Providing a spectacular view for attendees might seem like a nice-to-have, noncritical extra. But seeing a pretty lake or a snowcapped mountain might well be inspiring emotions in your guests, notes Jake Haupert, co-founder of the Transformational Travel Council and Institute in Seattle, Washington.
He says, “In our research, the power of awe; wonder; and wild, remote places inherently shifts our minds, opens our hearts, and even makes us feel alive. Digging a little deeper, when human beings feel a sense of awe and wonder, they release the feel-good hormone, oxytocin. In the context of travel and events, through transformative experience design, we can help people connect with self, with each other, with nature and systems, and even shift behaviors.” People take care of what they love, he says, “making our events and our industry an amazing catalyst for change in our lives and our world.”
Changing lives and connecting people is a lot to ask from a view. But if any views can do it, those in the Northwest can. The region is blessed with venues that showcase mountains, rivers, the Pacific Ocean, and sprawling lush, green forests. Urban hubs that dot the landscape offer sprawling, remarkable skylines that might just mesmerize attendees, too. Read on to learn about a few of the special places to hold transformative and productive meetings.
Members of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) Western Chapter in Cody, Wyoming, saw some special views while holding a recent meeting near its hometown. The travel industry group recieved a cowboy dinner of steak, baked beans, and cobbler at K3 Guest Ranch Bed & Breakfast while admiring nearby Carter Mountain, located in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The mountain is known for bighorn sheep, elk, and pronghorn. K3 is 44 miles from Cody’s city center, and organizers were able to charter the old-fashioned Cody Trolley for transport. Tom Mesereau, co-owner of Mesereau Travel Public Relations and the SATW meeting organizer, enjoyed working with ranch owner Jerry Kincaid and his two sons. “One member called Jerry the embodiment of Cody warmth and cowboy character,” Mesereau says. “Another said the cookout and ranch really set the stage for a Western experience, and the mountains completed it.”
For wilderness views, consider holding your meeting at Alyeska Resort, farther north in Girdwood, Alaska, located 40 minutes from Anchorage. Its Columbia Ballroom features floor-to-ceiling windows framing the surrounding mountains and accommodates 75 to 300 people, depending on the room setup and event type. “For those traveling from out of state, Alaska is often a bucket-list destination that lives up to the hype,” says Arab Ginnett, director of special events and partnerships at the resort. “Even locals find that attending a meeting here is a special experience. The feedback we get from groups consistently highlights how these views add a unique and inspiring touch to any event.”
Make your meeting even more memorable by taking the tram to the resort’s mountaintop Seven Glaciers restaurant. “It’s a favorite for clients who want to book the entire venue for exclusive dinner events,” says Ginnett. “For programs looking to indulge in incredible food, an exquisite wine list, and enjoy views of seven hanging glaciers, Seven Glaciers is the place to be.” Alyeska is open year-round and also offers a Nordic spa, skiing, and e-bike tours. In summer, participants can team build by crossing Alyeska’s sky bridges, which sway 2,500 feet above the valley floor.
Back in the Lower 48, one of the country’s most beautiful views is the Columbia River cutting a deep blue gorge along the border between Washington and Oregon. Several venues punctuate the riverbanks, including The Griffin House in Hood River, Oregon. It perches 300 feet above the Columbia River and can seat up to 175 guests for events. “The view is soulful and profound,” says CEO Marlowe Griffin-Lyddon.
“It stops you in your tracks and never gets old, no matter how many times you stand there looking out. It changes by the day and by the season, and it never fails to make the heart beat a little faster.” Across the river in Stevenson, Washington, Wind Mountain Ranch looks out on the river and provides striking views of nearby forests, mountains, and rolling meadows, depending on which way you look. The ranch can host events of up to 200 people with capacity for 35 to stay overnight.
To the northwest, groups that really want to get away can take a ferry from Seattle, Washington, and gather at Lakedale on San Juan Island. “When groups are here, they can take all 10 rooms in the lodge and have free run of any activities they choose within the lodge itself,” says Karl Bruno, Lakedale’s general manager. The lodge sits in a forest just steps from Neva Lake, a good spot to watch waterfowl and other wildlife. “The stillness of the property lends itself to unwinding and enjoying nature at its best,” says Bruno. Designated meeting spaces include indoor and outdoor options, with its expanded lodge deck able to accommodate up to 150 eventgoers. Available activities include yoga, karaoke, bocce ball, and sitting around the fire pit in Adirondack chairs.
