Even if California didn’t have its celebrated coastline, it would still be one of the world’s most amazing destinations. The Golden State interior is a wonderland all its own, a place of bountiful agriculture, pioneer history, river deltas, ancient sequoias and spectacular mountain landscapes.
It’s also a place where meeting groups will find good value and a welcoming atmosphere. Among those who attest to this is MaryAnne Bobrow, a veteran independent planner and a long-time Sacramento resident, who highly recommends her home region to those looking for a California destination without the high cost of the coastal cities.
“Sacramento has so much going for it now, with new hotels, an approved convention center expansion, good air access, a growing craft beer scene, great restaurants and expert support for meetings,” she said. “Anyone who thinks of it as a cow town hasn’t been here lately.”
Sacramento
Bobrow’s endorsement is backed up by an array of new developments that are changing the face of downtown Sacramento these days. These include the Golden 1 Center (G1C), a sports and entertainment complex that is the new home of the Sacramento Kings basketball team as well as a venue for large-scale events and conventions. In addition, the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel, a 250-room property with 20,000 square feet of meeting space, opened last month in a mixed-use high-rise building next to G1C.
“The location of G1C and the Sawyer is a developing area we’re calling DoCo, for Downtown Commons,” said Sarah Atilano, vice president of sales and business development for Visit Sacramento. “There are several restaurants that opened recently in DoCo and several more slated to open in the coming months.”
Another hot spot is a former warehouse district called R Street Corridor, which draws locals and visitors to the Shady Lady Saloon, a popular live-music venue with a speakeasy vibe, as well as a burgeoning number of cafes and art galleries.
Located a short walk from G1C, the Sacramento Convention Center recently received approvals for an expansion that will increase exhibit space to 161,500 square feet, update the building’s technology and add new meeting space and indoor and outdoor prefunction areas. The project is currently in the design phase.
“In addition, the city also approved a renovation of the Community Theater and Memorial Auditorium, which are within walking distance of the convention center and are great spaces for general sessions and other events,” Atilano said. “Memorial Auditorium is often used for receptions, dinners and events, and if you are looking for a cool and different space for a tradeshow, it’s perfect for that as well.”
For planners looking for customized experiences, Visit Sacramento will draw on local resources to fit the needs of a particular group, according to Atilano.
“If you’re a religious group, we can bring in a local faith leader to open morning prayer,” she said. “If your delegates enjoy health and fitness, we’ll coordinate and staff a fun run around our Capitol Park or an outdoor yoga session. We’ve developed day excursions to area farms and ranches for groups looking to get a little taste of our farm-to-fork culture.”
PageBreakValley Cities
South of Sacramento, cities such as Stockton, Fresno, Visalia and Bakersfield offer affordable rates, historic downtowns and easy access to outdoor activities.
The riverfront city of Stockton is drawing a wide spectrum of small to midsize corporate and association groups these days, according to Tim Pasisz, director of sports and tourism development for Visit Stockton. The city’s two major meetings properties are the Hilton Stockton and University Waterfront Plaza Hotel.
“Our hotels are enjoying record occupancies, perhaps because we offer greater affordability than either the Bay Area or Sacramento, and we’re a convenient drive from both,” he said. “Groups really enjoy our downtown waterfront and marina, where you can rent kayaks and boats. Plus, we have some amazing golf courses.”
A favorite off-site venue in Stockton is the Haggin Museum, an art and history museum in Victory Park, which recently completed a major expansion and renovation.
For those who are planning a first-time meeting in the city, Visit Stockton is offering booking incentives to help offset costs, Pasisz said.
Drawing on its central location midway between the Bay Area and Los Angeles, Visalia offers groups such assets as the Visalia Convention Center and Visalia Marriott at the Convention Center, both of which are recently renovated and feature combined meeting and exhibit space for up to 4,000 delegates. Visalia’s expanding hotel inventory includes a Holiday Inn Express that opened in June.
“Along with our great convention facilities, we also offer a vibrant downtown filled with locally owned shops and restaurants—it harkens back to an earlier time,” said Suzanne Bianco, tourism and marketing director for the Visalia CVB. “Attendees can break away from the convention and walk over to a cafe or poke around in the shops and boutiques. It’s great for dine-arounds and pub crawls.”
In Fresno, where the Fresno Convention Center and adjacent Selland Arena can host groups of up to 7,000, the 124-room Hyatt Place Fresno is anticipated to open in 2019. The former Holiday Inn Fresno Airport has been rebranded as the Wyndham Garden Fresno Airport following a major renovation.
New enhancements for meetings in Bakersfield include the recent renovation of the Rabobank Arena, Theater and Convention Center, which offers more than 70,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space. The Bakersfield Marriott at the Convention Center also completed a renovation that focused on technology upgrades.
Parks and Peaks
Yosemite National Park is a place where groups will find a wide range of meetings-friendly hotels and lodges as well as opportunities for teambuilding and recreation in a setting of matchless beauty. Groups can engage in activities ranging from photography classes at the Ansel Adams Gallery to guided rock climbing with the Yosemite Mountaineering School.
Within the park are four distinct lodging choices, ranging from the rustic tent cabins at Half Dome Village on up to the Majestic Yosemite Hotel with its massive stone fireplaces and meeting rooms that offer stunning views of Half Dome and Glacier Point. Yosemite Valley Lodge and Big Trees Lodge, a Victorian charmer near Mariposa Grove with a wraparound porch and manicured lawns, are both positioned for retreats of up to 150.
Just outside the park’s southern entrance, Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite offers a full range of resort amenities and more than 20,000 square feet of meeting space. The newest choice in the area is the 142-room Rush Creek Lodge, located northeast of Yosemite in Groveland, which offers meeting space for up to 250 people.
South of Yosemite, Mammoth Lakes is not only Southern California’s premier ski destination, but a year-round playground offering hiking and mountain biking, as well as kayaking and canoeing on more than 17 lakes. For meetings, it offers the Westin Monache Resort, Mammoth and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area and Resort, as well as a wide choice of condominium rentals.
A new event option is Mammoth Rock ‘n’ Bowl, an entertainment complex with United States Bowling Congress-certified lanes, golf simulators, ping pong and other games, as well as live music, lounges and dining options. The venue, which can accommodate groups of more than 250 and is available for buyouts, offers several private event spaces, including the Chef’s Room with stellar views of Mammoth Rock.
