Direct Flights, Diverse Wildlife Make Anchorage a Larger-Than-Life Meeting Destination
Finding the ideal meeting venue means answering a long list of key questions: What potential locations are both within reach and within budget? Which of those destinations features both high-quality urban accommodations and an exhilarating range of unique entertainment and recreation opportunities?
The answer is Anchorage.
Alaska’s largest community combines the accessibility of a first-tier airport with the affordability of a second-tier city and all the adventure to be found within thousands of acres of world-class wilderness. In Anchorage, the options are as expansive as the state itself.
Access by Air
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is served by more than three dozen airlines with ties around the globe, and regular direct flights travel to Anchorage from major cities like Minneapolis, Chicago, HoHSeattle, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Denver. In the summer, when the days grow long, the number of direct flights grows, too, with direct connections from San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Frankfurt, Reykjavik, and elsewhere joining the list.
For traveling delegates and other event attendees, Anchorage’s natural beauty, culture, and culinary offerings make it an appealing meeting destination – and the multitude of flight options make it easy to get here throughout the year.
Anchorage is equidistant from Tokyo and New York City and within nine-and-a-half hours of 90 percent of the industrialized world, making it one of the busiest air cargo hubs in the world. Exhibitors can ship with ease.
Northern Hospitality
Just minutes from the airport guests are greeted with an array of premium hotels and other accommodations. Find rooms with views of buzzing Lake Hood Seaplane Base, the busiest seaplane base in the world, historic downtown Anchorage or Mount Susitna, the purple-sloped peak known locally as “Sleeping Lady.”
A new 5-star hotel is scheduled to break ground across the street from the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts this spring. The Anchorage Hotel Indigo – with 150 rooms and onsite dining and retail options – will sit within blocks of Anchorage’s main convention spaces and largest office buildings.
Other accommodations range from boutique B&Bs to a mountainside resort a short, scenic drive south of Anchorage.
And when it comes to dining options, Anchorage meeting attendees won’t be disappointed. Neighborhood restaurants and food trucks serve a variety of international cuisines and local flavors, from Filipino plates to reindeer hotdogs. Fine dining options are just as plentiful: In the hands of Anchorage’s award-winning local chefs, fresh-caught Alaska seafood, succulent Alaska-grown produce, and wild local game provide a tantalizing taste of the Last Frontier.
Best of Both Worlds
While urban Anchorage offers all the amenities and conference space necessary to host major conventions and meetings for large national organizations, lush Alaska wildlands still surround the city on all sides. Urban amenities are wrapped up in more public parkland than any other major city in the United States. Arriving visitors are met with sweeping views of the Chugach Mountains, the glittering expanse of Cook Inlet, and the stream-striped stretch of the Anchorage Bowl.
For meeting delegates, that means sessions in the morning and adventure in the afternoon. Options include everything from glacier hikes to whale-watching tours. With 1,500 resident moose, hundreds of miles of local trails, and 60 glaciers within 50 miles, Anchorage has something for everyone. Delegates can enjoy live music at downtown Anchorage parks and patios, or immerse themselves in Alaska art and culture via celebrated local galleries, the renowned Anchorage Museum, and the Alaska Native Heritage Center.
Participate in a morning panel discussion, find yourself exploring one of the largest state parks in America at lunch, then be back in town in time to spot the northern lights from one of the city’s many scenic overlooks.
What meeting destinations offer this combination of accessibility, affordability, adventure and natural allure? The answer is as clear as the glacier-fed streams flowing through the city: It’s Anchorage.
To start planning your meeting in Anchorage, contact Visit Anchorage Convention Sales Manager Andrea Schmidt at (907) 257-2317 or [email protected]
