Business View Magazine | June 2022

183 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 6 WESTWORLD OF SCOTTSDALE what was that going to look like?” So, they leaned on one of Arizona’s best bets – the year-round sunshine – and used that natural capital wisely to ‘weather’ some of those COVID- 19-related downturns. “One of the things that’s very different about Scottsdale is the fact that we have 300 plus days of sunshine and blue skies,” Dygert reports. “We’re in high desert, so it doesn’t rain much here. A lot of North America doesn’t get to enjoy that luxury. We don’t have hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, or snowstorms. We don’t have earthquakes or volcanoes. We’re blessed with this lovely climate and that makes the assets at WestWorld even more productive than what you’d see at similar venues.” He offers the example of Toronto’s Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, much of which takes place indoors in the livestock arenas and other enclosed exhibitor spaces. “They’ve got lots of buildings and lots of parking,” Dygert continues. “We’ve got parking lots, too. But our parking space easily gets turned into event space because we have dependable sunshine and basically predictable weather.” WestWorld sits on 386 acres at the base of the McDowell Mountains, unlocking near- limitless possibilities as far as event formats and configurations. Meeting and event facilities available for rent include the covered Equidome with seating for more than 3,300, a 120,000 sq. ft. multi-use tent, a 120,000 sq. ft. climate- controlled space, a 10-acre turf area, and the Monterra catering facility. The complex annually hosts the Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction, as well as conventions, trade shows, concerts, and equestrian shows. “Two hundred and eighty six of those acres belong to the federal government,” Dygert shares. “About 15 years ago, the city bought 100 acres directly attached to it. They did that over a little bit of time. So the history on WestWorld is General Manager, Brian Dygert,