Scottsdale’s WestWorld is the optimal location for events year-round

Scottsdale’s WestWorld hosts a wide variety of events throughout the year, including the Bentley Polo Championship, Junk in the Trunk, and Barrett-Jackson automobile and motorcycle auction. Because of its size and location, it has proven to be the optimal location for these and many other outdoor events.

The eighth annual Bentley Scottsdale Polo Championship will take place on November 10th and 11th, and it is anticipated to bring in substantial sales and an immense audience. Last year, sales jumped 70 percent compared to 2016, and this year’s tournament will likely eclipse that rate. According to the president of PR firm Rose+Moser+Allyn Jason Rose, who organizes the event annually, year-over-year sales have already increased by 45 percent.

Rose explains that WestWorld is the perfect venue for the championship because of its size and urban proximity. “Our event is the most attended polo event in the U.S., and the venue has a lot to do with that. A polo field is three times the size of an American football field. Usually they’re out in the middle of nowhere,” says Rose. “In the case of Scottsdale, we have our event in the middle of the city. In terms of an outdoor event, it simply doesn’t get any better.”

Although the championship started out with low attendance, Rose highlights the diversity of attractions as the cornerstone of its rapid growth. He continues, “While polo is a spectacular sport to watch, we have a lot of other things going down, including the World’s Longest Catwalk Fashion Show, a Rugby Sevens game, the Phoenix Opera, and the Phoenix Boys’ Choir. There’s really something for everyone.”

In addition to the Polo Championship, Westworld also hosts events like vintage market Junk in the Trunk and world renowned Barrett-Jackson auto auction. With its 386 acres of land, Westworld can host just about any type of event, no matter the size. Scottsdale Public Affairs Manager Mike Phillips notes, “It’s got tremendous infrastructure. We have both outside and inside arenas — there was a major expansion completed about five years ago with the Tony Nelson EquiDome, the North Hall, and the South Hall. It is a large, enclosed, air-conditioned space, which really makes it a 12-month venue for events. It’s a very large and versatile space.”

The EquiDome provides 120,000 square feet of land as well as 3,400 seats; plus, the adjoining North and South halls contribute an additional 117,000 square feet. Phillips jokes that one could host a golf tournament in that space if they wished.

Phillips highlights the Barrett-Jackson auto show and auction as another popular event. “Barrett-Jackson attracts tens of thousands of visitors over the ten-day run of the event,” says Phillips. “It also has a television contract with the Velocity Network, and they do roughly 48 hours of live broadcasting a week, which is tremendous advertising of the city and space. Barrett-Jackson itself does a great job of drawing in a national audience.”

Whether visitors are looking for equestrian horsepower, automobile horsepower, or otherwise, Scottsdale’s WestWorld proves to be the ideal location for all events in the Valley.