Smart Meetings

(That’s what happens in a place where the sun shines nearly 365 days a year and the mercury holds steady in the 70s and 80s!)

This scenic region, with its 75-mile shoreline paralleling the famous Pacific Coast Highway, stretches from the beach cities of the South Bay to Malibu in the north. Pair them with a wide variety of meeting space, lodging and activities—not to mention the world’s busiest airport (Los Angeles International) and that fabulously predictable weather—and coastal L.A. is a prime destination for convenience, competitive price points and fun. Read all about them here and start California dreamin’.

SOUTH BAY
Nestled along the south end of Santa Monica Bay meeting planners will fi nd elegantly laid-back alternatives to metropolitan L.A. in sun-drenched Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach. Each of these tiny South Bay communities offers sophisticated meeting services in a setting conducive to mixing business with seaside leisure.

Redondo Beach, with its pleasure pier, bustling harbor and wide beach, has been attracting beachgoers since the early 1900s. In fact, Redondo Beach is the birth place of California lifeguards: Hawaii-born George Freeth, inventor of rescue buoys synonymous with lifeguards today, was named the fi rst official lifeguard on the Pacifi c Coast after his arrival at Redondo Beach in 1907.

A hundred years later, the beach is still the main attraction, whether for dining with a view or outdoor activities such as surfing, harbor cruises or strolling the 27-mile Strand, a paved beachside path that extends to Malibu. “Many business travelers enjoy the numerous waterfront dining options in Redondo Beach,” says Maris Somerville, Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau spokesperson.

Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach Hotel and The Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club are the main hotel facilities in Redondo Beach for hostinglarge meetings and events. Crowne Plaza Redondo Beach Hotel, the largest meeting facility in town, offers 24,333 sq. ft. of flexible space and 19 meeting rooms, including the Harbor Terrace, which overlooks the ocean. Situated on King Harbor, The Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club features 8,000 sq.ft. of meeting space and elaborate ballrooms with floor-to-ceiling windows for premium ocean and harbor views. Both hotels are located only seven miles from LAX.

Hermosa Beach, stretching just 1.3 square miles, has the quiet ambience of a residential neighborhood drawn to surf and sand. The pier and adjacent beach are the town’s hub, where pro beach volleyball players perfect their game, fishermen cast lines into the tide and surfers compete for waves. The Beach House Hotel Hermosa Beach, with 2,600 sq. ft. of meeting space, fronts the beach and the Strand. The stylish boutique hotel features loft suites and is within walking distance to Pier Avenue restaurants.

Much as its name suggests, Manhattan Beach hovers between California cool and chic urban edge. Meeting planners will find facilities with purpose and a fashionable attitude at luxury boutique properties Shade Hotel and The Belamar Hotel. Since its grand opening in 2005, Shade Hotel has steadily earned high marks for its hip design. The hotel was among only 19 properties nationwide to make Conde Nast Traveler’s Hot List for 2007. Trena Cosen, senior executive administrative assistant at Mattel, cites the convenience and ambience of Shade as reasons why she books business functions at the property. “Event attendees, especially our younger designers, like the Shade atmosphere, and the hotel is just fi ve to 10 minutes from the office. It’s very convenient,” Cosen says. Th e hotel offers 5,500 sq. ft. of meeting space and the poolside Skydeck with 360-degree views of Manhattan Beach.

The Belamar Hotel’s recent $2.2-million renovation includes enhancements to its meetings and conference off erings. Among the additions were a meeting center with five meeting rooms, for a total of 7,095 sq. ft. of space; the Boulevard Break Out room; and the Second Story Restaurant. Business travelers flying out of LAX, located just three miles away, can monitor their flight status on the business center’s new FlyteBoard system that tracks LAX air traffic; boarding passes can also be printed from the system. “We wanted to give meeting planners something different,” says General Manager Tom Beedon of the property’s technological upgrades.

Beedon also cites the unique concept of the Boulevard Break Out room, a common area stocked with refreshments that links the hotel’s five meeting rooms and allows people from diff erent sessions to congregate in one area between meetings.

“It’s great for networking,” he says. For large-scale events with full-service resort amenities, including a 9-hole golf course, book your meeting at Manhattan Beach Marriott. Th e property off ers 25,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, including an ornate ballroom for 900 guests.

