Orange County has really made a name for itself in the last few years. Basking in the popularity of two TV shows—The OC, a teen drama, and The Real Housewives of Orange County, a reality program—the sunny destination is now known nationally as the place to have the ultimate Southern California experience.
“We’ve seen more spouses come along for meetings since these shows have aired,” says Tom Smalley, president of the Costa Mesa Conference and Visitor Bureau and general manager of the Wyndham Orange County. “The area has been raised to such a level that if it’s not sunshiny and everyone isn’t gorgeous, people are disappointed.”
Luckily with a year-round average temperature of approximately 70 degrees and some 300 days of sunshine per year, it’s hard for groups to show up on the wrong day.
To top that, Orange County has developed pedestrian-friendly centers that allow attendees to forget about driving and enjoy walks to nearby meeting venues and restaurants.
Anaheim
With the 1.6 million-square-foot Anaheim Convention Center, area hotels, Disneyland, Disney’s California Adventure, and Downtown Disney, Anaheim is a diverse meetings destination that has undergone major transformations in recent years, and new developments continue to take shape.
Anaheim GardenWalk, an outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment complex that will hold its grand opening this month, is one of the latest major newcomers, explains Elaine Cali, vice president of communications at the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau.
“It gives meeting attendees a lot of new options for entertainment within a short walk of the Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim hotels and the Disneyland Resort,” she says.
GardenWalk opened its first phase of restaurants last November, and this month the 440,000 square feet of retail, dining and entertainment venues will be completely open.
Groups will be able to enjoy outings at an upscale bowling lounge and get some shopping done, all within walking distance of major business hotels.
Anaheim isn’t stopping there. By the end of 2010, some 1,200 guests will be able to stay in two new hotels on-site at GardenWalk.
Creating even more options for evening fun are top-name live entertainment venues like the House of Blues, Honda Center and Grove Theater; Major League Baseball’s Anaheim Angels; and the National Hockey League’s Anaheim Ducks, 2007 Stanley Cup champions.
“We also have a very walkable meeting destination in an area we’re calling CenterWalk,” Cali says.
Connecting popular meetings hotels such as the Anaheim Marriott and the Hilton Anaheim (both of which are undergoing renovations) to the Anaheim Convention Center by open-air walkways, CenterWalk makes it easy for attendees to get around on foot.
Other top group hotel options include the Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian, the Hyatt Regency Orange County, the Sheraton Park Hotel at the Anaheim Resort, and the Doubletree Guest Suites Anaheim Resort/Convention Center.
Meanwhile, several off-site venues are available, including the lively ESPN Zone, accommodating groups of up to 1,200, and the Grove of Anaheim, offering a variety of unique spaces for events and small conferences.
Buena Park
Located just 10 minutes north of the Disneyland Resort, Buena Park is home to five of Orange County’s most popular attractions—Knott’s Berry Farm, Knott’s Soak City waterpark, Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament, Pirate’s Dinner Adventure, and Ripley’s “Believe It or Not!” museum.
Long a favorite vacation spot for families, Buena Park’s location between Los Angeles and Anaheim also makes it a popular venue for small meetings.
Five hotels—Knott’s Berry Farm Resort Hotel, Holiday Inn Buena Park, Radisson Suites Buena Park, Courtyard by Marriott, and Hampton Inn and Suites—have meeting space for groups of from 15 to 350 people.
“One of the reasons planners like Buena Park is that their small meetings are a good fit for our hotels,” says Pattie Davidson, managing director of the Buena Park Convention and Visitors Office. “There aren’t nine or 10 other meetings going on simultaneously, competing for the attention of the convention services or banquet staffs. They know that when they book a meeting in Buena Park, they’ll have the full attention of the entire hotel staff.”
Davidson recommends taking advantage of the area’s unique venues for off-site functions.
“Our dinner attractions are great team-building experiences, and Knott’s Berry Farm offers so many great ideas for theme parties,” she says.
Costa Mesa
Centrally located, Costa Mesa is a great halfway point for many groups.
“A lot of companies have regional headquarters in San Diego and Los Angeles, so Costa Mesa is a great meeting point,” says Smalley of the Costa Mesa Conference and Visitor Bureau. “We’re the hub between the two large cities.”
What’s distinctive about the area may come as a surprise to those who think that Southern California is synonymous with driving long distances.
Its two major meetings hotels, the Westin South Coast Plaza and the Wyndham Orange County, are located within walking distance of restaurants and shopping at South Coast Plaza.
