If, like the Olympics, the U.S. gave out medals every few years to celebrate its best and brightest, Silicon Valley would win gold in the tech-savvy category every time.
The area, including meetings-friendly destinations San Jose, Santa Clara, Palo Alto and Menlo Park, is known the world over for its technology offerings from the likes of Google, eBay, Yahoo! and Apple.
But Silicon Valley also competes and fares quite well in other categories, with its cultural attractions, mild year-round climate and a vibe that promotes curiosity and fun for visiting groups.
San Jose
With more than 300 days of sunshine, great parks and north of 100 downtown dining and nightlife options within walking distance of the San Jose Convention Center, hotels, theaters and museums, San Jose, according to Bill Sherry, CEO at Team San Jose, is the perfect destination for groups.
“San Jose is a hot destination for meetings due to its one-stop service and exciting, easy-to-manage layout that makes even small events feel like they’re a big fish in a small, friendly pond,” he says, adding that the walkable downtown makes it an option for many planners to exclude the hassle of facilitating group transportation.
As an anchor of Silicon Valley, San Jose is also plugged into the latest technology. The City of San Jose even launched a free outdoor Wi-Fi network downtown, including the area surrounding the convention center.
“As the 10th-largest city and one of the safest big cities in the nation, we offer the sophisticated amenities attendees want as well as a warm welcome from our community, from our diverse hotels for every budget to our arts groups and local businesses,” Sherry says, adding that San Jose, where hotel rates dip on weekends, is also a wonderful springboard for attendees who would like to access nearby beaches, wine country and various iconic California landmarks in Santa Cruz, Monterey and San Francisco.
The main meetings properties in San Jose include the Hilton San Jose and the San Jose Marriott, both directly connected to the San Jose Convention Center; The Fairmont San Jose; Dolce Hayes Mansion; Four Points by Sheraton San Jose Downtown; and several properties nearby the Mineta San Jose International Airport, including Radisson Hotel San Jose Airport and San Jose Airport Garden Hotel.
Over the past several decades, Sherry adds, the San Jose Convention Center, which has a $120 million expansion and renovation slated for completion in fall 2013, has had a consistent track record of successfully hosting major events, with 97 percent of planners saying they would return.
The expansion, which is pursuing silver LEED certification to further the center’s green vision, will integrate an additional 125,000 square feet of flexible ballroom and meeting space, increasing the convention center’s usable space to 550,000 square feet.
To celebrate this transformation, Team San Jose is offering free convention center rental for groups that book by 2014.
When business concludes, there is no shortage of fun attractions for visiting groups to explore.
“San Jose is laid out like a cultural campus, with performing arts venues, museums and galleries just steps from meeting facilities,” Sherry says.
Among the entertaining options that double as off-site gathering spots for group events are the Winchester Mystery House, San Jose Civic, California Theatre and Tech Museum. PageBreak
Santa Clara
Santa Clara’s location in the center of a technology hot spot sets it apart as a meetings destination in the West, according to David Andre, vice president of marketing and communications for the Santa Clara CVB.
“This innovative and inspiring atmosphere provides an exciting location for meetings and great ideas,” he says.
Santa Clara, the headquarters to Silicon Valley giants like Intel, has a great variety of visitor attractions for groups to consider.
“Start with the free Intel Museum at Intel’s world headquarters and learn how computer chips are designed,” Andre says. “Combine that with quality hotels, other attractions like California’s Great America, great events like Major League Soccer games and more than 300 days of sunshine annually, and it’s easy to see why Santa Clara is an ideal meeting location.”
Plus, the Santa Clara Convention Center (SCCC), recently voted “Best Event Venue” in Silicon Valley by Silicon Valley Concierge Association members, is known for its excellent customer service and full-service in-house staff.
A highlight of the 302,000-square-foot SCCC is the 22,400-square-foot Mission City Ballroom, Andre adds, explaining that its versatile space can be used in multiple configurations, including theater, classroom, exhibit and banquet.
Other noteworthy area meeting venues include the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara, situated adjacent to the SCCC, the nearby Marriott Santa Clara, Biltmore Hotel and Suites, Embassy Suites Santa Clara, Hilton Santa Clara and the Plaza Suites Santa Clara.
Interested planners might like to know the Santa Clara CVB is focusing on giving special discounts to groups that visit during weekend and holiday periods. Andre says they should check out www.siliconvalleymeetings.com to find the latest offers.
During off-session hours in Santa Clara, groups can take a stroll together along the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail or visit the circa-1777 Mission Santa Clara de Asis, one of California’s 21 missions.
Attractions that double as off-site event facilities include the Triton Museum of Art, which allows meetings among works of arts or outside in a sculpture garden, and California’s Great America, a fun theme park with meeting facilities that include a 12,000-square-foot pavilion, indoor theaters and an outside amphitheater. PageBreak
Palo Alto/Menlo Park
Palo Alto and Menlo Park, according to Anne LeClair, president and CEO at the San Mateo County/Silicon Valley CVB, are two important destinations in an area that boasts “beauty and brains.”
In Palo Alto, the home of Stanford University and top technology companies, namely Hewlett-Packard, speakers may be found on nearly every subject to give presentations to visiting groups.
“And our scenic beauty is unparalleled, with 90 total miles of San Francisco Bay and Pacific coastlines,” LeClair says. “With all of the fun and amenities of a major metro area, plus San Francisco a quick mass transit ride away, attendees may engage in numerous cultural activities and nightlife or simply enjoy our gorgeous open space, which makes up over 70 percent of our area.”
The Hewlett-Packard House and Garage, where the company began, is a favorite attraction for visiting attendees, who LeClair says also enjoy everything from visiting the Cantor Arts Center on the Stanford campus, which houses the world’s second-largest Rodin collection and is available for off-site functions, to checking out the Menlo Park-based Sunset magazine campus and gardens and the Allied Arts Guild, a large arts center with a sprawling campus and all types of original art.
“Palo Alto is unique in the meetings business because attendees may simply walk, or hop a quick Stanford bus, to University Avenue and a great walkable downtown with nightlife, or head to the campus for a sporting or cultural event,” LeClair says, adding that the Allied Arts Guild is just over the Palo Alto border and is available for private events.
According to the San Mateo County/Silicon Valley CVB, one of the latest selling points for the destination is the movie Chasing Mavericks, starring Gerard Butler and Elisabeth Shue, and due out in theaters in October.
“The movie is expected to be a feel-good blockbuster, filmed in more than 30 spots around San Mateo County and Palo Alto,” LeClair says. “Meeting attendees love the idea of being in the same places the actors were.”
Among the area’s portfolio of meetings-friendly facilities are Westin Palo Alto, Sheraton Palo Alto, Crowne Plaza Cabana Hotel, Dinah’s Garden Hotel, Garden Court Hotel and Creekside Inn, all located in Palo Alto; Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley, located in East Palo Alto; and the Menlo Park-based Rosewood Sand Hill luxury resort and spa, Stanford Park Hotel, Quadrus Conference Center and Catering, and Menlo Park Inn, a boutique property.
“A truly unique conference facility in Palo Alto is the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center, with state-of-the-art meeting capabilities,” LeClair adds.
After the meeting, planners should keep nearby draws in mind, including Filoli Mansion and Gardens in Redwood City and Thomas Fogarty Winery in Woodside.
Carolyn Blackburn is a frequent contributor to Meetings Focus West.
