FOSS4G 2011 Denver Venue

Exciting Conference Location

Welcome to Denver

From its picturesque mountain range backdrop to its exciting nightlife and entertainment, Denver is fast becoming one of America’s premier convention cities.

The Geospatial Capital

Denver is the perfect city to bring FOSS4G back to the United States because of its ties to the geospatial industry. Geospatial technology has strong roots in Colorado. The utility industry in Colorado has been using geospatial technology since 1960, when a group from Public Service Company of Colorado was among the first to develop an automated mapping/facilities management system. Today, the city is the recognized hotbed for geospatial technology. Not only does Denver house a large number of vendor company headquarters, but the City and County of Denver and Colorado utilities have adopted the technology in some of the most diverse and innovative ways—including Denver’s 3-1-1 call system that uses a GIS.

Going the Extra Mile

• In 2008 the Denver Metro Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (DMCVB) launched an educational program called Go The Extra Mile—designed to train and inspire front line staff throughout the city.
• By the end of 2008 we will have hosted more than 150 trainings and seminars. This program is designed to educate and get our hospitality employees across the city excited about Denver and focused on convention business.

The Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau (DMCVB) has 60 full-time professionals to help you find the perfect hotels, meeting facilities, restaurants and convention service firms—and all our services are free.

• DMCVB ranks 3rd Most Helpful Convention Bureau in the 2007 Metropoll study of meeting planners.
• DMCVB can provide brochures, maps, videos, photos, b-rolls, e-mail newsletters and more to help boost attendance.

Below is a listing of some very high profile events Denver has hosted over the years:

• 2008 Democratic National Convention
• 2007 MLS All-Star Game
• 2006 Lacrosse All-Star Game
• 2005 NBA All-Star Game
• 2003 U.S. Conference of Mayors
• 2002 International Chamber of Commerce–World Congress
• 2001 NHL All-Star Game
• 1998 NBA All-Star Game
• 1997 Summit of the Eight World Leaders
• 1993 Pope’s World Youth Day

Corporate Travel Index

• Overall, Denver ranks 25th for Corporate Travel Costs.
• Less expensive than Seattle, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, and New Orleans.
• For hotel costs, Denver ranks 22nd—less expensive than Chicago, San Francisco, Washington D.C., and Boston.
• For food costs, Denver ranks 69th—less expensive than Seattle, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, and New Orleans.
• For car rental costs, Denver ranks 16th—less expensive than Seattle, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, and New Orleans.

International Travel and Visa Assistance

The Denver International Airport is the 5th busiest in the United States, with direct flights around the world. Conference Planners GITA have extensive experience with international travelers and are happy to provide international conference invitation letters to assist conference attendees with visa applications.

Denver International Airport

• 5th busiest in the nation.
• 10th busiest in the world.
• Non-stops to 150 worldwide destinations.
• 1,600 daily flights.
• 342 miles west of the exact center of the continental U.S.

Airlines Serving DIA

Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, America West, American Airlines, Big Sky Airlines, British Airways, Champion Air, Continental Airlines, Delta, Frontier, Great Lakes, Horizon Air, JetBlue Airways, Lufthansa, Mesa Airlines, Mexicana, Midwest Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Sun Country, United Airlines, and US Airways. Transportation Options:

• Denver International Airport offers several transportation options from the airport to Downtown Denver.
• Commercial Shuttle Service
  • SuperShuttle - operating daily from 4:30 a.m. until midnight and serving all Downtown Denver as well as the Denver Tech Center hotels. Cost is $19 each way or $34 round-trip. Group rates as well as the ability to book online are available for conventions.
  • Big Sky Shuttle - Operating daily from 3:30 a.m. until midnight and serving all Downtown Denver hotels for $18 each way or $28 round-trip.
• Taxi Service - All four major taxi companies (Freedom Cab, Metro Taxi, Yellow Cab, and Taxi Latino) all offer flat rates from Denver International Airport to Downtown Denver. The flat rate is $43.00 + $3.50 gate fee.
• Public Transportation - Denver's Regional Transportation District (RTD) can take your attendees from Denver International Airport to three different locations in Downtown Denver. The route takes approximately 50 minutes and is $8 each way or $14 round-trip.

Weather

Denver gets over 300 days of sunshine per year. September or October it is likely that we may get sunny weather for the conference. The average highs for September and October are 86F (26C) and 79F (20C) respectively. Denver receives less than an inch and a half (35mm) of rain both months. With the low humidity, even those temperatures feel comfortable.

For more information on Denver Weather, visit these resources:

• http://www.weatherreports.com/United_States/CO/Denver/averages.html
• http://www.denvermetroguides.com/denver.php?p=weatherhistory

Venues

Based on the local committee’s experience with events in Denver, we’ve narrowed the perfect facilities for FOSS4G down to two premier venues.

Colorado Convention Center

• 600,000 s/f of contiguous exhibit space
• Korbel Ballroom – 50,000 s/f and divisible into 18 breakouts
• Four Seasons Ballroom – 35,000 s/f and divisible into 3 breakouts
• Wells Fargo Theater – 5,000 fixed seats
• 63 meeting rooms

Sheraton Denver Hotel

• 133,000 s/f of meeting space
• 1,225 guest rooms; 92 suites
• Two ballrooms
• 48 Meeting Rooms
• Completed a $70 million renovation in 2010

Accommodations for Every Budget

Denver offers more than 8,000 hotel rooms within walking distance of our Colorado Convention Center—from boutique hotels to affordable accommodations, including motels and hostels. The Denver LOC will also arrange extremely affordable rates because of the proposed conference dates in early December. In the Metro area there are more than 42,000 hotel rooms to meet every meeting need.

