Mount Bachelor, located just southwest of Bend, Oregon, had its earliest ski-season start in 26 years, formally opening the slopes on Nov. 15, 2024, two full weeks ahead of schedule. If planners are looking to get in on the action, consider gathering for a day of team building amid the powder, or hosting on-site at a nearby venue.
The closest venue, Mount Bachelor Ski Resort, is located on the northern side of the mountain and offers an on-site dedicated events team to work with planners on arranging anything from intimate corporate retreats to large multiday festivals. It contains two base lodges with space for events, and group activities range from skiing and dogsledding to snowshoeing. There are no overnight accommodations on the mountain, although lodging can be found in nearby Bend.
Lodging options in Bend include The Oxford Hotel Bend, a sustainability-forward, AAA Four-Diamond property with 59 guest rooms, many of which feature stunning views of the distant Cascade Mountains. Here, meeting planners will find 2,460 square feet of function space along with in-house audiovisual technology and custom catering through the on-site restaurant, Roam. Attendees might then hop on the Cascades East Transit Mount Bachelor ski bus that departs from Hawthorne Station (located just across Bend Parkway from the hotel) and heads up to Mount Bachelor Ski Resort, arriving in about 30 minutes.
Another option is the Campfire Hotel, which is right next to Hawthorne Station in Bend and features 100 guest rooms and a 1,000-square-foot designated meeting space, with additional venues available for rental such as the pool and fire pit areas. For larger gatherings, Riverhouse Lodge features a conference and events center located just north of downtown Bend that provides 41,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space for up to 1,600 attendees. Other notable venues in Bend include Aspen Hall, 10 Barrel Brewing Eastside, Willamette Valley Vineyards’ tasting room, and the High Desert Museum, among several others.