Facility Tours

See what it takes to manage, maintain and protect unique spaces. From bioresearch facilities to a beautifully renovated 90-year-old theatre to the award-winning Phoenix Convention Center, facility tours give you an inside look at systems, programs, sustainable/energy-efficient features and state-of-the-art upgrades.

Held Tuesday, Oct. 15, from 1 to 4 p.m., each tour is only US$49 per person and within walking distance of the Phoenix Convention Center. Please check in by 12:45 p.m. near registration on Oct. 15. Tours will depart the Phoenix Convention Center promptly at 1 p.m. Please wear closed-toe, flat shoes.

Phoenix Convention Center – 2019 Host Venue -SOLD OUT-

Tuesday, Oct. 15 (tour time: 1 – 4 p.m.)

Explore the award-winning Phoenix Convention Center with a behind-the-scenes guided tour. Learn about unique features, such as the district cooling plant, rooftop solar power plant and utilidor tunneling system. Inspired by the Sonoran Desert, the facility’s architecture makes it one of the most beautiful and sophisticated convention centers in the United States. In total, the Convention Center is responsible for maintaining 2.5 million square feet of infrastructure, which includes the LEED Silver certified West Building.

The University of Arizona Biomedical Campus -SOLD OUT-

Tuesday, Oct. 15 (tour time: 1 – 4 p.m.)

The University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University are part of the Phoenix Biomedical Campus, a city initiative bringing bioresearch and education to downtown. The campus also serves as a major economic engine: At full build-out the Phoenix Biomedical Campus is anticipated to generate an economic impact of US$2.1 billion annually. The award-winning Health Science Education Building and future research buildings are connected by a north-south structure that houses public functions and occupant spaces as part of an effort to ensure that educators, researchers, students and teachers meet and encourage an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and research.

The Orpheum Theatre -SOLD OUT-

Tuesday, Oct. 15 (tour time: 1 – 4 p.m.)

Now in its 90th season, the Orpheum Theatre is the last surviving vaudeville movie palace in the greater Phoenix area and is widely considered one of the most significant theatrical structures in the West. Built in a Spanish Revival style of Spanish Baroque architecture, the theatre’s intricate murals and moldings were meant to give patrons the impression that they were enjoying the shows “al fresco.” After falling into disrepair, the Orpheum Theatre was purchased in 1984 by the City of Phoenix, which began a 12-year, US$14 million restoration. The Orpheum was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.