Manizales - Colombia Mice

Manizales

map manizales

1. General Information Manizales

Area:84 km2 (220.79 sq mi)
Elevation: 2,160 m (7,090 ft) ASL
Population: 434,403 inhabitants (2018)
Climate: 11 – 22°C / 52 – 72°F

Manizales – ‘The city of open doors’, is the largest city and capital of the department Caldas in the Central Andes, in western Colombia. It is part of the famous Coffee Triangle, traditionally the largest coffee producer region in Colombia. The whole region is known as “El Paisaje Cultural Cafetero de Colombia (PCC)”, and is a cultural heritage of UNESCO. This city is near the volcano Nevado del Ruiz and, combined with its abrupt topography, presents steep slopes. Its land is incredibly fertile and coffee plantations are easily spotted on surrounding terrains. In addition, Manizales is an important hub for higher educational institutions and offers great opportunities for entrepreneurship. Apart from coffee production, the tourism and manufacturing industries are among the main economic sectors.

2. MICE Information Manizales

Today, Manizales is investing heavily into MICE tourism and envisions itself as a major city for this tourism segment in Colombia. The city has a wide range of luxury and boutique hotels, both within the city and in nearby areas, plus state-of-the-art facilities for all kinds of corporate meetings and events. Also, there are many tourist attractions to get involved with the local culture and enjoy the amazing landscapes of the region.

3. Convention Centers in Manizales

3.1 Convention Center – Teatro Los Fundadores

http://www.ccclosfundadores.com/

LOCATION

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Carrera 22 Calle 33. Teatro Fundadores is just 11 minutes on foot from the city’s historic center.

This Cultural and Convention Center is nestled in the west of Manizales, on Santander Avenue, surrounded by the Fundadores Park. The building, whose façade consists of large limestone slabs, fits in the Colombian modern architecture’s style since it was built in the early 60s by the architect Jorge Gutierrez Duque. The indoor facilities, though, are completely remodeled to cater to modern needs.

Today, the building offers 6 rooms with a total capacity of 1,900 people, which makes it the largest theater in Manizales. It has cutting-edge equipment for voice, data,  wired and wireless communications and videoconference technologies. Each room was designed considering the acoustics and equipped with audiovisual aids and Wi-Fi connection. The facilities of Teatro Fundadores are suitable for a wide range of events such as cultural activities, conventions, congresses, seminars, conferences, brand activations, and exhibitions.

MAIN AUDITORIUM - FUNDADORES

Capacity for 1,232 theater-type seats
This is a theater room ideal for artistic or cultural shows, graduations, brand activations and large format events that require sound and lighting montages. It includes a fly system, stage lighting, acoustic panels, grand piano, turntable on the stage, orchestra pit, giant screen, real-time videoconference technology, telecommunications services in optical fiber and Wi-fi Network, dressing rooms and test room.

OLIMPIA AUDITORIUM

Capacity for 120 people
Cinema type room, ideal for the screening of films, documentaries, and any other audiovisual content. It has an amplification system for excellent acoustics, specialized equipment for videoconference in real-time and audiovisual reproduction, telecommunications services and air conditioning. The access hall is used for small exhibitions and it has bathrooms and kitchenette.

CUMANDAY ROOM

Capacity for 250 people (auditorium), 150 (classroom), 60 (U shape), 250 (cocktail), 150 (banquet) and 90 (herringbone).
Multi-purpose room, ideal for seminars, congresses, meetings, academic lectures, etc. and it can be adapted into 2 or 3 smaller rooms. It has sound and ambient lighting, specialized equipment for videoconference in real-time and audiovisual reproduction, telecommunications services and air conditioning. It also has bathrooms and kitchenette.

OSCAR NARANJO ROOM

Capacity for 300 people
Room with an amplification system, specialized equipment for videoconference in real-time and audiovisual reproduction, telecommunications services and air conditioning. Includes a registration area, bathrooms, and kitchenette. The room is used for cocktails and social gatherings, with permanent art exhibitions and displays organized by the Art Museum of Caldas.

EVENT ROOM

Capacity for 150 (auditorium), 45 (U shape), 150 (cocktail), 80 (banquet) and 60 (herringbone).
This room is ideal for meetings, assemblies, brand activations and social gatherings in general. It comes with bathrooms, equipped kitchen, sound, and ambient lighting, specialized equipment for videoconference in real-time and audiovisual reproduction, fiber optic telecommunications services and Wi-Fi network.

REHEARSAL ROOM

Capacity for 50 people
Space for rehearsing before the shows. Includes mirrored walls, wooden floors, and ballet barre.

