With 520,000 sf of meeting and event space, the San Jose McEnery Convention Center is the largest convention center in Silicon Valley. Courtesy Photo

From the beautiful scenery of Long Beach to the innovative environs of Sacramento, to the creative experiences in San Francisco, the Golden State has inspired generations of association professionals who have held meetings, conventions and events in this great state. Here, Silicon Valley is teeming with state-of-the-art innovations, while farm-to-table eateries welcome attendees to enjoy innovative dishes in Anaheim, and cable cars whisk association meeting goers to their next event in San Francisco. California offers something for all types and sizes of associations who are looking to make their next event truly shine.

Innovative & Emerging

Located in the southern part of the Bay Area, San Jose is seen as an innovative and emerging city for meetings and events. During association gatherings, attendees enjoy the scale of San Jose’s meetings campus, which features the Convention Center, with its 143,000 sf of event space; four historic theaters and numerous hotels, all adjacent to the arts district, SoFA, where attendees gallery hop, enjoy craft cocktails, savor Michelin-rated food or just visit at a café and people watch.

Association event attendees also love San Jose’s wine experiences. San Jose’s Alamitos Vineyard was just named best new wine experience in the U.S. and the Santa Cruz Mountain American Viticultural Area (AVA) has been called the most under-appreciated wine appellation in the world. Attendees can taste delicious local wines in downtown tasting rooms or head to the nearby hills and taste at the vineyards themselves.

San Jose was the destination for the Society for Information Display (SID) in Campbell, CA, which is composed of the top scientists, engineers, corporate researchers and business people of the display industry. According to association meeting planner and executive director, Tony Caldwell, SID’s annual Display Week is the world’s largest technical symposium and exhibition for emerging technologies in the high-growth global electronic display industry.

“We held our annual conference, Display Week, last year in San Jose. We occupied the entire McEnery convention center,” Caldwell said. “We also had room blocks with five of the closest hotels to the convention Center. We had about 5,400 attendees to the conference. We will be in San Jose again in 2024 and 2025.”

Since the industry is focused in Silicon Valley, San Jose was the perfect choice for the annual conference.

“It offers us the opportunity to draw additional walk-in traffic because of the high concentration of engineers and high-tech companies in the area,” Caldwell explained. “San Jose is also preferred by our exhibitors since many of their partners are located in Silicon Valley. It offers opportunities to see and visit the birthplace of high-tech.”

The size of the convention center, added Caldwell, is perfect for a medium-sized conference.

Caldwell added that the first thing attendees appreciate about San Jose is the weather. The temperature is normally between 65 and 85 degrees with low humidity. And the San Jose Convention Center is positioned well to take advantage of public transit. Attendees can easily get on the light rail system, which will take them to other entertainment locations in the city. Also, the convention center is within walking distance to many fine restaurants and bars in downtown San Jose.

“Also, many of our attendees enjoy bike riding on the Guadalupe trail that runs next to the Guadalupe River in San Jose,” Caldwell said.

Urban Amenities & Relaxed Vibe

Within the shadow of Los Angeles, Long Beach is a wonderful option for associations looking for the urban amenities of a large city, but with a more relaxed vibe that many association attendees are seeking. A mere 30 minutes south of Santa Monica, Long Beach offers a vibrant lifestyle that can be experienced by attendees during their stay. This unique beach city offers associations and their attendees unique experiences surrounding art, food and culture, as well as beautiful beaches and outdoor recreation.

One of the favorite venues within Long Beach is the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, which has quickly become a big draw among association planners who are looking for a high-tech environment for their next association convention. As a leading state-of-the-art facility, the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center features exhibit halls, meeting rooms and pavilions that have been designed to allow for the greatest amount of functionality in an event space. They have more than 400,000 sf of exhibit space available.

In addition to the convention center, Long Beach offers dozens of other unique venues – from aquariums to cruises, to classic ballrooms – where associations can hold their meetings and events. Check out The Pacific Ballroom, a 46,000 sf arena available for events that is completely customizable with its lighting and sound options and even a state-of-the-art moveable ceiling truss system so planners can change even the ceiling itself to modify the space.

Scenic & Memorable

Just two hours south of San Francisco is Monterey. The allure of this locale for association meeting planners and, more importantly, attendees, lies in its breathtaking coastal backdrop, world-class accommodations, and rich legacy of hosting esteemed organizations and leaders. Monterey also offers diverse options to suit various budgets and preferences in both lodging and event venues. Unique meeting experiences, such as brainstorming sessions at beach socials and wine tasting, leave a lasting impression on association attendees.

This year, the California Association of Public Information Officials in Chico, CA, hosted their multi-day annual conference for 500 people at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel And Spa in Monterey. This was the first time this group has ever held their convention in Monterey and it was a huge success.

“The destination is such a draw and we were able to host an awards evening at the world famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, which made for such a special and memorable evening,” said Amy Orr, owner of ORRganized Events in Chico who worked with the California Association of Public Information Officials, on their event. “The Hyatt’s meeting space worked really well for our general session, for breakouts and receptions throughout the event, and the lobby/bar area made for a great space for informal networking for our attendees.”

Orr is also the conference planner for American Institute of Architects (AIA) California, who holds their Monterey Design Conference every other year at Asilomar Hotel & Conference Grounds.

“The architects return to Monterey’s coast due to the retreat atmosphere and Asilomar’s inspiring Julia Morgan Hall,” Orr said.

