CALIFORNIA MEETINGS + EVENTS // SPRING 2019
ON THE MAP Lodi is gaining planners’ attention as a meeting destination (20)
TRENDING Association meetings are evolving to maintain membership and engagement (23)
MEETINGSMAGS.COM
MOSCONE CENTER // ASSOCIATION MEETING TRENDS
MODERN ICON SF’s Moscone Center shimmers after a multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion (28)
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Spring 2019 CALIFORNIA MEETINGS + EVENTS MAGAZINE: IN THIS ISSUE
FEATURE
28
FEATURE
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Association Meeting Trends
The Moscone Makeover After four years and $551 million, San Francisco’s expanded and updated convention center is revealed. By Janet Fullwood
From new ways to network and smarter technology to more frequent gatherings and a focus on giving back, associations are changing the ways they meet. By Barbara Beckley
DEPARTMENTS
By Janet Fullwood
20 DESTINATION The Central Valley town of Lodi has grown into a flourishing wine region that offers homegrown charm, history, value and an exceptional culinary scene. Meeting planners are taking notice. By Janet Fullwood 48 PEOPLE PROFILE Steve Goodling, head of the Long Beach CVB, wants you to know about his city’s brandnew and unique turnkey event venues. By Ann Shepphird
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P H O T O S : C E S A R R U B I O ; J A N E T F U L LW O O D ; T H E R O W R E N O
18 VENUE REPORT The Row, Reno’s newly branded megaresort, brings three hotels and 4,200 guest rooms under one contiguous four-block roof.
P H O T O S : C E S A R R U B I O ; J A N E T F U L LW O O D ; T H E R O W R E N O
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host your next meeting in music city!
MEETING NOTES
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By Shelley Levitt
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12 TIPS FROM A PRO The strategic use of scents is an overlooked instrument in a meeting planner’s toolbox. By Tiffany Rose Goodyear
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16 NEW HOTEL SPOTLIGHT westdrift Manhattan Beach, LA’s first Autograph hotel, has 393 rooms and 35,000 square feet of meeting space, as well as the singular design and amenities of a boutique hotel. By Shelley Levitt
38 INFOGRAPHIC Find out how restaurant and food service operators are integrating sustainability practices into their daily business operations. Research courtesy
ON THE MAP Lodi is gaining planners’ attention as a meeting destination (20)
TRENDING Association meetings are evolving to maintain membership and engagement (23)
MEETINGSMAGS.COM
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SPRING
2019
MODERN ICON SF’s Moscone Center shimmers after a multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion (28)
National Restaurant Association
40 REGIONAL NEWS Awards, venue and people news, association updates and more. 46 SNAPSHOTS A gala for the Moscone Center in San Francisco and the second edition of Desert X in Palm Springs
CA.MEETINGSMAGS.COM
11 SIGNATURE DRINK The Beauty Elixir at Hollywood’s Beauty & Essex pays homage to the appeal of the speakeasy.
INDUSTRY UPDATE
MOSCONE CENTER // ASSOCIATION MEETING TRENDS
By Megan Gosch
13 NEW VENUE SPOTLIGHT A partnership between La Quinta Resort and Veuve Clicquot brings bubbly, sophisticated fun to the desert.
CALIFORNIA MEETINGS + EVENTS // SPRING 2019
9 SUSTAINABLE SWAG Keep your next bash green with these fresh, fun and ecofriendly products.
ON THE COVER The Moscone Center in San Francisco. Photo by Cesar Rubio
P H O T O S : T H E M A R K E R S A N F R A N C I S C O ; B E A U T Y & E S S E X ; L A Q U I N TA R E S O R T & C L U B ; W E S T D R I F T M A N H AT TA N B E A C H C L U B
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P H O T O S : T H E M A R K E R S A N F R A N C I S C O ; B E A U T Y & E S S E X ; L A Q U I N TA R E S O R T & C L U B ; W E S T D R I F T M A N H AT TA N B E A C H C L U B
HAVE STORIES TO TELL.
Exceeding expectations by creating experiences. Make plans for holding your event at Atlantis Casino Resort Spa Reno. The stories you’ll tell will be endless. Top notch service complete with state-of-the-art meeting rooms, tech savvy amenities and the only resort connected to the Reno-Sparks Convention Center. Dine in top-ranked restaurants and unwind at Spa Atlantis, the only Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star spa in northern Nevada. Book a world-class experience today.
Contact the Sales Department at 800.994.5900 or visit us at atlantiscasino.com/cameetings to submit an RFP.
EDITOR'S LETTER
A Starry Stop in Ahaheim, Magic by Marriott
Shelley Levitt, editor SHELLEY.LEVITT@TIGEROAK.COM
AS A REPORTER, I’M ACCUSTOMED TO STAYING BEHIND THE SCENES. As a reporter for the meetings industry, this is especially true. With so much that is eye-catching at the events I cover—spectacular flowers; sizzling food stations; performers on stilts or inside acrylic bubbles floating on swimming pools—little notice is paid to someone scribbling notes into a steno pad or typing them on her iPhone. That wasn’t the case, however, during one stop of a recent Southern California press trip hosted by Marriott’s Convention & Resort Network. My colleagues and I traveled by Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner from San Diego to Anaheim. There had been whispers that there’d be a surprise when we arrived at the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center, or ARTIC for short. The first surprise was the beauty of the train station, a soaring vault-shaped structure that’s a destination in itself. The second surprise was the one that drew stares from other commuters. As we descended the escalator into the lobby, we were caught up in a battle between the Jedi warriors and Darth Vader and his stormtroopers. (Yes, Star Wars Land will be opening soon in nearby Disneyland.) After several moments of deft swordplay, we all escaped unscathed, but not before lots of laughs and photos. Both the good and the bad forces were game to take photos with everyone who asked, a group that included dozens of people of all ages. It was a raucous and unforgettable start to our two days in Anaheim. You’ll be hearing more about that in future issues. For now, a shout out to Marriott for creating an indelible memory from a galaxy far, far away.
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A beautiful tweed pouch which is the perfect size to carry my Kindle!
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Morgan Halaska Megan Gosch Julianna Fazio Barbara Beckley, Janet Fullwood, Tiffany Rose Goodyear, Ann Shepphird Taylor Hafner, Kendall Van Horne
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Constance Adamopoulos, Organized Chaos Events • Heather Allison, The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. Live • Jim Burba & Bob Hayes, Burba Hotel Network • Rob Carson, Patina Restaurant Group Layla Forstedt, Fresno/Clovis CVB • Joyce Kiehl, Greater Palm Falls CVB • Ingrid Lundquist, The Lundquist Company • David Merrell, AOO Events • Daniela Quiroga, Wolfgang Puck Catering Yvonne Szikla, Events With a Purpose DESIGN DIRECTOR ART DIRECTORS
VIP pack at SXSW 2007: About 3 dozen CDs of music and a voodoo doll.
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THINK
MEET in Riverside, SO CA!
cktail o c e r u t a n Sig
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Picnic on the plaza
smores n friends
Plan your summer event now *special incentives and packages
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PRODUCTS, PLACES & INSPIRATION
Meeting Notes BEYOND THE BORDER
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SIGNATURE DRINK 11
TIPS FROM A PRO
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DESTINATION NEWS
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Sustainable SWAG
Three eco-friendly products offer a fresh take on common event goodies.
The Amazing Pasta Straw
With the global spread of plastic straw bans, plenty of plastic-free alternatives have hit the mainstream. The Amazing Pasta Straw, made simply from wheat and water, is completely biodegradable (that is, if it isn’t eaten). Unlike plastic straws, these won’t break down midsip and are clean of dyes and glues. Planners can test the straws with a sample pack or buy in bulk for large meetings and events. pastastraws.org
Amborella Organics Lollipops
Amborella Organics lollipops are as eyecatching as they are environmentally friendly. The hand-poured organic pops are made from cane sugar and edible herbs and flowers such as lavender, hibiscus and mint for a refreshing burst of flavor and striking visual. But it’s Amborella’s patented seed-bearing technology that makes these sweet treats a gift that keeps on giving. After enjoying a lollipop, simply plant the biodegradable stem and wait for a seedling to sprout. Seeds correspond to each pop flavor, and while Amborella offers unique options like Peach & Marigold or Sage & Marshmallow, Champagne & Roses has become a crowd favorite for events. Planners can even work with Amborella to craft co-branding opportunities and custom flavors. amborellaorganics.com
een
P H OTO S : J O E L S C H N E L L
Dust City Designs Wood Stickers
Made from FSC certified wood, Wood Stickers are etched, cut and printed by lasers and printers, then sanded and finished by hand. Unlike vinyl stickers, the wood decals are fully biodegradable, helping to eliminate micro-plastic pollution. With over 2,500 stock designs and the ability to create custom stickers, planners can join companies like Whole Foods and Instagram in creating guilt-free branded swag. woodstickers.com —Megan Gosch
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PRODUCTS, PLACES & INSPIRATION
Meetings in Music City
Nashville has never been more in tune with the needs of planners and groups. “WE DON’T HAVE THE ATTRIBUTES THAT SOME DESTINATIONS DO, like beaches, gambling and theme parks,” admits Butch Spyridon, the long-standing president and CEO of Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. Despite that lack, Nashville is one of the fastest growing cities in the country, as well as one of those “it” cities, like Portland or Austin in years past, that draws visitors from destinations that do, in fact, have the attributes of beaches, gambling and theme parks. In 2018, Nashville, or Music City as it’s known for its rich and continuing musical heritage, hosted 15.2 million visitors, an increase of more than 3 million visitors annually from just five years earlier. As the CVB likes to boast, people come to Nashville because you won’t find a city anywhere else that’s as accommodating, authentic and accessible. “We have plenty of rooms,” the Visit Music City website says, “state-ofthe-art convention center, music scene that is second to none, rockstar chefs, and so much
Music City Center
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more to offer the perfect collaboration of business and pleasure.” Tourism is a key part of the Nashville economy, with some 31,500 hotel rooms in the city. “The meetings and leisure markets feed each other,” notes Spyridon. “People come for leisure and decide they want to host meetings here. Or they come for a meeting and say, ‘I want to come back for a vacation. I had no idea what Nashville has to offer.’” In 2018, Nashville hosted more than 1,000 meetings and conventions, for a total of nearly
1 million hotel nights. “California is a big meetings market for us,” says Heather Middleton, vice president of public relations for Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “There are more direct flights than ever before, and our city has a new profile among planners with the opening of the Music City Center, our convention center, in 2013.” Located in the heart of downtown, the 2.1-million-square-foot facility was built so that Nashville could host large, citywide conventions. Supporting the convention center is a wide array of hotels. Larger nearby properties include the Omni Nashville (800 rooms), Renaissance Nashville (659 rooms), Westin Nashville (454 rooms), JW Marriott Nashville (533 rooms), Sheraton Music City (410 rooms) and Sheraton Grand Nashville Downtown (482 rooms). There are also a slew of new boutique hotels downtown, including Kimpton Aertson, 21C, Noelle, Holston House, Fairlane and The Bobby, each with a singular personality. In a category all its own is Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center. With more than 750,000 square feet of meeting space, it’s the largest nongaming, in-hotel exhibition space in the world. Located just 10 minutes from the
Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
P H O T O S : N A S H V I L L E C O N V E N T I O N & V I S I T O R S C O R P. ; ( O P P O S I T E ) BEAUTY & ESSEX
BEYOND THE BORDER»
P H O T O S : N A S H V I L L E C O N V E N T I O N & V I S I T O R S C O R P. ; ( O P P O S I T E ) BEAUTY & ESSEX
SIGNATURE DRINK»
airport, the 9-acre property has nearly 3,000 guest rooms and more than 15 restaurants and lounges. When attendees aren’t in meetings, there’s an embarrassment of riches to enjoy. The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp can help plan itineraries focused around art, civil rights history, Nashville’s emerging neighborhood and maker culture, craft distilleries, cuisine (no trip to Nashville would be complete without at least one meal of hot chicken), and, of course, music, with a stop at Honky Tonk Row and a visit to legendary music venues like the Ryman Auditorium, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and the Grand Ole Opry. Wherever you are in Nashville, there’s always a spot nearby to enjoy good music and a cold beer with no cover charge and no attitude. If you spill some suds while busting a few moves, no one bats an eye. As Spyridon says, “Here in Nashville, we’re fans of feet sticking to the floor.” —Shelley Levitt
Get Connected NASHVILLE CONVENTION & VISITORS CORP visitmusiccity.com | 800.657.6910
The Beauty Elixir THIS COCKTAIL WAS FIRST POURED IN 2010 for the opening menu at the original Beauty & Essex restaurant and lounge on New York’s Lower East Side. Now it’s a staple at all three locations, including Las Vegas and Hollywood, where Beauty & Essex is a dramatic 10,000-square-foot two-level venue, with two full service bars, an outdoor terrace, courtyard spaces and a private dining room. “We wanted to create a cocktail that everyone could enjoy,” says Beverage Director Megan Ardizoni, “while paying homage to the concept of the speakeasy during the days of Prohibition and drawing on the decadence of the Pawn Shop which functions as a hidden entrance into all locations of Beauty & Essex.” INGREDIENTS • 1 � oz. The Botanist Gin • � oz. Campo Viejo Cava Brut • � oz. Funkin Strawberry Puree • � oz. cucumber-infused water • � oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice • � oz. simple syrup
DIRECTIONS Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a very thin slice of lemon.