4. Hotels and Convention Centers in Manizales

4.1 Hotel Convention Center – Hotel Carretero

CLICK HERE TO GET THE BEST RATES FOR HOTEL CARRETERO

LOCATION

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Carrera 23 #35a-31. Hotel Carretero is just 5 minutes on foot from Teatro Fundadores, 15 minutes on foot from the historic center of Manizales and 6 km from La Nubia Airport.

With one of the largest facilities in the city, Hotel Carretero is a great option for your business or leisure trips. It has a privileged location since it is near the historic center, banking zone, malls, convention centers, and the cable car station. The hotel has 100 comfortable rooms to accommodate up to 287 people, excellent social areas, event halls, gym, spa and wellness center, laundry service, and restaurant bar service.

PICASSO AUDITORIUM

Capacity for 300 people (auditorium), 120 (classroom), 47 (U shape), 300 (cocktail), 200 (banquet), 100 (herringbone), 141 (imperial) and 150 (restaurant).

GAUDÍ HALL

Capacity for 100 people (auditorium), 45 (classroom), 26 (U shape), 100 (cocktail), 70 (banquet), 40 (herringbone), 50 (imperial) and 32 (restaurant).

GOYA HALL

Capacity for 70 people (auditorium), 40 (classroom), 30 (U shape), 70 (cocktail), 60 (banquet), 30 (herringbone), 40 (imperial) and 24 (restaurant).

DALÍ HALL

Capacity for 40 people (auditorium), 20 (classroom), 22 (U shape), 50 (cocktail), 30 (banquet) and 23 (herringbone).

ROOMS

All 100 rooms are furnished with a double bed, LCD TV, minibar, office desk, safe box, and a private bathroom. You can choose among:

STANDARD SINGLE ROOM

23 m2.

STANDARD TRIPLE ROOM (FAMILIAR)

30 m2.

JUNIOR SUITE

39 m2. 2 bedrooms with a separate lounge.

LUXURY SUITE

63 m2.

ROMANTIC ROOM

23 m2. Includes a romantic plan.

4.2 Hotel Convention Center – Hotel Benidorm

CLICK HERE TO GET THE BEST RATES FOR HOTEL BENIDORM

LOCATION

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Calle 44 #20-20. Benidorm Hotel is only 5 minutes by car from the historic center of Manizales and Teatro Los Fundadores.

This hotel offers 6 brand new, fully equipped rooms for business meetings and any kind of event. In addition, thanks to its cooperation agreement with Teatro Fundadores and Universidad Autónoma, Benidorm Hotel offers the possibility to host larger events and conferences.

Its event rooms have a capacity for up to 250 people and are all equipped with a projector, high-speed Wi-Fi connection, air conditioning, whiteboard, microphone, Bose sound system, and acoustic walls and ceiling. The hotel offers a coffee break service providing food and beverages and 42 parking places equipped with security cameras and intelligent access cards.

LEVANTE HALL

Capacity for 30 people (U shape), 20 (theater), 20 (classroom) and 20 (boardroom table). Height: 2,9 m. Area: 27 m2. Natural light: Yes

VENUS HALL

Capacity for 60 people (auditorium), 30 (classroom), 24 (U shape) and 32 (banquet).

NEREO HALL

Capacity for 60 people (auditorium), 30 (classroom), 24 (U shape) and 32 (banquet).

RIALTO HALL

Capacity for 60 people (auditorium), 30 (classroom), 24 (U shape) and 32 (banquet).

CASTILLA HALL

Capacity for 80 people (auditorium), 40 (classroom), 30 (U shape) and 50 (banquet).

DIPLOMATIC HALL

Capacity for 250 people (auditorium), 150 (classroom) and 250 (banquet).

ROOMS

Benidorm Hotel has 64 rooms to host its guests. You can choose among double rooms with King matrimonial beds (prices from COP 150,000), double rooms with 2 single beds (prices from COP 150,000), or triple rooms (prices from COP 180,000). All rooms have free WiFi, an LCD TV, and a private bathroom.

5. Countryside Hotels in Manizales

5.1 Recinto del Pensamiento Hotel and Convention Center

CLICK HERE TO GET THE BEST RATES FOR RECINTO DEL PENSAMIENTO

LOCATION

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Km 11 via al Magdalena. Recinto del Pensamiento is just 4 km (under 10 minutes) from La Nubia Airport, 7 km from the Herveo tower and 11 km from the Art Museum of Caldas.

