Change is the word of the day in two classic California locales. Yet while both Monterey and Santa Cruz are going next-generation in their own unique ways with exciting new offerings for a younger meetings demographic, they’re also staying true to what has long made them favorites for leisure travelers and business travelers alike: inimitable natural settings and experiences to last a lifetime.
Monterey County
Invigorating attendees’ souls is one of the Monterey County CVB’s main priorities, according to Rob O’Keefe, vice president and chief marketing officer of the bureau.
“The one thing we clearly have an abundance of that differentiates us and is very important to meeting planners and delegates is inspiration,” he says. “When you come to Monterey, you take with you something that’s life-enriching.”
“Inspired Moments in Meetings” is the CVB’s tagline, and that plays out in its growing culinary and wine offerings, outdoor experiences and wonderful venues—from the city of Monterey to quaint Carmel-by-the-Sea to Salinas, known as the salad bowl of America, O’Keefe adds.
“Ultimately, it’s the combination of our natural landscape and beauty with the limitless places and extraordinary spaces where you can create a meeting and the amazing experiences that go along with it,” he says. “The most important reason to go to a meeting is for new ideas that will transform a business, and the most important fuel for new thinking is inspiration.”
Indeed, Monterey has long been a magnet for big thinkers. Steve Jobs would retreat to Monterey when he wanted to get away from it all, and the destination is the birthplace of the famous TED Conference. The TEDWomen Conference returned to Monterey in 2015 for the first time since 2003, largely due to the inspirational appeal, according to its organizers.
The destination is further elevating experiences for groups on several fronts.
Heading the list is the $60 million renovation of The Monterey Conference Center, scheduled to reopen in early 2017 as a sleek, LEED-certified facility with 40,000 square feet of meeting space.
The center is conveniently connected to two hotels: Monterey Marriott and Portola Hotel & Spa.
Recent property enhancements include a renovation and expansion of the Monterey Hotel, which added 24 guest rooms and three small meeting rooms; Bernardus Lodge & Spa, which completed a multimillion-dollar transformation of its guest rooms and meeting spaces, and added a new restaurant; and Quail Lodge & Golf Club, which finished a $28 million property and golf course renovation.
Additionally, Carmel Valley Ranch wrapped up extensive enhancements in 2015, including 30 new indoor-outdoor guest suites and studios; a redesigned Valley Kitchen restaurant; new activities such as archery, bird watching and vineyard-inspired options; and new spa programs.
Meanwhile, the destination is fresh with new culinary and wine offerings, along with great old standbys.
“We have an infusion of talent and energy like we have never seen before, along with established chefs like Ted Walter of Passion Fish,” O’Keefe says.
Newcomers include James Beard-nominated chef Justin Cogley of Aubergine, while O’Keefe points out other outstanding chefs such as Cal Stamenov of Bernardus Lodge and Tim Wood of Carmel Valley Ranch, along with an innovative group of chefs at Pebble Beach.
Monterey’s wineries are also big on innovation. Folktale Winery and Vineyards is one of the newest, offering groups hands-on experiences and tastings, while The Wine Experience in downtown Monterey provides group tasting and blending programs.
O’Keefe also recommends Hahn Winery, which sits on a ridge and offers outstanding views and four-wheel-drive tours of the property.
PageBreak
“There’s a real authenticity to these experiences, and to make a meeting truly successful, you have to score really high on those experiential factors,” he says.
Santa Cruz County
Monterey’s neighbor to the north is also big on memorable experiences for groups—from the great outdoors to the eclectic culinary scene to impressive new and renovated properties.
“Our main selling points are proximity and location, since we’re very close to the Bay Area and 40 minutes from San Jose International Airport, but it still feels like you’re a world away,” says Krista Rupp, director of sales and marketing for the Santa Cruz Convention and Visitor Council, pointing to the beaches, redwoods, rolling hills, mountain wineries and you-pick farms. “There are so many different experiences to be had in one location, and you feel like you’ve really gone somewhere.”
Known as the playground to the hard-working industries over the hill in Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz is a place where small groups can stimulate their imagination and let their hair down.
“You can come here and generate new ideas,” Rupp says. “It’s kind of a nice break from corporate environments. You can bond as a team or launch a new product or strategize for the year.”
The dining scene is one of the most interesting trends in Santa Cruz, according to Rupp.
“It is surging right now because Santa Cruz really supports small businesses and they want to have a diversity of residents and support young entrepreneurs,” she says, adding that the dining spaces are becoming more approachable for all ages and all walks of life.
Pop-up restaurants are all the rage in town, with options like Food Lounge, which has a different chef or catering operation each day of the week, such as Mortal Dumpling, Mutari Chocolate and Ty’s Eatery. Another popular place is PopUp, which bills itself as a “spare, cozy, easily reconfigurable retail space hosting curated food concepts and events.” The latest additions join other go-to restaurants such as Assembly.
“It’s been very exciting,” Rupp says, adding that it offers a fun departure from banquet meals. “With all of the new casual dining spaces, it’s really easy for a group to customize. They can break off into smaller groups and go to downtown Santa Cruz and dine at a couple of different places.”
The microbrewery movement is also trending, growing from four or five to close to a dozen within the last 18 months.
New Bohemia Brewing Company is one of the best new options for groups.
Meanwhile, the destination’s portfolio of properties is expanding and sprucing up in a similar fashion to the dining scene.
“It’s great news for the meetings industry that these properties are beautifying and modernizing, and a lot are keeping things casual, cool and comfortable,” Rupp says.
The list includes Seascape Beach Resort, which recently began a multimillion-dollar, three-part renovation of its villas and suites; Chaminade Resort & Spa, which just finished a $7.9 million renovation of guest units and public spaces; Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley, which at press time was scheduled to finish a multimillion-dollar renovation of all guest units in February; Santa Cruz Dream Inn, which is renovating its guest rooms, public spaces and pool this year; the historic Brookdale Lodge, which is expected to reopen early this year following a $3 million renovation; Mission Inn, which is scheduled to finish a renovation of its guest rooms in March; and Capitola Beach Suites, which is undergoing a $1 million remodel.
New hotels include Hyatt Place Santa Cruz, set to open in 2016 with 106 guest rooms and suites, and Fairfield Inn & Suites Santa Cruz-Capitola, which just opened with 82 rooms and 900 square feet of meeting space.
Additionally, health and wellness is another trend, while unique outdoor adventure options abound in Santa Cruz, from kayaking to Segway tours to surfing lessons to guided drumming programs on the beach—definitely an experience attendees will not soon forget.
