While Colorado is well-known for its majestic peaks and western friendliness, meeting and event planners may be surprised at the large number of sports venues that double as valuable meeting and event spaces. Whether organizing a corporate outing, team-building activity, board meeting, fundraiser, or summer picnic, these versatile venues combine the excitement of sports with impressive modern facilities.
Boulder & Fort Collins
Colorado’s two largest public universities, University of Colorado Boulder (CU) and Colorado State University (CSU), have football stadiums that provide stellar possibilities for groups. The CU Buffaloes’ Folsom Field dates to 1924, while the CSU Ram’s Canvas Stadium opened in 2017.
Folsom Field has a seating capacity of just over 50,000 and meeting and event space that can host 10 to 650 attendees. The largest space is the Rooftop Terrace & Lounge situated atop the Champions Center, with the open-air portion covering nearly 14,000 square feet and the Lounge encompassing about 1,600 square feet. The Byron R. White Club Level has floor-to-ceiling windows, a spacious lobby, and north and south sides that can be rented separately or together. For more intimate affairs, there are stadium suites located on the east side of Folsom Field.
“With unparalleled venues within a historic football stadium, Folsom Field Events provides a unique opportunity to create a memorable event,” says Chandler Barone, director of special events and premium venues. “Folsom Field is the ideal setting whether you are hosting a conference, banquet dinner, birthday party, wedding, or even a surprise proposal.”
Canvas Field in Fort Collins has several indoor and outdoor options that serve 12 to 1,200 meeting-goers with CSU Ram hospitality. The largest are the New Belgium Porch on the field level, for receptions of up to 1,200 guests, and the fourth-floor Stadium Club with three built-in bars, 27 flatscreen TVs, and the ability to host 500 seated for a meal. Other options include the Rams Club, OCR Sideline Field Club, Markley Family Hall of Champions, and three meeting rooms.
Colorado Springs
Colorado’s second-largest city has significantly expanded and improved its sports venue offerings as part of the City for Champions initiative. Colorado College’s 130,000-square-foot Ed Robson Arena is a multipurpose ice rink and sports venue that opened in September 2021 and has arena seating for 3,400. The ice can be covered with flooring for a wide range of gatherings to hold a maximum of 5,650 attendees. Organizers can take advantage of the audiovisual equipment and a large, four-screen Jumbotron video cube hanging above the rink. The Chapman Room and Club Level are also available to rent.
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, a professional soccer team in the USL Championship league, began playing at Weidner Field in 2015 and invested $3.5 million to improve the city-owned facility that reopened in March 2021. With over 111,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, Weidner Field has 8,000 stadium seats and can host gatherings ranging from 20 for small meetings to 15,000 for concerts and special events. In addition to the field, there are three patios, three club spaces, and a concourse available for groups.
Rocky Mountain Vibes are part of Major League Baseball’s Pioneer League and play at the 15-acre UCHealth Park. Book the field, banquet hall, pavilion-style Coca-Cola Courtyard, and luxury suites for all sorts of gatherings.
Denver Area
With the Denver Nuggets winning the NBA finals for the first time this year, the Colorado Avalanche securing the NHL’s Stanley Cup last year, and the Colorado Mammoth bringing home the National Lacrosse League Cup last year and competing in the finals this year, Ball Arena is a compelling venue. There is an air of success and celebration in the walls of this five-level, 675,000-square-foot facility that hosts all three teams. The venue and teams are owned by Denver-based Kroenke Sports & Entertainment.
Ball Arena in downtown Denver has also hosted scores of concerts, corporate events, and more. The venue seats up to 20,000 guests for performances and other large events and slightly fewer for sporting competitions. The arena floor, Colorado Social, Breckenridge Brewery Mountain House, Truly Club, Club Lexus, Continental Divide, and Aspen and Summit conference rooms are available for booking.
Kroenke Sports & Entertainment also owns the MLS’s Colorado Rapids and the soccer team’s home field, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City. In addition to an 18,000-seat stadium and a 24-field soccer complex, the Executive Club, Summit Club, Victory Crossing conference room, suites, and concourses are available for picnics, team building, business meetings, and the like.
It’s hard to beat the classic, heart-of-downtown baseball stadium vibe at Coors Field on a sunny, blue-sky day. At Coors Field, home of MLB’s Colorado Rockies, meeting and event planners can tap a wide range of spaces, with the largest being the Main Concourse, The Rooftop, and Club Level. Other great options include the Toyota Clubhouse, Visitor’s Clubhouse, SandLot Brewery, PNC Press Club, Super Suites Conference Center, and Mountain Ranch Club. Enhancements available include visits by the team’s mascot and former players, branding on the scoreboard, behind-the-scenes stadium tours, and speed pitch and batting cages.
Empower Field at Mile High, the site of the NFL’s Denver Broncos football games, has just over 76,000 seats on five levels, 144 luxury suites, and more than 200,000 square feet of indoor event space that hosts groups of 75 to 10,000. This year, a scoreboard totaling 24,500 square feet (the fourth largest in the NFL) is being installed and a new event space, the 9,040-square-foot Breckenridge Bourbon Club on the field level, is slated for completion in September. Also, four new LED video boards are being installed in both United Club Lounges.
“Not only will these updates enhance the fan experience on game day, but they will also enhance private event bookings, especially with technology. We have a lot of new experiences and about $100 million in upgrades,” confirms Director of Special Events Anna Marie Martinez.
The stadium hosts approximately 200 private events a year—and for good reason. “Per our surveys, groups book because of [the] convenient-to-access stadium, central location, free parking, all-inclusive packages, unique spaces, and experiences,” Martinez says. “Depending on the event, some groups may hire Miles the Mascot, cheerleaders, Stadium Stampede (drumline), or Broncos alumni.”
Infinity Park in Glendale may be the locale for games featuring the American Raptors rugby team, but it’s also known for top-notch meeting and event space. One of the major highlights of Infinity Park Event Center is the 8,600-square-foot International Ballroom with 360 degrees of customizable digital screens. Smaller spaces include the Try Club and two conference rooms overlooking the rugby pitch.
Loveland
North of Denver on Interstate 25, Budweiser Events Center at The Ranch Events Complex is a 6,800-seat venue home to the American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles. This multipurpose facility also hosts other sporting events, rodeos, concerts, exhibitions, and more. Budweiser Events Center is part of a larger 374,000-square-foot fairground complex.
What makes these places so special for groups? Game-day energy is in the air, team memorabilia provides an inspiring backdrop, and memorable add-ons are available for a winning meeting or event.
