Smart Meetings

Tempe borders Phoenix on the Salt River. And, as the home of Arizona State University (ASU), Tempe is a young town (the median age is 28 years) with a vibrant nightlife in its Mill Avenue District of over 100 restaurants and shops within six blocks. Notable sights include Papago Park and the two-mile-long Tempe Town Lake, a popular spot for rowing. There’s hot air ballooning, horseback riding and Jeep tours. Tempe Convention & Visitors Bureau (tempecvb.com).

It is ideal for groups of 10 to 500. Phoenix's airport is only four miles away. Notable sights include Papago Park and the two-mile-long Tempe Town Lake, a popular spot for rowing. There's hot air ballooning, horseback riding and Jeep tours.

The major news is the arrival of Rawhide Western Town & Steakhouse (rawhide.com) has left Scottsdale after nearly 30 years and moved to Tempe. It is now tied to the nearby Sheraton Wild Horse Pass and Resort & Spa in Chandler. ASU's Grady Gammage Auditorium designed by Frank Lloyd Wright is one of Tempe's largest venues.

Later this month, the architecturally striking Wyndham Buttes Resort (353/40,000) will become The Buttes A Marriott Resort (marriott.com/property/propertypage/PHXTM). Tempe Mission Palms Hotel & Conference Center (303/30,000) is adding 200 guest rooms and 20,000 square feet of meeting space (missionpalms.com). Another larger hotel in Tempe is the Fiesta Inn Resort (270/16,000). (fiestainnresort.com) A Le Meridian is currently under construction overlooking Tempe Town Lake. It will have 183 rooms and meeting space, and is slated to open in November, 2008.

Getting There

Tempe is served by Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, served by 23 airlines, providing nonstop service from over 100 cities (phoenix.gov/AVIATION). SuperShuttle Transportation Systems offers a broad range of equipment and services to meet all of your transportation needs.Supershuttle (supershuttle.com) serves The Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Cave Creek Sun City & Sun City West. 

Not To Be Missed

Tempe Town Lake - in the desert.
Tempe Historical Museum
ASU Gammage Auditorium -  Broadway musicals.