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Scottsdale, Arizona City Guide

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Scottsdale Meeting Planning

It's no surprise that this vibrant desert city is a top choice of meeting planners all over the world. With sunny skies and a year-round average temperature of 74°F, Scottsdale is a convention-friendly city that lives up to its international reputation for unparalleled meeting venues, services and amenities.

The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Conference Center

Even though Scottsdale does not have a stand-alone convention center, the city offers meeting planners an amazing variety of world-class facilities in 70 resorts and hotels, including six resorts that have earned the coveted AAA Five-Diamond Award and six that have earned Mobil Travel Guide's Four-Diamond honors. Ranging from over-the-top luxurious amenities to cozy, modest lodgings, meeting planners can choose from over 13,600 sleeping rooms and an abundance of state-of-the-art meeting space. Some of the largest Scottsdale resort properties offer over 600 rooms and more than 70,000 square feet of on-site meeting space, resulting in a city-wide total of more than 1.3 million square feet of meeting space. Many other unique venues, such as Scottsdale Stadium and Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, are available to give guests a true regional experience.

Part of the 2nd fastest growing metropolitan area in America, Scottsdale also offers the advantage of proximity to cosmopolitan city Phoenix. With its internationally-acclaimed Phoenix Art Museum, Arizona Science Center and award-winning Phoenix Symphony, Phoenix is an ideal complement to Scottsdale's numerous attractions.

Traveling to Phoenix, and, more importantly, to and around Scottsdale, is easy with ample public transportation services such as buses and trolley shuttles. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, servicing 23 major airlines, is just 10 miles from downtown Scottsdale, about a $10 to $15 taxi ride.

Still, visitors will struggle to find a reason or need to leave Scottsdale's borders as the city expands its historic downtown with nearly $3 billion of developments. Two of the most prominent projects nearing completion are found along the Arizona Canal: the $250 million Scottsdale Waterfront, a 1.1 million-square-foot residential and retail complex with fine dining restaurants, shops and high-end boutiques; and the $41 million SouthBridge, featuring more than 30,000 square feet of retail space, seven unique restaurants and dynamic cultural and arts festivals.

Key Statistics

About Scottsdale / Additional Info

Sonoran Desert

Nestled in Arizona's beautiful Sonoran Desert directly to the north and east of Phoenix, Scottsdale began as a small agricultural and ranching community more than a century ago. Today Scottsdale, with a population of 234,900 people, is part of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area of over four million residents. Since its humble beginnings, Scottsdale has evolved into one of the nation's most exclusive, upscale cities, with a median family income of $95,361 and more resorts per capita than any other American city.

Pristine mountain and desert trails and local rivers provide visitors with scenic panoramas and an exciting variety of outdoor adventures including hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, river rafting and hot-air ballooning. One of the world's top golf destinations, the Scottsdale area is home to nearly 200 championship golf courses, including Troon North Golf ClubTroon North Golf Club
Troon North Golf Club and the Phoenician, ready to challenge the most seasoned golfers. After a rough day outdoors, guests find it easy to sit back and relax while indulging in a massage or facial at one of Scottsdale's numerous spas such as the Alvadora or the Spa at Camelback Inn.

Scottsdale's award-winning resorts and hotels offer world-class amenities that please the most discerning travelers. In addition to fabulous restaurants with acclaimed chefs such as Cowboy Ciao and state-of-the-art meeting facilities, many properties pamper guests with unexpected touches, including on-site art collections, private plunge pools and meditation gardens. Most Scottsdale resorts offer Internet access in guest rooms and wireless service throughout their properties.

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art

From contemporary art and architecture at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art to ancient Native American artifacts at the Heard Museum North Scottsdale and the Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park, Scottsdale proudly showcases the treasures of its past and present. Yearly events and festivals celebrate ancient Southwestern traditions while creating new ones, too. Visitors can add to their personal art collections at Scottsdale's many fine art galleries and enhance their wardrobes at Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton and other elite retailers at Scottsdale Fashion Square, one of America's "Top 30" shopping malls.