The curving upper stretch of California’s Central Coast between the Monterey Peninsula and Santa Cruz might as well have been painted, photographed, authored and sculpted by artists, for all the creative legends that have called this surreal locale home. Mother Nature had one of her finest hours here, crafting a rapture of Pacific-lapped enclaves that once drew artists including John Steinbeck, Salvador Dali and Carmel native Ansel Adams and remains as magnetizing as ever today.
"I know of nowhere else in the world as beautiful," says Gale Wrausmann, an award-winning photographer whose love of what she captured with her lens led her to form her walking tour company, Carmel Walks. "As I tell my groups, so much of that beauty is in the details, from Carmel’s fairytale cottages and diverse architecture to our white-sand beach and artistic soul."
The theme of unmatched beauty plays out across the region, and with direct flights from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Denver and Las Vegas into conveniently located Monterey Peninsula Airport—plus more service options an hour away at San Jose International Airport—groups have easy fly-in access to this most transporting destination.
Monterey
As old as America itself, Monterey’s many historic firsts include Commodore John Drake Sloat’s raising of the American flag here in 1846 to claim California for the U.S. Today, this appealing city with its own "bay area" brand is staking out a fresh claim for groups.
"2011 represents a new opportunity for Monterey County meetings," said John Reyes, president and CEO of the Monterey County CVB. "From attracting single property, small and conference-wide meetings to our Hot Dates/Hot Rates meeting planner program, Monterey County offers attendees and planners a unique destination where work meets play."
According to Reyes, the bureau has so far exceeded its group room night goals and has launched an engaging spring campaign featuring new online services, booking incentives and captivating social media.
Among new planner and attendee tools: the mobile Explore Monterey app for iPhone and Android smartphones. Introduced this February, this free app provides a full range of trip-planning information, including dining, transportation, attractions, shopping, wineries and spas.
Among its most popular attractions are the Path of History, Cannery Row and the renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium.
The Monterey Conference Center, the Portola Hotel & Spa and the Monterey Marriott work together as the Monterey Meeting Connection, delivering a combined 61,000 square feet of meeting space, 19,600 square feet of exhibition space and 700-plus hotel rooms.
With over 50,000 square feet of flexible indoor space and near 60,000 square feet of outdoor event space, the Portola Hotel & Spa is one of the region’s largest event facilities. Long recognized for supporting the environment, the property, with 369 guest rooms and 10 suites, recently became the third Californian and sixth U.S. hotel to receive Silver LEED certification. The adjacent Monterey Conference Center is also seeking LEED certification; if successful, the properties will be the only hotel and conference center in Northern California to receive dual LEED certifications.
Other luxurious conference options include the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa, the newly restyled Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa and the InterContinental The Clement Monterey, which opened in 2008 and was awarded AAA Four Diamond status last August.
Carmel
Officially a city but more a forest-nestled village, Carmel-by-the-Sea, or simply Carmel, measures only one square mile, but never was the saying "good things come in small packages" truer than in this California icon.
"You can veer off in any direction and find something interesting," says Carmel Walks’ Gale Wrausmann, whose popular tours include Carmel’s 60 hidden courtyards.
True to its circa-1906 origins as an art colony founded by San Francisco bohemians, Carmel maintains its creative, often quirky soul with pride. Incorporated on Halloween in 1916, the city celebrates its "birthday" every year with a festive parade. The municipal code includes nighttime curfews for minors and the policy "to avoid formal sidewalks in favor of meandering and unpaved footpaths where possible."
"Carmel is a great place for small conferences or as part of the agenda for larger delegations at the Monterey Conference Center," says Monta Potter, CEO of the Carmel Chamber of Commerce. "From pre- and post-trips and afternoons off to dine-arounds and one-of-a-kind stores, world-famous Carmel will not disappoint."
"Jewel City’s" multifaceted meetings allure includes famed performing arts venues the Pacific Repertory Theatre and the century-old Forest Theater, while the circa-1771 Carmel Mission and Tor House, the stone home and tower lovingly hand-built by poet Robinson Jeffers, are enticing historical coordinates. For sheer inspiration, Point Lobos State Reserve, "the greatest meeting of land and sea in the world," has few equals on Earth: the frolic of wildlife here, sea lions, orcas and whales included, is spellbinding.
