I'll be staying at the Hyatt Place in the Tech Center. Plans are to arrive at the hotel around 5:00pm.
When and where for drinks and grub?
Literally right across the parking lot from my old employer. They moved though.
There's a bunch down there. There's stuff in the Tech Center (which is actually a financial district and not Tech at all) but tends to be pricy in there. Couple of really nice bars though. Great Northern Tavern in there is a little pricey but excellent. Good beer. Meh food. It's a bar.
Well, there's the bar/restaurant at the Hyatt. Or one of the many places around. There's an italian restaurant (Nona's) not far from KAPA that Nate recommends (or has in the past). For BBQ, there's Famous Dave's about a 10 min drive east on Arapahoe. I don't recommend Landry's for seafood (off I-25, just south of Arapahoe).
Of course there's the good, ole' standby, TPL at the airport.
Nona's is okay, but not easy for a large group -- have done that there before and they set up a long table kinda in the middle and it's a little awkward.
For a more open style pub hangout and food I'd cross the parking lot there and go to Maggie Smith's Irish pub.
(By the way, the shooting range is also there. Haha.)
If you really want BBQ, it's not a meet up place at all. It's literally a hole in the wall and you'd be meeting in the parking lot -- would be Jabo's down there. Probably no good for a meeting. There's also a Brother's BBQ at the corner of Arapahoe and I-25 if the construction there hasn't shut it down. It has room but is "better than average" BBQ but nothing to write home about.
If folks like Mexican, the Brewery Bar III (they're numbered) a couple exits south near Park Meadows mall is excellent, and all of them have been around forever. This is also a great "budget" option. The green chili is very good.
It's also right next door to the indoor skydiving place if anyone wanted to turn this into an all different sort of "event". Hahaha. Never been. Kinda curious about it. LOL.
If someone feels more adventurous there's good Pho and Sushi also nearby there. Lots of stuff in that area. Also a top notch Indian place. But I suspect those aren't good ideas for a group?