Plan a Conference

Bend was named one of the top 10 boomtowns and the top small cities for doing business by Inc. Magazine in 2007. And, American City Business Journals ranked Bend as the number one small-business climate for medium markets in 2005.

So, why is business better in Bend? Maybe it’s the crisp mountain air, the fresh powder ski days at Mt. Bachelor, or the chance to play rounds at 25 different golf courses in Central Oregon. Combine these recreation opportunities with dining experiences like The Blacksmith Restaurant (which was recently chosen by Conde Nast Traveler as one of “the world’s best new restaurants”), and daily direct flights from Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, and you have the makings of a vibrant business climate.

Just like back in the boomtown timber days, when the arrival of the railroad turned Bend into one of the fastest growing cities in the country, the buzz is out again about the mountain town that has it all, and new are businesses arriving daily.

While you may not have the option to pick up and move your company’s entire operation to Bend, you could move here for a week, by planning your next conference here.

Bend, Oregon is a place where state-of-the-art conference facilities are in walking distance to championship golf courses and on the banks of the roaring Deschutes River. Where having the recreation opportunities of the wilderness at your fingertips does not mean sacrificing the technology, accommodation and planning expertise your company needs to design a successful event.

Bend is home to the largest convention facility in Central Oregon. The Riverhouse Convention Center has over 30,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and can easily accommodate even the largest conferences, with space for concurrent meetings, meals and breakout sessions. The ballroom seats 1,000 people for sit-down dinners. The Riverhouse and surrounding Bend hotels offer luxurious accommodations, some with fireplaces and river views, as well as large workstations and data ports for all your business needs.

Mount Bachelor Village Resort has conference facilities and is located along Century Drive, the gateway to the Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway.

Your conference would not be complete without a fun and educational teambuilding trip lead by Wanderlust Tours, one of Bend, Oregon’s finest nature-based tour companies. Whether you’re a group of a hundred corporate executives or a small non-profit, Wanderlust can customize an adventure that will create affinity within your group and increase teamwork upon returning to the office.

One of Wanderlust’s most popular teambuilding excursions is a GPS eco-challenge—a hybrid of scavenger hunting and geocatching. Your group will find clues and solve puzzles that incorporate the natural, cultural and geological history of Central Oregon while exploring untracked, off-trail wilderness lands. Wanderlust can also take large groups to must-see destinations like Crater Lake or Newberry National Monument, or provide an intimate moon-lit canoe trip for your company’s VIPs.

Plan your next conference in Bend, Oregon and find out why in Bend, business is just better.