Considered one of Mexico’s top five meetings industry destinations, the highland state of Guanajuato offers planners a solid meetings infrastructure, excellent international and domestic connectivity and breathtaking landscapes that are home to some of the country’s most beautiful colonial destinations.
The state has six main cities that can receive meetings tourism: Leon, Silao, Irapuato, Celaya, San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato City, the capital. Together they offer 10 main venues for meetings and events and more than 861,112 sf of space.
Examples of these venues include the Poliforum Leon, a unique venue spread over 67 hectares, offering 10 spaces for events, business, entertainment and cultural endeavors, and the Inforum Irapuato Exhibition Center, which features a minimalist, avant-garde style and offers 107,639 sf of indoor and outdoor space options.
Guanajuato also has several hotels with convention space, including the Hotel Double Tree by Hilton Celaya, with more than 10,763 sf of space across seven halls, and the Live Aqua Hotel San Miguel de Allende Urban Resort with event spaces that include a terrace and esplanade.
Overall, Guanajuato offers planners over 388 hotels ranging from three to five stars, and there are approximately 313 service providers that meet the needs of event organizers, offering furniture, audio-visual equipment and more.
Immersive Experiences in Guanajuato
Groups looking for immersive cultural experiences will find plenty to explore throughout the state after their event has wrapped, including important pre-Hispanic archaeological sites, several architectural jewels of the viceroyalty, and two cities designated as World Heritage by UNESCO—Guanajuato City and San Miguel Allende. In addition, Guanajuato is home to six designated “Magical Towns,” recognized by Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism for their unique, many would say, magical qualities, whether it’s their history and legends, beautiful architecture or cultural treasures.
These Magical Towns have a distinctive charm and make for an unforgettable pre- or post-event journey.
The town of Dolores Hidalgo is known as Mexico’s “Cradle of Independence,” having been the site of hero Miguel Hidalgo’s famous “Grito de Dolores” (Cry of Dolores) calling for independence from Spain. Today, visitors can walk the historical center and marvel at the many architectural gems from the era. In Mineral de Pozos, now a historic ghost town, groups can visit relics of 19th and early 20th-century buildings, go down more than 200 meters into an old mine or enjoy endless outdoor adventures, including biking and horseback riding, hiking or rappelling.
Salvatierra’s history reaches back to pre-Hispanic tribes, though it, too, has a colonial center with beautiful architectural gems like the Temple and Convent of Our Lady of Carmen, which dates to 1646. Surrounding the town are more than 300 haciendas, representing much of the historical and cultural heritage of the state. In the southern part of the state, Yuriria is home to one of the oldest colonial structures in Mexico: the 16th-century Ex-Convento de San Agustin, which overlooks a lagoon that was also the first hydraulic project of the country’s vice-royal era.
Comonfort is known for its molcajete artisans who carve these traditional mortar bowls—used in Mexican kitchens since the dawn of time—out of a single piece of basalt rock. It’s also home to 16th-century architecture and the San Miguel Vineyard (more on that below). Last but not least, groups will love exploring the Magical Town of Jalpa de Canovas, one of Mexico’s most historic destinations, where they can visit the neo-gothic Temple of the Lord of Mercy and tour the remains of a hacienda dating back to the 1500s, including its gardens, grain mill rooms and aqueduct.
This vibrant state also offers a thriving culinary scene, with each region known for distinct traditional dishes such as cajeta, acambaro bread, guacamayas and tumbagones. Guanajuato even boasts its own Wine Route, which takes groups on a gorgeous historical trail through San Miguel de Allende and the Magical Towns of Dolores Hidalgo and Comonfort, home to vineyards, exquisite gastronomy, immersive activities, charming accommodations and event venues—all within a short drive of each other.
Attendees and their guests will also have the opportunity to experience Mother Nature at its finest in Guanajuato with a visit to any of its 32 Protected Natural Areas, offering abundant outdoor activities such as kayaking, hiking, rafting, rappelling, ziplining and ballooning. And, when it’s time to rest, recover and rejuvenate, the state has 283 facilities that offer wellness activities such as temazcales, hot springs, spas and holistic centers.
Exceptional airlift includes 10 direct flights from the U.S. and nine international routes, and the state’s infrastructure provides connectivity to its destinations, including San Miguel de Allende, within 30 minutes to an hour’s drive from the airport.
These are just a few reasons that make Guanajuato a top MICE destination in Mexico. For more information, visit guanajuato.mx/en/mice.
