With destinations known for outdoor adventure, celebrity estates, and even flyable WWII aircraft, the West Coast has a wide array of options to entice meeting planners and their guests. These locations offer ample meeting space to get down to business, as well as unique activities—think golf in Pebble Beach in Monterey, California, and rafting the Arkansas River in Colorado Springs—to keep attendees engaged in their downtime.
Back to the 25 Best Smaller Markets for Meetings list
Population: 465,000
If You Were Considering: Denver; Omaha; Salt Lake City
Known For: Pikes Peak, which inspired the song “America the Beautiful”; Garden of the Gods Park
Largest Meeting Space: The Broadmoor World Arena holds 9,000 people for concerts. For trade shows, it has 19,500 square feet of exhibit space.
Transport: The Colorado Springs Airport provides nonstop service to 17 destinations and is served by six major carriers. By car, the city is one hour south of Denver and one hour north of Pueblo.
Who's Met There: Association for Hose & Accessories Distribution; 5th Battalion/7th Cavalry Association; 2016 Military Reunion at Hotel Elegante
Selling Point: High-energy attractions for groups include rafting the Arkansas River, zip-lining in the Royal Gorge region, and outdoor laser tag.
Population: 43,800, plus an extra 30,000 in the winterÂ
If You Were Considering: Los Angeles; Phoenix; San Diego
Known For: Spas; festivals and sporting events, such as the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and Palm Springs International Film Festival
Largest Meeting Space: The Palm Springs Convention Center offers more than 128,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including outdoor spots.
Transport: Palm Springs International Airport has 10 airlines with connections to 500 destinations, including Chicago, Dallas, Minneapolis, New York, Seattle, and Toronto. It’s about a two-hour drive from Los Angeles or San Diego.
Who's Met There? Sandstorm Lacrosse Festival; Cue 2017 National Conference
Selling Point: Some celebrity homes are offered as meeting venues. The Dinah Shore Palm Springs Estate offers expansive mountain views, or attendees can visit the 39-acre, equestrian-focused Merv Griffin Estate. Also, the Palm Springs Air Museum has one of the world’s largest collections of flyable WWII aircraft.
Population: 216,000Â
If You Were Considering: Seattle; Portland
Known For: Location along the banks of the Spokane River gorge; a wide array of culinary options; an Ale Trail; a Cork District
Largest Meeting Space: The Spokane Convention Center has more than 500,000 square feet of meeting and event space. The downtown facility consists of two interconnected buildings along the south bank of the Spokane River and offers campus-wide Wi-Fi.
Transport: Located seven miles west of downtown, Spokane International Airport provides 180 daily flights, including 16 nonstop trips, on five major commercial carriers. Amtrak serves Spokane in a downtown station with daily service between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest.
Who's Met There? Porsche Club of America’s 2017 Porsche Parade; Ag Expo; 2017 Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Selling Point: Downtown is 10 minutes from the airport, and more than 80 restaurants are within walking distance from the Spokane Convention Center.
Did You Know? The Spokane Convention Center is 100 percent wind-power operated.
Population: 429,000Â
If You Were Considering: San Francisco; Phoenix; San Diego
Known For: The Monterey Bay Aquarium; as the setting for HBO’s recent hit Big Little Lies
Largest Meeting Space: The Monterey Conference Center offers 41,000 square feet of space, including a 19,150-square-foot exhibit hall.
Transport: Monterey Regional Airport, which has four major commercial airlines, offers direct flights to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and San Diego. San Jose International Airport is about 75 minutes away by car.
Who's Met There? 67th Annual California School Nurses Conference; League of California Cities 2017 Mayors and Council Members Executive Forum and Advanced Leadership Workshops; PMA Foodservice Conference & Expo
Selling Point: The city is ideal for groups looking for abundant indoor-outdoor space, and those who want options for active off-site meeting breaks such as golf in Pebble Beach, about five miles away.
Population: 450,000
If You Were Considering: Las Vegas; Salt Lake City; Denver Â
Known For: Outdoor recreation; wide variations in topography, climate, and landscape—including alpine mountains, rolling meadows, flat desert, and an urban core—for adventure-seekersÂ
Largest Meeting Space: The 500,000-square-foot Reno-Sparks Convention Center includes 380,000 contiguous square feet of exhibition space.
Transport: Reno International Airport has added flights to Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, and New York. For getting around the city and Lake Tahoe area, a free bus runs every 10 minutes, and coach buses go to major attractions and ski resorts.
Who's Met There? National Sheriff’s Association; Western Propane Gas; Farmers Insurance
Selling Point: Reno is known as “the Biggest Little City in the World.” Culture and adventure collide here, with the lake and mountains of Tahoe and the urban culture of the Midtown District.