Recinto de Pensamiento belongs to the Hotel Estelar group and is a country hotel and convention center located some minutes away from Manizales, in a harmonious natural area with all the comfort you need for your event.

The 179-ha establishment has an ecological trail, a chairlift system, 20 ha of gardens, an orchid forest, a butterfly observatory and a birdwatching spot to observe up to 230 species of birds. It also offers an authentic coffee experience and tree planting activities.

Other facilities are a fitness center, Jacuzzi, Hammam, massage room, laundry room, parking lot, transportation service, Wi-Fi, restaurant, chapel, and Pabellón de Madera (Zeri Bamboo Pavilion), a wooden structure for events of up to 1000 people. Other 9 event halls are available, equipped with the latest technology in audiovisual aids. Hotel Estelar in Recinto del Pensamiento has 32 rooms for its guests.

HALL 1

Capacity for 100 people (auditorium), 50 (classroom), 40 (U shape), 80 (cocktail), 60 (banquet) and 40 (herringbone).

HALL 2

Capacity for 30 people (auditorium), 20 (classroom), 10 (U shape) and 15 (herringbone).

HALL 3

Capacity for 60 people (auditorium), 40 (classroom), 35 (U shape), 60 (cocktail), 40 (banquet) and 30 (herringbone).

HALL 4

Capacity for 60 people (auditorium), 40 (classroom), 35 (U shape), 60 (cocktail), 40 (banquet) and 30 (herringbone).

HALL 5

Capacity for 35 people (auditorium), 25 (classroom), 15 (U shape), and 20 (herringbone).

HALL 6

Capacity for 35 people (auditorium), 25 (classroom), 15 (U shape), and 20 (herringbone).

HALL 6

Capacity for 35 people (auditorium), 25 (classroom), 15 (U shape), and 20 (herringbone).

MULTI-PURPOSE HALL

Capacity for 200 people (auditorium), 120 (classroom), 60 (U shape), 250 (cocktail), 150 (banquet) and 90 (herringbone).

CAFÉ DEL LAGO

Capacity for 110 people (auditorium).

MAIN AUDITORIUM

Capacity for 250 people.

PABELLÓN DE MADERA

Capacity for 1000 people (auditorium).

ROOMS

32 Standard and Junior Suite rooms, fully equipped with cable TV, minibar, safe box, WiFi and telephone. Access to the fireplace.

5.2 Termales del Otoño Hotel and Convention Center

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LOCATION

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Km 5 Antigua vía al Nevado del Ruiz. The hotel is 7 km from La Nubia Airport and 16 km from the city center.

Termales del Otoño is a country luxury hotel and convention center that caters to your needs in “a paradise among the mountains of Manizales”. It offers ideal places to carry out your conferences, corporate events, product and service launching, press conferences, boards of directors, motivational talks, training, business parties, end-of-year meetings, assemblies, seminars, and workshops.

Its facilities include a typical restaurant and bar grill, thermal pool with 3 temperatures, aquatic park, ecological trail and birdwatching, football and tennis courts, spa and social and business halls, including a convention center, 4 auxiliary halls, and 3 meeting rooms.

ARTURO GALLEGO

Convention Center with capacity for 600 people. Ideal for conferences, conventions, State events, and graduations.

FRAILEJONES

Capacity for 400 people, ideal for all kinds of events.

NEVADO HALL

Capacity for 130 people, ideal for social and business events.

LAGUNILLA HALL

Capacity for 80 people, ideal for social and business events.

NEREIDAS HALL

Capacity for 60 people, ideal for social and business events.

LA GRUTA HALL

Meeting room with capacity for 20 people.

EL CISNE HALL

Meeting room with capacity for 16 people.

TESORITO HALL

Meeting room with capacity for 8 people.

ROOMS

The hotel has 180 fully-equipped rooms with cable TV, telephone, private bathroom, hot water, HVAC and WiFi. Additional equipment varies according to the type of room.

PRESIDENTIAL SUITE

Independent cabins with one room with King bed and other with 2 double beds, 3 bathrooms, lounge, fireplace, private thermal pool, dining room, study room, and kitchen.

SUITE

Independent cabins with two rooms, lounge, fireplace, and private thermal pool.

JUNIOR SUITE

Independent cabins with a room, lounge, fireplace, and private thermal pool.

DELUXE

Modern double room with desk and puff.

SUPERIOR COUNTRY

Double room in independent cabins with a typically decorated facade.

6. University Auditoriums in Manizales

6.1 Universidad de Caldas

http://www.ucaldas.edu.co/

LOCATION

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Headquarters Calle 65 #26-10. Next to Universidad Nacional, 4 km from the city center.

