Business in your back yard: match the meeting with the destination.

• Author: Sukin, Gigi
• Position: QUARTERLY TOURISM/RESORT REPORT

We've all been there--yet another lackluster company meeting in which no amount of coffee can keep your eyes from glazing over: VOLCFC stationed idly, enclosed in sterile space as you steal longing glances at the picturesque Rocky Mountain scenery.

For many companies, routine meetings lack locus and a clear agenda, ultimately wasting valuable time and energy.

"Poor planning can ruin a meeting," said Deborah Borak, director of global accounts for Conference Direct, a meeting and conference planning resource. If the attendees do not know what the goal of the meeting is, they won't know if they have met the objectives."

According to Ralf Garrison, director and senior analyst For Denver-based Mountain Travel Research Program (MTRiP), business meetings have the potential to set the stage for creativity and innovation, but often such success requires taking professionals out of natural habitats.

Luckily, "Colorado is one of the best places in the country to combine vocation and avocation--what you want to do and what you have to do," he said.

And travelers tend to agree, based on the $15.9 billion spent on in-state tourism in 2011, according to Al White, director of the Colorado Tourism Office.

While the temptation of traveling to exotic destinations may seem idyllic, Garrison suggests checking into Colorado resorts for the most worthwhile experience with your professional peers, most substantial psychological shift away from the office and the most bang for your buck.

Here is a roundup of resorts to take your company's meeting out of the box but not too fir from home.

TIP: Find the appropriate environment for your needs. Depending on the size and scope of your meeting, each resort offers vastly different experiences.

SNOWMASS VILLAGE

The Westin Snowmass Resort and Wildwood Snowmass, formerly the Silvertree Hotel and Wildwood Lodge, underwent a nearly $55 million overhaul that was unveiled in November last year. The makeover includes retail and restaurant additions. Connected to the refurbished lodging facilities is the Westin Snowmass Conference Center, which boasts 18,000 square feet of space to accommodate large-scale events such as trade shows and association conferences.

"Very few mountain destinations have conference centers capable of hosting large groups--1,000 or more--in a single large meeting room," said Mike Pierson, president and CEO of Resort Industry Marketing LLC. The organization's 38th annual Mountain Travel Symposium is...