Boise

City Offers Quality Meeting Experience, at Affordable Prices

Meeting in a city with first-class rooms, high-quality dining, and top-notch entertainment doesn't have to cost a fortune. Boise offers all of these "perks" and more, at a significantly lower price. Room rates average in the mid- to upper- $90s, and the city's roster of hotels has increased significantly. Towne- Place Suites by Marriott, which features 121 suites and an 880-square-foot meeting room, opened this past February, and five hotels with meeting space ranging from 675 square feet to 3,198 square feet opened in 2007. Additional hotel development may be in the pipeline.

Boise also boasts many one-of-a-kind special-event venues, from the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, to Bogus Creek Ranch, to the Thunder Mountain Train Ride. For large groups, there's the 5,000-seat stadium of the Qwest Arena, attached to the Grove Hotel. Group tickets to Idaho Steelheads games, hospitality suites, and VIP viewing suites can be arranged. Cascade Raft, a whitewater-rafting company, also provides catered meals for groups, served outdoors on a deck overlooking the Payette River. Other unique attractions also make Boise a better bet than many other venues of its size. Definitely worth a visit are the Old Idaho Penitentiary and the World Center for Birds of Prey. Outdoor enthusiasts will want to check out the 28-mile Greenbelt path, which has the Boise River as its backdrop and connects five major parks offering walkers, runners, and skaters plenty of territory to explore; whitewater rafting is just 45 minutes north of the city.

In the winter, the Bogus Basin ski area offers downhill and Nordic skiing day and night. When snow tops the nearby mountains and the weather in Boise is warmer, delegates can play golf during the day and ski in the evening.

At a Glance
Boise Convention & Visitors Bureau
P.O. Box 2106
Boise, ID 83701
Phone: (208) 344-7777 or (800) 635-5240
Fax: (208) 344-6236
Web site: www.boise.org

CONVENTION FACILITIES
Boise Centre on the Grove
Total Square Footage: 85,000 sq. ft.
Exhibit Space: 25,000 sq. ft.
Largest Contiguous Space: 25,000 sq. ft.
Ballroom: 25,000 sq. ft.
Total Meeting Space: 50,000 sq. ft.
Maximum Number of Breakout Rooms: 20
Auditorium: 349 seats

ADDITIONAL MEETING FACILITIES

• Boise State University Student Union
• Qwest Arena

HOTELS
Number of Properties: 53
Number of Rooms: 5,700
Largest:

• Doubletree Hotel Boise Riverside (303 rooms)
• Holiday Inn Boise (265 rooms)
• The Grove Hotel & Qwest Arena (250 rooms)
• Springhill Suites by Marriott - ParkCenter (237 suites)
• Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown (186 rooms)
• Red Lion Hotel Boise Downtown (182 rooms)

ATTRACTIONS

• Basque Museum and Cultural Center
• Boise Art Museum
• Boise Trolley Tours
• Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial
• Idaho Botanical Garden
• Discovery Center of Idaho
• M.K. Nature Center
• Old Idaho Penitentiary
• World Center for Birds of Prey
• Idaho wineries
• Whitewater rafting

AIR TRANSPORTATION
Boise Airport is served by Delta, Frontier, Alaska, Horizon, United, Northwest, Southwest, US Airways, and SkyWest.

Salt Lake

From Olympic City to World-Class Destination

When people think of Salt Lake, Olympics often come to mind. But six years after hosting one of the most successful Winter Olympics ever, Salt Lake has developed a reputation as a highly desirable convention and four-season tourism destination.

Long known as a gateway for the nation's most stunning national parks, Salt Lake offers 11 resorts within one hour of the Salt Lake City International Airport, featuring "The Greatest Snow on Earth," and access to thousands of miles of hiking and biking trails. In addition, you'll find exceptional cultural arts and an eclectic array of restaurants and nightlife.

Salt Lake and Utah are still best known for their unmatched outdoor recreational offerings, winter or summer. For convention attendees looking to mix a little business with pleasure, there are easy-to-use packages for every season: the ultra-convenient Ski Salt Lake Super Pass, and the Visit Salt Lake Connect Pass, offering access to 12 of the area's top attractions.

Salt Lake City International Airport is served by 14 airlines, providing non-stop service to 100-plus destinations from Salt Lake, making it the largest airline hub in the western United States. More than half the nation's population is within a 2.5-hour flight of Salt Lake. In addition to its nearby international airport, Salt Lake is bisected by Interstates 15 (north-south) and 80 (east-west), as well as being served by rail, truly making Salt Lake the "Crossroads of the West." In short, this is one of the most complete, diverse, and accessible meeting destinations in North America.

For more information on all there is to see and do in Salt Lake, from outdoor recreation to the arts, from restaurants to lodging accommodations, from nightlife to convention facilities, log on to www.VisitSaltLake.com.

At a Glance
Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau
Mark White, vice president of sales
90 South West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Phone: (800) 541-4955 or (801) 534-4933
Web site: www.MeetInSaltLake.com
E-mail: Mark@saltlake.org

SALT PALACE CONVENTION CENTER
Total Space: 679,000 sq. ft.
Total Exhibit Space: 515,000 sq. ft.
Total Meeting Space: 164,000 sq. ft. (including 45,000-sq.-ft. ballroom)
Total Meeting Rooms: 66

ADDITIONAL MEETING FACILITIES

• South Towne Exposition Center (South Valley)
• The 23rd Floor (Downtown Salt Lake City)
• Energy Solutions Arena (Downtown Salt Lake City)

HOTELS
Total Rooms: 16,800
Rooms Within Walking Distance of Salt Palace Convention Center: 7,125
Largest:

• Little America Hotel (850 rooms)
• Grand America Hotel (775 rooms)
• Marriott Salt Lake City Downtown (515 rooms)
• Hilton Salt Lake City Center (499 rooms)
• Red Lion Salt Lake Downtown (392 rooms)
• Radisson Hotel Salt Lake City Downtown (381 rooms)
• Sheraton City Center Hotel Salt Lake City (362 rooms)
• Marriott Salt Lake City Center (359 rooms)

ATTRACTIONS

• Ski Salt Lake Resorts (Alta, Brighton, Snowbird, and Solitude)
• Clark Planetarium
• Discovery Gateway
• Red Butte Garden
• Temple Square (Mormon Tabernacle Choir)
• Kennecott Copper Mine
• The Family History Library (world's largest collection of genealogy records)
• Utah Olympic Park
• Thanksgiving Point
• Utah Museum of Natural History
• Utah Museum of Fine Arts
• Utah's Hogle Zoo
• Olympic Cauldron Park