Universidad de Caldas is a national public university in Manizales. As having High-Quality Accreditation, it is considered as the most important higher education institution in the Department of Caldas. It has around 15,500 national and foreign students. Within its several buildings, there are 5 auditoriums suitable for business and social events.

8 DE JUNIO

Capacity for 720 people.

CARLOS NADER HALL

Capacity for 110 people.

DANILO CRUZ VELEZ

Capacity for 110 people.

ROBERTO VELEZ AUDITORIUM

Capacity for 100 people.

HUMBERTO GALLEGO GABOA

Capacity for 60 people.

6.2 Universidad de Manizales

https://umanizales.edu.co/

LOCATION

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Carrera 9a #19-03. It is in the north of Manizales, just 1.3 km from the city center.

Universidad de Manizales is a private university operating since 1972, with about 5,000 students of 5 faculties. It offers 3 auditoriums for business and social events.

TORRE EMBLEMÁTICA AUDITORIUM

Capacity for 450 people.

AUDITORIUM 2

Capacity for 180 people.

AUDITORIUM 3

Capacity for 220 people.

6.3 Universidad Autónoma

https://www.autonoma.edu.co/

LOCATION

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Antigua Estación del Ferrocarril. It is next to Benidorm Hotel and 2 km from the city center.

Universidad Autónoma de Manizales (UAM) is a private university located in the old railway station in Manizales. It offers 1 auditorium for business and social events.

EDIFICIO FUNDADORES AUDITORIUM

Capacity for 300 people.

6.4 Universidad Nacional de Colombia

http://www.manizales.unal.edu.co/

LOCATION

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Palogrande Campus, Carrera 27 #64-60, next to Universidad de Caldas and 4.5 km from the city center. La Nubia Campus next to the city airport.

Universidad Nacional de Colombia is a national public university recognized as the best university in Colombia. It has 4 main seats in Bogota, Medellin, Manizales, and Palmira, plus 4 other seats in secondary cities throughout the country. The Manizales’ seat is made up of 3 campuses – Palogrande, El Cable, and La Nubia, which have a total area of 130,172 m² and about 46,770 m² of constructed area. It offers 2 auditoriums for business and social events.

BLOQUE K PALOGRANDE CAMPUS

Capacity for 479 people.

BLOQUE R LA NUBIA CAMPUS

Capacity for 579 people.

7. Summary – Hotel and conference rooms

According to the National Tourism Registry (RNT), Manizales – including the adjacent village of Villamaría, offers 2,830 hotel rooms with 5,300 beds in a total of 186 accommodations (hotels, hostels, and apartment-hotels). As for MICE, Manizales has 45 conference rooms with a capacity for over 9,600 people in total.

8. Airport and Connections to Manizales

La Nubia Airport – Manizales (MZL)

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Distance from the airport to the city center: 11 km – 20 minutes by car

NATIONAL FLIGHTS

  • Bogotá – Avianca, Easyfly
  • Medellín – Easyfly
  • Cartagena – Easyfly

! Flights might be canceled due to weather conditions and volcanic activity. However, there is a new airport under construction – Aeropuerto del Café, and it is estimated that it will start operating in 2022. This terminal will provide 24-hour service, thus optimizing the department’s commercial operations, which are constantly affected by the closures of La Nubia.

8.1 Connections

Matecaña International Airport – Pereira

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Matecaña Airport is 1 hour and a half from Manizales by road.

NATIONAL FLIGHTS

  • Bogota – Avianca, Easyfly, Copa Airlines, LAN, VivaColombia
  • Medellin – ADA, Easyfly
  • Cartagena – Avianca, VivaColombia
  • Santa Marta – Viva Air

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS

  • Panama – Copa Airlines
  • Miami – American Airlines

8.2 Road trip to Manizales

The road trip from Bogota is 300-400 km depending on the route taken. The average duration is 8 hours and implies traveling by curvy roads surrounding the Andean mountains. Most routes include tolls.

! Some roads might be closed due to weather conditions (landslides) or because they are under construction.

9. Incentive Travel in Manizales – Activities and experiences

9.1 Tour in the Manizales Historic Center

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The historic center of Manizales comprises the area between Calle 17 to Calle 25 and Carrera 19 to Carrera 25. Here you can admire 134 buildings of republican architecture that keep their façade or use, including the Cathedral of Manizales (the tallest in Colombia with over 100 meters) in front of the Bolivar Square.

