California, a standout innovator on the world stage, is a destination that for decades has inspired all manner of artistic creation, technological advancement and lifestyle trends.
Just this past August, Pasadena-based Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Curiosity Rover landed in Mars’ Gale Crater with a mission to determine whether the Red Planet ever was or is habitable to microbial life.
California’s outpouring of inventions like this, as well as those less otherworldly that affect our daily lives, are plentiful.
From entertaining us with blockbuster movies to keeping us connected via social networking services, California wraps the world in creature comforts. The Golden State has even taught us that at the end of the day, it’s a fine idea to unwind with a glass of wine.
“California has long been known as a land of dreams, a place irresistible to visionaries from all walks of life who come to innovate, create, entertain and accomplish feats that, in turn, go on to change the world,” says Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of Visit California. “California is definitely the home of innovation and ideas from technology to food and wine to film and even fun!”
Throughout the state, local CVBs promote the particular innovations of their areas—from Napa’s wine to Anaheim’s Disney—and also keep an eye on meetings trends, ensuring they’re offering the most innovative settings for group business.
San Francisco, for example, one of seven cities worldwide that are working together in the Future Convention Cities Initiative to research the impact of business events on host cities, knows technology is a big part of domestic and international growth, according to John Reyes, executive vice president and chief customer officer, convention sales and services at the San Francisco Travel Association.
“People are traveling with multiple devices—laptops, tablets, smart phones—so destinations have to be able to accommodate this increased volume of communication,” he says, explaining that Moscone Center, to that end, is now equipped with a Wi-Fi system that provides service to 60,000 devices at one time.
California’s meetings players also boast green practices in response to the global science community’s research on climate change. PageBreak
In San Jose, which adopted a 15-year Green Vision for economic and environmental sustainability a few years back, energy conservation and green buying practices are in place at the San Jose Convention Center (SJCC) and the city’s cultural venues.
According to Team San Jose, SJCC offers composting for events and is expected to achieve LEED silver certification once its expansion is complete next year.
From Napa and Sonoma to the Sacramento region, whose burgeoning reputation as a wine-tasting hot spot is highlighted in a recently produced guide and complementary website (www.sacramentowineguide.com), to Santa Barbara and Temecula Valley, California is as synonymous with wine as it is with the Hollywood sign or The Beach Boys.
Sonoma County Tourism, Sonoma County Vintners and Sonoma County Winegrowers recently launched a new Sonoma County brand that, according to Ken Fischang, president and CEO at Sonoma County Tourism, marks the first time a destination marketing organization has shared a brand with multiple entities.
Similarly, the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board and the L.A. hotel community recently collaborated to restructure how business is done.
“We assembled a dynamic team that includes four regional-based directors representing a specific hotel portfolio—an organizational model that is not only innovative, but one that is unique to Los Angeles,” says Michael Krouse, senior vice president, sales and client services at Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board. “The new regional directors are experts in their area and know all of the elements required to stage a one-of-a-kind meeting in L.A.”
Elsewhere in the L.A. area, Redondo Beach is embracing a Vitality City initiative that aims to maintain a healthy community, and Long Beach recently announced a bike share program that will provide visitors with an innovative and healthy way to discover the city via 250 kiosks and 2,500 bikes in downtown by February 2013.
From wellness to technology, California indeed runs the gamut on innovation.
Stay tuned. There is no doubt more to come.