The list of fabulous group-friendly off-site venues in the Los Angeles area is as long—and filled with as many stars—as the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
In Hollywood, downtown L.A. and the Valleys, there are gathering spots ranging from museums to theme parks that are well-suited for meetings, receptions, banquets, award presentations and many other events.
Following are eight great ideas, merely the tip of the iceberg, for those planning an off-site function in and around the City of Angels.
Lot 613, Downtown L.A.
www.lot613.com
Situated near downtown hotels and the Los Angeles Convention Center, Lot 613 is a modernized industrial building that has been transformed into a special events venue featuring natural light flowing through skylights.
“The best thing about Lot 613 is that as a blank-canvas space, any meeting planner can make it their own, and we have plenty of room for branding and logos,” says Natalie Reynoso, spokeswoman for the venue. “Lot 613’s parent company, Premiere Events, is a full-service event planning company that can help plan a memorable event. There are many fun ways to entertain guests, including bands, DJs, performance artists and more.”
Lot 613, where the main space is a 5,000-square-foot event room, can provide furniture for a variety of settings, including classroom, banquet, cocktail, dance floor and lounge. In-house catering includes themed menus, passed or stationed appetizers, buffet or plated meals, box lunches and even interactive chef-attended stations.
“Not only do we coordinate the venue and catering, but we can also plan exciting activities such as dance instructions, art or cooking classes, and yoga instructions,” Reynoso says.
Japanese American National Museum, Downtown L.A.
www.janm.org
The Japanese American National Museum is located in downtown L.A.’s historic Little Tokyo and offers elegant settings that are ideal for receptions, corporate meetings, presentations and grand celebrations.
According to Chris Komai, spokesman for the museum, its pavilion includes the Aratani Central Hall, a spacious multipurpose room with a view of the museum’s plaza and the circa-1925 Buddhist temple building. Besides a full catering kitchen, the pavilion has two full classrooms and exhibit gallery spaces on two floors.
Most recently, Tokio Marine, Japan’s largest insurance company, celebrated its 100th anniversary of doing business in the U.S. at the museum.
“The celebration included two sushi bars, five fully stocked bars, ice sculptures and tray-passed appetizers,” Komai says, adding that a video presentation of the history of the company, speeches and live music rounded out the event. “Tokio Marine’s guests were free to take docent-led tours of the exhibitions on view that night.”
Using the many different spaces at the museum, universities have held conferences, seminars and lectures, civic organizations have staged presentations, theater groups have staged readings, and couples have wed.PageBreak
L.A. Live, Downtown L.A.
www.lalive.com
L.A. Live, downtown’s prized entertainment hub encompassing Nokia Theatre, Staples Center, JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton properties, movie theaters, bars and restaurants, is situated one block from the Los Angeles Convention Center.
“So for those groups who want to host an opening night reception or other event, it’s walkable—no transportation is necessary,” says Evelyn Taylor Carrion, vice president of sales and events at L.A. Live. “Attendees here for a meeting might also have a free night and they’re encouraged to go out on their own to L.A. Live’s huge variety of eateries.”
L.A. Live has an exclusive partnership with Wolfgang Puck Catering, Taylor Carrion adds, so planned group events are always delicious affairs featuring Puck’s amazing pizzas and samples from internationally acclaimed restaurants including Spago and Chinois.
Beyond the event’s menu, a full-service sales and production staff is available to assist planners with everything from decor to hiring a local DJ or big-name music act.
While the median group size is 300 to 500 people, groups of all sizes are welcome at L.A. Live, which has been known to close off its streets for parties accommodating up to 6,000 people.
Events in Nokia Plaza hold up to 1,500 attendees, ESPN Zone has booked groups of up to 900 people, the Grammy Museum has a terrace for up to 300, and a 42,000-square-foot tent is often used for opening or closing night receptions or dinners for up to 1,200 people.
Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Hollywood
www.chinesetheatres.com
Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, internationally known as the home of handprints and footprints of Hollywood stars, has a new event space.
According to Alwyn Hight Kushner, the attraction’s director of operations, Grauman’s new ballroom is visually chic and contemporary, with three-story-high ceilings, the latest audiovisual capabilities and just a hint of Chinese decor. The theatre is great for all kinds of gatherings, including red carpet events, sit-down dinners, corporate functions, receptions and charity events.
“The space is very versatile,” she says, explaining that attendees may enter the ballroom through the gallery, which features large black-and-white photos of ceremonies and premieres that have taken place at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre throughout its history. “And you can use our concession and ticket booth area as a fun bar and buffet.”