Monterey County lends attendees the sense of “escaping” from the office, and allows them to truly focus on the education, networking and professional development – plus, it was a new destination that the California Association of Public Information Officials had not been to before.

“The cool coastal environment among the cypress and eucalyptus trees is refreshing and uplifting. For our open evenings, attendees were able to enjoy Old Fisherman’s Wharf, historic Cannery Row and explore the great restaurant scene. For attendees, Monterey offers an appealing destination, and for planners, Monterey has great hotels and venues that can fit a variety of programs,” Orr said. “We have learned that if we’re too close to a metropolitan city, attendees can’t truly ‘leave’ work, resulting in less immersion with many commuting to the conference from their home versus being able to stay on-site. With this information, along with the consideration of a new destination for the conference, we looked at Monterey and are very happy we did.”

For association planners considering Monterey as their meeting or event destination, Monterey’s meeting spaces boast a central location, conveniently within walking distance of many attractions and dining options. During downtime, attendees can embark on self-guided tours, exploring the city’s charm at their own pace, or opt for one of the many guided tour options available.

The heart of Monterey is highly walkable, inviting attendees to stroll through shops, enjoy beachside walks, and indulge in wine tasting and dining along the way. For those seeking outdoor adventures, e-bike rides offer a scenic and effortless way to experience the area’s natural beauty, while kayak tours and whale watching excursions promise thrilling encounters with marine life.

Abundance of Choices

What draws association planners to Los Angeles is the city’s abundance of choice. Whether it’s a board meeting, retreat or convention, an association could hold all of its meetings and events or conventions in Los Angeles and never plan the same experience twice. With year-round great weather, a beautiful natural landscape, world-class dining and an array of unique and adaptable event spaces, when association planners look at Los Angeles for a meeting or event, they know they are going to give their attendees an incredible experience.

One silver lining from the pandemic is that it actually accelerated the pace of capital improvements and development across Los Angeles. That’s why the city has seen trendy boutique hotels and awe-inspiring luxury concepts continue to pop up all over the city, and what’s more, many of these properties were developed with meetings in mind and are perfect for large groups.

The culinary offerings in Los Angeles are unlike any other, and association planners are specifically seeing downtown’s dining scene take off with award-winning chefs and new exciting concepts, including 25 Los Angeles restaurants with one or more Michelin stars and 56 Bib Gourmand recognitions.

The National Council for Mental Wellbeing, based in Washington, DC, recently held an event at the Los Angeles Convention Center called NatCon23, the Annual Conference & Expo. NatCon is the largest conference in mental health and substance use treatment and connects over 5,000 health care professionals in the field from influencers and decision-makers to advocates and executives.

“Los Angeles is an excellent option for any planner looking for a dynamic city that will excite their attendees (driving attendance to the meeting) and offers a beautiful centrally located convention center surrounded by a robust hotel package featuring a variety of brands and price points to cover all attendees’ budgets and travel preferences,” said Sara Haywood, CMP, assistant vice president of conference & events at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing in Washington D.C. “Los Angeles also offers planners several options to accommodate growth. When you are signing a city five years out, you want to have the flexibility to expand meeting space with the convention center or hotel(s) and expand your hotel block.”

This was extremely helpful for the National Council for Mental Wellbeing recently when they sold out of their initial hotel block and had to expand from 10 hotels to 13. Los Angeles also provided a welcome atmosphere where attendees felt safe to walk around the city any time of day or night enjoying the multitude of bars, restaurants and entertainment options available to them.

“If you haven’t considered Los Angeles in the past, definitely add them to the list of cities to explore in the future,” Haywood said.

She also suggested contacting groups like Discover Los Angeles, saying they are a great resource for programs unique to Los Angeles.

For association planners considering Los Angeles, it is recommended they pick a region or area and take advantage of all it has to offer. Several destinations throughout Los Angeles provide planners the opportunity to maximize attendees’ time without leaving the area.

One of the challenges that people express is the traffic here and difficulty of getting around the city. By selecting and focusing on one region, association planners can focus and plan around all it has to offer without straying too far away.

If you are organizing a larger event, the Los Angeles Convention Center in downtown Los Angeles provides the perfect venue for first-time visitors and returning guests. The icon is home to some of the country’s most significant conventions and trade shows. With a vibrant atmosphere, several nearby cultural attractions, and dining and entertainment venues just steps away, the Los Angeles Convention Center provides endless opportunities for attendees to immerse themselves in all the city has to offer.

Desert Oasis

The proximity to both Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) and a fun and exciting downtown area are what make Palm Springs extremely popular with association meeting planners.

Just ask Laura Thomas, director of meetings and member services for the California Association of Health Facilities (CAHF) in Sacramento. The CAHF has been holding its Annual Convention and Expo at the Renaissance Palm Springs and the Palm Springs Convention Center every year for more than 25 years. They typically have 1500-2000 people in attendance. The Palm Springs Convention Center has 261,000 sf total of meeting and event space available.

“The convention center is the perfect size for our group. There are other California convention centers that would fit, but we would be a small fish in a big pond,” Thomas said. “In Palm Springs, we fill the center, and it is just our group.”

Thomas pointed out that the proximity of the convention center to downtown Palm Springs is fantastic. Groups are able to walk to a huge choice of restaurants and shopping. And the weather is amazing, she said. After all, where else can you safely plan outdoor events in the middle of November? | AC&F |