DENVER (May 28, 2015) – Since winning the official host city bid for the 2018 U.S. Travel Association's IPW, VISIT DENVER and state tourism partners including the Colorado Tourism Office have set plans in motion to roll out the red carpet for this important international travel tradeshow and marketplace May 19-23, 2018. Denver previously hosted IPW in 1991, welcoming a convention center expansion, new airport, new rail lines, new hotels, and a wealth of new cultural and culinary attractions since then.

“Denver may be known as the gateway to the Rocky Mountain West, but this outdoor city also offers an impressive tourism portfolio of new museums, attractions, professional sports, cultural and performing arts venues, a thriving craft beer and food scene, and a world-class international airport that provides global accessibility,” said Richard Scharf, president & CEO, VISIT DENVER.

Interconnected + Accessible
Situated at 5,280 feet above sea level (one mile high) with the pristine Rocky Mountains as its backdrop, Denver has earned designations as one of “America's most walkable cities” and one of “America's healthiest cities.”

In the heart of Denver's city center, the 16th Street Mall promenade features a free shuttle bus that connects Denver Art Museum and Colorado State Capitol on one end of downtown with the historic Victorian buildings of Lower Downtown, now home to boutiques, chef-owned restaurants, Denver-only boutiques, art galleries, cocktail lounges and live music venues.

In 2014, Denver made international headlines with its visionary transformation of Union Station from an antiquated Amtrak stop to a thriving transportation hub and hotspot for locals and visitors, offering a boutique hotel, farm-to-table restaurants, retail, The Terminal Bar and the elegant Cooper Lounge. While still connecting train travelers as an Amtrak stop, commuter rail service and a 22-gate underground bus facility transport locals and visitors alike, while the new rail line between Denver International Airport and the city center will launch in 2016.

“IPW 2018 delegates will be pleased to find they can travel by train from Denver International Airport, one of America's busiest airports, directly to downtown Denver where they will experience a vibrant, easily navigable and active city with more than 9,100 first-class hotel rooms within walking distance of the critically acclaimed Colorado Convention Center,” said Scharf.

Craftsmanship + Curation
From chefs and brewers to artists and museum curators, creative types are inspired to live, work and play in The Mile High City. Lower Downtown, (known as LoDo to the locals) is home to a number of Denver's 100 craft breweries where guests can sample the product, tour the facility, speak with the brewer-owners and grab a bite to eat, all within the same walls. Denver's beer culture, with more than 200 named beers produced and served every day in tap houses, brew pubs, breweries, and gastro pubs, has generated top tourism nods from Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler, USA Today and the New York Times, all selecting Denver as the No. 1 Microbrew Beer city in the nation. The Denver Beer Trail is a guide to 20 of the most creative breweries, most of which are located in the walkable downtown area.

Originality and inspiration can be found around every corner in public art sculptures and in the curators' expertise at Denver's many museums. Art lovers will immediately see and feel the creativity and energy that defines The Mile High City, from the giant blue bear greeting visitors at the Colorado Convention Center to the bold architecture and exhibitions at the Denver Art Museum or the Museum of Contemporary Art. Denver's diverse neighborhoods bridge history to today with murals and art work paying homage to their cultural legacies, along with dozens of galleries showcasing the city's creative side.

Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, which has annually hosted the biggest music headliners in the world for nearly 75 years – including a 1964 Beatles performance. Events and one-of-a-kind programming take place nearly every one of Denver's 300 days of sunshine each year, from film to fitness and ornithology to adventure.

Sunshine + Fresh, Rocky Mountain Air
There are also plenty of reasons to be active, thanks to 300 days of sunshine, lush city parks and gardens, 850 miles of paved bike paths and the nation's first bike-share program. Denver's B-cycle system propels visitors on two wheels to experience Denver Botanic Gardens, Cherry Creek Shopping Center, Cherry Creek North and neighborhoods surrounding downtown. And, urban kayaking is a favorite in Denver's Confluence Park.

“For many delegates, IPW 2018 will be their first introduction to Denver and Colorado, so we definitely plan to roll out the red carpet,” said Scharf. “Denver is not only an urban destination with a small-town feel for international travelers to explore, it's also the premier gateway to the Rocky Mountain West. Once a visitor experiences Denver's food, beer, arts and culture, not to mention our Western heritage, they'll want to head outside the city for the majestic peaks, trails and wildlife so broadly associated with our state."

Just a short drive from Denver, the splendors of the Rocky Mountains await, including Rocky Mountain National Park – Colorado's No. 1 attraction – just 71 miles (114 km) from Denver, which provides an unforgettable trip into the heart of the vast mountain range. Some of the best skiing and outdoor adventures, as well as Western Slope wineries, are just a bit further down the road.

Western Spirit
Denver and Colorado offer an unparalleled blend of old and new – staying true to Western heritage and the city's Gold Rush beginnings, while also introducing a present-day entrepreneur culture filled with brewers, ranchers, farmers, artists and adventurers.

The History Colorado Center tells stories of the past, from the gold mines and small towns to the first ski jump in the state, and Rockmount Ranch Wear is a third-generation family-owned store in the city center where the first snap button cowboy shirt was invented by Papa Jack and movie stars and music legends still shop today.

Where Business Is Pleasure
In 2014, Forbes Magazine ranked Denver as the sixth fastest growing city in the U.S., and the city's tourism growth over the last decade has outpaced the national average by 33 percent. Denver has doubled the size of the Colorado Convention Center where IPW 2018 will be held and will have all delegates housed in downtown hotels – including The Renaissance, The Crawford and The Art Hotel – with easy access to the meetings and events,.

“IPW is the largest and most prestigious international tourism trade show that is held in the U.S., so it is a great honor that the U.S. Travel Association has selected Denver to host this important event,” said Scharf. “This is a wonderful opportunity to show off the city and boost our international tourism efforts in a big way.”

For more information about the 2018 U.S. Travel Association's IPW, or to learn more about Denver, go to VISITDENVER.com.

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About IPW
IPW is the U.S. travel industry's premier international marketplace and the largest generator of travel to the U.S. In just three days of intensive pre-scheduled business appointments, more than 1,000 travel organizations from every region of the USA (representing all industry category components), and nearly 1,200 international and domestic buyers from more than 65 countries, conduct business negotiations that result in the generation of more than $3.5 billion in future U.S. travel. Additionally, nearly 500 journalists from across the globe attend IPW each year generating invaluable domestic and international media coverage for the host city.

About VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau
Celebrating 106 years of promoting The Mile High City, VISIT DENVER is a nonprofit trade association that contracts with the City of Denver to market Denver as a convention and leisure destination, increasing economic development in the city, creating jobs and generating taxes. A record 14 million visitors stayed overnight in Denver in 2013, generating $4 billion in spending, while supporting more than 51,000 jobs, making Tourism the second largest industry in Denver. Learn more about Denver on the VISITDENVER website and at TOURISMPAYSDENVER or by phone at 800 2 Denver. Follow Denver's social media channels for up-to-the-minute updates at: Facebook.com/visitdenver; Twitter.com/visitdenver; Instagram.com/visitdenver; and YouTube.com/visitdenver.

With VISIT DENVER inquiries, please contact:
Jesse Davis: (303) 571-9450 or jdavis@visitdenver.com
Jen Asbury: (303) 571-9451 or jasbury@visitdenver.com