Phoenix Is in Session

Phoenix has long been appreciated for its sunshine, resorts, and luxury amenities. But ask Lorne Edwards what meeting planners should know about the city, and he does not start with the weather.  

“We’ve moved beyond our traditional reputation to become a modern, lifestyle-driven destination,” said Edwards, chief sales officer at Visit Phoenix. “This is a place where thought leaders gather, creatives thrive, and new ideas come to life. Today’s Phoenix pulses with a bold youthful energy where celebrated culinarians are redefining the food scene, mixologists are crafting cocktails as inventive as the city itself, and an ascendent ecosystem of advanced manufacturers and life science pioneers are developing the next generation of ideas that will shape our world. For meeting planners, that translates into a destination that doesn’t just host events but elevates them.” 

With its focus on youth, vitality, and innovation, Phoenix has become a competitive force for business events of all sizes and scopes. 

Travel With Ease

Northstar Meetings Group gave Phoenix a top 10 convention city ranking in 2023, and it’s easy to see why: More than $5 billion in development has changed the urban core around the Phoenix Convention Center. Major convention hotels, including Sheraton Phoenix Downtown and Hyatt Regency Phoenix, have completed over $600 million in renovations.  

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport sits about 10 minutes from downtown, a detail that sounds minor until thousands of attendees are trying to arrive, check in, and make an opening reception. Travelers can even reserve a Waymo through the app, meet the driverless car at the airport rideshare area, and be on the way to their hotel in minutes. 

Enjoy the City

The vibrant energy of downtown Phoenix is readily apparent in its diverse cultural offerings. 

“This is a place where lifestyles can really thrive,” Edwards noted. “We have young entrepreneurs from right here in Phoenix and those from across the globe honing their skills and crafts in this collaborative epicenter in the heart of downtown Phoenix.” 

The restaurant scene is hyperlocal, with very few chains. “We have 200-plus dining options and growing, including several James Beard-recognized chefs and restaurants, many of which are unique to our area and the Southwest,” said Edwards. 

Roosevelt Row gives attendees murals, galleries, music, and a walkable alternative to room-service evenings. After hours, downtown hums with rooftop bars, breweries, and buzzing restaurants where attendees can carry the day’s conversations into the night, turning the district into one of the Southwest’s most energetic places to keep networking. 

Customize the Experience

Greater Phoenix has become one of the country’s most active regions for semiconductor, advanced manufacturing, bioscience, and healthcare growth. Intel and TSMC have major operations in the region while Amkor Technology has announced plans for a $7 billion advanced packaging and test campus in Arizona. 

With tech-related sustainability jobs up 20 percent and long-term 2050 sustainability goals in place, Phoenix is also defining the standard for the modern, environmentally conscious desert city. 

The region’s connection to Asia is becoming more tangible, too. New nonstop flights now link Phoenix and Taipei, Taiwan, adding practical relevance for industries tied to semiconductors, supply chains, and global manufacturing. In turn, Phoenix has fast become a magnet for the technology conventions that follow those industries and for associations seeking to embed real, innovation-seeding experiences into their attendee enrichment programming. 

For a meeting planner, this is where the Phoenix experience is particularly customizable. As Edwards explained, “We don’t have limitations that other cities might have, because our collaborations and venues are so interconnected.” 

He uses the phrase “learning lab” to describe the opportunity. The state-of-the-art Phoenix Convention Center still matters, as do typical considerations such as room blocks, capacity, and food-and-beverage numbers. But the city itself can also become an integral part of the event enrichment curriculum. 

Technology groups might add a university speaker or a site visit connected to the region’s chip manufacturing expansion. A medical group could use the Phoenix Bioscience Core as a backdrop for conversations about research, workforce development, and healthcare innovation and for hands-on learning at the Simulation Center at the PBC. Phoenix is putting its money where its future is with ground just broken on Arizona State University’s landmark John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering in the heart of downtown—the single largest investment in the bioscience sector in Phoenix’s history, training the next generation of physician-engineers who will shape the future of healthcare. 

From lab visits and executive panels to outdoor wellness sessions, the Visit Phoenix team is on hand to help associations identify local thought leaders, companies, institutions, and venues that can support the meeting’s goals. 

Leave a Legacy 

Phoenix also gives association leaders a way to think about what remains after the closing session. Sometimes that entails a tangible community piece: a service project, an education partnership, or a sustainability tie-in. Edwards said Visit Phoenix encourages groups to leave the destination better than they found it. 

But legacy does not have to be limited to a formal giveback program. It can also mean the kind of experience attendees keep talking about once they are home. 

Many unconventional spaces have been transformed over the years to generate connection, energy, and community. For Edwards, that’s what Phoenix is all about. 

“A culinary event under the stars with the Sonoran Desert as a backdrop—where else are you going to get that?” he said. “You can actually have some of those spiritual ‘never have I ever’ moments here.”  

For association executives choosing the next host city, that may be Phoenix’s clearest advantage: an experience people are likely to remember after the badges come off. 

Plan Your Next Event 

To learn more about custom meeting design and to connect with local thought leaders, contact Lorne Edwards at ledwards@visitphoenix.com or go to www.visitphoenix.com/meetings/.