Courtesy of Beauty & Essex, beautyandessex.com CA.MEETINGSMAGS.COM
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PRODUCTS, PLACES & INSPIRATION
TIPS FROM A PRO»
SCENTS MAKE SENSE
A
TIFFANY ROSE GOODYEAR IS A LEADING EXPERT IN SENSORY EXPERIENCE MARKETING, CREATING BRANDED EXPERIENCES BY EMPHASIZING TOUCH, TASTE AND SMELL.
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s event professionals, we’re constantly thinking about how to best stimulate our guests’ senses in order to create the most memorable and greatest impact and to achieve the event goals, whether it’s a corporate event, fundraiser or social gathering. However, many of us focus on only three senses: taste, sight and sound. Rarely do planners pay attention to smell. We’re missing an opportunity. It’s my belief that cultivating a scent strategy can greatly enhance the experience of an event and the impression it leaves. That’s because scent is critical to the way human beings interpret their surroundings, create meaning and form memories. The sense of smell, after all, is the only sensory receptor that’s fully developed at the time of birth. What’s more, it’s important to think about scenting your selected venue because the reality is it’s already scented. The space may have a distinct aroma of its own, especially if it’s an older property. Or, you’re bringing in scents through flowers and food; while these might create a positive scent experience, it won’t be a strategic one. As someone who has scented a wide variety of events and experiences across the U.S., I’ve come to think about four main components when I approach each project: theme, other smells present, the size of the space and the duration of the event. Theme: Similar to how you would develop a menu, create mood using lighting and choose music for a particular event, you’ll want to make sure that your scent is seamless within the overall story you’re telling your guests. If there isn’t a specific theme, you can always defer to the season or to your surroundings. For example, warm scents with nutmeg and cinnamon do well in the fall and winter months, while thyme, green tea and lemongrass are great
to incorporate into fragrances for spring and summertime. If your event is in a rustic environment like a cabin or ranch, blends with rich base notes like tobacco, leather and bergamot are wonderful. Other Smells: You’ll want the fragrance palette you’re creating to be compatible with the aromas that attendees will experience during the event. This is especially important when you have live-action food stations. I like to think of this in much the same way as pairing beverages with a meal. They don’t have to share the same flavor profile, but they do need to complement one another. For an event that featured coffee and desserts, I chose a mint fragrance. The fresh herbal notes paired beautifully with the sweets and the aroma of coffee. Size: The dimensions of the event venue are critical in determining the saturation of your scent experience. Many people are sensitive to scent, so you don’t want to overwhelm them with intense smells. One way I make sure this doesn’t happen is by using high-end industrial diffusers that provide subtle scent whether a space is large or small. Time: You don’t want to exhaust people with a nonstop scent experience. Unless I’m changing the scent throughout the course of an event from one fragrance to another, I limit the part of the event that is scented. I might, for example, scent only registration, the cocktail hour, dessert course or the entertainment portion of the event. Don’t Forget: The thoughtful use of scent is a valuable tool in elevating your attendees’ experience.
Get Connected THESENTOLOGIST.COM trgoodyear@gmail.com | 202.812.1218
P H O T O S : ( O P P O S I T E ) L A Q U I N TA R E S O R T & C L U B
The strategic use of scents can enhance the attendee experience at events. B Y T I F F A N Y R O S E G O O D Y E A R
P H O T O S : ( O P P O S I T E ) L A Q U I N TA R E S O R T & C L U B
NEW VENUE SPOTLIGHT»
A Champagne Oasis at La Quinta Resort The desert is getting bubbly, thanks to a new partnership between La Quinta Resort & Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort and Veuve Clicquot. Together, the two are creating an intoxicating oasis at the resort’s adults-only Plunge Pool. During the day, guests can relax poolside under umbrellas in Veuve’s signature color or rent a Clicquot-branded private cabana with bottle service. A roving champagne cart will be available for guests looking to enjoy an effervescent buzz under the warm desert sun. From 3-6 p.m., Plunge Pool transforms into the Après Swim lounge. Guests can play lawn games and enjoy champagne tasting flights, signature cocktails and light bites before dinner. For groups, La Quinta Resort & Club is offering a new Champagne 101 program.
A Veuve Clicquot Champagne Specialist will guide participants through frequently asked questions, such as how to open a bottle, what types of glassware should be used and how to store champagne. This will be followed by a tasting of the Clicquot range, highlighting the house’s Yellow Label, Rosé and Vintage Champagne, with the opportunity to add on a Veuve Clicquot Rich cocktailmaking experience. Depending on group size, Champagne 101 can be arranged at a variety of La Quinta venues, including the historic La Casa Courtyard, the Great Lawn or a private dining room. Spanning 45 acres, La Quinta has 620 guest rooms, 98 villas, and over 190,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space. laquintaresort.com —Shelley Levitt
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PRODUCTS, PLACES & INSPIRATION
Clockwise: Catalina Island; country club interior; historical photo taken between 1925-30; William Wrigley Jr. (inset)
CELEBRATING THE WRIGLEY CENTENNIAL ON CATALINA ISLAND The festivities include retro dining and a forward-looking renovation of a historic hotel. BY ANN SHEPPHIRD
Arriving at Avalon Harbor from the Southern California mainland on the Catalina Express, the Catalina Casino is easy to spot. The iconic art deco building was constructed in 1929 by chewing gum magnate William Wrigley, Jr., who first invested in Catalina in 1919. His legacy continues through the Catalina Island Company, which owns and operates a number of hotels, restaurants and event venues on the island. That legacy is being commemorated with a series of Wrigley Centennial celebrations that include bringing back some of the early
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dining and cocktail experiences, launching a new tour and an exhibition at the Catalina Island Museum and, most dramatically, completing an extensive renovation of the historic Atwater Hotel. Wrigley’s presence can still be felt at sites throughout the island, from the top of Mt. Ada, where his former home is now a four-star inn, to the Catalina Country Club, which was used as the clubhouse for his beloved Chicago Cubs during their spring training years on the island from 1921-1951 and which still houses a large collection of memorabilia. Both are
available for group events and, in honor of the centennial, are featuring “flashback favorites” such as French 75 cocktails and Poor Man’s Rice Pudding. The Mt Ada hotel and club are also part of the new two-hour “Wrigley’s Catalina” tour, where fun tidbits include the fact that Wrigley would watch the Cubs training from his house using binoculars and, if he didn’t think they were working hard enough, would call down to have them run up the hill to Mt Ada. Another tour highlighting the rich history of the island is “Twilight at the Casino,” which takes groups through the Catalina Casino’s Avalon Theater, where the pipe organ from 1929 is still operational, and up to the top-floor ballroom, where dancers would (and still do) swing to the music of the big bands. Fun fact: The casino never had gambling—the name comes from the Italian word for “gathering place.” Memorabilia from Wrigley’s first year on
P H O T O S : C ATA L I N A I S L A N D C O M PA N Y ; ( O P P O S I T E ) I S TO C K .CO M / N I CO L A S M CCO M B E R
DESTINATION NEWS»
P H O T O S : C ATA L I N A I S L A N D C O M PA N Y ; ( O P P O S I T E ) I S TO C K .CO M / N I CO L A S M CCO M B E R
TRANSPORTATION»
A NEW PROGRAM HELPS PLANNERS OFFER SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL OPTIONS FOR SAN FRANCISCO MEETINGS AND CONVENTIONS Bay Area Rapid Transit’s (BART) Sustainable Convention Travel Program allows planners to provide eco-friendly travel options for San Francisco conventions and meetings. The program establishes a platform that facilitates the use of SFO transfers by convention staffs and attendees; the program can also help reduce staff travel costs. Most downtown San Francisco hotels are located within six blocks of a BART station (Civic Center, Powell Street, Montgomery Street and Embarcadero). The Moscone Convention Center is also a short walk from the Powell or Montgomery stations.
the island can be found at the Catalina Island Museum’s “Wrigley’s Catalina: A Centennial Celebration Exhibition,” which runs through Jan. 19, 2020. The museum also offers a variety of spaces—or a total buyout—for group events. But the biggest tribute to the Wrigley family can perhaps be found in the renovation of the Hotel Atwater, which originally opened in 1920 and was named after Helen Atwater Wrigley, the wife of William Wrigley’s son Philip Knight (P.K.) Wrigley, who took over the company following the death of his father in 1932. Scheduled for completion in August, the new Hotel Atwater will feature 95 guest rooms, meeting and event space, and a new restaurant called PKW Eatery + Bar, offering an appropriate tribute to Philip as well.