Just two blocks from the ocean, La Playa Hotel and Cottages-by-the-Sea is an elegant local choice for events and corporate affairs, while other favorite meeting properties include Bernardus Lodge, Quail Lodge & Golf Club, Hyatt Carmel Highlands and Carmel Valley Ranch Resort.
Reinvented as a "sophisticated playground for all ages," Carmel Valley Ranch Resort has completed a major renovation of all 139 suites, along with enhancements such as the new 10,500-square-foot Spa Aiyana, two resort pools with outdoor dining, an expanded fitness center and the new "Adventure Kitchen" for culinary team building.
Nearby Escapes
Diversions galore beckon in other Monterey Bay locales, their very names telling an enticing story of sea and sand.
World-renowned golf and resort mecca Pebble Beach needs little introduction, but there is always time to chase red-dashed 17-Mile Drive, one of the world’s most rapturous thoroughfares. Amid majestic Del Monte Forest and the sweeping Pacific coastline, look for signature views such as Fanshell Beach and Lone Cypress, one of California’s most enduring landmarks.
Pebble Beach Resorts include The Lodge at Pebble Beach, Casa Palmero and The Inn at Spanish Bay, and in charming Pacific Grove, the 107-acre beachfront Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds is the peninsula’s celebrated "Refuge by the Sea." Built in the Arts & Crafts style by noted architect Julia Morgan, Merrill Hall and Dodge Chapel Auditorium headline an array of stunning meeting spaces at the complex, which also offers 313 guest rooms.
Traveling up the coast, Seaside, Sand City and Marina form a hub for adventure activities.
Home to California State University at Monterey Bay, youthful Seaside’s main selling point is easy beach access, including Fort Ord Dunes State Park. In artful Sand City, Sanctuary Rock Gym is Monterey County’s premier indoor climbing destination, while Marina is home to the aptly named Sanctuary Beach Resort. Tucked into the dunes, this meetings-ready, 60-room property is a prime spot for viewing Marina’s spellbinding sunsets. Farther north awaits historic Moss Landing, founded as a wharf in 1866 and now a bona fide destination with a distinct fishing village vibe.
Inland east of Marina, historic Oldtown Salinas is home to the National Steinbeck Center. Celebrating local son John Steinbeck, Nobel-prize winning author of American classics such as Cannery Row and The Grapes of Wrath, the center accommodates up to 600 for receptions.
Santa Cruz
Life is truly a beach in this quintessential locale of coastal redwoods, iconic architectural styles and 29 miles of golden sand. Surfers everywhere consider Steamer Lane ("The Lane") their dream destination, while visitors are drawn to attractions including the landmark Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, idyllic Natural Bridges State Beach and Big Basin Redwoods State Park, California’s oldest state park, established in 1902.
"Offering the service and attention that only a smaller destination can provide, Santa Cruz County is the perfect choice for meeting planners who specialize in small meetings," says Maggie Ivy, CEO and executive vice president of the Santa Cruz County Conference and Visitors Council. "We personalize events with unique team-building opportunities, including team drumming on the beach, surfing lessons and canopy and zip line tours, with our natural setting providing a beautiful backdrop for successful meetings."
Richard Schmidt School of Surfing and Club Ed Surf School invite groups to experience Santa Cruz’s signature activity, while Redwood Canopy Tours at Mount Hermon Conference Center takes groups on exciting eco-adventures in the Santa Cruz Mountains. What do Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay look like from 15,000 feet up? Skydive Surf City takes groups sky-high for an experience of a lifetime, soft beachfront landings included.
"With support from the tourism community in Santa Cruz County, we have identified cooperative opportunities to bring our meeting and conference story to the forefront of the market," says Christina Glynn, communications director and film commissioner for the council. Among the hotel and conference centers partnering on the initiative are the AAA Four Diamond Chaminade Resort & Spa, Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley and Santa Cruz Dream Inn, part of a nearly 6,000-room county-wide collection that includes unique meetings venues such the Seymour Marine Discovery Center at Long Marine Lab.
Based in Brooklyn, N.Y., regular Meetings Focus contributor Jeff Heilman was born and partially raised in Southern California. He hopes to complete his Californization someday, ideally in Monterey County.
