Meeting News - September 8, 2008 - (Page 60)

Arizona Incentives Edited by Terri Hardin terri.hardin@nielsen.com Incentives Come Naturally in the Grand Canyon State With its easy access, warm, dry climate, and major resort hotels, Arizona has long been an understandable, if not irresistible, choice for meetings, especially during the winter months. But why limit planning options to just meetings when the Grand Canyon State offers top-tier spas, championship golf, fine dining, and outdoor adventure, making it a natural fit for any incentive program? If there’s a challenge for an Arizona incentive, it’s trying to fit the smorgasbord of options on where to stay and what to do. vation changes 3,000 feet. “Everybody was happy” and back in time for a well-earned dinner, said Blumenstein. Day trips & nightlife Tucson and PhoenixScottsdale, the state’s two major population hubs, provide great jumpingoff points for group excursions, plus a slew of dining and social options. Sedona, just two hours and change by motorcoach from downtown Phoenix, remains one of the West’s betterHelicopter tours and scenic landscapes are hallmarks of Arizona. kept secrets. “The red outs. Spas have become standard and a defining rock setting is next to none,” said Karla Lewis, Arizona amenity over the past decade. “We have senior sales manager for L’Auberge de Sedona. “A some beautiful facilities here,” said Hummell, lot of people are not aware of everything we have who again cited variety in terms of therapies (e.g., to offer, like helicopter and jeep tours and some Native American, traditional, and local herbal) of the best outdoor team-building experiences.” and activities, from yoga, pilates, and elaborate The drive to historic Bisbee, a mile-high forfitness centers to jogging trails and desert hikes. mer mining town two hours southeast of Tucson, Arizona also proves as adventurous as partici- includes a trip through Arizona’s frontier history pants care to make it. Type-A personalities will in Tombstone and the burgeoning wine country find more than their share of adrenaline rushes, around Cochise County. Another favorite southfrom rockclimbing and snow skiing (really—the eastern Arizona stop is Kartchner Caverns State White Mountains east of Flagstaff feature terri- Park, where temperatures average a cool 70 downhill and cross-country runs) to skydiving degrees year round. and river rafting. The Grand Canyon alone can After dark, the dining and club scenes rock in take up a major slice of activity time, but don’t Phoenix and Scottsdale, offering options for pass up the chance for springtime thrills riding dine-arounds and late-night entertainment. the white waters of Arizona’s hidden gem, Salt Downtown Phoenix’s revival includes a series of River Canyon. new restaurants and a major light rail system, for When Terry Blumenstein, CMM, of Sarasota, easy transit, that’s set to debut by year end. In the FL-based Coordination Plus LLC, booked a heart of Scottsdale, it is about art, antiques, hip group of pharmaceutical winners into Tucson’s restaurants, and trendy club-hopping. Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa, he arranged for “We’re right in the middle of things,” said Jesse recreation that proved scenic, challenging, and Thompson, director of sales and marketing at the convenient.“We didn’t offer anything really dan- retro-style Hotel Valley Ho. “That means clients gerous but we did propose some strenuous hik- can take their groups out for dinner and to a club ing,” said Blumenstein. A local DMC took the to let loose, and that’s a big plus for all the propgroup of 20 to nearby Finger Rock Canyon in the erties around the downtown area.” r rugged Santa Catalina Mountains, where the ele—Marc Boisclair www.meetingnews.com Sunny skies and easy access For starters, Arizona offers an abundance of sun and warmth, a boon to any incentive program. Winters in particular bring out the state’s charm, as daytime temperatures run around 80 degrees and the nights are cool and dry. Getting there should be easy as well, with a wide range of flights (including non-stops) in and out of Phoenix’s revamped Sky Harbor International Airport, plus transportation to and from most area resorts. Speaking of incentive-grade properties, some are large and sport familiar names (e.g., Four Seasons, Hyatt, JW Marriott, Hilton), others are cozier but no less posh (the Sanctuary, Hermosa Inn, Canyon Ranch), and there is a fair share of relatively unknown gems (Hotel Valley Ho, Tubac Golf Resort & Spa, La Posada Hotel). They all sport the amenities necessary for VIPs and top performers. And in Arizona, most resort meeting spaces mean lush lawns, airy patios, rooftop decks, and secluded slices of the desert. Activities rule “The sheer variety of things to do here is amazing,” said Amy Hummell, CMP, director of meeting planning and operations for Epic International in Scottsdale. Hummell, an 18-year meetings industry veteran, has spent the past two years working with groups in the Valley of the Sun.“Golf is number one,” she said.“Does that mean everyone in the group will play? No. But they need to have that option, and we have plenty of it.” Indeed, the state ranks among the top in terms of golf course diversity and challenge levels, with many links integrating Arizona’s rugged desert terrain and elevation changes right into their lay60 MeetingNews September 8, 2008 http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - September 8, 2008

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