Before or after the event, planners can arrange a behind-the-scenes tour of the venue, which includes historic and fun anecdotes, and a private viewing of a collection of costumes worn by stars in some of cinema’s most iconic films.
“Just like the magic of movies, we can also take ‘mock’ handprint photos of guests so it looks like they are putting their handprints in our famous cement forecourt alongside the most famous names in Hollywood history,” Hight Kushner says.PageBreak
The Hollywood Museum, Hollywood
www.thehollywoodmuseum.com
The Hollywood Museum is a historic building with five floors of unique exhibit space covering 100 years of Hollywood, as well as function space including a large grand ballroom with lounges, bars, eight large-screen TVs and surround-sound audio.
“We celebrate all the seasons at the Hollywood Museum, so be sure to schedule a meeting around Halloween in Hannibal Lector’s jail cell in the basement, or celebrate the holidays when the building is turned into a winter wonderland by Dr. Christmas, designer to the stars,” says Donelle Dadigan, the museum’s founder and president. “Hollywood award season is also a fun time, with a special exhibit of Oscar-nominated films in the spring.”
Dadigan adds that memorable events are guaranteed here, as planners can arrange for a special arrival featuring a red carpet and Klieg lights, and guests also have access to the museum’s entire collection when convening here.
“We put food stations and different bars—including in the elevator—throughout the exhibit space, which helps guests mingle and move,” Dadigan says. “Museum exhibits are great ice breakers because motion pictures and television displays are great common denominators.”
Since the museum is housed in the historic Max Factor Building, guests can also visit Max Factor’s makeup rooms where stars were transformed, including the spots where Marilyn Monroe became a blonde and Lucille Ball got her famous red hair.
Universal Studios Hollywood
www.universalstudioshollywood.com
Universal Studios Hollywood, which caters to groups ranging in size from two to 20,000, offers turnkey events that are second-to-none, according to Kim Weedmark, vice president, special event sales for the attraction.
For large groups, the Globe Theatre, which sports built-in HD audiovisual equipment, PowerPoint capabilities and technical support, can accommodate plated dinners for up to 550 people.
“We also offer a private entrance with event signage, making each event a truly Hollywood experience,” she says. “Custom- themed decor and on-site Wolfgang Puck-licensed catering are among the final touches that make every event spectacular.”
Breakfast and lunch meetings or company picnics can come complete with full-day admission to the theme park, where guests can experience the thrilling new attraction, Transformers: The Ride-3D.
“The entertainment options at Universal Studios Hollywood are vast,” Weedmark says. “We offer private studio tours, celebrity impersonators and characters, plus private access to the attractions, among many other possibilities tailored to meet the needs and theme of each event.”
Team-building activities can also be arranged, including Amazing Race-type mystery hunts and game shows.PageBreak
Pacific Asia Museum, San Gabriel Valley (Pasadena)
www.pacificasiamuseum.org
The Pacific Asia Museum is a great option for off-site group gatherings because the building itself is beautiful, motivating and thought-provoking, according to the museum’s Gabriella Karsch, COO and special events manager.
“It’s a Qing Dynasty-inspired home where one can take a break from a meeting and sit in the Chinese courtyard to watch the koi circling, or walk the China Trade gallery and summon up the mentality of the China Traders of the 19th century landing on Hong Kong island,” she says.
Most meetings, seminars and receptions are held in the museum’s auditorium and conservatory, Karsch says, but its most popular venue is the Chinese Courtyard garden.
“It is an intimate, lush Chinese garden with massive fu dogs and wisteria climbing the staircases,” she says.
Docents are available to lead groups through the museum’s galleries, or a scavenger hunt can be facilitated.
“Guests work together trying to find the items that answer the sheet of clues,” Karsch says. “It gets very competitive, depending on the group, and there are lots of laughs.”
Odyssey Restaurant, San Fernando Valley (Granada Hills)
www.theodysseyrestaurant.com
If planners are after a room with a view, Odyssey Restaurant offers spectacular views of the valley via dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows. The restaurant is available for group dining, and there is also a traditional on-site ballroom with chandeliers and brass fixtures that is well-suited for formal affairs.
The restaurant, which often books corporate events, themed events and private parties, offers full-service, one-stop assistance for meeting planners. Help with linens, floral arrangements and entertainment is available.
Buffet and plated menus for lunch and dinner include a variety of options, ranging from chicken and pasta dishes to specialty salads and sides.
Carolyn Blackburn is a frequent contributor to Meetings Focus West.