Here’s how BART explains its innovative new program: The program provides planners with a unique URL link for your conference website. This link connects to the SFO Voucher Transfer product purchase page. The program creates “Sustainable Transfer” information specifically tailored to your needs that includes the URL to be prominently placed in the appropriate section of your convention website. Your attendees connect to BART from this page to purchase their BART SFO transfer.
In addition, your URL allows us to track your conference’s “Sustainable Convention Travel” carbon savings. The program is easy, fast and convenient for you and your members. Benefits include: BART Marketing Support features custom copy that includes directions to conference hotels, a BART Downtown San Francisco Hotels map for your site, and custom copy formats to help you support and promote the use of BART transfers for the convention. The copy can be used to facilitate promotion through blast emails, Twitter or other social media. The Custom Private BART Transfer Booking Page includes your conference logo and conference dates, plus two to three BART fare products designed to meet the transportation needs of your attendees. “Sustainable Travel Conference” designation as a “BART Sustainable Conference” includes a report of your conference’s BART Carbon Savings/ Offsets for SFO program participants.
Get Connected IMARA YOKELY | iyokely@bart.gov
Get Connected VISIT CATALINA ISLAND visitcatalinaisland.com | 877.778.8322
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PRODUCTS, PLACES & INSPIRATION
NEW VENUE»
westdrift Manhattan Beach has 393 guest rooms, 26 acres and 35,000 square feet of indoor-outdoor event space, but it also has the intimate feel of a boutique hotel. In that way it’s true to Marriott’s Autograph Collection—it’s the first of these properties to open in Los Angeles area—which combines the muscle and know-how of Marriott with the appeal of unique design and amenities. Once flying the Radisson flag, the hotel has gone through a complete makeover, its décor a nod to the nearby Manhattan Beach Pier, says Maureen Leary, westdrift’s director of sales and marketing. In the spacious lightfilled lobby, you’ll find furnishings inspired by driftwood, columns that evoke pier pilings and screens made of jute. There are glass walls throughout the lobby, for “an indoor-outdoor California feel,” Leary says. “We wanted to keep things fun, playful and flexible. It’s a large open space, but with sofas and low lounge seating, as well as communal tables, there are discreet areas for intimate gatherings, private conversations and lots of collaboration.” The lobby includes the signature Jute Coastal Bar + Kitchen, offering a creative menu that can accommodate all tastes with dishes like cedar plank salmon, sous vide beef short ribs and, for vegans and vegetarians, beet Wellington. Event space includes several ballrooms, with 17-foot ceilings that can accommodate from 100 to 1,000 guests, and a dozen breakout rooms. Shoreacres is an innovative space with industrial lighting, exposed ductwork and a wall of windows that features three garage doors that open to the backyard (ideal for car shows), and overlook the nine-hole golf course with a capacity of 700. That nine-hole golf course has been the setting for some fun team-building, with a different activation taking place at each hole, including building human pyramids and rope
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course challenges. “We’re not fussy about the golf course,” Leary says. “We’ve brought in food trucks for events, turned it into a big backyard barbecue and put up screens for outdoor movies.” The adjacent pool area, with private cabanas, can be a setting for cocktail
parties or, as took place one recent morning, a location for a scene for the TV series “Jane the Virgin.” Among westdrift’s many offerings is convenience: it’s located less than 5 miles from LAX and a couple of miles from the beach. westdrift.com —Shelley Levitt
P H O T O S : W E S T D R I F T M A N H AT TA N B E A C H
Manhattan Beach Welcomes LA’s First Autograph Hotel
P H O T O S : W E S T D R I F T M A N H AT TA N B E A C H
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Take your next meeting to the Summit Bring your next meeting to the Pechanga Summit, our dynamic, 40,000-square foot events center that is as versatile as you are. After your meeting, indulge yourself in our luxurious, full-service spa, recently awarded Four Stars by the prestigious Forbes Travel Guide. When you’re finished, one of our 1,090 Forbes Travel GuideRecommended rooms and suites await, along with AAA Four Diamond amenities that include 13 restaurants, a 4 ½-acre tropical pool complex and the largest casino on the West Coast. With 275,000 square feet of indoor/ outdoor meeting space, meetings at Pechanga are as easy as playing your perfect combination. 877.711.MEET | PECHANGA .COM 45000 PECHANGA PARKWAY | TEMECUL A, CA 92592 Contact the Sales Department at swilson@pechanga.com MANAGEMENT RESERVES ALL RIGHTS. MUST BE 21 OR OVER TO GAMBLE. PROBLEM GAMBLING HELPLINE 800.GAMBLER.
VENUE REPORT THE ROW
LINE UP A MEETING AT THE ROW Reno’s newly branded megaresort encompasses three hotels and much, much more.
TAKE A STROLL THROUGH THE MALL CONNECTING THE ELDORADO, Silver Legacy and Circus Circus hotels in downtown Reno, and you’ll be hard-pressed to tell where one property ends and another begins. You’ll pass restaurants, nightclubs, a comedy club, bars, showrooms, a craft brewery, even a carnival-like midway, all under one contiguous roof spanning four square blocks. Meeting and event venues branch from the main artery and come in all shapes and sizes, while the Reno Ballroom and Reno Events Center, just across the street, expand on the options for large gatherings. On the floor below, slot machines jangle and casino action carries on around the clock. Welcome to The Row, a recently branded megaresort encompassing three hotels previously referred to as the Tri-Properties. Although long connected by sky bridges, the trio of hotels, now under Eldorado Resorts ownership, had separate identities. Each hotel
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keeps its name under the unifying brand, with meeting planners able to enjoy a great deal of flexibility. “We work with one sales manager and one sales coordinator for all the properties, and are able to have control over food and beverage at
all three,” explains Amanda Berry, national sales manager for The Row’s lodging properties. “If something arises and a book is grouped and it grows, or there’s a conflict, we have the option to move entirely between properties.” More than $100 million has been poured into the rebranding effort, which includes renovation of more than 1,000 guest rooms (there are 4,200 in all between the three hotels), 10 new restaurants, a complete redo of the Circus Circus midway (yes, there are circus acts, as well as an arcade, a food court and a Mexican restaurant that shares a space with a sushi purveyor) and the addition of a luxury spa occupying the entire fourth floor of the Silver Legacy. Each property has a distinct profile. “The Eldorado is more high-end, with a boutique atmosphere, while Silver Legacy has more gen-
P H OTO S : T H E R OW R E N O
BY J A N E T F U L LWO OD
P H OTO S : T H E R OW R E N O
The Spa at Silver Legacy occupies an entire floor.
BY THE NUMBERS
291,000 SQUARE FEET OF CASINO FLOOR 182,700 SQUARE FEET OF MEETING SPACE 180,000 SQUARE FEET OF MEETING SPACE BETWEEN THE THREE PROPERTIES 4,071 HOTEL ROOMS 24 RESTAURANTS 22 BARS 11 NIGHTLIFE VENUES
Meeting Space at The Row SILVER LEGACY: 45,591 SQUARE FEET OF FUNCTION SPACE CIRCUS CIRCUS: 23,000 SQUARE FEET OF FUNCTION SPACE INCLUDING A CONVENTION CENTER
eral entertainment options and Circus-Circus is more of a family experience, although we see lots of adults in the midway, too,” says Angela Kabisch, The Row’s executive director of advertising and public relations. “Everything is new and clean. From a meetings perspective, anything a group could want is under one roof.” That broad range of choices is what has drawn Farmers Insurance to hold annual conventions here for the past 12 years. “We love that we can have our meetings and accommodations in one fun place,” says agent and planner Becky Huddle. “The staff is great and the food for large groups is better than any place I have ever been.” “We’ve used the Reno Ballroom for big meetings and the meeting rooms at Silver Legacy for breakout smaller meetings,” she continues. “In addition, we’ve booked Rum Bullions Island Bar [a popular watering hole outside the Silver Legacy] for a private event with karaoke and a live band, and rented all of the midway at Circus Circus for a theme night with games, food and drinks.” Farmers will be bringing 800 California agents again in October, she says. “Our guests love the ability to stay in one place and have lots of
options. We are repeat customers at The Row because they are so willing to work with us and help give us new ideas to keep our event fresh and fun every year.” The Row hosts many larger groups as well. Last year, a bicycle manufacturer’s gathering, a safari hunting association and a nursery corporation each drew more than 2,000 attendees. The new Spa at Silver Legacy features a 21,000-square-foot treatment area surrounded by windows overlooking a swimming pool and an 8,000-square-foot deck with waterfall and fire features, soaking tubs, shaded seating and sunbathing lounges. Besides full menus of massages, facials, scrubs, wraps and “duet” packages for couples, the spa also houses hair, nail and waxing salons. Sooner or later, most visitors to The Row need a breath of fresh air. The complex is well located for that: North Sierra Street, home to a slew of new restaurants and pubs, is just outside and from there it’s a short walk to the Truckee River Walk that hugs the waterway’s shore for about 12 blocks and offers a scenic respite from The Row’s constant hum of activity.
ELDORADO: 12,000 SQUARE FEET OF FUNCTION SPACE RENO EVENTS CENTER: ADJACENT TO THE SILVER LEGACY, THIS SISTER FACILITY ACCOMMODATING LARGE, CITYWIDE GROUPS FEATURES 118,000 SQUARE FEET OF FUNCTION SPACE INCLUDING A FLOOR FOR EXHIBITIONS AND TRADE SHOWS, TWO MEZZANINE LEVELS AND SUITES. DOWNTOWN RENO BALLROOM: A RECENTLY COMPLETED FACILITY WITH 32,655 SQUARE FEET OF DIVISIBLE SPACE. ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE CIRCUS CIRCUS CONVENTION CENTER.
Get Connected THE ROW therowreno.com | 775.786.5700
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Colorful wine tanks at Michael David Winery
LODI COMES OF AGE
The Central Valley wine region pours on homegrown charm, history, value and surprises for groups. BY J A N E T F U L LWO OD
WHEN DAVID LUCAS AND HIS WIFE, HEATHER PYLE-LUCAS, established their winery in 1978, a year before Robert Mondavi bought the Woodbridge cooperative a few miles away, Lodi was virtually unknown as a wine destination. The Lucases were trendsetting pioneers.