LAX AND VICINITY
LAX airport hotels cover all the bases for convenience, efficiency, space for any size meeting and standard business services. Hilton Los Angeles Airport is among the largest meeting hotels in the LAX hotel corridor, with 1,234 guest rooms, and 55,000 sq. ft. of event space. Just two blocks from LAX, Los Angeles Airport Marriott is still shining from its recent $22-million renovation that modernized the full-service hotel and its 42 meeting rooms. With dedicated attention to executive travelers, recently renovated meeting spaces and the capacity to host up to 1,500 conference attendees in its Grand Ballroom, Sheraton Gateway Hotel Los Angeles knows what planners need. The Westin Los Angeles Airport’s $11-million renovation in 2007 included upgrades to its 45,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.

MARINA DEL REY
Marina del Rey is an incredible example of what vision and innovation are capable of achieving. Prior to its distinction as the largest man-made marina in the nation for small boats, Marina del Rey was once expansive marshland and oil fields tucked between the resort enclave of Manhattan Beach and the eccentric Venice Beach.

Marina del Rey Harbor was dedicated in 1965, and today “the Marina,” as it’s commonly referred to among locals, is home to a bustling yachting community of more than 5,000 vessels moored in the harbor. For meeting planners, Marina del Rey offers appealing alternatives for venues, group dining and team-building activities thanks to its unique on-water locale. “There is no better way to bond than having a meeting, banquet or an opening night reception on a boat in the Marina harbor at sunset,” says Beverly Moore, executive director of the Marina del Rey Convention & Visitors Bureau. “These kinds of meetings stand out.” Moore also notes a trend toward smaller meetings and interest in attention-grabbing facilities. “We are noticing that meetings and conferences being booked in Marina del Rey are smaller meetings with shorter lead times,” Moore says. “Meeting planners are also asking for more casual and unique venues to cater to younger meeting attendees.”

Accommodating those groups are dozens of waterfront restaurants, yacht clubs, private charter boats and outdoor lounges that are available for private corporate functions in the marina. There is also no shortage of activities to stimulate creative thinking. Every conceivable water sport is available here, as well as harbor tours and an extensive labyrinth of biking and pedestrian paths that wind along the beach and past the harbor’s fleet of resident luxury yachts. Venice Beach’s famous Abbot Kinney Boulevard, lined with quirky shops, restaurants and local characters, is in walking distance from Marina hotels.

WHERE TO MEET
Th e Marina’s six hotels collectively off er more than 1,000 rooms and 50,000 sq. ft. of fl exible meeting space. Marina del Rey Marriott is the largest, with 370 guest rooms. A recent $10-million renovation revitalized the hotel from head to toe, and added the hip outdoor lounge, Glow, complete with VIP cabanas, Vegas-style bottle service and an elaborate two-story crushed glass waterfall. Th e hotel’s penthouse ballroom, with expansive coastline and bay views, remains a favorite among planners.

The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey offers elegant facilities on the Marina’s Waterfront Walk, and is the only AAA Five-Diamond waterfront hotel in Los Angeles. As hospitality and service are cornerstones of The Ritz-Carlton brand, the hotel off ers a dedicated conference concierge and conference planning staff to help coordinate meetings and events for up to 1,000 guests. Downtime between sessions can be spent lounging at the pool overlooking the harbor, indulging in pampered treatments at the hotel’s new Boutique Spa (part of a recent $4-million upgrade) or strolling to nearby Fisherman’s Village.

Take advantage of Marina del Rey’s unique opportunities to break convention with novelty and host your meeting, welcome reception or closing banquet on a luxury yacht—which will prove inspiring for your attendees. In addition to themed cruises, Hornblower Cruises & Events offers conference planning services for customized meetings and events for private parties up to 575. Locally-owned FantaSea Yachts & Yacht Club has been helping meeting planners execute memorable events since 1980.

Choose from their luxury charters or the private yacht club that accommodates up to 300 guests. Looking for a team-building adventure at sea? Pacific Adventure Cruises (pacifi cadventurecruises.com) and Catalina-Marina del Rey Flyer offer charters from Fisherman’s Village to Catalina Island, located approximately 90 minutes across the channel.

SANTA MONICA
Anchored by Santa Monica Pier, the oldest amusement pier on the West Coast, Santa Monica is the crown jewel of coastal L.A.’s historic beach cities. At fi rst glance, Santa Monica is everything you’d expect to fi nd in sunny, star-studded Los Angeles: bronze-bodied beach beauties, fashionable executives power-lunching at trendy cafes and visitors soaking up the California lifestyle amid quaint bungalows with stunning ocean views. Add to this the city’s 37 hotels, unique meeting facilities, variety of leisure activities and an eight-mile distance from LAX, and Santa Monica becomes a haven of easy options for planners. A number of Santa Monica properties have recently completed major renovations or are now currently engaged in new developments that will increase room for meetings and events.

