While New England is adored for its crisp and colorful autumns and the Rocky Mountain states are a magnet for skiers in search of powder-perfect slopes during winter, Los Angeles is world renowned for a different kind of season.
“Destinations are celebrated for their seasons, and down here we are as well—for award season,” says Katie Callahan-Giobbi, senior vice president of sales at LA Inc., The Convention and Visitors Bureau, adding that for some shows, including the People’s Choice Awards, tickets are available to the general public. “Anyone can go; you can get tickets on the Web.”
For the biggies, though, namely the Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards, most of us simply enjoy the spectacle in the comfort of our own living rooms.
But according to Callahan-Giobbi, groups meeting in downtown Los Angeles and Hollywood are thrilled with off-site events held at places where the stars gather, including the following venues, which are annually visited by favorite celebrities hoping make it on stage to accept an award.
Kodak Theatre
(323.308.6300; www.kodaktheatre.com) Built for more than $90 million, the Kodak Theatre has become the focal point of the Hollywood and Highland retail, dining and entertainment complex. The 3,400-seat theater opened in 2001 and has since hosted the annual Academy Awards. The Daytime Emmy Awards has also been held at the theater. Planners can take advantage of the Kodak Theatre for corporate seminars, retreats, banquets, and receptions.
Staples Center
(213.742.7100; www.staplescenter.com) Home to big-name sporting outfits, particularly L.A.’s darlings, the Lakers, and the Kings hockey team, the Staples Center in downtown L.A. also proudly hosts the music industry’s Grammy Awards. Additionally, the center’s special events department will assist planners in coordinating private events such as business meetings, receptions, dinners, and product launches.
Shrine Auditorium
(213.748.5116;www.shrinela.com) Built in 1906, the handsome Shrine Auditorium, located just south of the Staples Center, has hosted the Emmy Awards, the People’s Choice Awards and the American Music Awards. While its 6,300-seat theater and adjoining 54,000-square-foot expo center are often utilized for live and televised arts and entertainment, including theater and opera productions, it’s also available for meetings, conferences, trade shows, and conventions.
The Beverly Hilton
(310.274.7777; www.beverlyhilton.com) The proud host to this year’s Golden Globe Awards was a 570-room property in Beverly Hills that features accoutrements fit for a queen—if not the actual Queen of England, for Helen Mirren, the actress who portrayed her in the film The Queen, a role that earned her the 2007 Golden Globe Award for best actress in a motion picture. The Beverly Hilton accommodates planners with more than 60,000 square feet of indoor and open-air event space featuring state-of-the-art multimedia technology.