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Flash forward 40 years, and this Central Valley town, population about 65,000, is no longer “up and coming.” It’s flourishing as the nucleus of the state’s largest wine-growing appellation (550,000 acres, 110,000 of them in wine-grape production), with some 80 tasting rooms open to visitors and almost three dozen wineries permitted to hold events. “It used to be that planners would ask, ‘Where’s Lodi?’ The notion was that it’s a hot, flat valley town, and we sometimes struggled with drawing people here. We don’t get that so much anymore; Lodi is on the map,” says Heather Isbill, director of sales and marketing for Wine & Roses, a destination hotel/restaurant/spa that helped jump-start the town’s reputation as a centrally located, upscale wine destination that delivers lots of bang for the meeting planner’s buck. Lodi is 35 miles north of Sacramento and 90 miles east of San Francisco. Wine & Roses, a boutique property with 66 guest rooms, is the region’s premier venue for weddings, business meetings, corporate events, executive retreats and banquets. Facilities are spread out campus-style on seven garden acres that also encompass an awardwinning restaurant, the Towne House, and a 6,000-square-foot spa that has earned accolades from major publications. There’s a ballroom accommodating up to 350, an outdoor tented pavilion, numerous nooks, crannies, lawn spaces and private dining areas, plus a next-door visitor center with a tasting room, a casual café and the intimate Cellar Room for groups of up to 60. There’s also a celebrity culinary director, Bradley Ogden, a James Beard award-winning master who moved to Lodi in 2016 for a lifestyle change, bringing Towne House executive chef John Hitchcock with him from the San Francisco Bay Area. “I’d been buying produce from Lodi for years, but I didn’t really know where it was,” Ogden recounts. “I just knew it was at the center of a big agricultural region and that it was known for its zinfandels. Then I came here and found that it was like Napa in the late 1980s. I was in the throes of opening another
P H O T O S : J A N E T F U L LW O O D
DESTINATION LODI
P H O T O S : J A N E T F U L LW O O D
Clockwise from left: Table set for an event in the Cellar Room; Lodi grapes; a private event at Wine & Roses
BY THE NUMBERS
2 MILLION VISITORS A YEAR 2015, THE YEAR LODI WAS NAMED WINE REGION OF THE YEAR
restaurant, it must have been my 33rd, and I saw the possibilities, the growth potential.” Besides running the Towne House, Ogden oversees food preparation for weddings, meetings, events and a cooking school, as well as culinary operations at the affiliated Rosewood Bar and Grill in downtown Lodi. Ogden’s influence has helped draw foodies from around the region even as the hotel’s meeting business has grown. “When I started in 2004, our weekday business was nonexistent. Today it’s thriving,” says Isbill, adding that meeting clients include wine industry, health, agricultural and pharmaceutical companies. With limited overnight capacity, Wine & Roses can’t accommodate all out-of-town event attendees. Other options include a Hampton Inn & Suites, Days Inn & Suites, Holiday Inn Express and Best Western, with several new properties expected to debut this year. The biggest draws in Lodi are its wineries. Some, like the Lucas Winery, offer highly rated wines served up in small, understated tasting rooms. Others are knock-your-socksoff elaborate. Family-owned Michael David Winery started as a roadside food stand. It now produces 27 different wines, including 7
1986, THE YEAR THE REGION EARNED THE LODI APPELLATION 450 WINE LABELS PRODUCED 85 WINERIES IN AND AROUND LODI 18 VINEYARDS LISTED WITH THE HISTORIC VINEYARD SOCIETY
Deadly Zins, the top-selling zinfandel in the country, and wows leisure travelers and planners alike with its food operation and landscaped grounds dotted with water features and intimate garden settings. Oak Farm Vineyard, a former horse ranch, is another showstopper, with a barn for large events, a club room for smaller gatherings and a plantation-style home, perfect for photo ops, dating to 1876. Many other types of activities are available in Lodi, from kayaking on Lake Lodi and the Mokelumne River; visiting olive oil producer Calvirgin at Coldani Olive Ranch; learning about the region’s agricultural heritage at the San Joaquin County Historical Museum; or browsing the shops in Lodi’s low-rise downtown. For a sweet treat, one of the country’s oldest A&W Root Beer stands serves up frothy floats topped with memories.
Get Connected VISIT LODI CONFERENCE AND VISITORS BUREAU | visitlodi.com | 209.365.1195 WINE & ROSES winerose.com | 209.334.6988
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Member engagement and experiences, enhanced by creative technology and a nod to cost savings, are reshaping the way associations meet in 2019. BY BARBARA BECKLEY
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Networking during reception at Hotel Irvine
IN SOME WAYS AN UPHEAVAL, in other ways an evolution— everything about the way associations gather is changing. Here’s what some California industry leaders have to say about the modern association meeting.
EMBRACING SMARTER AND EVER-PRESENT TECHNOLOGY
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BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS THAT MATTER New Ways of Networking. “People come to meetings, above all, to meet others, and they usually have specific ideas of who they want to meet, from mentors to peers,” says Anderson. To better enable meaningful relationship-building, an evolution from passive to active networking is underway. “Planners are pinpointing attendees’ interests and implementing new proactive networking techniques to bring like-minded individuals together,” Anderson says. For example, volunteers might be assigned to meet first-time attendees and facilitate introductions to likeminded delegates. Another easyto-implement tool: using colorcoded badges to identify members who share interests and seating them together.
P H OTO S : V I S I T A N A H E I M
“Technology will continue to have an expanded role in nearly all aspects of meetings,” predicts Jim Anderson, president and CEO of the California Society of Association Executives (CalSAE). “For example, planners are using data analytics software to improve the meeting process at appointment shows by creating better matches between members and vendors.” Over the past year, the use of social media to engage attendees has skyrocketed, says Libby Zarrahy. As both the vice president for education of the MPI Southern California chapter and the marketing and public relations director at the Hyatt Regency Los Angeles International Airport, Zarrahy has observed a dramatic increase in general session speakers asking the audience to use their devices to send questions, comments and opinions in real time. These are shown on the screen with the speaker addressing the input immediately. Presentation live feeds are also on the rise, says Anderson, enabling people not in attendance to participate by watching the proceedings live or recorded on their devices. Data analytics are driving smarter marketing and planning tactics to increase attendance at meetings and conventions, says Rhanee Palma, vice president of Visit Oakland and co-chair of the awards and recognition committee of the MPI Northern California chapter. “Identifying attendees’ interests allow planners to curate experiences that will attract more attendees,” she explains. “For instance, if the group is mostly women, attractions should be safe and within walking distance. Data also shows that women like wine, so it’s smart to incorporate wine tasting into the program. If the group is mostly men, ‘let’s do beer,’ is a good selling tactic.” Age and where the delegates are coming from are also important factors, she adds. “If delegates are from the East Coast, then combining events in two cities in one, such as San Francisco and Oakland, is appealing and likely to boost attendance.”
P H OTO S : V I S I T A N A H E I M
A general session in the round
ATTENTION-SUSTAINING FORMATS Goodbye PowerPoint. Jessica Martini, the meeting sales director for Visit Anaheim and a member of DMA West, says planners are punching up the opening and closing sessions in engaging ways. One arresting new trend is having dynamic speakers deliver their presentations in a theaterin-the-round-style stage. Martini has also seen an increase in the use of nontraditional speakers, such as those from a discipline outside of the association’s. More and more frequently, she adds, planners are tapping into what she calls “the local intellectual capital” of the destination for speakers, choosing area residents who have compelling stories, perspectives and information to share. Redesigning meeting space. Living room-like settings with sofas and chairs are replacing ridged conference layouts. “Delegates want focus areas, but not four walls,” says Zarrahy. At the recommendation of meeting planners, the Hyatt Regency LAX created a “Think Tank” along one wall of its
conference center during its 2017 expansion and renovation. The space features booth-like seating areas for up to 10 people, “where delegates can kick back, work, network, table-hop, and grab a cold drink from built-in refrigerators,” Zarrahy explains. Less square footage. Palma is seeing more and more association planners change the meeting setups to reduce square footage and, in turn, save money. “Look for more rounds of 10 versus six, and chevron-style seating with three people at a table and the rest seated theater-style,” she says. Interactive trade shows. Representatives behind a booth don’t cut it anymore. “You have to engage the delegates and build relationships,” says Martini. At last December’s CalSAE Seasonal Spectacular, Martini’s Visit Anaheim display featured a photo booth. And Palma’s Visit Oakland took home the Best Booth award, thanks to “Myrtle,” a costumed cow who handed out free ice cream from Oakland-based Fentons Creamery. The line for selfies with Myrtle was nonstop.
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CalSAE Elevate had high-top tables for easy networking
DESTINATION DIFFERENCES
NEW DIRECTIONS IN F&B “Sit-down meals are going away,” says Martini. Look instead for customized interactive food stations that cater to delegates’ changing dietary needs and promote socializing to become the new norm. High-top tables and open seating are increasingly popular because they give attendees the “freedom of movement to network,” says Martini. Adds Zarrahy, “Dining has become as important as some general sessions in the way it gives attendees the opportunity to network and socialize.” That’s why, in another innovation that planners recommended, the Hyatt Regency LAX has added two event lawns specifically for buffets and grab-and-go networking mealtimes.
M E E T I N G S M U LT I P LY Only two meetings a year? Not anymore. The need for associations to stay competitive and to increase their members’ involvement is leading to more frequent meetings that are highly specialized and shorter (often a half-day and one overnight, at most). These additional gatherings offer several advantages. For starters, says Martini, the variety increases engagement: “When you choose a new location, you’ll probably attract new attendees from that area, along with members who haven’t been there before.” More and shorter meetings also provide an opportunity for planners to “test the waters” of a new location for a future annual conference. These multiple meetings are usually planned with less lead time, a trend that’s leading to an increased use of airport hotels, says Zarrahy, who estimates that 30 percent of occupancy at Hyatt Regency LAX is meetings-related. “Getting people in and out is critical for a one-day meeting and airport hotels meet the need,” she says.
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P H OTO S : S P N P H OTO G R A P H Y; (O P P O S I T E ) V I S I T A N A H E I M
Today, “the destination that’s chosen often has more to do with attractions and activities before and after the gathering than with the meeting itself,” says Palma. “Attendees expect to experience a destination they are in, in part because they recognize that touring and sharing experiences generates meaningful relationships.” To ensure good attendance, planners are switching from traditional choices such as San Francisco and San Diego to new locales, including Monterey, Riverside and Catalina, that offer something unique and compelling, she says. Opportunities for cost savings are driving destination changes. “Associations are increasingly using second-tier cities to make their conferences more affordable,” says Palma. She cites Oakland’s meetings business, which nearly doubled from 25,727 room nights in 2017 to 43,092 room nights in 2018.
P H OTO S : S P N P H OTO G R A P H Y; (O P P O S I T E ) V I S I T A N A H E I M
CONNECTIVITY Don’t bother to hold a meeting, if you don’t have top-notch connectivity. More than ever, delegates want to know they can go from one building to another and have seamless Wi-Fi on all their devices, says Martini. She believes that savvy marketers will take growing advantage of this tech demand. “Connectivity can be a great advertising and branding opportunity,” she says. “For instance, sponsors and exhibitors could put their logo on the charging stations or make the log-in password their company name.”