“Planners enjoy the ability to walk from one place to the other. When you’re schlepping groups in a motor coach, you’re thinking ‘This had better be a great restaurant,’” Smalley jokes. “Here, there are five or six key luxury restaurants and more dining options at South Coast Plaza within walking distance.”
Smalley explains that allowing groups to walk lets them enjoy the great Southern California weather. For meeting planners, it also means great savings.
“Planners have to work within a budget and Orange County can get expensive,” he says. “Costa Mesa’s low occupancy tax of eight percent can also make a difference. With the money you save, you can buy a big dinner instead.”
Besides its many shopping and dining options, another major lure is the recently expanded Orange County Performing Arts Center, which is available for group events.
Irvine
Neighboring Irvine enjoys its proximity to John Wayne International Airport as well as nearby attractions, making the area a convenient base for any type of meeting.
“Our latest change is that we’ve gone from Destination Irvine to a visitors bureau,” says Jennifer McLaughlin, director of tourism marketing at the Irvine Chamber Visitors Bureau. “We’re currently developing a new website at www.irvinecvb.org.”
Many meetings hotels in Irvine have invested in major upgrades, including the 289-room Hilton Irvine/Orange County Airport. The property recently completed a $10 million renovation. The Irvine Marriott and the Embassy Suites Irvine–Orange County Airport have also been recently renovated.
For larger meetings, McLaughlin suggests the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.
“They have the setup, and unless there are performances it sits empty, so planners should take advantage of it,” she says.
To enjoy the area’s warm climate, McLaughlin recommends choosing an outdoor venue such as the Barnyard at the Strawberry Farms Golf Club, where up to 250 people can gather. Other popular off-site venues include Irvine Lanes, where groups can bowl the night away. Groups can also take in a performance at the newly opened Irvine Valley College Performing Arts Center.
Coastal Orange County
The luxurious seaside resorts along the scenic Orange County coast are making meetings in Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, and Dana Point more glamorous than ever.
Seven hotels featuring more than 150,000 square feet of meeting space and more than 2,600 rooms make Newport Beach a premier meetings destination. Local hotels have invested approximately $140 million in recent renovations, including enhancements at the Newport Marriott Hotel and Spa and the Fairmont Newport Beach.
The newest property to be developed is The Resort at Pelican Hill, which opens this fall between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach.
“The resort is rising on a spectacular 504-acre site that boasts one of the most serene and beautiful coastal settings in Southern California,” says Audrey Leoncio, marketing and public relations manager at the Newport Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau.
Other top meetings properties in Newport Beach include The Island Hotel Newport Beach and the Balboa Bay Club and Resort.
Nearby Huntington Beach is much more than a surfer’s paradise, according to Donna Mulgrew, vice president of marketing at the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau.
“[Huntington Beach] has a lively downtown scene where trendsetting boutiques and eclectic restaurants coexist alongside sidewalk diners and funky souvenir shops,” she says. “Even though we have eight and one-half miles of continuous coastline, Huntington Beach isn’t just a surf town—we are central to some of Southern California’s popular attractions.”
Adding to Orange County’s pedestrian-friendly options is The Strand, a mixed-use development overlooking Huntington Beach Pier that is scheduled to open this winter. It will include 100,000 square feet of retail and office space and the 157-room Shorebreak Hotel, a Joie de Vivre Hospitality property, just a few steps from the beach.
In 2010, another oceanfront project on 31 acres will be constructed along the Pacific Coast Highway. Pacific City, featuring residences, shops, restaurants, and a W hotel, will link the city’s two existing waterfront resorts—the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort & Spa and the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort—with downtown Huntington Beach.
In beautiful Laguna Beach, planners looking for standout meetings resorts overlooking the ocean can take advantage of properties such as the Surf and Sand Resort, the Montage Resort and Spa and the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and Spa, and in Dana Point, The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel is another high-end meetings option.
For More Info
Anaheim/Orange County Visitor
and Convention Bureau 714.765.8888
www.meetinanaheimoc.org" target="_blank">http://www.meetinanaheimoc.org
Buena Park Convention and Visitors Office 714.562.3560
www.visitbuenapark.com
Costa Mesa Conference and Visitor Bureau 714.435.8530
www.travelcostamesa.com
Dana Point COC and Visitors Bureau 949.496.1555
www.danapointvisitorcenter.com
Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau 714.969.3492
www.surfcityusa.com
Irvine Chamber Visitors Bureau 949.660.9112
www.irvinecvb.org
Laguna Beach Visitors and Conference Bureau 949.497.9229
www.lagunabeachinfo.org
Newport Beach Conference
and Visitors Bureau 949.719.6100
www.newportbeach-cvb.com
