Top 5 Meeting and Conference Venues in Colorado for Corporate Events

By Beth Buehler

Examining a list of great venues and selecting only a few is always difficult when writing about Colorado. The bucket-list state for meetings and events was officially founded in 1876 and is rich in scenic beauty, outdoor fun and western friendliness. These qualities spill over into my list of top five meeting and conference venues in Colorado for corporate events that include the Colorado Convention Center, Keystone Convention Center, The Broadmoor, Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center and Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel.

How were these top five selected? I decided to look at the two largest convention centers and the three largest conference center hotels as they all are excellent and are distinct options for groups. Coming up with a short list is kind of like selecting the five best places to visit in Paris while at the Summer Olympics. With that being said, there are many other top-notch options in Colorado for hosting corporate events including many listed on Destination Colorado Meetings’ website here.

Colorado Convention Center

Situated in the heart of downtown Denver, the Colorado Convention Center (CCC) has about 900,000 square feet of meeting and event space and the 5,000-seat Bellco Theatre and 13,000 hotel rooms and numerous restaurants and attractions within walking distance. It’s a perfect combination of a spacious convention center surrounded by vibrant city life. In December 2023, CCC unveiled its new 135,000-square-foot expansion (not including back-of-the-house space) that happened vertically instead of horizontally. Among the major highlights is a beautiful rooftop patio along with the 80,000-square-foot Bluebird Ballroom and a huge new catering kitchen with all the latest equipment.

Keystone Convention Center

If you are looking for a convention center surrounded by mountains, the most spacious option is Keystone Convention Center, which is owned and operated by Vail Resorts. It’s hard to beat stepping out the door and having access to the world-class ski and snowboard runs at Keystone Resort, which transitions into a playground for mountain biking, hiking, golf, mountaintop yoga, summer tubing and more in fair-weather months. In addition to having access to more than 100,000 square feet of gathering space at Keystone Convention Center, there is a selection of condominiums and hotels for groups to book, with more hotel room options coming on line soon.

The Broadmoor

This Colorado Springs property is world-renowned for good reason as it has consecutively earned Five Stars from Forbes Travel Guide and Five Diamonds from AAA longer than any property in the world. That is a huge accomplishment! Also key to making this top five meeting and conference venues in Colorado list is the fact that there is more than 315,000 square feet of meeting and event space (the newest being the 125,000-square-foot Bartolin Hall launched in 2021), numerous food and beverage outlets, and on-site activity selections like golf, tennis, pickleball, falconry, spa and more. Or book outings to Seven Falls and Manitou and Pikes Peak  Cog Railway, both owned by The Broadmoor. Or for something really memorable, small groups should consider booking two of The Broadmoor’s nearby Wilderness Experience properties: Cloud Camp and The Ranch at Emerald Valley. Lodging on the main campus includes 784 guest rooms, suites, cottages, brownstones, and the Estate House.

Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center

Heading back to the Denver Metropolitan area, the largest convention center hotel in Colorado in terms of function space (about 518,000 square feet) and accommodations (1,500 of guest rooms) is Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Aurora, which is Colorado’s third largest city. Opened in December 2018, the property has already added two huge lawns that are activated with lawn games, fireplaces and more; refreshed its central public space known as the Grand Lodge; is introducing the new Mountain Pavilion for events; and is changing up its food and dining offerings. In addition, large terraces have expanded two restaurants, broadening the possibilities for group functions.

Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel

Located on the pedestrian-only 16th Street Mall, Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel is the city proper’s largest convention hotel with more than 131,000 square feet of flexible meeting and exhibit spaces and 1,238 guest rooms and suites. In 2021, the Sheraton unveiled a top-to-bottom renovation and hasn’t stopped introducing new features since then. Among the latest additions are Topgolf Swing Suites and the Parlur event space. One of my favorite places in the hotel is Bezel, an upscale cocktail bar with a patio. With the A Line RTD train connecting Denver International Airport to Denver Union Station downtown and the Free MallRide bus, it is easy for attendees to get to the hotel or there are several transportation companies available for hire.

Check out these top five meeting and conference venues in Colorado for corporate events as well as other Destination Colorado Meetings members.

Top Photo: Embers Lodge Bar and Grand Lodge, courtesy Gaylord Rockies Resort

Colorado native Beth Buehler has been editor of Colorado Meetings + Events magazine for 19 years and helped launch Mountain Meetings magazine that was published for more than a decade as well as Southwest Meetings + Events. She has planned numerous meetings and events and enjoys exploring Colorado.