A Guide to Arizona Meetings: Exceed Expectations With the Unexpected

A Guide to Arizona Meetings: Exceed Expectations With the Unexpected

This content was created collaboratively by the Arizona Office of Tourism and Skift’s branded content studio, SkiftX.

Trends in leisure travel carry big implications for business events; after all, “bleisure” has become the buzzword among the meetings industry, with event professionals and destinations alike working to give conference-goers a reason to come early and stay late. There’s no reason to make attendees chase unique experiences outside of the agenda, though. Instead, forward-thinking organizers can weave them directly into the program to create a never-been-done-before feeling among every member of the audience.

Engagement can happen beyond education and networking — it can also occur through new places and shared experiences. Looking beyond big hotels in major metro areas during the site selection process can reveal the off-the-beaten-path magic that so many of today’s professionals crave.

This guide, produced in partnership with the Arizona Office of Tourism, offers a look at how to surprise and delight small groups with culturally-immersive experiences and adventures so extraordinary that attendees will put away their smartphones and soak in the surroundings.

We’ll look at topics including:

• Showing attendees how to experience, honor, and respect Indigenous cultures
• Identifying ways to inspire attendees to step outside their comfort zones and challenge themselves
• Reimagining the concept of team building to deliver truly transformative activities that create a powerful sense of unity among participants
• Unlocking a new sense of in-the-moment magic by helping attendees reconsider how they manage their digital devices