Meetings and Events City Profiles

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Destination: Las Cruces, N.M.

Population: Nearly 100,000

Nearest Airport: Las Cruces International Airport

Convention centers/Large event spaces: Las Cruces Convention Center

Overview and highlights:

Three hundred and fifty days of sunshine is incentive enough to add Las Cruces, New Mexico, to your conference wish list. During times when much of the country battles touchy spring weather, Las Cruces is basking in the sun. Add to that an area rich in art, culture and history, along with year-round golf and views of the nearby Organ Mountains, all for an affordable price, and Las Cruces might just move up to the top of your list. When the city opens its new state-of-the-art convention center in early 2011, Las Cruces could be a Southwest meeting planner's dream come true.

Photo: New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum.

Getting There

A town of fewer than 100,000 people, Las Cruces is less than 45 minutes from El Paso, Texas, and its international airport. Groups staying in Las Cruces have a couple of options for a home base, including the Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces. The property has 203 guest rooms and 15,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space, including the 5,000-square-foot San Andres Ballroom. Another choice, the Ramada Palms de Las Cruces Hotel and Conference Center, located off Interstate 10, offers 114 sleeping rooms and about 6,000 square feet of meeting space.

Las Cruces Convention Center

By far the largest meeting venue of its kind in Las Cruces, the soon-to-open Las Cruces Convention Center, managed by Global Spectrum, is expected to handle meetings as small as 200 to those as large as 900. According to General Manager David Hicks, the average group will probably be between 400 and 600 people.

Historic Old Mesilla

Originally a part of Mexico, the little town of Mesilla, located right next to Las Cruces, retains much of its traditional history and culture. A major draw for tourists and groups alike, Mesilla features shopping, dining, art galleries, wineries, museums and historic buildings including the 1855 San Albino Church.

Celebrate Off-Site

With a 150-year-old history with roots in Old Mexico, it's only natural that Las Cruces and historic Mesilla would have their share of unique venues. From the hands-on New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum for cocktail receptions and dinners to the nine-acre Mesilla Valley Maze for corporate picnics, the area offers a number of off-site venues that make for a rare Las Cruces experience.

Make an Event Out of It

Las Cruces also plays host to several popular regional and international events each year.

Several major events occur in the fall, including the New Mexico Wine Harvest Festival and the threeday Whole Enchilada Fiesta, both in September, and the International Mariachi Conference and Concert in November.

There's More

In addition to its rich history, unique venues, and new convention space, Las Cruces also boasts four golf courses, seven wineries, more than 40 art galleries and more than 200 artists living in the area. Visitors can also enjoy a number of outdoor activities such as picnicking at nearby White Sands National Monument, hiking in the Organ Mountains or visiting Stahmann Farms' pecan orchards and candy- and pecan-processing operations. Space enthusiasts will soon be able to visit the nearby Spaceport America, a spaceport for the commercial space traveler. The city is also home to New Mexico State University.

Taste of the Town

Two restaurants in particular showcase the culinary heritage of Mesilla Valley, according to resident tastemakers (who should know). La Posta de Mesilla, once a mail stop on the Butterfield Stagecoach Line and known locally as simply La Posta, has been serving steaks and traditional Mexican cuisine for more than 70 years. Housed in an old adobe building next to Mesilla's old plaza, the restaurant, according to the locals, serves good, affordable local fare and (you guessed it) chile margaritas.

The second must-try restaurant is the Double Eagle. The Double Eagle serves upscale New Mexico-inspired seafood and steak dishes. The 150- year-old converted mansion that is home to the restaurant features art and antiques that reflect the style and décor of the 1800s.

For more information:

Las Cruces Convention & Visitors Bureau // 575.541.2444 / www.lascrucescvb.org

This article has been edited for the Web. It was originally by Christine K. Bailey and appeared in the Spring 2010 issue of Southwest Meetings + Events magazine.