One county in central Southern California boasts nearly 365 days of sunshine per year, 42 miles of coastline—including nine prime year-round beaches—several of the country’s top tourist attractions and more than 40 championship golf courses.
The same county is home to one of the West Coast’s largest convention centers and many Fortune 500 companies, and is less than a two-hour drive from 21 million people.
For those who believe that business and pleasure should be kept strictly separate, Orange County is not the place to hold a meeting. For those who believe that the key to successful, well-attended events is to combine the two whenever possible, this sunny SoCal corner is just the ticket.
Anaheim
Sun-drenched and studded with star attractions, Anaheim is many people’s dream vacation.
“Anaheim is the essence of Southern California culture,” says Charles Ahlers, president of the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau. “When you think of Anaheim and Orange County you think of sunshine, palm trees, fun, the beach and world-class attractions. We are home to the original Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure, as well as Angels Baseball and the NHL Anaheim Ducks.”
Besides top-shelf tourist offerings, Anaheim is also strongly geared to appeal to planners and groups in town on business.
“From a meeting experience, Anaheim’s convention center and major hotels form a unique campus environment wherein meeting and exhibit areas offered at the convention center and adjacent hotels are within easy walking distance of each other,” Ahlers says. “We hear from planners that Anaheim is distinctive in that our hospitality partners act as teammates, selling the destination first. There is a spirit of cooperation among all the players here.”
Anaheim continues to evolve as a destination, according to Ahlers.
“To date we have expanded our convention center five times and we are working on the sixth. We continue to add hotels and other related visitor infrastructure on a regular basis.”
The biggest developments in town include the upcoming completion of the $70 million Hilton Anaheim makeover and the recent opening of Anaheim GardenWalk. The GardenWalk encompasses 54 shopping and dining opportunities packaged into a hip, outdoor entertainment district. Both the Hilton and the GardenWalk are less then a 10-minute walk from the convention center.
The 1.6 million-square-foot Anaheim Convention Center offers 813,000 square feet of exhibit space, 51 meeting rooms and more than 100,000 square feet of outdoor event space. Most recently expanded in 2000 and renovated just last year, the center may be up for a new expansion as early as 2011.
Larger meetings hotels include the Hilton Anaheim, with 100,000 square feet of meeting space, and Anaheim Marriott, with 82,000 square feet of function space. Other heavy hitters include Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian, Hyatt Regency Orange County, Sheraton Park Hotel at the Anaheim Resort and Doubletree Guest Suites Anaheim Resort Convention Center.
Plenty of off-site venues round out the offerings for groups, including the Grove of Anaheim, which has several spaces for events and conferences, ESPN Zone and numerous museums in the area.
Bowers Museum in Santa Ana celebrates the world’s cultures by collecting and displaying fine examples of their arts. As Orange County’s largest museum, it frequently plays exclusive American host to traveling international exhibitions. The museum offers 15,000 square feet of event space capable of accommodating more than 1,000 guests.
Marconi Automotive Museum in Tustin houses a $30 million collection of rare, historical and valuable cars. The 15,000-square-foot main museum, 2,000-square-foot veranda and 3,500-square-foot Race Shop are all available for private rental.
The area is also known for its golf. Two good options for groups are the highly rated Anaheim Hills Gold Club and Dad Miller Golf Course. Anaheim Hills offers a new 30,000-square-foot clubhouse in the style of a Mediterranean villa and 5,000 square feet of meeting space. At Dad Miller, the Greenside Cafe can accommodate groups of up to 300.
Buena Park
Adjacent to Anaheim, Buena Park is equally rife with popular attractions.
The epicenter of the city tourism-wise is the E-Zone, where Beach Boulevard is lined with top destinations such as Knott’s Berry Farm theme park, Knott’s Soak City waterpark, Pirate’s Dinner Adventure and Medieval Times dinner shows, and Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Museum.
The city is a good choice for smaller meetings of 350 or fewer people. The largest meetings hotels are Knott’s Berry Farm Resort Hotel, Holiday Inn Buena Park, Radisson Suites Buena Park, Courtyard by Marriott, and Hampton Inn and Suites.
Costa Mesa
With a healthy portfolio of luxury hotels and meeting space for groups as large as 1,350, Costa Mesa is a destination to consider when you want to impress.
Topping the list for meeting space are Wyndham Orange County and Westin South Coast Plaza, which recently finished $20 million in upgrades. Nearby, South Coast Plaza entertains attendees with dozens of restaurants and more than 300 stores.
Pacific Amphitheatre, located adjacent to the Orange County Fairgrounds, can seat as many as 8,500 people.
The ultramodern Orange County Performing Arts Center comprises a number of concert venues and theaters capable of seating from 250 to 3,000 people.
Team-building opportunities in Costa Mesa are many and varied, ranging from paintball battles for 20 or more at Giant Paintball to soapbox derbies and beach challenges with Corporate Diversions.
Irvine
Orange County’s business hub, Irvine offers planners affordability and accessibility. It is also consistently rated one of the safest larger cities in the U.S.
