OISE IS BOOMING WITH DEVEL- opment as enhancements to its hotels, meeting facilities, and attrac-
tions continue to come online. Holding green meetings at Boise Centre
is now easy, thanks to several green initia- tives that have allowed the facility to join the ranks of environmentally responsible convention facilities.Notably, the center has installed light-control units that are tied into its HVAC systems, saving energy by maintaining only base temperatures when rooms are unoccupied. Less efficient T-12 lights in the storage area have been replaced with new T-5s, reducing the number of fix- tures needed. Cans, glass, and plastic are now being collected in a new green dump- ster for recycling, and a baling unit for cardboard replaces a compactor. The center now uses tableware made fromrecyclable products rather than plastic; water is dis- pensed fromwater stations—rather than in plastic bottles—during meeting breaks and in meeting rooms; and efforts are being made to purchase as many food and bever- age items as possible fromlocal sources. As for hotels, the Courtyard Boise
Downtown has become the first Courtyard byMarriott property in the area to be given Marriott’s “Refreshing Business” lobby makeover. Separate “welcome podiums” replace the front desk, creating more per- sonal, private interactions during guest check-in. The makeover was part of a $2.3- million project that also included the reno- vation of all guest rooms, public spaces, meeting rooms, the pool, exercise area, and the exterior courtyard, which now features a new fire pit and patio. The DoubleTree Hotel Boise Riverside recently underwent a $1.5-million renovation involving upgrades to its ballroom, meeting space, restaurant, and public areas. Some suites were reno-
68 pcmaconvene March 2010 Boise at a Glance
Convention Facilities Boise Centre offers more than 50,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space, including a 25,000-square-foot exhibit hall and ballroom, a 349-seat auditorium, and 17 combinations of flexible meeting space.
Number of Rooms Citywide 5,700
Attractions Basque Museum, Boise Art Museum, BoiseTrolleyTour, Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial, Idaho Botanical Garden, Discovery Center of Idaho, M.K. Nature Center, Old Idaho Penitentiary,World Center for Birds of Prey, Idaho wineries, white- water rafting
For More Information Boise Convention &Visitors Bureau, P.O. Box 2106, Boise, ID 83701; PHONE: (208) 344-7777 or (800) 635- 5240; WEB SITE: www.boise.org, which features a new look, enhanced functionality, and new features to facilitate meeting planning.
BETTER IN BOISE: Green initiatives make it easy to hold sustainable meetings at Boise Centre (above). Attendees celebrate Idaho’s Basque culture with a themed event on Boise’s Basque Block (lower left).
vated as well, and the lounge was converted into a lobby bar. Elsewhere in Boise, an expansion of the
Student Union building at Boise State Uni- versity was recently completed. The expan- sion added 67,900 square feet of space appropriate for groups, including a 10,000- square-foot ballroom with a state-of-the- art sound, lighting, and projection system, an upgraded catering-service kitchen, and terrific views of the city. The new Stueckle Sky Club, with its 20,500 square feet of meeting space overlooking the city and the blue turf of Bronco Stadium, is the perfect location for off-site events. On the attractions side, construction of a
new outdoor exhibit for a pair of California condors is now under way at The Peregrine Fund’sWorld Center for Birds of Prey, with completion expected in the coming months. The exhibit will provide the only opportu- nity outside of California to see live Califor- nia condors on display in the United States. Planners can arrange to have experts from the facility bring smaller birds of prey to an off-site location within the city for an edu- cational, entertaining presentation.