FA M I LY F U N
GIVING BACK Community giveback activities are growing in importance, everyone agrees, and hosts are making volunteering increasingly easy. For example, when the American Heart Association met in Anaheim, Visit Anaheim helped the group donate heart defibrillators to local schools and teach school personnel how to use them. At the Hyatt Regency LAX, Zarrahy helps coordinate association participation in programs for Habitat for Humanity, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and local organizations like Dress for Success.
“Members increasingly want to make the meeting a mini vacation, so marketing it as a ‘bleisure’ opportunity is a good way to boost attendance,” says Palma. Visit Anaheim, in conjunction with Disneyland, has created a customized Twilight Ticket discount that allows attendees and their families to enjoy the theme park after a day of meetings. Meanwhile, says Zarrahy, “In recent years, the Hyatt Regency LAX has experienced a 100 percent increase in families coming along during meetings and conventions. Spouses and kids will spend the day by the pool and then join the attendees to explore LA in the evening.”
Heart2Heart: giving back in Anaheim
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! BIGGER, BRIGHTER & LIGHTER San Francisco’s long-awaited expanded Moscone Center opens with exciting new opportunities for meetings and events.
P H OTO S : C E S A R R U B I O ; (O P P O S I T E ) M O S CO N E C E N T E R
BY JANET FULLWOOD
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P H OTO S : C E S A R R U B I O ; (O P P O S I T E ) M O S CO N E C E N T E R
San Francisco’'s landmark event space has a glittery new look, more space for meetings and expos, state-of-the-art amenities and a better connection with the surrounding neighborhood. Plus, it’s architecturally gorgeous, “an iconic structure that sits in the middle of the city like a jewel,” in the words of Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of the San Francisco Travel Association.
STEP INSIDE Contiguous space: 504,914 square feet (260,000 before expansion) Have a ball: The new, 50,000square-foot, column-free ballroom can be divided into as many as 16 meeting rooms. Let there be light: 107,000 square feet of light-filled prefunction lobbies with city views Breath of fresh air: 25,000 square feet of outdoor terraces with city views
R
enovated and expanded to the tune of $551 million, Moscone Center was under construction for more than four years, staying partially open and welcoming clients even as steel beams clanked and jackhammers roared. The project—half new-build, half renovation—came in on time and on budget, opening on Jan. 3 to oohs and aahs from both the public and meeting planners. The reveal: 504,000 square feet of contiguous underground space linking formerly separate Moscone North and South and a new, above-ground structure holding 157,000 square feet of flexible meeting space with the ability to create 82 spaces of various sizes. That includes a 50,000-square-foot, column-free ballroom able to be divided into as many as 16 separate spaces, plus multiple outdoor terraces with city views, two pedestrian bridges across Howard Street (linking the North/South and West buildings), and acres of light-filled lobby and prefunction space.
The two main goals, says D’Alessandro, were to create contiguous space and flexibility in order to provide new opportunities for meetings and events. “While those goals were geared toward staying competitive, San Francisco was not seeking to lure larger conventions or become one of the biggest centers in the nation,” he adds. “In pure size, we went from about the 25th largest convention center in the country to the 17th. We were never trying to be the largest, because that would never work here. We had to make the project fit the space and our brand. One of our goals was to be able to put groups in North and South that will free up West for other groups.” In determining the need for expansion almost a decade ago, “We looked at alternatives,” D’Alessandro continues. “Should we move it? Look at something more remote from the downtown core? There wasn’t much space to grow around the building. We had to be very creative.”
Down to business: Capacity for up to 82 “black box” meeting rooms in Moscone North and South, plus 32 more in Moscone West Get online: Robust wireless system allows the center to support as many as 60,000 devices at once. Staff your booth: The largest exhibition space can accommodate 2,300 ten-foot-by10-foot booths. Load it up: 20 loading docks with drive-on access to exhibit halls Brand your meeting: Two giant display screens measuring 75-feetby-10-feet and 60-feet-by-10-feet in Moscone South, with additional 3-foot-by-10-foot screens wrapped around the building’s corners Have a question? San Francisco Travel Association operates a visitor information center in Moscone South.
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COLOR IT GREEN LEED PLATINUM: The center is on track to receive the highest level of green building certification offered by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, making it one of only a handful of convention centers in North America to earn the distinction (others are in Pittsburgh, Vancouver, B.C. and Portland). CARBON FOOTPRINT: Lowest carbon emissions per attendee of any convention center in North America LET THE SUN SHINE: Largest solar panel array in San Francisco NOTHING GOES TO WASTE: Recycling and composting facility-wide, plus 15 million gallons of water recovered annually for reuse in landscaping and street cleaning
After staging focus groups with customers around the country as well as with meeting planners and local residents, the consensus was clear, he says. “Our constituents wanted the convention center to be in the heart of the city within walking distance of most hotels, and with lots of off-site opportunities. They also wanted more exhibit space. So essentially, what we did was combine two buildings (Moscone North and South) into one.” From an architectural standpoint, there was another goal: to connect the building with the city. “Back in the 1970s, Moscone was designed at a time when convention centers were more or less black boxes,” says Mark Schwettmann, director and studio head for SOM, the architectural firm behind the project. “We turned that inside out, trying hard to bring life and light to the main spaces. We
wanted to transform the center to a place where visitors could connect with the city and locals could connect with the visitors. In the end, we have a civic statement that activity in this building is for everyone to see.” Indeed, the transparent, glass-walled center glows bright at night, silhouetting all who are inside. Outside, sidewalks were widened, a terrace added to the front of the buildings, artworks installed, and a children’s playground added to the Children’s Creativity Museum complex in the Yerba Buena Gardens neighborhood adjacent to the center. “There’s activity around all the time, so people feel safe,” says Lynn Farzaroli, senior director of the Moscone expansion for San Francisco Travel Association. “We had a lot of back-and-forth with the community and with meeting planners on that.”
P H OTO S : LO U I S R A P H A E L ; (O P P O S I T E ) C I S CO M E R A K I ; WILLIAM J. SIMPSON
Downtown San Francisco
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P H OTO S : LO U I S R A P H A E L ; (O P P O S I T E ) C I S CO M E R A K I ; WILLIAM J. SIMPSON
SPARK Social
Stagecoach Greens
CREATIVE OPTIONS
After a long day of meetings at Moscone Center, it’s time for your attendees to take a break and have some let-your-hair-down fun. Here are five nearby unconventional options. SPIN
URBAN PUTT
Grab a pingpong paddle and get a volley going, either among yourselves or with a pro. This playhouse adjacent to Moscone Center serves up delicious small plates and platters as well as table tennis. Party programs are offered for groups of 10 and more. Alternatively, SPIN can bring its tables, pros, ambassadors and energy to you, wherever the venue might be. wearespin.com, 415.636.5995
Housed in a former mortuary, this 14-hole mini golf course garners smiles with its steampunk Rube Goldberg contraptions that put an antic creative twist on the game. There’s a full bar, with small plates available all day, and sit-down dinner served in an upstairs restaurant. Party packages for groups of 20-35 and buyouts for up to 150 guests are available. urbanputt.com, 415.341.1080
S PA R K S O C I A L
EMPORIUM SF
This permanent food truck installation in the up and coming Mission Bay neighborhood features 11 stationary and several rotating vendors serving everything from tacos to Korean-Filipino fusion food to crispy calamari. Beer and wine on tap, too. Private spaces for groups of 20-150 and more by reservation. sparksocialsf.com
Taking over a century-old theater that once showcased legends like Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald and the Grateful Dead, this innovative enterprise in the NoPa (North of Panhandle) neighborhood combines vintage arcade games (pinball, air hockey, Skee-Ball, foosball, shuffleboard and such) with live DJs, a full stage for live music, a 50-foot projection screen, full bars and other amenities. Table reservations available for groups under 40, with full or partial buyouts offered for as many as 800. All guests must be 21 or older. Make your own food arrangements; no eats are available on-site. emporiumsf.com, 628.867.7362
S TA G E C O A C H G R E E N S Just across Third Street from SPARK Social, Stagecoach Greens is a festive, family-friendly space within Mission Bay’s new Parklab Gardens. Cabanas, picnic tables, food trucks and a bar are on-site, but the centerpiece is an innovative mini golf course themed to San Francisco history. Buyout and blend-in options are available. stagecoachgreens.com, 415.310.3246
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IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Cultural venues near Moscone Center abound. Contemporary Jewish Museum
Looking for an off-site venue for a special presentation, dinner or reception? These cultural sites are all within just a block or two of the convention center.
SAN FR ANCISCO M USEU M OF MODE RN ART
CONTE MPOR ARY J EWISH M USEU M Showcasing modern art seen through a Jewish lens, the CJM’s unique architecture fuses a 19th-century power station with a “blue cube” geometric superstructure. Event spaces include classrooms, halls and the dramatic, 2,500-square-foot Yud Gallery, with its 65-foot ceiling, 36 skylights, irregularly shaped walls and fine-tuned acoustics. Catering provided by the on-site Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen. cmj.org, 415.655.7800
MUSEUM OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA A showcase for contemporary art created by people of African heritage from throughout the world, MOAD, which is located in the same building as the St. Regis Hotel, offers numerous possibilities for corporate events, product launches and receptions. The first-floor lobby accommodates up to 250 standing, 65 seated, while an upstairs salon can handle up to 80 seated. moadsf.org, 415.358.7200
MEXICAN MUSEUM Set to open next year, the 60,000-square-foot museum will be the downtown home of a world-class collection of more than 17,000 works of folk art, paintings and pieces in other media. mexicanmuseum.org, 415.202.9700
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ART ATTACK PUBLIC ART Four new public artworks are visible to passersby as well as convention attendees. One of the most stunning: “Point Cloud,” a computerprogrammed light installation by Leo Villareal, designer of the “Bay Lights” on the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge. It’s incorporated into the new East Bridge connecting Moscone North and South.
P H OTO S : H A I Z H A N Z H E N G ; B R U C E DA M O N T E ; I S TO C K .CO M / -V I C TO R -
After a three-year closure, SF MOMA reopened in 2016 with an expansion designed to showcase its massive collection over seven floors of exhibition halls. Spaces available for private groups range from the main hall, which can accommodate large banquets and receptions, to a theater, sculpture terrace, rooftop pavilion and garden, and the “White Box,” a 3,000-square-foot blank slate of a room with theatrical lighting and capacity for up to 200 guests. sfmoma.org, 415.357.4000
P H OTO S : H A I Z H A N Z H E N G ; B R U C E DA M O N T E ; I S TO C K .CO M / -V I C TO R -
San Francisco’s Painted Ladies
Getting There
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), MUNI municipal trains and buses— and, soon, a new Central Subway line running from the South Bay to Moscone and on to Chinatown. In addition, there are 5,000 parking spaces within walking distance of the center.
