What's New in Meetings

Winter 2025

 

RESORT ROUNDUP
  • Fairmont Scottsdale Princess' Toro restaurant has been completely remodeled and features an updated menu that takes diners on a culinary journey through Asia and South America. Rich leather accents, lush greenery and scenic views of the TPC Scottsdale’s 18th hole create an elegant backdrop for specialties like hangar steak with Argentinean chimichurri, Cusco Chicken dressed in criolla salsa, fresh poke bowls, sushi options, and sandwiches, including the popular Toro Dog – a Fripper’s all-beef frank topped with black beans, bacon morita chile jam, chipotle mayo, pico de gallo and escabeche on a brioche bun.
  • At The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, Antidote is an exclusive new bar experience offering exquisite mountain views and patio seating for lunch, dinner and late-night fun. On the menu, guests can choose from a variety of shareable plates (think Scottsdale Hot Chicken Wings, fried shrimp and calamari, and Adobo Pork Bao Buns), as well as salads, tacos, burgers and more. Antidote’s craft cocktail list includes the spicy Don’t Call it a Dry Heat, which gets its kick from pepper puree and Hellfire habanero bitters, and the Anecdotal Old Fashioned with nopal cactus.
  • Old Town’s iconic Hotel Valley Ho and its signature restaurant, ZuZu, are now Blue Zones Project Approved™. “We’re thrilled to be part of the Blue Zones Community® and to be the first hotel in Arizona that is Blue Zones Project Approved™,” said Ronen Aviram, Hotel Valley Ho’s vice president and general manager. “We’re always eager to work with our local community and are looking forward to this partnership with Blue Zones Project® as we strive to provide our guests and employees healthier options for dining and activities.”

Hotel Valley Ho has integrated several Blue Zones Project® practices around the property, including bike storage to encourage employees to bike to work, daily salad bar offerings, charity and community engagement opportunities, and much more. At ZuZu, health-conscious dining options have been added to both the brunch and dinner menus, and are noted by the Blue Zones Project® logo. Some of the items include Power Loaded Sweet Potato, Roasted Honey Nut Squash and Mushroom Bolognese. The Blue Zones Project® is an initiative designed to make healthy choices easier through changes in human-made surroundings, policy systems, and social networks. Their mission is to empower people to live longer and better through environmental and behavioral changes.

