Fun and Games for Meetings and Events in Colorado

By Beth Buehler

All work and no play can make any gathering dull and forgettable. While it can be a productive approach, it leaves little chance for meaningful connections to form between attendees and provides slim motivation to take time away from home and the office next time. What is a planner to do?

Colorado provides the perfect backdrop and outstanding partners to make fun and games for meetings and events a reality. There are casinos, golf-related activities and outdoor adventures, as well as life-sized games and art activities that can be brought to any venue. Ski resorts are prime locations for built-in fun like skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking and adventure parks. Or head to ranches for a taste of western activities or perhaps even a private rodeo at Flying W Ranch.

Here are several ideas for consideration when booking fun and games for meetings and events held in Colorado.

Casino Action

Three Colorado casinos located in smaller communities that are surrounded by mountain peaks offer groups an enviable selection of fun and games for meetings and events. All offer gaming floors for attendees to test their luck during free time, along with various restaurant choices, comfortable accommodations and function spaces, and other welcome amenities like spas and salons.

Located only 45 minutes from downtown Denver in Black Hawk, Monarch Casino Resort Spa – Black Hawk can host groups of up to 200 guests, has outdoor rooftop event space with sky high views, an enclosed rooftop pool and bar, and a spa that features various lounges, herbal steam rooms, an ice fountain, Mountain Stonebath and more. Just south of historic Durango in the Four Corners region of southwest Colorado, Sky Ute Casino in Ignacio can accommodate up to 2,000 for banquets, concerts, conferences and similar events and approximately 800 for a sit-down dinner. There is an indoor pool and fitness center along with a 24-lane bowling alley, arcade and miniature golf course.

The state’s newest casino and hotel combination, Chamonix Casino Hotel in Cripple Creek, opened late last year and features approximately 7,400 total square feet of meeting and event space. A salon, spa, rooftop heated pool, fitness center and four food and beverage outlets reflect this property’s Las Vegas ownership roots.

Golf, Games & Team Building

Not only does Tom’s Watch Bar at Coors Field provide a great way to watch Colorado Rockies baseball and other sports, their Topgolf Swing Suites have simulator bays that have a variety of virtual games such as the popular Topgolf target game, zombie dodgeball, hockey shots and baseball pitching paired with lounge seating and food and beverage service. Tom’s Watch Bar can host groups of up to 1,000, and enhancements like arcade games, photo booths and casino games are available. Hotels like Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, Grand Hyatt Vail and Sheraton Denver Downtown also have on-site Topgolf Swing Suites.

If you want to hit the links for real, play a round at the public Vail Golf Club and book the Vail Golf & Nordic Clubhouse that features a banquet room that holds up to 160 guests, outdoor lawn, covered patio and views of the Gore Range mountains. There also is a driving range, practice area, golf swing analysis and Grill on the Gore restaurant. When snow blankets Vail Golf Club, it becomes the full-service Vail Nordic Center with equipment rentals and 17K of groomed Nordic trails, 10K of snowshoe trails, 13K of fat bike trails.

Rent-A-Theme Entertainment (R.A.T.E.) in Denver offers the convenience of bringing games to trade shows, meetings, experiential marketing events and more. The business provides play experiences that can help generate optimism, empower teams and encourage connections. Speaking of golf, R.A.T.E.’s Golf N Games experience includes a portable mini golf course with up to nine holes that is customizable and available in fall, pretty in pink, tropical oasis and winter wonderland themes.

Or book life-size Legos, chess boards, Battleship, Operation and other huge games through R.A.T.E. to create a wonderland of play. Surprise attendees with the Glow Crazy Play Experience that includes five glow games along with black light trees, backdrops and more. How about a giant inflatable movie screen? This package includes a 22-foot inflatable indoor or outdoor movie screen, high-definition projector and surround-sound stereo system. Possible add-ons include a popcorn machine, ticket booth and opening night LED marque and microphone.

Also based in Denver, The TEAMBuilding Company provides fun and games for meetings and events in Colorado that have a laser focus on interaction and immersion to elevate the goals, theme and overall focus of a gathering. There are both turnkey and custom team-building options, corporate social responsibility activities and off-site Colorado experiences such as whitewater rafting, guided snowmobile tours, camping excursions and more.

Adventures & Art

Located 30 minutes west of Denver in Conifer, Denver Adventures and Zipline Tours has long and fast ziplines and a broad selection of guided activities such as hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, snowshoeing and whitewater rafting. Whether it’s for a team-building excursion, corporate event, sales incentive trip or any type of group outing with more than 10 participants, attendees will remember their Rocky Mountain escapades. Colorado Best Beers is located on site, so groups can unwind after an adrenaline-filled day with Colorado brews and whiskeys and axe throwing.

Adrenaline-filled excursions aren’t for everyone, so consider providing immersive art options on the activity menu. Elevated Art Experience has been partnering with luxury resorts and hotels across Colorado and throughout the U.S. for 20 years to provide works focused on western-inspired pendants, silk ties and scarves, Colorado-inspired paintings, pool bags, T-shirts and more. Groups of three to 350- plus guests can be accommodated by Elevated Art Experience.

Take your gathering from drab to fab by booking it in Colorado and integrating all sorts of fun and games that are sure to entertain and start conversations.

Colorado native Beth Buehler has been editor of Colorado Meetings + Events magazine for 19 years, helped launch Mountain Meetings magazine, and was on the team that introduced Southwest Meetings + Events. She has planned numerous meetings and events and enjoys exploring Colorado.