Meetings and Events City Profiles

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Population: Scottsdale's population is around 250,000. The downtown population varies by number of visitors, etc.

Nearest Airport: Scottsdale Airport (SDL), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

Convention centers/Large event spaces: Scottsdale Resort & Conference Center, Venue of Scottsdale

Highlights:

One of downtown Scottsdale's most well-known neighborhoods, affectionately called Old Town for its charming ambiance, is an ideal location to give your guests a feel for the Southwest. Plus, dining, activities and accommodations are all close at hand so no one will have to travel far.

Old Town is technically the historic district of downtown Scottsdale; however, visitors and residents alike often use the term to describe all of downtown Scottsdale, which comprises a number of interconnected districts spread out over several square miles. It includes historic Old Town, Marshall Way Arts District, the 5th Avenue Shopping District, and the recently developed Waterfront and SouthBridge, which line opposite sides of the area's historic canal system.

Old Town Scottsdale has something for everyone: upscale dining or nightlife along with cowboy bars and wine bars, to suit every taste.

The area is filled with numerous independent bars and restaurants, boutiques, art galleries, jewelers, entertainment venues and home décor shops. You'll also find Scottsdale Stadium, spring training home of the San Francisco Giants; Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, where high-profile performers ranging from Yo-Yo Ma to Jason Alexander round out the 2010 season; and unprecedented shopping at Scottsdale Fashion Square, with retailers like Neiman Marcus, Coach, Jimmy Choo and the newest addition, Barneys New York.

Getting Around

"Everything is within walking distance," says Katherine Christensen, CMP, DMCP, president of KCA - Public Relations, Event Planning & Association Management.

Complement that with the free trolley system that runs through many of the districts, and guests need only think about getting from the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to their hotel. Planners also can hire Dunn Transportation's Ollie the Trolley to take their groups to and from event sites.

Hotels and Meeting Space

Several boutique hotels and a number of familiar chains offer accommodations in or adjacent to Old Town Scottsdale. Among them are W Scottsdale Hotel, just south of Camelback Road and a short jaunt from Scottsdale Fashion Square, with 224 guestrooms; Hotel Theodore, in the center of the Old Town district, with 189 guestrooms; and Hotel Valley Ho, just west of the Main Street Arts & Antique District, with 194 guestrooms. They average about 10,000 square feet of meeting space.

The Scottsdale Marriott Suites Old Town, in historic Old Town, has 243 rooms and more than 15,000 square feet of meeting space; the largest room can hold 200 people for a banquet.

Hotel Theodore offers a combined 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space; indoor space is designed for groups of about 20 to 30. Hotel Valley Ho and the W Scottsdale can accommodate larger groups; Hotel Valley Ho can host banquets of up to 300 people indoors, and the W Scottsdale can host up to 230 for a banquet in its 3,500-square-foot ballroom.

Several nearby resorts can handle larger groups, according to Renee Angeles, director of sales for the Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau. The Phoenician has more than 600 guestrooms, Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort has 378 rooms and Chaparral Suites has 311.

A short walk from downtown and north of Camelback is the FireSky Resort and Spa, with 204 rooms and about 14,000 square feet of indoor meeting space, including the 6,800-square-foot Elements Ballroom, which can seat 500 guests for a banquet.

Meeting groups can also plan off-site events at downtown Scottsdale's largest event site, Venue of Scottsdale, which accommodates up to 1,300 people and straddles the Marshall Arts and 5th Avenue shopping districts. There are also a number of small galleries throughout the arts district that are open to working with groups to plan progressive dinners, dine-arounds or receptions.

Downtown Scottsdale, only a short ride from the airport, is also close to many of the region's best golf courses and hiking spots. The area is also easily accessible to downtown Phoenix and its many attractions, northern Scottsdale restaurants and shopping districts, and Tempe.

For more information:

Scottsdale Convention and Visitors Bureau // 800.782.1117 / www.scottsdalecvb.com

This article has been edited for the Web. Article originally by Christine K. Bailey. Photos courtesy of the City of Scottsdale.