While many people love to escape into nature, planners shouldn’t discount the city views available from some of the best urban Northwest meeting venues. “A panoramic city view can do wonders as well,” says Haupert. “The key is that we tap into the sense of feeling small [in relation to the surrounding landscape], which has a way of reducing stress, increasing clarity and calm, and working from potential rather than focusing on problems.”
The Sheraton Grand Seattle’s 300-capacity Cirrus Ballroom overlooks Puget Sound from the 35th floor. “Most everyone is thrilled when they have that room,” says Marc Jackson, assistant event operations manager at the hotel. “It’s my favorite place to hold events—that is the best view we have.”
Also in Seattle, the Hyatt Regency Lake Washington At Seattle’s Southport offers floor-to-ceiling windows that look out on Lake Washington, the Seattle skyline, and the Olympic Mountain range, complete with snowcapped peaks year-round. “The view from our docks showcases the unique, tranquil location in which we sit,” says Melissa Woodley, director of sales, events, and marketing at the Hyatt hotel. “The serene water and stunning backdrop allow attendees to unwind, recharge, feel energized, and focus on the event at hand.” Attendees might relax in blue Adirondack chairs while watching the sun rise or set, get a spa treatment, and arrive at the dock by seaplane.
The Hyatt Regency Lake Washington prides itself on a strong wellness program as well. Aaron Wyche, events coordinator for the Seattle-based nonprofit Casey Family Programs that focuses on child welfare, recently organized an event there. “With wellness being our main theme for this year’s retreat, the Hyatt Regency Lake Washington was an absolute hit,” he says. “The hotel’s newly established Zen Den was the perfect pairing with our wellness theme, providing a space of serenity that our staff never experienced in past events.”
The JW Marriott Parq Vancouver located in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, features 60,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor meeting and event space. On the sixth floor, the signature rooftop park is the ideal setting to host private events with nature and lush greenery integrated throughout. From this level, attendees can take in views of False Creek and the Vancouver skyline. “The sixth-floor rooftop park space in particular provides an unparalleled perspective of the city of Vancouver,” says Laura Breuer, director of event planning at the hotel and its sister property, The Douglas, Autograph Collection.
In Oregon, The Ritz-Carlton, Portland, lets meeting planners impress attendees with access to a dazzling event backdrop: the pointy, snowcapped Mount Hood. These mountain views are complemented by remarkable skyline panoramas of downtown Portland. The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom boasts large windows for natural light and can host up to 806 people theater-style. Other spaces include the Eliot Ballroom, the Newton Clark room, the Sandy room, and the Palmer room, among others.
Some views are special for other reasons. The Stueckle Sky Center at Boise State University in Boise, Idaho, draws people who appreciate the school’s famous blue turf football field at Albertsons Stadium. This unusual color choice dates to 1986 when Boise State Athletic Director Gene Bleymaier was looking for ways to create a distinctive identity for the team. The center’s most popular event space, the Double R Ranch Room, directly overlooks the blue gridiron. “Many of our out-of-town guests want to get a view of the blue,” notes Allison Hevner, director of events for the center. “The Double R Ranch Room provides a perfect photo opportunity.”
In Anchorage, Alaska, groups can meet at the Alaska Aviation Museum’s Merril Field Tower. The tower has a capacity of 48 and features a bird’s-eye view of nearby floatplane takeoffs and landings.
When you’re considering meeting venues, don’t forget to scope out the view. “Conferences, meetings, and gatherings are inherently about purpose, innovation, and human connection, all of which can be stoked by creating the fertile conditions necessary to drive such powerful results,” says Haupert. “There is so much data out there supporting that holding meetings and gatherings outside expands the minds. But if inside, letting natural light in and providing a soul-stirring view can do wonders.”
alaskaairmuseum.org
alyeskaresort.com
broncosports.com
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hyatt.com
k3guestranch.com
lakedale.com
marriott.com
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