9.2 A fun day in Chipre

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This traditional neighborhood offers bars, nightclubs, restaurants, children’s parks, and a famous viewpoint from where there is a panoramic view of the city, the mountain range and the snow-capped mountains of Ruiz and Santa Isabel, also valleys of the rivers Cauca and Risaralda. Typical delicacies and snacks are offered right in the viewpoint.

9.3 Visiting the Herveo Tower

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Torre de Herveo or Torre del Cable is a landmark in Manizales since it is a key element of the history of air transport in Colombia. The 54-meter tower, made of native wood, is located in the middle of the Antonio Nariño Park, in Manizales’ Zona Rosa. In the past, it served the system of transport and load of the aerial cable between Manizales and Mariquita, Tolima, and that is why it is declared a national monument, along with the Air Cable Station.

9.4 Hiking Nevado del Ruiz – Los Nevados National Natural Park

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Los Nevados NNP is a volcanic complex made up of the snow-capped peaks Ruiz, Santa Isabel and Tolima, and the Paramillos Cisne, Santa Rosa and Quindio. It protects three of the country’s remaining glaciers and several ecosystems such as the páramos. To visit Los Nevados, you need to have a sense of adventure, adrenaline, and passion for challenges and nature. Wildlife observation, hiking, mountaineering, among other activities can be enjoyed in this wonderful high mountain protected area.

9.5 Relaxing baths in hot springs

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Right in the buffer zone of Los Nevados Park, at 3,50 MASL, there is a hotel with the fortune of having hot springs with medicinal power for all its guests. You can find several spa resorts with hot springs and stunning natural landscapes around Manizales, for example in the village of Villamaría. You also can have a relaxing bath in the hot springs of Termales del Otoño Hotel.

9.6 Coffee experience in Hacienda Venecia

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Hacienda Venecia is a beautiful Finca that keeps its traditional architecture and is actually one of the largest productive coffee farms in Colombia’s coffee region. Here you can have an authentic coffee experience and travel from the bean to the cup and appreciate the daily functioning of the farm in its productive activity. Also, there are workshops to discover the whole process of making chocolate and take home your own homemade chocolate delight. Birders will have a good time too in this place 30 minutes from Manizales.

9.7 Los Yarumos Ecopark

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Northeast of the urban zone in Manizales, in the Minitas neighborhood, lies this 53-hectare park that offers pure adventure. 5 zip lines of 30 to 70 meters high, a 105-meter long Tibetan bridge, rappel down a waterfall, slides, a climbing wall and a 4-hour tour along an ecological trail in the forest for observing up to 200 bird species. The park has also a library and a natural science museum.

9.8 Playing Golf in the Manizales Country Club

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The city’s famous country club is a great place to spend a golf day with your colleagues. Whether it is for team building or incentive travel, playing golf in Colombia is an amazing option.  The club has an 18-hole, par 72 golf course surrounded by a charming landscape. Other amenities are offered, in case golf is not of your interest: football and football 5 fields, a tennis court, a table tennis area, a swimming pool, and a spa are at your disposal too.

10. Why Manizales?

8 reasons for why you should choose Manizales as your next MICE destination, according to the Manizales Chamber of Commerce, the Manizales Secretariat of ICT and Competitiveness and the Caldas Secretariat of Development, Employment and Innovation.

 

1 Manizales is the only capital city of the 4 departments

forming the Coffee Cultural Landscape that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to the republican architecture of its historic center.

2 Manizales is part of the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities

Since it promotes inclusive and quality learning at all levels for its communities. This fosters empowerment and economic, cultural, environmental and social development.

3 Manizales offers unique and inspiring venues for your events to be memorable.

Either between hot springs, nature reserves or high in the mountains, your event will always stand out because of the amazing natural settings of Manizales.

4 Manizales is the safest city and the city with the best quality of life in Colombia,

according to the Ciudades Cómo Vamos Network, which assesses 15 main cities in Colombia.

5 Manizales ranks first in the Social Progress Index (IPS) in Colombia,

which measures the welfare of citizens independently and complementarily to the economic measures.

6 The department of Caldas, with 7,888 square kilometers, hosts 50% of the bird species registered in the country (813 species).

Caldas territory is 22% forests, has 9 river basins and 6 eco-regions and forest ecosystems. The region boasts incredible biodiversity.

7 Manizales is a hub for higher educational institutions.

87% of students in the city are enrolled in high-quality certified higher educational institutions; this is 3 times higher than the Colombian average.

8 Manizales is the city in Colombia where it is easier to do business,

according to The World Bank’s Doing Business Ranking. The city stands out in property registration, tax payment, building permit management and starting a business.