“Irvine is a favorite among meeting planners because of its proximity to the airport and three major freeways,” says Jennifer McLaughlin, director of tourism at the Irvine Chamber Visitors Bureau. “Attendees can fly in to John Wayne Airport or easily drive to the area as all hotels are located conveniently close to the freeways. Another key feature of Irvine is its broad array of hotel rates and amenities. With over a dozen hotels to choose from, meeting planners can find a facility in their price range but still get all the great amenities of a major hotel chain.”
Irvine will add 132 green guest rooms in 2010, when a new Springhill Suites by Marriott is scheduled to open.
The city’s largest meeting venues include Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Irvine Barclay Theatre and event space at University of California, Irvine.
The city’s combined hotel meeting space totals more than 120,000-plus square feet.
Coastal Orange County
Along the county’s extensive shoreline, the communities of Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach and Dana Point tempt vacationers and meeting attendees alike.
Many meeting venues are located right on the water or offer breathtaking ocean views. Groups will be enthusiastic about team building on the beach. Sandcastle building contests, surfing lessons, kayaking and beach bonfires are just a few of the many enticing options.
Resort town Newport Beach has a reputation for luxury and glamour, but more modest budgets might be shocked at how far money can go here.
“While Newport Beach may seem like a destination that may be too out of reach for a meeting planner’s budget, they’ll be surprised to find out that it can actually be quite affordable and offers a great value,” says Tim Aylsworth, vice president of sales at the Newport Beach CVB. “Planners can get the perks of the beautiful beach setting and unbeatable year-round weather—we have nearly 365 days of sunshine and no humidity—and stay within their budgets at our range of hotel properties.”
To encourage new bookings, the city has a special offer for planners holding events through the end of 2009. When a promotional meetings package is booked at participating hotels, groups can receive a free two-hour Duffy Electric Boat cruise.
The city welcomed a luxurious new 500-acre property, The Resort at Pelican Hill, last fall. Meanwhile, both Hyatt Regency Newport Beach and Newport Beach Bayview Marriot have recently completed extensive renovations.
Other large-scale meetings hotels include Island Hotel Newport Beach and Balboa Bay Club and Resort.
A Newport Beach icon since 1908, Harborside Pavilion and Grand Ballroom can accommodate groups of 500 people with excellent views of the inner harbor.
Planners can also take groups on a cruise along Newport Beach with Hornblower Cruises and Events. Six new budget-conscious group options include a two-hour luau cruise, a morning meeting cruise and a sales booster training cruise, all for $60 per person.
Huntington Beach, nicknamed “Surf City USA,” is known for its clean eight-mile beach, where visitors can swim and surf while enjoying views of Catalina Island.
The city is also undergoing several meetings-friendly developments.
Mixed-use project The Strand will offer 100,000 square feet of retail, restaurants and offices overlooking Huntington Beach Pier when it opens over the spring and summer.
Shorebreak Hotel is slated to debut this spring with 157 guest rooms and 8,000 square feet of meeting space.
Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort has upgraded its interiors, and Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach is launching a new waterslide area this spring. The Hyatt has the largest meeting space in town, with more than 100,000 square feet.
“You are on the Pacific Ocean in Orange County in Huntington Beach—it doesn’t get much better than that,” says Donna Mulgrew, vice president of marketing at the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau. “A group can be in a serious, important meeting session one hour and at any one of dozens of iconic SoCal attractions the next. We will continue to expand our destination with new lodging and a Surfing Cultural Center. ‘Surf City USA’ will never go out of style and will continue to be one of the coolest places to meet.”
For a very “So Cal” off-site venue, consider Beach Central Park, which offers a 320-seat theater with state-of-the art technology and banquet and reception space for 300 people.
Another option with a historical flavor is Newland House Museum, which can welcome as many as 70 indoors and 200 outdoors. It is one of the oldest buildings in Huntington Beach.
The community of Laguna Beach is a unique and inspiring destination for smaller meetings. Its picturesque beaches, numerous art galleries and festivals and commitment to preserving its natural surroundings are among its best advantages.
“A historical, quaint artist’s village, Laguna Beach meeting attendees can take advantage of world-class dining, shopping, art galleries, spas and accommodations, while basking in the beauty of Southern California’s most beautiful beaches amid 20,000 acres of wilderness,” says Judith A. Bijlani, executive director of the Laguna Beach Visitors and Conference Bureau. “All of this adds up to a complete experience for businesses in an environment of creativity, culture and natural beauty that not only facilitates ‘getting down to business,’ but provides a memorable and lasting experience for all in attendance.”
The newest addition in town is Seven4One on Pacific Coast Highway, a boutique 10-room property.
Seven Degrees is a one-of-a-kind venue for corporate retreats. Located in Laguna Canyon, the facility presents a creative “idea lab” atmosphere conducive to problem solving and free thinking.
The 4,000-square-foot Pacific Edge Villa at Pacific Edge Hotel is another elegant beachfront option for preventing boredom and stuffy thinking, while other standout meetings properties include Surf and Sand Resort and Montage Laguna Beach, in addition to The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel and St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort in nearby Dana Point.
For More Info
Anaheim/Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau 714.765.8888 www.anaheimoc.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
