Snowmass Conference Center

Celebrating 40 years … The Snowmass Conference Center was opened in June of 1985. Director of sales and services Jim Bray was quoted in the Aspen Daily News, “This is for us in the summer what the mountain is to us in the winter,” and the center proved to be already mostly booked for the first summer. The center could seat 1,385 theater style or 1,100 for a banquet, and at 6,800 square-feet, was considered the largest facility of its kind in the Colorado Rockies at the time. They also hoped it would help boost occupancy rates in Snowmass. Everything from executives of Fischer Price Toys to doctor and lawyer conventions were scheduled, and concerts featuring artists such as David Grisman Quartet, Nicollete Larson, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band were on the books. There was even a collaboration of eleven local restaurants who formed a corporation to cater events specifically at the center as a way to boost local revenue.