The largest city in Arizona outside of the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas, Yuma was placed on the map during the 1849 Gold Rush, when the Gila Trail led straight through its present-day main street. Today, conveniently located halfway between San Diego and Phoenix, the city continues to entice visitors with sunny skies and a serene desert landscape. Yuma event venues comprise a host of historic and natural attractions. Yuma is also an affordable option for Southwest meetings.
Yuma is served by Yuma International Airport (YUM), for which United Airlines and US Airways are the chief carriers.
There are four major conference and event facilities in Yuma. Popular for trade shows, conventions and sporting events, the 43,000-square-foot Yuma Civic Center boasts 25,000 square feet of meeting space, a 2,000-seat auditorium, state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment and even two adjacent 18-hole golf courses. Overlooking the Colorado River, the Pivot Point Conference Center, along with the adjacent 150-room Hilton Garden Inn Yuma/Pivot Point Hotel, has 21,500 square feet of meeting space, including an 8,000-square-foot ballroom for up to 1,000 guests. The Arizona Western College 3C College Community Center and Pipa Event Center at the Quechan Casino Resort each have 21,600 square feet and 20,000 square feet of space, respectively.
Hotels in Yuma have nearly 4,000 rooms to meet all price points, as well as options for smaller meeting groups. The Best Western Inn Suites Yuma Mall, Radisson Hotel Yuma and Ramada Chilton each have over 3,000 square feet of meeting space. The 94-room Cocopah Resort & Conference Center has 4,000 square feet of conference space along with free Internet, a business center and complimentary continental breakfast.
Yuma is the sunniest place on earth, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, and groups would be amiss not to take advantage of it. Two state parks, the Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park and Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park, can accommodate groups as large as 400 and 100 people, respectively. In addition to an 18-hole championship golf course, the Yuma Golf & Country Club is available for banquets of up to 250 guests and includes first-class catering and full beverage service. Groups can also experience team bonding trips of a lifetime in Yuma with a Colorado River canoe or kayak trip, Yuma river tubing or an off-roading adventure at the Imperial Sand Dunes National Recreation Area, once used as a filming location for Star Wars.
Dining institutions in Yuma include Julieanna's Patio Cafe, which can host up to 50 people inside or as many as 250 people total when using the tented garden and patio. Offering affordable California bistro fare, Carla Renee has catering service for groups. To really kick things up, the lively Top of the Kress Rooftop Lounge has a banquet/meeting facility with catering and audio-visual equipment.
