The 2034 Winter Olympics are just nine years away, but Utah is ready. When the torch arrives, there will have already been a $4 billion upgrade of Salt Lake City Airport, redevelopments in Salt Lake City’s Salt Palace convention district and an overall freshening of the 2002 Olympic sites.
What benefits the 2034 Winter Olympics is also a win for meetings and conventions, which will be able to utilize the event’s infrastructure for years to come.
The Posh Side of Roughing It
“The unique charm of Park City stems in part because of our history,” said Carolyn Creek, senior national sales manager for Visit Park City. “What began as a silver mining town in the 19th century has evolved into a vibrant community that honors its roots. Visitors can stroll along Historic Main Street, where colorful storefronts, art galleries and boutique shops, along with many restaurants, preserve our rich heritage. The Park City Museum offers a glimpse into our mining past, complete with exhibits on the challenges and triumphs of our early settlers.”
Despite its gritty history, Park City and nearby Deer Valley are now decidedly posh. The Michelin Guide gives two Keys to the 12-room Washington School House Hotel and one Key each to the 154-room Montage Deer Valley, the 175-room Pendry Park City and the 180-room Stein Eriksen Lodge.
“Our group sales team targets all group segments with an emphasis on the incentive market in the corporate space. Pharma, tech and manufacturing are strong corporate business drivers,” Creek said. “The association market is also solid with many boards of directors, retreats and smaller annual programs regularly booked.”
The area currently has 26 meeting properties, including the recently opened 436-room Grand Hyatt Deer Valley, which has about 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space, including a 10,000-square-foot ballroom. But more are in the pipeline as part of Deer Valley’s East Village expansion:
- Following a $21 million renovation, the 128-room Park City Peaks Hotel is expected to reopen this month as Hotel Thaynes, Park City, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel.
- The 134-room Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences Deer Valley is expected to open winter 2025-2026 with 123 additional one- to six-bedroom private residences. Atypical of its standard amenities and facilities will be a ski-in/ski-out lounge.
- The 180-room Canopy by Hilton is expected to open in summer 2026. Meetings and conference facilities have been announced.
Attention may be on ski amenities right now, but unlike many seasonal mountain towns, Park City thrives year-round, with cutting-edge venues and robust services that ensure seamless events and consistent excellence all year long.
“We are committed to becoming carbon neutral and achieving net-zero carbon emissions community-wide by 2030,” Creek said. “We promote public transit as a greener alternative by operating a free bus system throughout the city and investing in electric buses. These eco-friendly buses run on clean energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
[Related: Renovations and New Meeting Experiences at Historic Western Hotels and Event Venues]
A fitting example of a green offering for planners is the new luxury wellness-themed AMEYALLI Park City by Appellation. Author and alternative medicine advocate Deepak Chopra has partnered with Appellation to feature a state-of-the-art wellness center expected to open next year. The property, which sits on 78 acres that include 28 natural hot springs, will feature an 80-room hotel with a restaurant from chef Charlie Palmer.
Got Time for a Glamping Retreat?
“We had a nearly 14% increase in non-local events in 2024 versus 2023 for Washington County or the Greater Zion area,” said Joy Schroeder, meetings and conventions sales manager for Greater Zion Convention & Tourism. “In terms of event attendees, we had 161,715 in 2024 versus 102,719 attendees in 2023.”
Having come so far, it would be a shame not to visit a bucket-list item like Zion National Park, which had almost 5 million visitors in 2024, making it the most visited national park west of the Mississippi.
Camping in or near a unique park like Zion could be the unforgettable incentive that attendees are waiting for, but that doesn’t mean having to put up their own tents or eat beans from a chuckwagon (…unless they want to). Two glamping specialists, AutoCamp and Under Canvas, which run facilities in and around Utah national and state parks, provide unique experiences.
The largest, AutoCamp Zion, has 81 accommodations comprising signature custom Airstream Suites, Cabins and BaseCamp Suites. It offers group buyouts that allow exclusive use of the entire property. The smaller Springline Room can be used as one large space for up to 100 people and can be divided into two smaller areas with retractable partitions. For outdoor events, the Pinyon Lawn has more than 30,000 square feet of adaptable space for up to 1,000 and is nestled between rows of Airstreams. The Pinyon Lawn can be tented and has easy access to the clubhouse and power hookups.
Under Canvas, which also has locations in Bryce Canyon, Lake Powell and Moab, offers full buyouts that provide groups with upscale, safari-inspired accommodations and welcoming communal spaces. In 2023, it debuted Ulum Resorts, “an intentional outdoor resort designed in nature.”
“Under Canvas camps can accommodate a wide range of group sizes, from small gatherings of 30 or fewer to large groups of over 200 guests, depending on the location,” said Steph Timmerman, VP of sales for Under Canvas. “Moab offers 40 tents, each accommodating up to six guests, while Zion features 66 tents, providing greater capacity and making it ideal for larger groups. Our Adventure Concierge can arrange offsite guided hikes, kayaking and more. All Utah camps also offer DarkSky-certified stargazing experiences, making every stay immersive and unforgettable.”
Bright Lights, Big City, Main Airport
Utah’s capital, Salt Lake City, is the biggest city in the state. Its breathtaking skyline is set against the Wasatch Mountains and its downtown convention district has nearly 1 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space as well as numerous full-service hotels (including the 700-room Hyatt Regency, opened in 2022). There are also hundreds of bars and restaurants, although an August 2025 fire has recently shuttered London Belle, White Horse, Whiskey Street and Los Tapatios.
[Related: Salt Lake City Introduces New Developments and a Brewery Pass Experience]
“Salt Lake enjoyed strong hotel occupancy, over 72% [in 2025], due to a robust citywide schedule,” said Tyson Lybbert, chief sales officer, Visit Salt Lake. “We were able to host several new meetings and events in addition to the annual events we typically host. Attendance figures continue to fluctuate with some shows struggling to get back to previous attendance. However, many events saw their show attendance return to the previous highs they used to enjoy.”
And with the city hosting the 2034 Winter Olympic Games, Salt Lake City has an opportunity to consolidate its overall sports presence. This past April, the County (of which Salt Lake City is also the seat) approved the sale of 6.5 acres belonging to the convention center to Smith Entertainment Group. Plans are underway to incorporate a sportsplex adjacent to the city’s main venue, Calvin R. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center, that once complete will immediately benefit the Utah Jazz and Utah Hockey Club, as well as double the events currently held at the Delta Center.
Phase 4, the latest renovation at Salt Lake City Airport, was anticipated for fall 2025; now, the remaining gates are slated for 2026, bringing the total to 94; while the last five gates from Phase 3 are expected to open this month.
“Our state has enjoyed the best economy over the past decade, and investments are being made at such a high level that we are very different from where we were five years ago,” Lybbert said. “We were able to host several new meetings and events in addition to the events which we host every year. We recently hosted an event that canceled its annual meeting last year and decided to bring it back this year. Attendance was strong and we had several international travelers from Korea, which was also nice to see.”