By necessity, many of the city’s annual and rotational conventions went elsewhere during the construction phase. Still, Moscone West stayed open throughout the project. “The biggest challenge by far was noise during construction,” says Bob Sauter, general manager of the Moscone Center. “There were times when we wished we could have closed for a year. It was unprecedented to stay open during construction, a remarkable period of collaboration and a hard tightrope to walk. Admittedly, it wasn’t all holding hands and kumbaya; there were some tense moments.” To mediate conflict, the city hired a liaison to work between clients and construction teams. Those struggles will yield a big payoff. The opening of the expanded center coincides with and contributes to the biggest visitor boom San Francisco has ever seen. “We have more group room nights on the books than we’ve ever had in San Francisco,” Farzaroli says, “and a million of those visitors will pass through Moscone.”
The first major expo held at the expanded center just two weeks after it opened was a huge success, she says. “The Fancy Food Show has been here since 1978, and the energy around it this year was entirely different; it was much more active and upbeat,” she says. Among those looking forward to taking advantage of the expanded center is Bob Hope, director of convention and meetings for the American College of Surgeons, which will bring about 14,000 attendees to San Francisco in October. They’ll be spread out over about 30 hotels over the five days of the conference. Hope is especially pleased with the Moscone lobby expansion that allows registration to be conducted in one space, with plenty of check-in desks provided. That’s an amenity that’s likely to be useful, in light of the city’s popularity with Hope’s attendees. “We come to San Francisco every five years on a rotational basis,” Hope says, “and it has always been the favorite destination in terms of attendance numbers.”
By the Numbers $551 million cost of expansion and renovation
$272 million projected annual economic impact of expansion
20,000 hotel rooms within eight blocks, with several new hotels in the neighborhood coming online in 2019 20 acres on three blocks in the heart of San Francisco
Get Connected MOSCONE CENTER moscone.com 415.974.400 SAN FRANCISCO TRAVEL ASSOCIATION sftravel.com 415.391.2000
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION The Mission Club in Lompoc
Calamigos Ranch
PROPERTIES THAT WOW If you’re looking for an impressive spot to host your next gathering—where views, activities and amenities abound— look no further than these California and Nevada venues. Visit Oxnard
Located on Highway 1 on the Central Coast, Lompoc offers visitors a robust wine scene, championship golf, unique restaurants, local art and a lovely Mediterranean climate to enjoy any time of year. With 12 small to midsize hotels to welcome groups, including the new Hilton Garden Inn with state-of-the-art amenities, Lompoc is ideal for gatherings of up to 300 guests. Lompoc's venues include a historic mission, estate wineries and gorgeous golf courses, which can be rented for private parties, weddings, wine tastings, and tournaments. La Purisima Mission State Historic Park, the most fully restored of California’s 21 missions, offers both indoor and outdoor spaces to rent; Foley Estates Winery & Vineyard, with its expansive lawn and spacious tasting room, is ideal for weddings and exclusive parties. Sanford Winery's majestic barrel room, tasting room and patio (with vineyard views) all provide memorable settings. La Purisima Golf Course and The Mission Club are both available for golf tournaments and special events.
Tucked away along California’s Central Coast in the seaside city of Oxnard, meeting and event planners will find an array of unique venues for groups to gather. Combining education and meeting opportunities together, Oxnard College Performing Arts Auditorium & Conference Center provides a unique place to hold a gathering, while Ventura County’s first and only public market, The Annex, is an ideal spot to meet up and relax. The Annex brings together a mix of artisan boutiques and craft food and beverage purveyors who offer unique flavors in the shared space. La Dolce Vita Restaurant sits in the McGrath House and is led by executive chef and owner Michelle Kenney. Guests are treated to homemade Italian cuisine, monthly cooking classes and weekend entertainment. Providing distinct, handcrafted wines, Magnavino Cellars makes for a charming setting to enjoy wine tasting or a special event such as a winemaker’s dinner or winery tour. For a taste of South America, Moqueca Brazilian Cuisine spices things up with their signature Moqueca and waterfront
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views. Boasting Mediterranean cuisine and local produce, Tierra Sur Restaurant pairs delicious wines with gourmet entrees, prepared by executive chef Gabe Garcia and his team.
Calamigos Ranch Conejo Valley is full of diverse and dreamy event venues like Calamigos Ranch. With four unique locations, this stunning site is picture-perfect for weddings, conferences, company picnics, private getaways and more. Situated in the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains, you’d hardly believe you’re just a stone’s throw away from Los Angeles. Here, nature and leisure live in tandem to create an ethereal environment for celebrations of all kinds. Event amenities are far and wide. Whether for a wedding or a conference, the award-winning chefs utilize fresh, locally sourced ingredients. A personal concierge is also available upon request as well as Wi-Fi, projectors, projector screens and plenty of free parking. Because of the dynamic 250 acres of space, Calamigos Ranch can host intimate events for two or festive parties of up to 2,000. The venue even has a Ferris wheel available for com-
P H OTO S : J E R E M Y B A L L , C A L A M I G O S R A N C H , M A R I N A D E L R E Y CO N V E N T I O N & V I S I TO R S B U R E AU , P E C H A N G A R E S O R T C A S I N O
City of Lompoc
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
pany picnics or cozy wood fireplaces for night occasions. Calamigos Ranch is in the business of making memories.
Marina del Rey Convention & Visitors Bureau Make a splash with your next group event in Marina del Rey. Located in the heart of the beautiful Los Angeles coastline and only 4 miles from LAX Airport, Marina del Rey is making waves as the premier meetings destination in Southern California. With more than 100,000 square feet of waterfront meeting space and 1,100 hotel rooms, the Marina is equally appealing to corporate business programs as it is to tech industry powerhouses that want a laid-back but trendy meeting destination. Traditional meeting spaces take a backseat to waterside options, such as outdoor reception lawns with harbor views or a rooftop ballroom with floor-to-ceiling windows. No visit to the Marina is complete without some time on a boat, and having your event at sea on a private yacht is the perfect way to make a splash with your next corporate function. Marina del Rey’s plentiful recreation options make for exciting pre/postfunction entertainment. Treat your delegates to a parasailing excursion, group kayaking, beachside biking, water yoga or a sailing regatta.
Riverside Convention & Visitors Bureau Riverside Convention Center has been a finalist in California M+E's readers' choice awards for two years in a row in the Best Conference/Convention Centers (Under 100,000 Square Feet) category. The venue
offers 65,000 square feet of flexible indoor space, 22 breakout rooms, healthy menus, complimentary Wi-Fi, and 14,000 square feet of outdoor and green space available for dining, team-building and receptions. MeetWell in Riverside and activate your event with an easy hike to the top of an historic city landmark, Mount Rubidoux. Celebrate with your choice of the “Pick a Perk” incentives: Picnic on the Plaza or a s’mores reception on the VIP Terrace. Rejuvenate with citrus-themed signature beverages and farm-to-table menus from the center’s culinary staff. Four downtown hotels are all adjacent to the convention center offering a variety of first-class accommodations. Enjoy the walkable downtown Main Street with artisan restaurants, pubs, boutique shopping, museums, coffee shops and craft breweries. Or explore the charming downtown by bicycle or Bird scooter and experience an array of live entertainment.
Pechanga Resort Casino
Calamigos Ranch
Waterfront dining at Marina del Rey Hotel's SALT
It’s a venue that invites you to meet where Steven Tyler, Pitbull and Adam Sandler performed to sold-out audiences. That ability to hold your next event in the same facility that hosts top talent illustrates the beauty and versatility of the Pechanga Summit— Pechanga Resort Casino’s 40,000-squarefoot event center. The Temecula venue takes you beyond the typical ballroom with five divisible sections that can be configured for everything from concerts to conventions to small group meetings. No matter how you customize your event, the Pechanga Summit’s modern technology and amenities, including a renowned 24-hour banquet and
Marina del Rey waterfront sunset
Pechanga Resort Casino
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Retreat
to a new destination
See Another Side of Southern California Visit Conejo.com/CAMeetings to learn more and book your next retreat.
Visit Henderson
catering staff, bring meetings and events to another level. Other amenities include custom builtin registration desks with overhead monitors, a business center, phone charging bars and a green room on the first floor. The second floor features 15 meeting/ breakout rooms, retractable chandeliers, a catwalk for lighting and event rigging, and a banquet kitchen. Located in the Southern California Wine Country and featuring 1,090 rooms and suites, Pechanga is the West Coast’s largest resort/casino with 13 restaurants, a fourstar spa, a championship golf course, and a 200,000-square-foot casino.
With over 297 days of sunshine each year, Henderson, Nevada, boasts stunning scenery, one-of-a-kind activities and an abundance of adventures. Take advantage of the breweries and eateries doting the Water Street District after a day spent at The Henderson Convention Center’s 13,000-square-foot meeting space. Adjacent to the conference space is the Henderson Events Plaza, perfect for organizing a festival, trade show or event of your own. Escape to Lake Las Vegas for a lakeside cruise or live concert and stop by Mimi’ & Coco’ Bistro for a wide selection of wines, delicacies and an outdoor patio with breathtaking views of the lake. Henderson also features nine champion-
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P H OTO : V I S I T H E N D E R S O N
City of Henderson
Take time to coast CHART THE COURSE ship golf courses, including the South Shore Golf Club, Nevada’s first Jack Nicklaus Signature-designed course. For beer, spirit and wine enthusiasts, head to the Artisan Booze District where you can sample some of the finest whiskey at Las Vegas Distillery, grab a pint of beer at CraftHaus Brewery, Astronomy Aleworks and Bad Beat Brewing, or learn the art of winemaking at Grape Expectations.
GET CONNECTED CALAMIGOS RANCH 818.889.6280 CONEJO.COM/MEET/CALAMIGOS-RANCH CITY OF HENDERSON 877.775.5252 CITYOFHENDERSON.COM
• Located on the Pacific Coast, northwest of LA just one hour from LAX and Burbank
Plentiful, convenient, and affordable venues make Oxnard ideal for corporate meetings and events.
• Meeting venues are varied and diverse to meet your needs • Hold meetings and events at our uncrowded beaches, picturesque parks or historic homes
visitoxnard.com
MARINA DEL REY CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 866.650.4567 VISITMARINADELREY.COM PECHANGA RESORT CASINO 951.770.8551 PECHANGA.COM RIVERSIDE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 951.335.7040 RIVERSIDECVB.COM VISIT LOMPOC 805.736.4567 EXPLORELOMPOC.COM VISIT OXNARD 805.385.7545 VISITOXNARD.COM
Take Your Career to the Next Level with MPISSN EDUCATION - Educa�on Luncheons
� �orkshops - Bootcamp - CMP Study Group
NETWORKING - Coffee, Cocktails & Content - Prior to all Events
SPECIAL EVENTS - Annual Dinner - Trade Show - Crabfeed - Sip & Swirl
Visit www.mpiweb.org/SSN for Membership Information CA.MEETINGSMAGS.COM
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Industry Update HOTEL NEWS 40
PEOPLE NEWS
45
SNAPSHOTS 46
PEOPLE PROFILE 48
WASTE NOT, WANT NOT Restaurant and food service operators are integrating sustainability practices into their daily business operations.
