Prevue March-April 2018 - 108

Santa Fe
Groups find authentic experiences in a city where culture & creativity meet
[ON LOCATION] LAUREL HERMAN

anta Fe's small-town charm, big-city culinary experiences,
world-class art, and historical and cultural venues will
infuse groups with creativity. Marry this with a temperate
climate and accessibility from 22 US cites nonstop into
Albuquerque (an easy 1-hour transport) or nonstops from Denver,
Dallas/Fort Worth and Phoenix straight into Santa Fe, and groups
from all over the country have good access to this thriving city.
"We are a very welcoming city that offers our visitors a real
sense of place," says Randy Randall, executive director of Tourism
Santa Fe. "'Mi casa es su casa' and we roll out the red carpet so
groups can feel the connection to our culture. Our 400-year-old city
has over 250 restaurants, more than 250 art galleries and 14 worldclass museums."

the plaza. There is also Museum Hill that can host events at any
of its five museums such as the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture,
and the Museum of International Folk Art. The downtown district
is also home to the Santa Fe School of Cooking where groups
of up to 40 can have a fun and delicious team building experience.
Our group worked together to create a feast of chicken and cheese
enchiladas with green and red chili sauces, pork tamales, pinto
beans and apricot empanadas for dessert.
Larger groups can book multiple properties, and all will be
within minutes by transport or just a short walk to the LEEDcertified Santa Fe Community Convention Center, conveniently
located in the downtown district. The center has 40,000 sf of
indoor-outdoor meeting space.

CREATIVE VENUES ABOUND

ADD TO THE EXPERIENCE

Art pulsates throughout Santa Fe and choosing where to host an
event is going to be difficult as there are three art districts to choose
from within minutes of hotel venues. Consider Canyon Road, a milelong stretch of art galleries, great restaurants and artist studios with
paintings, sculptures, pottery and jewelry. An evening here for your
group with drinks and bites will make for a rewarding and stimulating
experience.
The Railyard Arts District is the newest of the districts.
Here, artist studios are expansive and contemporary, and a
farmer's market space can hold larger groups. In the Downtown
Arts District, where most of the city's hotels are located, almost
everything is walkable, including the New Mexico Museum of Art,
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and Palace of the Governors, off

Between meetings, groups can experience a walking tour of the
downtown area that will share humor and 400 years of Santa Fe
history rolled into one. On our hour-long tour, Peter Weiss of Santa
Fe Walking Tours told us tales that added dimension to our
experience. Another suggestion is to use a local DMC to coordinate
your group's experience, particularly if you want to integrate off-site
art, museum and dining venues. We got to know Marcia Skillman,
owner of Destination Services of Santa Fe, who handpicked
experiences with Geronimo and Compound Restaurants in the
Canyon Road area and nearby Restaurant Martin, all of which
can accommodate groups. The Nedra Matteucci Galleries has
amazing garden space with sculptures for an outdoor reception of
300 or inside amidst high-end art for smaller groups.

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue March-April 2018