Doesn’t Inland Empire sound a tad grand? Only to those who haven’t been there. Much like the empires of antiquity, it sprawls over a significant, wildly diverse chunk of Southern California real estate to encompass Pomona and Claremont in the west, San Bernardino (of Route 66 fame) to the east, the natural havens of Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead to the north and the wine country of Temecula to the south.
Imperial activities range from spectating at roaring drag races to taking in a lecture at the Harvard of the West, the Claremont Colleges; from skiing to wine tasting; and from meeting in intimate boardrooms to convening at 11,000-seat arenas.
Take your pick. This empire has a lot going on.
Ontario
Ontario bills itself as the "Gateway to Southern California," a claim buttressed by facilities such as the bustling LA/Ontario International Airport, the giant Ontario Mills Mall, the 225,000-square-foot Ontario Convention Center and the 11,000-seat Citizens Business Bank Arena.
Formerly a manufacturing and agricultural hub, Ontario has been converting itself to a manufacturing, office and warehousing hub for the Inland Empire—and to a bedroom community for Los Angeles thanks to Metrolink rail service to L.A.’s Union Station.
Meetings bookings are up for the next 18 months despite the downturn in spending by state agencies, says Amita Patel, director of sales and marketing at the Ontario CVB.
"Our fiscal year begins in June 2010, and we’re up 22 percent for that next fiscal year for groups," Patel says. "We flip between California state associations and SMERF. Traditionally, the city is a strong SMERF market, and next year we have a strong base [in that]."
The Doubletree Hotel Ontario Airport, the Hilton Ontario Airport and the Ontario Airport Marriott are popular meetings properties with plenty of guest rooms and function space.
Area amenities include racing at Auto Club Speedway in adjacent Fontana and swimming or fishing at Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park. Soccer enthusiasts can mix it up at the new Ontario Soccer Park, while duffers swing away at the Arnold Palmer-designed Empire Lakes Golf Course.
San Bernardino
There is a lot happening in San Bernardino to celebrate its 200th birthday this year, says Karen Blanco, director of communications at the San Bernardino CVB.
"From bicentennial galas to bicentennial parades, there’s just a number of wonderful things happening," she says, urging visitors to consider an American Idol-style talent show for kids, San Bernardino’s Got Talent; a Mayor’s Run; Railroad Days; and a July Fourth Extravaganza.
Perennial favorites here include the Route 66 Festival, now in its 21st year of bringing classic and hot-rod car collectors together, and the Western Regional Little League Finals each August.
California State University, San Bernardino offers the Robert V. Fullerton Museum of Art, and other cultural amenities include the WBC Legends of Boxing Museum, the American Sports Museum and a Route 66 museum on the site of the first-ever McDonald’s restaurant, which opened here in 1948.
In addition, the 1,700-seat California Theatre hosts touring productions of Chicago, among other plays and live music acts, and the San Manuel Casino also draws plentiful live performances.
While San Bernardino’s convention center is closed for renovation, several hotels here have meeting space, including the Hilton San Bernardino, Fairfield Inn & Suites and Hilton Garden Inn.
The city banks on its central location within Southern California, according to Blanco.
"An hour [driving] in any direction will get you either to Big Bear, to the beaches, to L.A. or to the wine country down in Temecula," she says.
Riverside
"What recession?" is the question fast-growing Riverside is asking, according to Debbie Megna, the Riverside CVB’s executive sales manager. When the economic downturn began, the city was already two years into its five-year, $1.5 billion Riverside Renaissance initiative, so it has simply proceeded with this comprehensive program to remake downtown and elsewhere in the city.
"Riverside has been wisely investing in its future, making the city the most family- and visitor-friendly city in Southern California. At a time when so many cities are struggling, Riverside is in ascension," Megna says.
Results so far include the December 2009 reopening of historic downtown Main Street, which includes restaurants, convention hotels and the Riverside Convention Center, which was just renovated. The "new" Main Street now has water features, statues and fresh landscaping, and hosts public events such as the annual, nationally famous Mission Inn Festival of Lights.
Things are humming off Main Street as well. Later this year, the University of California, Riverside ARTSblock will welcome the new Culver Center of the Arts to complement the existing California Museum of Photography and Sweeney Art Gallery.
In January 2011, the Riverside Aquatics Complex will open at Riverside City College with a 60-meter competition pool, warm-up pools and a full Olympic diving platform, all aimed at hosting state and national aquatic competitions.
Meeting facilities include the Riverside Convention Center and the adjacent Riverside Marriott, with the landmark, 240-room Mission Inn Hotel & Spa just another block away.
Riverside also offers numerous museums and galleries, including the Riverside Metropolitan Museum, Division 9 Gallery and People’s Gallery. Meanwhile, restaurants display the wide variety typical of the Inland Empire, ranging from southern and northern Italian to New Orleans Cajun, steak, seafood and Mexican.
