The symposium in Santa Fe was really good, informationally, but we had to leave the meeting rooms each evening and scatter back to condos in the dark in the cold. This time we can have the meeting rooms as late as we want, and people can go back to their rooms in stocking feet. Santa Fe is prettier than Albuquerque, but about twice expensive, no matter what you touch. :-)
It's still really hot here, and might be fairly warm (compared to most of the world) in December, but not nearly as cold as we were in Santa Fe up on that hill with the wind blowing over old frozen snow. That was picturesque and not so fun.
Albuquerque has a lower elevation than Santa Fe, and we were up on the hillfort (fort hill, anyway; the fort was gone) of Santa Fe, too. The conference center is all part of the hotel, so no one will need to put on shoes or a coat to go from beds to meeting rooms. And if it does snow, we can see it from the windows and go and play in it.
Add gloves to your checklists, just in case (and I'll start a shared checklist and link it above).