Despite a weakening dollar, “California is still a very popular place because of the weather,” says Steve Haller, director of sales at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, who noted that the hotel enjoyed record occupancy this past summer. Alison Best, director of sales for the Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau, concurs. “Santa Monica hotels had the most successful month on record in August 2008, though we’re aware that we aren’t immune to the current weak state of the economy and the diffi culties facing travelers at this time,” she says.

Taking a proactive approach to an uncertain economy, the SMCVB is partnering with luxury Santa Monica hotel properties and restaurants to showcase the destination at industry trade shows and abroad. “We continue to see more and more upscale and luxury hotels, restaurants and amenities on offer in Santa Monica,” Best says. “This focus makes sense for the destination and is proving to be a positive shift.”

WHERE TO MEET
While Santa Monica off ers lodging across all price points, the city boasts notable top-tier properties for exclusive experiences. The Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows has the most function space
(25,000 sq. ft.) of any Santa Monica hotel. The hotel’s Starlight Ballroom, equipped to host 900 people, is the city’s largest. Exhale Spa opened last April with fi ve treatment rooms.

Santa Monica’s 1939 Art Deco landmark Hotel Shangri-La unveiled its dramatic $30-million overhaul in October. The updated 71-room hotel combines important elements of its original Streamline Moderne architecture with today’s technological necessities, including WiFi and a fully equipped business center. The rooftop Penthouse, and its adjoining outdoor terrace, are the property’s choice meeting spots for groups up to 100.

Santa Monica’s meeting hotels also include the chic, designer Huntley Hotel with more than 5,000 sq. ft. of intimate meeting space; the Four-Diamond Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel with 20,000 sq. ft. of meeting options; Le Merigot, A JW Marriott Beach Hotel & Spa with 10 fl exible spaces, for a total of 10,000 sq. ft.; and Sheraton Delfina Santa Monica Hotel, whose Penthouse Ballroom spans 4,500 sq. ft.

UNIQUE VENUES
For conferences and events of grand scale proportions, consider Santa Monica Airport’s Barker Hangar and Hangar 8. Barker Hangar has hosted such events as the Billboard Awards and the annual Macy’s Passport fund-raising gala for HIV/AIDS research.

The Broad Stage, a $45-million endeavor spearheaded by Santa Monica College alumnus Dustin Hoff man, opened in September; its 499-seat performing arts theater and lobby are available for private functions.

There’s also the iconic Santa Monica Pier, with its solar-powered Ferris wheel, and Pacific Park, the West Coast’s only amusement park on a pier, popular venues that showcase the essence of California beach living. Groups can rent private rooms or the entire park. The Third Street Promenade pedestrian corridor is the shopping and dining hub of downtown Santa Monica, and you can host a tented aff air along the palm-lined boulevard or book an event at one of the dozens of high-profile restaurants.

MALIBU
Malibu secured its fate in 1929 as one of Southern California’s toniest addresses when land baroness May Rindge established the affluent Malibu Movie Colony neighborhood for Hollywood’s elite. Malibu today is evermore the playground of silver-screen celebrities, musicians and high-powered studio executives seeking oceanfront privacy, particularly along the milelong stretch of sand at Carbon Beach, commonly referred to as Billionaire’s Beach.

Malibu is further distinguished by its 21 miles of pristine coastline that transitions seamlessly into the wilds of the Santa Monica Mountains, legendary surf breaks and historic Malibu Pier, which reopened in June after a $10-million makeover, after being closed for 13 years. The pier is an excellent vantage point for watching longboarders surf the famous waves of Surfrider Beach, located just below.

When it comes down to business, meeting planners will fi nd exclusive venues for board meetings, corporate retreats and small functions. Located on Carbon Beach, Malibu Beach Inn offers five dedicated meeting rooms for a total of 1,500 sq. ft. of indoor space. Another 4,500 sq. ft. of outdoor space is suitable for cocktail receptions, or you can host an event for up to 260 people in a 3,000-square-foot exterior space that includes a custom tent. Pepperdine University Center for the Arts provides intimate settings for meetings at one of the most scenic university campuses in the country. Choose from two state-of-the-art theaters for groups of 200–500, and one elaborate recital hall for smaller groups.

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Erin Bernall reports on trends and developments in the tourism and hospitality industries. Her work has appeared in American Spa and Ski Area Management, among other publications. Back to Top

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