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THERE’S ROOM TO MEET IN PHOENIX

Outdoor venues and virtual technology take center stage as Phoenix reopens for meetings and conventions

When it's time to go beyond, to transform your webinar into a keynote speech, to re-establish the social aspect of networking - safely - and to look past the screen into the future of business, there's more than enough space to reach your meeting and convention goals in Phoenix.

Whether you're planning an in-person or a virtual event - in the New Year or much further down the road - we invite you to connect in Phoenix, where new meetings trends are taking center stage.

Here are four reasons Phoenix is leading the way in new meetings trends for 2021 and beyond:

Take The Indoors Out

Widely known for its incomparable weather and proximity to nature, Phoenix also offers an incredible spectrum of outdoor venues - for an intimate group of a few or a larger, private delegation.

From uniquely Southwest scenes amid sweeping Sonoran Desert landscapes to urban spaces set against the downtown skyline, Phoenix has always celebrated the outdoors and created spaces for our visitors to experience it for themselves.

Host your next meeting outdoors at Phoenix's 55-acre  Desert Botanical Garden

Phoenix offers outdoor venues ranging from the Phoenix Convention Center's Canyon on Third, with 80,000 sq. ft. of urban outdoor event space, to the  Desert Botanical Garden, boasting 140 acres of Sonoran Desert scenery that pairs perfectly with a sunset reception.

Small Meetings Movement

While downtown Phoenix is booming - more than $5 billion has recently been pumped into a 1.7-square-mile zone in the downtown core - we still understand the value of small meetings. Simultaneously, creative meeting planners are embracing the small-scale gathering, as attendees demand that events be more unique, memorable and valuable.

Greater Phoenix is home to over 69,000 guest rooms at more than 500 hotels and resorts - with even more on the horizon - including a wide variety of accommodations styles that boast sophisticated meeting facilities, impeccable service and plenty of room for exploring, pampering and unwinding.

Local Flavor

From innovative restaurant concepts to celebrated Black stages, Phoenix flavor is garnering national attention.

Chef Stephen Jones of downtown Phoenix's The Larder + The Delta.

For a sampling of the diverse spectrum of cultures and flavors that Phoenix has to offer, look no further than the city's downtown core. Here culinary influences from as far as Jamaica, showcased at The Breadfruit & Rum Bar, to Southern fare with a local twist at The Larder + The Delta, are just a glimpse at Phoenix's ever-evolving cuisine scene. Helmed by chef Danielle Leoni and chef Stephen Jones (respectively), these efforts both earned James Beard Award nominations in 2020.

For a different taste of Phoenix, the Black Theatre Troupe is celebrating 50 years of serving up live performances and The Nash, named for Phoenix native and internationally acclaimed jazz drummer Lewis Nash, has garnered national accolades and been named one of the top jazz venues in the United States by DownBeat magazine.

Restaurants, venues and businesses throughout Greater Phoenix continue to adapt to the current situation, in order to deliver local flavor to your attendees in the New Year.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

From breakout sessions to keynote speakers, meetings agendas are seeing an increase in diverse representation of identities, voices and content. But how can a destination contribute to these efforts? In Phoenix, the business community is answering that question and setting the bar quite high.

For eight consecutive years, Phoenix has received a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index-which ranks the inclusivity of municipal laws, policies, and services of the LGBTQ+ community living and working in each city.

Members of the Greater Phoenix Equality Chamber of Commerce.

Additionally, a total of 19 Phoenix-based chambers of commerce - including minority-focused chambers and other local groups - the have signed on to a Community Collaborative, a diverse and unified group that's ready to assist meeting planners with everything from guest speakers to local vendors. Visit Phoenix is a proud member of the Black Chamber of Arizona.

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