Suggestions for Salt Lake?
 

I am attending a conference for 4 days in Salt Lake City in early May. From the East Coast and have never been there before. Any suggestions on what not to miss? What is the deal with the "private clubs"? Can you just go to any bar / restaurant?

Utahs liquor laws are pretty goofy. You will be able to get a drink at the hotel bar where you are staying without going to a club, however the drink will be made very weak.
You can also go to a club but you have to join (pay a fee) the fees vary from 5.00 to hundreds.
There are actually some decent brew pubs there where if you order food with your beer you can avoid the club fee.
They also have state run liqour stores which the only place you can buy wine, beer,(over 3.2%) and of course, hard liquor. These stores are closed on Sunday. You can buy 3.2 beer at the grocery stores but thats all. No wine.
What not to miss? Well I would go up to Park City, (about 25 minute drive)the site of many of the Olympic events and a good place to shop,eat, and party.
There are a few morman buildings you can check out but unless you are morman you can't enter the temple.
The tour of the Kennecott Copper mine on the west side of town is very impressive.
Other than that, there isn't much to SLC. Hope this helps.

We were there last October for a medical congress.
I've been surprised in a good manner with SLC.
In the town itself there is much to see : at the turist information desk, they give you some brochures to "walk tours" thru the and there is particulary some "architectural" tours which are very interesting...
RThe buildings of the mormon church are nice to visit even you are not really
impressed by the religion.
Ther is also an old trolley station transformed in a "shop" square which is nice, but a little out of the center...
Around, we've been to park city : both the way to and the city itself are nice.
Finally south of SLC, a trip to provo is also a good idea : there is also a "walk tour" architectural to provo and on teh way back a stop at thanksgiving point is a must if you like
dinosaurus and even if you are without children...We were there with our 10 ys old daughter and she finishs her visit before us...
The Copper mine is nice and in SLC there
is 2 "pionner" museums which are interesting...
So perhaps not too much to do for who
don't look too much but sufficienbt to have occupied us 5 days and to project another visit in 3-4 years...
There a were some posters in this forum about salt lake City and I have made a report of our stay...
Erik.

I lived in Ogden, Utah for several years, back in the day. If you get a chance to drive to the Great Salt Lake it will be worth your visit. There was an island called Antelope Island, complete with a beach (if you want to try floating) that we used to picnic on but I'm not sure if it's still open to the public. Access from Layton or Clearfield, Utah.

Thanks for all the suggestions!