T
Research courtesy of National Restaurant Association
he National Restaurant Association examined what measures restaurateurs are taking to conserve resources and operate more sustainably. The association surveyed 500 restaurant owners and operators about their environmental efforts and sustainability opportunities and challenges within their operations. More than 1,000 consumers were also surveyed about the best methods for restaurants to promote sustainability practices to customers. The results show that restaurants of all types are innovating and making progress. From independent operators to large restaurant chains, the food service industry is reducing its energy and water consumption, minimizing waste creation, and connecting with environmentally aware guests. Read the full study at restaurant.org/newsresearch/research/state-of-restaurant-sustainability.
WHAT WATER-SAVING EQUIPMENT DO RESTAURANTS USE? LOW-FLUSH TOILETS 44% FAUCET AERATORS* 27% HIGH-EFFICIENCY PRE-RINSE SPRAY VALVES 26% TANKLESS WATER HEATER 24% MOTION-ACTIVATED TOILETS OR FAUCETS 21% WATERLESS URINALS 11%
Energy & Water Hospitality businesses (including hotels) and food service operations account for nearly 15 percent of commercial/institutional water use in the United States, according to
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the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WaterSense program. In a typical full-service restaurant, food preparation drives more than a third of energy consumption, according to the EPA’s Energy Star Guide for Cafés, Restaurants, and Institutional Kitchens.
*Adding these devices—which cost about $3 each—can reduce hot-water use at a hand sink by 60 percent. The savings: Based on as little as 15 minutes of use per day, installing just one faucet aerator at a hand sink could save 9,000 gallons of hot water per year.
INFOGRAPHIC
79%
Managing Waste
of restaurant operators use CFL or LED lighting
56%
of restaurant operators say they buy at least some packaging or supplies that are certified as compostable
61%
72%
of restaurant operators say they buy at least some packaging or supplies that contain recycled materials
of restaurant operators use programmable HVAC thermostats
PERCENT OF RESTAURANTS THAT RECYCLE:
PERCENT OF RESTAURANT OPERATORS THAT USE ENERGY STAR-RATED APPLIANCES:
46% REFRIGERATORS 41% FREEZERS 41% ICEMAKERS 25% DISHWASHERS 22% FRYERS
65%
CARDBOARD AND PAPER
64%
FATS, OILS AND GREASE
29%
ALUMINUM OR METAL CANS
29%
RIGID PLASTICS
26%
GLASS
14%
of restaurant operators say they compost at least some food waste
PERCENT OF RESTAURANT OPERATORS THAT CITE THE FOLLOWING REASONS FOR NOT COMPOSTING FOOD WASTE:
39% LACK OF COMPOSTING FACILITY 36% INSUFFICIENT SPACE 27% TRANSPORTATION CONSTRAINTS 26% DON’T KNOW HOW TO GET STARTED 25% PEST OR ODOR CONCERNS 23% MANAGEMENT OR BUILDING CONSTRAINTS 15% LOCAL ORDINANCES AND REGULATIONS 31% OTHER/DON’T KNOW
Consumer Insight Environment sustainability ranked as the No. 9 restaurant trend in the National Restaurant Association’s “What’s Hot” annual survey of American Culinary Federation chefs for 2018.
PERCENT OF CONSUMERS WHO CONSIDER THESE IMPORTANT FACTORS WHEN THEY CHOOSE A RESTAURANT: Does the restaurant make efforts to reduce food waste?
Does the restaurant recycle things like plastic, bottles and cans?
Does the restaurant donate leftover foods?
Does the restaurant conserve energy and water?
Does the restaurant use environmentally friendly packaging?
55%
51%
50%
45%
45% CA.MEETINGSMAGS.COM
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REGIONAL NEWS
HOTEL NEWS»
Mid-Market Hotel Gets A Makeover
THE MARKER SF REVEALS NEW LOOK
Joie de Vivre Hotels’ The Marker in San Francisco has completed a multimillion dollar renovation that included a redesign of the lobby, meeting and event spaces, and the off-the-lobby Living Room. The 208-room hotel, which is housed in a historic 1910 building, originally opened as the opulent Hotel Bellevue. The redesign draws inspiration from the beaux-arts period with, among other elements, Murano-inspired lobby chandeliers that each span more than 7 feet in diameter; a supersized theatrical bird cage, reaching a height of 12 feet, that greets guests in the entryway; and an expansive tufted turquoise banquette at the bottom of the grand staircase, which is now in a bold blue. themarkersanfrancisco.com
New Flag Flies at BEI San Francisco BEI San Francisco, formerly the Holiday Inn San FranciscoCivic Center, debuted its new flag in January. Currently undergoing a top-to-bottom $30 million renovation that will be completed in the spring, the independent 396-room lifestyle hotel is part of San Francisco’s booming MidMarket neighborhood. BEI SF, which has a sister property in Beijing, hopes to meet the increasing demand for integrated living and workspace in San Francisco. Among the seven completely remodeled room categories, each offering guest rooms that average 350 square feet, will be BEI’s “Stay Work Play” rooms. These will feature beds that tuck away to transform living space into working space with an additional outdoor terrace for breakout meetings and sessions. In addition, BEI offers 3,000 square feet of traditional meeting space that can become three breakout rooms, and 7,000 square feet of flexible space, which includes the lobby, game room, gallery and fourth floor outdoor terrace. beihotelsf.com
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San Francisco’s Mid-Market Holiday InnCivic Center is no more. Following a $30 million renovation, the 396-room property has been reflagged and rebranded as an “independent lifestyle hotel,” addressing the increasing demand for integrated live/work spaces. Seven room categories have been created; most notable are “Stay Work Play” rooms with outdoor terraces and beds that tuck away to transform living space into workspace. The hotel also boasts two restaurants and 10,000 square feet of co-working, meeting and event space, including 3,000 square feet of traditional meeting space and 7,000 square feet of flexible space. Owner CapBEI has a sister property in Beijing. The management company is Pivot Hotels and Resorts, the luxury division of Davidson Hotels & Resorts.
P H O T O S : P R O P E R H O S P I TA L I T Y ; ( O P P O S I T E ) THE MARKER SAN FRANCISCO
BEI SAN FRANCISCO;
Clockwise from top left: Santa Monica Proper Hotel room rendering; DTLA Proper Hotel bar rendering and rooftop rendering
A Pair of Proper Hotels Set to Open in LA Two years after the debut of San Francisco Proper Hotel, the high-end lifestyle hotel brand will be opening two new properties in Los Angeles in 2019. Set to open in May is the 271-room Santa Monica Proper Hotel. Housed in a circa-1928 Spanish Colonial Revival building, the property will include a rooftop deck and pool, beach-inspired bar, an Ayurvedic spa and 8,000 square feet of meeting space, with a capacity of up to 500. The ground-floor restaurant is highly anticipated; it will be a collaboration between Jessica Koslow, the chef/owner of the celebrated Sqirl café, and chef Gabriela Cámara, whose portfolio includes the renowned Contramar in Mexico City and Cala in San Francisco. Downtown Los Angeles Proper Hotel is looking at a September opening. The 148-room property will revive
the landmark 1926 red-brick, Curlett & Beelman-designed building, which has throughout its nearly century-long life been a private club, hotel and YWCA. Preserving the building’s architecture, and of particular interest to meeting planners, Downtown Los Angeles Proper will include two suites well suited for special events: the Pool Suite, which incorporates the former YWCA’s indoor swimming pool into the living area, and the Basketball Court Suite, formerly a racquetball court turned basketball court. Both the firstfloor restaurant and rooftop lounge will be overseen by Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne, the James Beard Awardwinning restaurateurs behind a.o.c., Lucques, Tavern and the concessions at the Hollywood Bowl. properhotel.com
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HOTEL NEWS»
A NEW HOTEL WITH A DOUBLE IDENTITY DEBUTS IN LAS VEGAS
Park MGM, the newest hotel in Las Vegas, has opened after four years of planning and $550 million. A collaboration between two luxury hospitality brands, Sydell Group and MGM Resorts, the new property offers both a boutique lifestyle experience and the scale of a 2,700-room resort. The 250-suite NoMad Hotel spans Park MGM’s top four floors with its own exclusive casino, pool spaces, and food and beverage programming. parkmgm.com
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Other highlights of the property include: Lady Gaga: In her first Vegas residency, the superstar can be seen in two different shows. Lady Gaga Enigma offers a spectacular odyssey of her pop hits while in Lady Gaga Jazz & Piano she performs stripped-down versions of her biggest hits alongside music from the great American songbook.
On the Record: A nightclub/speakeasy/karaoke mash-up with different spaces inspired by different musical eras; highlights of the experience include an indoor/outdoor patio bar, functioning record store entry, a 1963 Bristol Lodekka double-decker bus that serves as a DJ booth, breakout karaoke rooms and worldclass cocktail programming. Eataly Las Vegas: The acclaimed Italian
Best Friend: The first restaurant outside of
California by Roy Choi, the Los Angeles food truck pioneer; guests will enter Best Friend by what’s being called a “reverse speakeasy,” a fully stocked, LA-inspired bodega with a secret entrance to the main dining room.
marketplace experience customized for the Las Vegas Strip with a 40,000-square-foot venue serving authentic dishes, ranging from Italian regional specialties including street food to tried-and-true Neapolitan pizzas, pastas and hand-pulled burrata made in-house.
P H O T O S : M G M R E S O R T S I N T E R N AT I O N A L ; M I C H A E L C H I N ; A U D R E Y M A ( O P P O S I T E ) B A S E C A M P H O S P I TA L I T Y ; B E N T L E Y R E S E R V E
REGIONAL NEWS
P H O T O S : M G M R E S O R T S I N T E R N AT I O N A L ; M I C H A E L C H I N ; A U D R E Y M A ( O P P O S I T E ) B A S E C A M P H O S P I TA L I T Y ; B E N T L E Y R E S E R V E
VENUE NEWS»
Innovative Technology at Bently Reserve First came smartphones, then smart TVs. Now there are smart conference rooms. All nine conference center rooms at San Francisco’s LEED-certified Bently Reserve special event and meeting venue have been outfitted with the Savant automation system and Apple TVs, allowing seamless video conferencing. Not only can people around the conference table see the person on the other end of a video conference, but the caller can also see everyone in the room via high-resolution webcams. The Reserve also offers virtual reality planning and 3-D diagramming, allowing planners to visualize their event before the guests arrive.
