Welcome to the Cvent Meeting and Event Planning Guide to Boise, a city guide for meeting professionals. As Idaho's capital city and a popular destination for both meeting and leisure travel, Boise offers the perfect blend of urban amenities and a hometown feel. The City of Trees serves as the vibrant urban center of Treasure Valley and the government, business, cultural and entertainment hub of the southwestern Idaho and eastern Oregon region. The city sits at the foot of the scenic Boise Front in southwest Idaho, and features a number of unique venues and attractions, plentiful museums, year-round outdoor recreation and diverse cultural offerings—all of which prove fantastic for group events and outings. Boise residents and visitors enjoy the city's pedestrian- and bike-friendly setting, which is a unique feature for the largest metropolitan community in the state.
Boise is located along Interstate 84, just 57 miles from the Oregon border, 157 miles from Sun Valley, 336 miles from Salt Lake City and 431 miles from Portland. The Boise Airport, situated within a 10-minute drive of the downtown area, serves Boise and the surrounding region with such major nonstop destinations as Chicago, Los Angeles, Spokane and Denver and offers free terminal-wide Wi-Fi. Groups can meet at the airport's Snake River Conference Center, which spans five conference rooms measuring from 294 to 1,800 square feet. The airport is served by the regional public bus system, ValleyRide, which also provides service throughout downtown Boise and Ada and Canyon Counties.
Boise Airport is located just four miles away from the city's convention center, the Boise Centre. Boasting 50,000 square feet of flexible meeting and exhibit space, Boise Centre features a 350-seat auditorium, a 24,000-square-foot ballroom and 20 meeting rooms with capacities for 20 to 2,900 people. The Boise Centre is located in the heart of downtown Boise, with a variety of restaurants, shops, attractions and 800 hotel rooms all within walking distance. What's more, the Boise Centre is situated mere steps from the popular Grove Plaza, which hosts events throughout the year and is two blocks from the Boise River.
Many of Boise's unique venues and attractions celebrate the city's riverside location, natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. Groups can tour the Idaho Capitol Building, a striking Renaissance Revival structure that houses the state's legislative body, as well as offering space for private events in its meeting rooms, Capitol Auditorium, Second Floor Rotunda and Jefferson Street steps. For a group event with a twist, gather at the Old Idaho Penitentiary, one of only four U.S. territorial prisons open to the public. Visitors can visit the site's solitary confinement area, cell blocks and gallows, learn about prison conditions and daily life, view one of the nation's largest collections of historic arms and hold events in outdoor and indoor penitentiary spaces.
Boise is situated 16 miles from the Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area, which welcomes outdoor enthusiasts to ski, snowboard and tube during its winter season, as well as explore its hiking and biking trails during the off-season. The recreation area's three day lodges are available for summertime private events, while one is available for wintertime events. Boise's strong athletic scene is home to a minor league baseball team, minor league hockey team and NBA Development-League Idaho Stampede basketball team. Group outings can be held during game and non-game days at Memorial Stadium, which is home to the Boise Hawks minor league baseball team. The stadium is open for public tours, as well as group picnics and on-field events. CenturyLink Arena serves as the home of the Idaho Steelheads and Idaho Stampede, as well as welcoming groups to its luxury suite space and arena floor event space.
Boise's strong economy rests on wholesale/retail trade, government, educational, manufacturing, financial and high-tech services. The city is home to such major corporations as Boise Inc., Micron Technology, URS and Hewlett-Packard, as well as the College of Western Idaho and Boise State University, which is located along the Boise River and within minutes of the downtown area.