With a rosy alpenglow in the background, talented figure skaters take to the ice on summer nights at Sun Valley Resort for special performances set to music. Meetings, conference and incentive groups in town can watch these medal-winning skaters perform axles and jumps that seemingly defy physics while feeling the cool of the ice from the grandstand seating or enjoying a buffet and bar service in the terraced section.
The Sun Valley on Ice program, set on a unique year-round outdoor ice rink, is a prime example of how the Idaho resort makes it easy for planners to “create an experience and not just a meeting” for their groups, says Katie McCormick, Executive Director of Meetings & Convention at the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA).
“You might see someone on the ice who you then watch in the next Olympics,” says McCormick, whose organization has held dozens of meetings at the resort over the decades. “It’s one of those bucket-list types of experiences you can’t have anywhere else.”
In the winter, the resort offers equally memorable experiences including horse-drawn sleigh rides through snowy landscapes or cross-country skiing on groomed trails under brilliant blue skies.
No matter the season, Sun Valley Resort set in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho welcomes groups with sweeping scenic views and fresh mountain air that instantly inspire a sense of adventure, giving groups a chance to slow down, come together for teambuilding or productive meetings, and leave feeling invigorated. The resort boasts 25,000 square feet of convention space, 383 luxurious rooms and condominiums, plus world-class summer and winter amenities.
Read on for year-round meeting inspiration and find out why meeting planners have been coming back to Sun Valley Resort every year for decades.
Cold-Weather Itineraries: Bluebird Days, Sleigh Rides, Cross-Country Skiing and Bowling
With 220 inches of snow each season and a rich history as the place where legendary ski filmmaker Warren Miller launched his career, it's no wonder Sun Valley is a top destination for powder-loving skiers.
Jim Crystal, Founder of Revelry Group, a Portland-based foodservice marketing agency, has been bringing groups to Sun Valley multiple times of year for the past 25 years. Many who join the winter events turn the trip into a “bleisure” travel opportunity, coming to Sun Valley early or extending their stay so they have more time to hit the slopes, he says.
“Sun Valley has a climate that lends itself to year-round activities,” he says. “It offers a comprehensive experience that’s unmatched by anyone else.”
Indeed, skiing is a marquee activity for those coming here in the wintertime. Dollar Mountain offers beginner-friendly slopes for skiers learning the sport as well as a terrain area for daredevils. Bald Mountain beckons more experienced skiers and rewards them with non-stop verticals. Those long, continuous runs from the top of the mountain to the bottom combined with short (or even non-existent) lift lines gives skiers a lot of bang for their buck.
“In the winter, we get lots of sunshine,” says Lori Takahashi, Sun Valley Resort’s Group Rereation Manager. “We’re known for our bluebird days—hence the name Sun Valley.”
Group and private skiing lessons can be arranged at both mountains.
Beyond skiing, though, there’s ample ways for attendees to have some classic winter fun at Sun Valley Resort.
Meeting planners can provide their guests with a menu of activities to choose from, says Joseph Armeen, Director of Convention Services at Sun Valley Resort, so, in addition to skiing, attendees have the option to get out and snowmobile, ice skate, snowshoe, or cross-country ski at the Nordic Center that takes over the golf course greens each winter.
Sleigh rides are also a favorite wintertime group activity, Takahashi says. Two draft horses power the sleigh through snowy trees and hillsides, and there’s options to go at sunset when the alpine glow casts warm light on the snow or in the evening to stargaze.
For downtime, attendees can relax in the resort’s heated pool and hot tub, book a rejuvenating treatment at the spa, or catch a film in the charming 1930s-era Opera House.
“We also have a really cool bowling alley in the basement of a lodge—it’s retro with six lanes and strings on the pins,” Takahashi says. “It’s a cozy and fun hangout space.”
Warm-Weather Itineraries: Hiking, Biking, Skeet Shooting, and Ice Shows
When groups are planning trips to Sun Valley Resort, Armeen gives them advice: “Let the area be the unique experience.”
“The valley is really small and intimate,” Armeen says. “The resort itself is laid out across an old ranch. There’s no tall buildings, there’s no overdeveloped areas. It feels like you’re at a nice resort and at a ranch at the same time.”
In the warmer months when Crystal brings groups to Sun Valley Resort, group members are given bikes when they show up and they love to use the two wheels as their transportation throughout the week, biking to dinners and venues. “Nothing is cookie cutter here,” he says.
Just like winter, the summer months offer groups of all kinds unparalleled experiences, Takahashi says, from trap and skeet shooting at the resort’s Sun Valley Gun Club to getting out on the water for world-class flyfishing along mountain streams or whitewater rafting.
The valley is also filled with scenic hiking trails, like the Proctor Mountain Trail that loops around the mountain and shows off views of Bald Mountain and Sun Valley and the iconic trail that leads up to Bald Mountain’s summit. Guests can also explore the region on guided horseback rides or while racing down Bald Mountains downhill mountain biking trails that can be accessed by the lifts.
During summer gatherings at Sun Valley, McCormick’s groups love the Sun Valley on Ice shows. They also take full advantage of all the indoor and outdoor event spaces and activities, and she hears lots of great feedback from members who enjoy hitting the links at the resort’s three golf courses and gathering for memorable dinners. The Trail Creek Cabin, a rustic, western log cabin-turned-restaurant with panoramic views of Bald Mountain, is an especially great spot for groups.
“Sun Valley is a place that really transports you,” McCormick says. “With the mountains in the background, it feels like you’re in a Netflix special.”