DOWNTIME DIVERSIONS
  • Add some Western flair to your next event with Rancher Hat Bar or Torched Elegance Mobile Hat Bar. Rancher Hat Bar, which offers both an Old Town storefront and a mobile option for large groups, can accommodate up to 600 guests. Your customers can choose their hat style, select decorative accessories like bands and charms, and even have their hat adorned with a custom brand. Torched Elegance is a mobile-only hat bar services that brings the creativity to your resort or venue. Cowboy and trucker hats, beanies and bridal-themed hats are among the options. Choose your hat, then decorate it with an array of ribbons, feathers, jewelry, brands and patches.
  • Pickleball is taking the nation by storm! If you’d like to incorporate this exciting sport into your next Scottsdale program, Pickleball Plug is here to help. This Arizona-based and veteran-owned business can deliver and set up temporary pickleball courts anywhere with a flat surface. Best of all, they take care of all the details, including nets, paddles, balls and fencing. Lighting, tournament management, clinics, and sub flooring for grass, dirt and gravel also are available.
  • Explore Scottsdale with Rides N Motion, which offers electric bike and scooter rentals for individuals and groups. Perfect for exploring Old Town, the Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt and other scenic areas around town, Rides N Motion offers RadRover, RadMini and Phat Scooter brands among others. Guided tours also are available.
  • Body & Brain Wellness leads individuals and teams toward healthier, more balanced lives through Aura reading activation, brain breaks, body and brain Yoga, Tai chi, immersive wellness experiences and dynamic speakers. Their mission is to equip attendees with practical strategies to integrate wellness into their daily lives, which fosters long-term health, productivity and fulfillment. Team-building retreats, wellness retreats and workshops are among the available options.
SIP & SAVOR
  • Élephante, the Italian hotspot which quickly rose to fame in Santa Monica, California, is now open at Scottsdale Fashion Square. Exclusive to the Scottsdale location are Bar Bambino, an intimate cocktail lounge, and an expanded selection of dips for Élephante’s signature wood-fired puccia, a puffed, soft bread from Italy’s Puglia region. Designed by Nick Mathers, founder of Wish You Were Here Group, Élephante transports guests to islands off the Sicilian coast.
  • COURSE Restaurant, led by “Chopped” Champion Chef Cory Oppold, was recognized as one of Yelp’s Best New Restaurants of 2024, ranking No. 7 nationwide and the only Arizona restaurant to make the list. Known for its 5- and 8-course dinners, as well as the 6-course Morning Would Sunday brunch, COURSE recently launched “of • COURSE,” a Sunday-dinner special menu series designed to take guests on a multi-course adventure through different themes.
  • True Food Kitchen is case in point that healthy eating can be both delicious and immensely satisfying. Located at Scottsdale Quarter, True Food Kitchen was developed in partnership with best-selling author Dr. Andrew Weil. The restaurant features a globally inspired, seasonal menu that appeals to people of all ages seeking a more balanced lifestyle. Highlights include grass-fed burgers, sourdough pizzas, True Crisp’d air-fried chicken and decadent desserts. The pure flavors of quality local and regional ingredients combine to create dishes that taste great while nourishing your mind, body and spirit.
  • North Scottsdale’s upscale Italian steakhouse, The Americanohas launched a new menu curated by Food Network stars and longtime collaborators, Beau MacMillan and Peter McQuaid. The revamped menu encapsulates the core elements of The Americano’s identity, including prime steaks, house-made pasta and Mediterranean seafood, with diverse offerings for Scottsdale’s discerning palate. It features new showstopping touches to enhance the guest experience, like the immersive tableside mozzarella, where hand-stretched mozzarella is crafted into a beautiful starting dish from just a few high-quality ingredients. Guests can also expect a rotating selection of seasonal chef-driven features inspired by its signature wood-fired grill.
PLANNING RESOURCES
  • The digital 2025 Scottsdale Meeting & Travel Planners Guide is now available! Designed for meeting planners and tour/travel professionals, the Scottsdale Meeting & Travel Planners Guide is a comprehensive planning resource. In addition to information on hotels and resorts, meeting spaces, off-site event venues and complimentary planning tools, the guide includes ideas for unique theme events, outstanding incentive programs, itinerary building and ideas for incorporating Old Town and the Sonoran Desert into programs. As with previous editions and based on client feedback indicating a shift away from print materials, the guide is digital-only for 2025 and is available in downloadable PDF and digital flipbook formats.
EVENTS
  • Every year, Scottsdale Western Week restokes the embers of the city’s rich cultural heritage. Held Jan. 25 to Feb. 2, 2025, Western Week boasts a number of events including Westen Week on the Bridge, the arrival of the Pony Express riders, Parada del Sol Parade and Trail’s End Festival, Arizona Indian Festival and a Gold Palette ArtWalk.
  • Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani will co-headline the Concert in the Coliseum at the TPC Scottsdale’s 16th hole to kick off the 2025 WM Phoenix Open. The concert is a 21-and-over event and takes place on Feb.1, 2025.
  • Speaking of which, the PGA TOUR’s top competitors hit the links at the WM Phoenix Open Feb. 3-9, 2025. The Open is home to the largest and most enthusiastic crowds in golf as well as the most iconic hole on the PGA TOUR — the 16th hole Coliseum at TPC Scottsdale. A WM Phoenix Open Tradition, the Coors Light Birds Nest rocks fans with four nights of live music, Feb. 5-8, 2025.
  • Since 1955, the Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show has set the pace in the Arabian horse world. Held at WestWorld of Scottsdale Feb. 13-23, 2025, the show features nearly 2,400 horses and brings top owners, trainers and breeders from around the world to compete.
  • Major League Baseball swings into town Feb. 20 through March 25, 2025 for Cactus League Spring Training. Scottsdale is home to two stadiums – Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, where the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks play, and Scottsdale Stadium in Old Town, host to the San Francisco Giants.
  • New this year, Scottsdale Ferrari Art Week takes place March 20-23, 2025 and will unite nearly 100 leading art galleries from across the nation and around the globe at WestWorld of Scottsdale. The event highlights art history in the Southwest region, introducing gallerists, collectors and enthusiasts to the area’s artistic talent through exhibitions, fashion and cultural programming. The week’s festivities will also include events at the Phoenix Art Museum, Heard Museum, Desert Botanical Garden, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West.
  • Arizona Bike Week is roaring back to WestWorld of Scottsdale April 2-6, 2025. Event-goers will find nightly concerts, freestyle motorcycle stunt jumpers and riders performing gravity-defying feats. Guests will also find a treasure trove of motorcycle marvels and custom creations, as well as a playground for adrenaline-seekers of all kinds at the PowerYard.