Top Reasons to Meet in Greater Palm Springs
There are plenty of reasons to meet in the storied Southern California resort oasis of Palm Springs. Here are a few that just might surprise you.
1. Easy Air Access. SmarterTravel.com named Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) one of its 10 Most Stress-Free Airports in America, and for good reason—with open-air walkways, lushly landscaped courtyards, and fewer crowds, PSP is far from frenzied. The airport now offers 12 airlines (including Southwest!) flying nonstop to 28 destinations and connecting to more than 500 destinations worldwide. New nonstop flights this year make it even easier to enjoy a sunny Southern California winter. Whether you’re flying in to PSP or catching Interstate 10 from Southern California and neighboring states, getting here is a breeze.
2. Safer Together, Greater Together Pledge. In Greater Palm Springs, safer—and sunnier—meetings are always on the agenda. More than 450 hotels, resorts, restaurants, attractions, venues, and businesses have taken a destination-wide pledge to uphold the latest health and safety standards established by the State of California and leading industry associations. Your attendees can relax, meet with peace of mind, and feel confident that Greater Palm Springs remains a healthy, positive, and inclusive destination for all.
3. Unique Venues & Outdoor Meeting Spaces. Let Mother Nature host your next meeting. Wide-open spaces, breathtaking scenery, and warm weather year-round make Greater Palm Springs the perfect setting for alfresco events and activities. Plus, many hotels and resorts feature expansive patios, gardens, courtyards, and grassy lawns so groups can get down to business outside the board room. Imagine socially distanced yoga breaks beneath the palms, brainstorming sessions by the pool, star-lit receptions nestled at the base of spectacular mountains, and everything in between. You can also get a behind-the-scenes look at some of Greater Palm Springs’ outdoor meeting spaces and venues in the original video series “Find Your Meeting Oasis.”
4. Reimagined Accommodations and Renovations. Several new properties and exciting hotel renovations are breathing new life into Greater Palm Springs meetings. Tap into more than $2 billion of fresh and revitalized hotel venues, including newer options like the Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs Hotel and Hotel Paseo, and reimagined sites such as Hyatt Regency Indian Wells Resort & Spa, which recently debuted its new HyTides Plunge Waterpark, or JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, where they’ve completely transformed the lobby, guest rooms, and event spaces.
5. Wide-Open Spaces and Off-the-Grid Activities. Surrounded by awe-inspiring mountains and sweeping desert landscape, Greater Palm Springs offers plenty of room to roam before or after your meeting. Add a little adrenaline to the agenda with a group outing at the revved-up BMW Performance Center West, where instructors challenge drivers to race past their comfort zones. Go galactic with an out-of-this-world stargazing trek in Joshua Tree National Park. Or gain new perspectives by straddling the San Andreas Fault on a footbridge.
6. Game-Changing Action. Score high marks with unique activities such as Empire Polo Club’s golf cart polo. Outfitted with helmets and mallets, attendees take to the turf in carts driven by pro players. Or “rough it” with a round of footgolf at The Lights at Indio Golf Course or Desert Willow. In this hybrid game of soccer-meets-golf, players target 21-inch-diameter cups with a regulation soccer ball as they make their way across the golf course.
7. Thriving Arts & Culture Scene. There’s plenty to do and see year-round for attendees with a creative streak. Consider Greater Palm Springs’ world-class museums and art galleries, not to mention the treasure trove of midcentury modern architecture. Book a private group tour to learn more about these Desert Modernist gems or rent a bike and cycle through some of the historic Palm Springs neighborhoods. You’ll also find dozens of beautiful murals, like the Coachella Walls, and public art installations throughout each of the destination’s nine cities.
8. Health & Wellness Experiences. Long regarded as a mecca for wellness beginning with the sacred hot spring used by the Cahuilla Indians for thousands of years, Greater Palm Springs continues to be a place of healing and natural beauty, offering groups a chance to reconnect with nature, decompress, and recharge. Whether it’s soaking in natural hot mineral springs, exploring hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails or simply enjoying the wide-open spaces and fresh air, attendees will find countless ways to balance and boost their energy, even on work days. Sign up for a local outdoor fitness class, find your flow during yoga on the lawn or at the park, then refuel with something fresh; several Greater Palm Springs restaurants make sustainable, thoughtful food a priority, with some hotels and venues even using locally sourced ingredients for group events or setting up juice bars in breakout spaces.
9. Year-Round Destination. With over 300 days of sunshine each year, Greater Palm Springs is the perfect destination in any season. Winter highs reach the 70s, while spring and fall temperatures hover in the 80s. Even summer is pure bliss. Simply schedule indoor day sessions, break for a pool party with umbrella drinks, and then reconvene for alfresco dining affairs blanketed by stars. You can even hop aboard the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which climbs all the way to the 8,516-foot Mountain Station, where temperatures are usually 30 to 40 degrees cooler.