VENDOR NEWS»
New Name for Parks Concessioner
Guests can explore the flavors of Eataly at fullscale restaurants, shop for premium Italian products to bring home, and enjoy a bite during live food demonstrations at a number of quick service outlets.
The California Parks Company has rebranded as Basecamp Hospitality. The company serves as the official concessioner for approximately 20 parks and marinas in California, Oregon, Arizona, Utah and Wyoming; it will be handling event management services as well as recreational and retail concessions. “It was time to find a name that better reflected our positioning and geographic expansion,” says John Koeberer, CEO and chairman of Basecamp Hospitality. “Our company is growing fast, and we’re adding parks from across the western U.S. on a regular basis. We’re now in five states, and the new name reflects our outdoor parks niche and our philosophy of being a friendly and sustainably focused gathering place before your adventure begins.” Basecamp has 15 partners in California, including Death Valley National Park, Santa Clara Country Parks and Imperial Sand Dunes.
Juniper Cocktail Lounge: With the largest
selection of gin in the city, Juniper Cocktail Lounge features a creative cocktail program with whimsical drinks served in fanciful glassware. Drinks include handmade Ramos Gin Fizzes and the GnT, which allows guests to customize their own gin and tonic by selecting ingredients with the help of a fortune-teller.
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REGIONAL NEWS
CVB NEWS»
Milestone for Los Angeles
R E S TA U R A N T S
FORBES FIVE-STAR WINNERS REVEALED: CALIFORNIA WELL DECORATED Forbes Travel Guide released its list of 2019 Five Star Hotels and Restaurants in February. We’re happy to report that California is very well represented. Congratulations to the winners of this highly prestigious award!
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Addison, San Diego Dialogue, Santa Monica The French Laundry, Napa Manresa, San Francisco Mélisse, Santa Monica Studio, Laguna Beach
HOTELS Auberge du Soleil, Napa Aubergine at L’Auberge Carmel Belmond El Encanto, Santa Barbara The Beverly Hills Hotel
Fairmont Grade Del Mar, San Diego Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco Hotel Bel-Air Meadowood Napa Valley Montage Beverly Hills Montage Laguna Beach Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, San Diego Peninsula Beverly Hills Resort at Pelican Hill, Newport Beach Solage, An Auberge Resort, Napa Viceroy L’Ermitage Beverly Hills Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills
P H OTO S : I S TO C K .CO M / H A L B E R G M A N
In 2018, Los Angeles reached a milestone, welcoming 50 million visitors for the first time ever. This new record is 1.5 million visitors higher than 2017’s total, a 3.1 percent increase. It marks the eighth consecutive year of tourism growth in the city, and accomplishes the destination’s ambitious tourism goals two years ahead of schedule. “The 50 million milestone was set in 2013 as a North Star goal for the tourism industry, but our unwavering focus on its significant community impact and tangible economic benefits seamlessly transformed it into a civic rallying cry for all of Los Angeles,” says Ernest Wooden Jr., president & CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. “Thank you to our city leadership and hospitality partners for their endless support and ongoing investments that have cemented tourism in LA as a powerful driver of economic growth.” According to the CVB, the tourism growth can be attributed to several factors, including a 3.6 percent increase in international seat capacity at LAX; nearly 2,000 new rooms added to the destination’s hotel inventory; the city’s growing reputation as a hot culinary and cultural destination, as well as LA Tourism’s latest global campaign, “LA Loves,”’ which extended and amplified a message of welcome and hospitality following the acclaimed “Everyone Is Welcome” initiative.
P H OTO S : I S TO C K .CO M / H A L B E R G M A N
PEOPLE NEWS» Lani Baird joins Hilton Santa
Barbara Beachfront Resort as director of sales and marketing. Baird brings more than 15 years of hospitality experience to her new role, where she’ll be responsible for developing and implementing sales and marketing strategies and overseeing the team for the 360-room oceanside property’s 40,000-plus square feet of flexible event and meeting space. Most recently Baird served as executive director of sales at the Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Vanessa Williams has been
promoted to general manager at Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. Her global career has spanned nearly three decades at five-star luxury destinations, including Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, Raffles L’Ermitage Beverly Hills, Sandy Lake Barbados, Sukhothai Bangkok and Conrad Seoul. Williams has served as the director of sales and marketing at Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills since before the hotel’s opening in June 2017. “Vanessa has been at the forefront of property operations since before the Beverly Hills opening and has been instrumental in our accomplishments,” says Beny Alagem, chairman and CEO of Oasis West Realty, LLC that owns Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. “Not only did she expertly position and drive the commercial success of the hotel, she developed collaborations with local and national partners to provide guests an unforgettable experience with unmatched amenities and service. Her dedication and passion for this hotel has been unwavering. This is a welldeserved promotion, and I am confident that
the hotel experience for guests will only continue to further impress.” Notably, Williams is the second woman to be elevated to the position of general manager in one of Oasis West Realty’s luxury hotels, following Sandy Murphy’s appointment to helm the Beverly Hilton hotel.
Hotel. “We are pleased to have them both strengthen our Kimpton Solamar Hotel family in their new roles and are confident they’ll make a notable impact in continuing to elevate the hotel’s position as San Diego’s leader in guest service and unforgettable corporate group experiences.”
Dworsky has been named senior director, sales development, of ConferenceDirect, a full-service global meetings solution company that’s based in West Hollywood. Its portfolio of services includes site selection and contract negotiation, conference management, housing and registration services, mobile app technology and strategic meetings management programs. Dworsky most recently was the director of sales at Hotel Californian in Santa Barbara, where she was part of the opening team.
Ben Thiele has been appoint-
Lisa
ed general manager of Kimpton Canary Santa Barbara, the 97-room boutique hotel located in the heart of downtown. Thiele began his hospitality career 15 years ago, working as a valet attendant at the Hotel Monaco Seattle during his college summers. He worked his way up within the Kimpton brand, holding positions that included housekeeping manager, front office manager, and assistant general manager. Before joining the Canary, Thiele was general manager at the Palladian in Seattle.
Rosaline Verhoog has been
appointed group sales manager at Kimpton Solamar Hotel and Crystal Wagner has been promoted to executive manager at the 235-room boutique hotel in downtown San Diego. Verhoog most recently was an executive meeting sales manager at Estancia La Jolla Hotel and spa, while Wagner joined Kimpton Solamar in 2016 as guest services agent. “Rosaline and Crystal’s passion for the hospitality industry, strong leadership skills and unwavering focus on elevating the guest experience make them such a great asset for our property,” says Kate Connor, director of sales and marketing at Kimpton Solamar
Karl D. Kruger has been
named managing director of South Coast Winery Resort & Spa and Carter Estate Winery and Resort. The two awardwinning Temecula winery resorts are owned and operated by Orange County-based Carter Hospitality Group. In his new position, Kruger will supervise a team of more than 300 employees, oversee day-today operations for both properties and direct all sales and catering activities. Kruger brings more than 30 years of hospitality industry experience to his role. Most recently he was general manager of the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel; prior to that, he was the GM of Fairmont Newport Beach.
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SNAPSHOTS MOSCONE CENTER OPENING GALA; DESERT X
2
1
Epic Triumphs in San Francisco and the Coachella Valley On Jan. 3, the Moscone Center celebrated its long-awaited opening with a gala. You can read our story about the renovated and expanded convention center on page 28. 1. San Francisco Mayor London Breed. 2. A dragon escorts guests into the newly expanded Moscone Center for the opening gala. –Photos courtesy of San Francisco Travel
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In Southern California, Palm Springs welcomed a monumental achievement of another sort. From Feb. 9 through April 21, the Coachella Valley played host to the second edition of Desert X: 19 site-specific art installations that enlivened the desert landscape. Free and open to the public, the exhibition spanned 50 miles across the California desert and expanded to the south to the Salton Sea and across the border into Mexico. The inaugural Desert X in 2017 attracted more than 200,000 visitors and engaged millions across social and digital media platforms. 3. Kathleen Ryan, Ghost Palm. 4. Cecilia Bengolea, Mosquito Net. 5. Sterling Ruby, Specter. 6. Nancy Baker Cahill, Revolutions. 7. John Gerrard, Western Flag. 8. Julian Hoeber, Going Nowhere Pavilion #01. —Photos by Lance Gerber
SUBMIT YOUR EVENT PHOTOS To have your meeting or event photos featured here, contact the editor at shelley.levitt@tigeroak.com.
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PEOPLE PROFILE STEVE GOODLING
LONG BEACH IS LONG ON APPEAL Steve Goodling, head of the CVB, sings the praises of his beloved SoCal waterfront city. BY ANN SHEPPHIRD
STEVE GOODLING HAS SERVED AS THE PRESIDENT AND CEO for the Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau since 2001. He recently helped oversee $50 million in improvements to the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Complex, culminating with the opening last year of the Terrace Theater Plaza Fountains, part of an ambitious effort to create “unique turnkey special event spaces.”
CAM+E: Tell us about these new turnkey venues and what makes them special. SG: We opened our third turnkey special event
space this past year with the Terrace Theater Plaza Fountains, which create a Bellagio-style fountain experience where water and sound and colored lights are synchronized and can be customized for groups holding events on the plaza. The other spaces include the Cove, a California food truck street party venue, and the Pacific Ballroom, which offers 46,000 square feet of pillarless event space and $2 million worth of built-in stage lighting. We own all our assets—furniture, LED lighting, cabanas, even pingpong and foosball tables—and we don’t charge rental fees. Beyond the budget considerations, today’s attendees want an interactive event that’s memorable and creative. They don’t want to be seated at a table or lectured to at a dinner. As one client told us, “a ballroom is a ballroom is a ballroom.” With our three special event spaces, planners can create what we like to call an “Instagrammable” experience. CAM+E: When trying to set Long Beach apart, what’s your pitch? SG: For one, there are no other convention centers
or even large-scale convention-style hotels that have our type of turnkey special event spaces. Second, we are one of only three waterfront downtowns in all of California. Third, we’ve had explosive growth in our downtown area, with more than 120 restaurants in an eight-block radius, which creates a vibrant and eclectic environment in the evening.
unique experience and offers a wonderful view of our skyline. The Aquarium of the Pacific is fun to visit or to host a special event. And then we have our waterways, where you can take a harbor cruise, ride a Duffy boat or enjoy the gondolas on the canals in Belmont Shores and be serenaded by music majors from Cal State Long Beach. We also have wonderful museums and two of the original California ranchos. I hear all the time from planners that they never knew just how much Long Beach has to offer.
Get Connected LONG BEACH CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU visitlongbeach.com
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CAM+E: What other sites should be included in a Long Beach itinerary? SG: A special event on the Queen Mary is always a
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