The Denver Scene

Dining

Denver's dining scene has reached an all new high with renowned chefs like Kevin Taylor, Jennifer Jasinski and Richard Sandoval; owning and operating some of Denver's hottest restaurants—all located in Downtown. Denver has over 300 restaurants—to fit every price point.

From 4-star dining to food court options, Denver has it all and all within walking distance of the Colorado Convention Center.

Shopping

Shop in trendy Larimer Square or catch a cab to the Cherry Creek Shopping District—the largest and most varied shopping between St. Louis and San Francisco!

“Denver is emerging as a style-conscious city with great shopping” -New York Times

16th Street Mall - Pedestrian Mall:

• Remember, Denver is a WALKABLE city so once you are in Downtown Denver you won't need a cab or a rental car.

• The 16th Street Mall is a tree-lined, pedestrian promenade of red and gray granite that runs through the center of downtown. Lined with outdoor cafes, renovated historic office buildings, sparkling glass-walled skyscrapers, shops and restaurants. Numerous fountains and plazas offer a variety of daily special events and entertainers.
• FREE shuttle buses cruise the mile-long Mall Arts and Culture
• The Denver Performing Arts Complex is the second largest arts center in the nation under one roof.
• Catch a Broadway play, watch the symphony, or take in the Opera at our beautiful Ellie Caulkins Opera House.
• Experience the amazing Denver Art Museum that was designed by internationally renowned architect Daniel Libeskind.
• Visit our new Museum of Contemporary Art, designed by famous London architect David Adjay.
• At the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, explore fantastic fossils, stimulating space science activities, view amazing gems and minerals, Egyptian mummies, and much more.

Additional Partner Tours

Below are some examples of partner tours that the City could offer attendees. Customized tours are also available.

Mile High – Lights (Red Rocks & LoDo Walking Tour)

• It took 300 million years to create Denver’s most scenic attraction – Red Rocks Amphitheatre. You will understand why Mother Nature took her time when you see the two 300-foot red sandstone formations flanking the stage and a 200-mile panorama of the Rocky Mountain foothills.
• Next, we’ll take you to “LoDo”, Denver’s Lower Downtown District. You’ll discover how Denver was born in an informative and entertaining walking tour. Your guide gives historically correct fun facts on how the city thrived on the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush of 1858.

Delightful Denver

• Experience a vision of Denver’s future—the modern wing of the Denver Art Museum. Founded in 1893, The Denver Art Museum has the largest and most comprehensive collection of world art between Kansas City and the West Coast, with over 600,000 works of art.
• A short drive takes you to “the Brown.” The Brown Palace Hotel has welcomed guests since opening in 1892. There will be a behind the scenes tour followed by afternoon tea; a tradition at the Brown Palace. During tea Julie Peach, The Chocolate Therapist, will teach you how chocolate can help keep you healthy.

A World of Tea

• Celestial Seasonings (in Boulder) invites you to see, taste and smell the world of teas. You’ll be treated to an informative tour. Following a visit of the tea factory, you will have lunch at Dushanbe Teahouse in Boulder.
• Unique to Colorado, the Dushanbe Teahouse is a gift from Boulder’s sister city, Dushanbe Tajikistan. Tajik artists handcrafted the building in a traditional style that includes ceramic Islamic art and a carved painted ceiling.

Behind the Velvet Curtain—Tour of the Denver Performing Arts Complex

• The Denver Performing Arts Complex is the largest theatre complex of this kind in the world. The complex is comprised of ten individual performance spaces.
• Guests will have the unique opportunity to tour a selection of these facilities. They will see trap doors, catwalks, and dressing rooms as well as DPCA’s 88,000 square foot production facility, which houses sets, props, and costumes from past productions.

“Unsinkable” Molly Brown and the Byers-Evans House

• Tour the “Unsinkable” Molly Brown House, the entirely restored home of Colorado’s most colorful Victorian Heroines. Located in the Capital Hill area, the house was originally built in the late 1800s.
• You will then tour another of Denver’s great historical homes, the Byers-Evans House, which was constructed in 1883 by Rocky Mountain News publisher Williams Byers and sold in 1881 to the family of William Gray Evans. The elegant home is filled with original Evan’s family furnishings.

Civic Center Walking Tour

• Our walking tour of some of Denver’s premier attractions starts at the spectacular Colorado State Capital Building. A short walk from the Capital is the United States Mint, a fantastic experience or people from all over the world. A 35-minute tour covers both the present state of coin manufacturing as well as the history of the Mint.
• Our highlights of our walking tour include Denver City and County Building, the Denver Public Library, and Civic Center Plaza. If desired, the Colorado History Museum can be included on this tour as well.

Safety

• Denver ranks on the FBI Top 10 Safest City List!
• There are over 10,000 people that live in Downtown Denver making it truly a 24-hour city. Also with three sports stadiums located in Downtown Denver there is always a "buzz" in downtown!