Why is business and conference planning better in Bend? Maybe it’s the crisp mountain air, the fresh powder ski days at Mt. Bachelor, or the chance to play rounds at 25 different golf courses in Central Oregon. Combine these recreation opportunities with dining experiences like The Blacksmith Restaurant (which was chosen by Conde Nast Traveler as one of the world’s best new restaurants), and direct flights from Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Denver, Phoenix, and Salt Lake City, and you have the makings of a vibrant business climate.
Just like back in the boomtown timber days, when the arrival of the railroad turned Bend into one of the fastest growing cities in the country, the buzz is out again about the mountain town that has it all, and new businesses are arriving daily.
While you may not have the option to pick up and move your company’s entire operation to Bend, you could move here for a week, by planning your next conference here.
Bend, Oregon is a place where state-of-the-art conference facilities are in walking distance to championship golf courses and on the banks of the roaring Deschutes River. Where having the recreation opportunities of the wilderness at your fingertips does not mean sacrificing the technology, accommodation, and planning expertise your company needs to design a successful event.
Bend is home to the largest convention facility in Central Oregon. The Riverhouse Convention Center has over 30,000 square feet of meeting space and can easily accommodate even the largest conferences, with space for concurrent meetings, meals, and breakout sessions. The ballroom seats 1,000 people for sit-down dinners. The Riverhouse on the Deschutes and surrounding Bend hotels offer luxurious accommodations, some with fireplaces and river views, as well as large workstations and data ports for all your business needs.
Mount Bachelor Village Resort has conference facilities and is located along Century Drive, the gateway to the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway, with river canyon views and over 8,000 square feet of meeting space.
As the most elegant and upscale hotel in Central Oregon, the Oxford Hotel in downtown Bend takes pride in providing you and your guests with full-service amenities, luxurious accommodations, and the care and service you expect from a four diamond hotel. The Oxford has four meeting rooms fully appointed with unique seating arrangements, state-of-the-art audio visual equipment, and extended stay availability. Their conference meeting rooms and event spaces are ideal for executive retreats, conferences, and meetings. In fact, the Oxford Hotel hosts the annual BendFilm Independent film festival and Swivel, a 2-day web, creative and marketing conference. Download their Meeting and Conference Kit here.
Your conference would not be complete without a fun and educational team building trip lead by Wanderlust Tours, one of Bend, Oregon’s finest nature-based tour companies. Whether you’re a group of a hundred corporate executives or a small non-profit, Wanderlust can customize an adventure that will create affinity within your group and increase teamwork upon returning to the office.
One of Wanderlust Tours’ most popular team building excursions is a GPS eco-challenge, a hybrid of scavenger hunting and geocaching. Your group will find clues and solve puzzles that incorporate the natural, cultural, and geological history of Central Oregon while exploring untracked, off-trail wilderness lands. Wanderlust can also take large groups to must-see destinations like Crater Lake or Newberry National Monument, or provide an intimate moon-lit canoe trip for your company’s VIPs.
Plan your next conference, meeting or executive retreat in Bend, Oregon and find out why in Bend, business is just better.