New York, U.S.A. – The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board will be sponsoring Engage Mexico, a premiere Social Media conference being held November 14-17 with a challenging and innovative agenda which is revolutionizing the concept of executive and technical conferences.

Scheduled to be held at the Sheraton Buganvilias Resort & Convention Center, Engage Mexico planners and participants will benefit from the vast meetings infrastructure as well as tourism opportunities Puerto Vallarta has to offer.

Puerto Vallarta is one of Mexico’s leading MICE destinations because of its superior professional services along with its proximity to key markets in the US and Canada. Enriched by Mexican heritage, this charming seaport has colonial-era roots and is framed by the lush Sierra Madre mountain range and the Pacific waters of Banderas Bay, providing some of the most unique settings for corporate events. Meetings held in Puerto Vallarta have consistently brought 20% more attendees to events than at their previous meeting location.

Meetings and Incentives Travel in Puerto Vallarta

Air Access
Puerto Vallarta's Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR) handled over 1.2 million passengers in 2012, with over 2,000 direct flights coming from the US and Canada (SECTUR). The airfield is capable of handling 40 takeoffs and landings per hour. The airport terminal has 16 active gates, with an additional six in a recently completed terminal extension project.

In June, Delta Air Lines began servicing 9 daily nonstop flights from Los Angeles to Puerto Vallarta with a total capacity for 150 passengers each. In the Fall, new flights will also start with Aeromexico from New York's JFK as well from other cities like Philadelphia and St. Louis. In addition, beginning in May 2014, TUI will offer two weekly flights from Great Britain projected to bring 12,000 passengers during the summer season.

Hotel Infrastructure
Puerto Vallarta can accommodate meetings and incentives groups of all sizes. The city's hotel network offers 20,784 rooms, with well over half being 4-star-plus properties. New properties have continuously opened in Puerto Vallarta, in the past three years 7,432 rooms were added to the destination. Most recently, three new resorts from international chains Hilton and AM Resorts opened.

By the end of this year, further changes in infrastructure will include the addition of 4 new hotels. Although no opening dates have been announced, construction has started on two hotels in the Marina Zone of the city. The completely new Hotel One, with 125 rooms, and a Holiday Inn Express, with 115 rooms, will be located five minutes away from Puerto Vallarta's International Airport (PVR) and will target meetings and conventions visitors to the city. The hotel zone of Puerto Vallarta will also have a new AM Resorts property with 450 rooms; a Best Western opened earlier this year when the brand took over what used to be the Presidente Intercontinental. In addition, the ALMAR hotel is scheduled to open this November in the city's Romantic Zone.

Puerto Vallarta International Convention Center
The Puerto Vallarta International Convention Center is the destination's state-of-the-art facility for conventions and exhibitions. With an investment estimated at $43 million USD, it occupies 42 acres and offers over 105,000 square feet of flexible indoor meeting and exhibition space as well as 400,000 square feet of outdoor event space; it is five minutes away from the airport and 10 minutes away from Puerto Vallarta's major hotels and historic downtown.

Gran Salon Vallarta, the Convention Center's main meeting hall, offers 54,000 square feet of space and can be subdivided into eight fully equipped, sound-proofed rooms. The complex offers 670 car parking spaces as well as a separate lot reserved exclusively for motor coaches, accommodating up to 50. The Convention Center also offers a host of services required by large groups such as an exhibition area, private meeting rooms, simultaneous translation equipment, a research center, cafeteria, a cultural and educational center, workshop, the latest technology, and first class service in elegant surroundings. Companies that have held their meetings in the Puerto Vallarta International Convention Center have reported a 20% increase in attendance for events taking place in the venue in comparison to their previous celebration.

The Puerto Vallarta convention center is the only venue in the world that maintains a natural protected area of 415 acres. From the income generated by events held in the complex, over 250 animal species call Estero el Salado home.

Puerto Vallarta's Makeover
Puerto Vallarta's Downtown has had an "extreme makeover" in recent years as part of a six-year urban renewal program along the destination's iconic Malecón, or waterfront, which was inaugurated in October 2011 with nearly 4 miles (6,000 meters) of renovated public space, twice as wide, and improvements extending from the Hotel Rosita to the Hotel Los Arcos.

Continued improvements include a second tunnel on the Libramiento highway, which is located on the backside of the city, slated for completion this summer, and Los Muertos Pier, which officially opened this past January.

Award Winning AND Safe
Puerto Vallarta is committed to ensuring the safety and security of its residents and visitors. In the summer of 2011, the Tourism Police Program was reinstated in Puerto Vallarta with a focus on tourist security and safety, the prevention of crime, and preserving the city's positive image and sterling reputation.

During February 2012, Puerto Vallarta initiated a 'Taxi Safe' notification system in which anyone witnessing a crime or falling victim to a crime can report the event to any cab, which will report the event to their call center. The call center in turn will notify the Police Emergency Call Center (066), which is the equivalent of (911) in the US. Some 150 businesses in and outside the tourist zone have signed up to participate by advertising the service and providing forms to interested persons in English and Spanish. In addition, the City of Puerto Vallarta has twice the national standard of policemen (2.0 per 1,000 Pop.) required by the Federal Government.

These efforts have paid off, as Puerto Vallarta's hotels continue to have higher occupancy rates compared to other international destination in Mexico and the destination continues to receive accolades from media and visitors alike.

Most recently Puerto Vallarta was named "Best Mexican Destination" by the readers of Tripadvisor.com; in 2012 it was named "Most Romantic Place in Mexico 2012" as well as "Favorite Beach Destination 2012" by users of the site About.com and the best "Luxury Beach Retirement on a Budget" by International Living.

In 2011, Puerto Vallarta won the title of "Friendliest City in the World," as chosen by readers of the prestigious magazine Condé Nast Traveler. In 2010, Vallarta was named "Best Place to Retire in the World" by the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons). This year the city was named "Best Retirement Destination in Mexico" by USNews.com and one of the Top Cities in Latin America by Travel + Leisure Magazine.