses. RTD provides public transit for metropolitan Denver/Boulder, including more than 160 bus routes and nearly 35 miles of light rail track.

Distinct Denver Venues
Julie Scheff 

>> The 10,000-square-foot Donald R. Seawell Grand Ballroom at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) -notorious for the city's grandest affairs-is a glamorous rental along with the theatres, bar and lobbies. 

>> The Denver Art Museum (DAM) can hold up to 500 for a reception and 360 for a sit-down dinner.
 
>> INVESCO Field at Mile High has the capacity for more than 75,000 people; the combination of meeting space, field access and private suites make this the largest option for a Denver sports rental.

>> Pepsi Center, home of Denver's NBA and NHL teams, can host a 300-person, sit-down dinner or very large events like the Democratic National Convention.

>> The Denver Coliseum, a diverse complex able to handle a rodeo or a convention of up to 10,000 people.

>> One of the Denver's Division of Theatres & Arenas other well-known properties is Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, famous for summer rock concerts, the annual Easter Sunrise Service and Film on the Rocks.

>> The Cable Center, located on the University of Denver campus, is one of the most attractive and high-tech venues in Denver, with more than 18,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor rentable space.

>> Denver also boasts two hotels certified by the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC): Sheraton Denver West and The Inverness Hotel and Conference Center.

Population: About 600,000

Nearest airport: Denver International Airport (DEN)

Conventions centers/Large event spaces:
Colorado Convention Center
700 14th Street
Denver, CO 80202

For more information:

Visit Denver // 303.892.1112 / http://www.denver.org

This article has been re-edited for the Web. Article originally by Kim D. McHugh and Julie Scheff.