Claremont and Pomona
Pomona is located at the easternmost edge of Los Angeles County and boasts California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, where Kellogg West Conference Center and Lodge welcomes groups. Pomona is also the site of both the Los Angeles County Fair and the famed Winternationals drag-racing competition. Pomona is connected to Los Angeles via the Metrolink commuter-rail system, and several hospitals and rehabilitation facilities make it something of a medical hub for the Inland Empire.
Claremont is home to several of the seven Claremont Colleges and has successfully retained its small-town charm by rebuilding its central public plaza and beginning weekly live entertainment through the Friday Nights Live program. A Sunday-morning farmers market serves as an additional draw. Old industrial and agricultural buildings are slowly being converted into live-in lofts and retail, while new townhouses are also being built.
"Our restaurants are always busy," says Maureen Aldridge, CEO of the Claremont Chamber of Commerce. "We’ve got two wine bars now so people come and have a drink and hang out, and there’s a new boutique hotel, Casa 425, with a really great bar and outdoor patio area with fire pits and everything."
If she had tomorrow off, Aldridge says, "I would go for a walk in the wilderness park or in the [Rancho Santa Ana] botanical gardens, go relax in one of our many spas, and then have dinner in one of our wonderful restaurants. We have a really neat wilderness park with hiking trails where you can wander around."
The Doubletree Hotel Claremont is the city’s largest and is equipped with meeting space, while Casa 425 also has a small meeting room. The Claremont Colleges also have dormitory and conference space that is available during summer breaks.
Mountain Resorts
Lake Arrowhead is the umbrella name for a series of small communities northeast of San Bernardino in the San Bernardino National Forest. Their one-mile elevation means relief from the summer heat plus snow for winter skiing, and the actual Lake Arrowhead is surrounded by spectacular mountains and well-equipped with meetings-friendly properties, including the Lake Arrowhead Resort, Arrowhead Ranch and the business- and education-focused UCLA Conference Center.
The Lake Arrowhead area has about 400 hotel guest rooms as well as numerous cabins and condos, and note that while weekend occupancy may range above 90 percent, weekday occupancy is typically much lower, creating an opening for planners who have flexibility.
Dan McKernan, manager of marketing and public relations at Big Bear Lake Resort Association, says the nearby Big Bear area is marketing itself as a getaway for groups.
"One of the main reasons why people want to take a group up here is the solitude, the quiet, just getting out into nature and away from their busy, hectic lifestyles," he says. "It provides that—the peace, just being at peace."
The serene setting makes Big Bear great for retreats—but of course it’s also known for skiing in the winter and a surprising amount of activity during summer.
"We have groups that will say, ‘Let’s do our meeting today on a pontoon boat, let’s go out there, fish together,’ whatever they do," he says. "We have two zip line courses, that’s always a good way to get the groups together—especially if they have any kind of fear, everyone cheers everyone else on."
The zip line courses are courtesy of Lodestone Adventures, a corporate team-building firm that operates out of Cedar Lake Camp and also features ropes courses and other outdoor challenges.
McKernan says one ski lift keeps running during the summer to transport people up the slopes for mountain biking, hiking or just to have lunch at the top. On Big Bear Lake itself, visitors can choose water skiing, jet skiing, fishing, parasailing or kayaking.
Big Bear’s economic outlook is surprisingly positive given the recent recession, but that could have to do with the fact that it’s within easy driving distance of roughly 20 million people—the entire Southern California basin.
"In that regard, that staycation, ‘where are we going to go for just a couple days’ trend is okay for us," McKernan says.
Big Bear has two full-service hotels, the Northwoods Resort and Conference Center and the Best Western Big Bear Chateau, both featuring meeting spaces ranging from boardrooms to ballrooms. The Robin Hood Resort also has meeting space at its Nottinghams Restaurant and Sherwood Banquet Room, and bed-and-breakfast properties such as Gold Mountain Manor and Knickerbocker Mansion cater to small groups. In addition, the freestanding Convention Center at Big Bear Lake provides 11,000 square feet of space.
Temecula
Wine-based tourism is key to Temecula’s fortunes, says Leslie Mercado, sales manager at the Temecula Valley CVB, and the wine business is now second only to Abbott Labs as the area’s premier employer.
It wasn’t always like this; 20 years ago the area’s vineyards had tiny output and wines that didn’t earn much acclaim. Nowadays, the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association lists over two dozen wineries responsible for literally hundreds of award-winning vintages. Increasingly mature vines, California wine know-how and easy freeway access have combined to put Temecula solidly on wine lovers’ radar.
Temecula is also working to rededicate its Old Town area, where the city recently celebrated its 150th anniversary and where a new civic center is being constructed among shops and restaurants.
Opportunities for meetings and associated events abound. Properties such as the Pechanga Resort & Casio, Temecula Creek Inn and Embassy Suites all have guest rooms and meeting space, and annual events such as the Rod Run auto festival, Balloon & Wine Festival and Bud Break—celebrating grapevines budding, not the beer—keep the fun level high once a group’s meetings are done.
Paul D. Kretkowski writes frequently about travel, food and sports. He is also the founder of Beacon (www.softpowerbeacon.blogspot.com), a blog about foreign policy.
