Guide to Meeting & Event Planning in

California

Learn why you should host your next meeting, event or conference in California.

Why California for Your Next Meeting or Event?

The Golden State offers limitless possibilities to planners, including the revitalized Downtown Los Angeles and nearby coastal cities, the tech mecca of the San Francisco Bay Area, the stunning natural beauty of Northern California wine country and the outdoor wonderland of Lake Tahoe.

Meeting Hotels
by number of meeting rooms
Hilton San Diego Bayfront112
Hilton San Francisco Union Square97
Hilton Anaheim84
Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina84
Hotel Del Coronado, Curio Coll74
The Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort/Spa72
Beach Village at the Del70
San Francisco Marriott Marquis66
Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina62
Hilton Los Angeles Airport55
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Venue Additions & Renovations

Functional Art
The Rainbow Bridge, a 605-foot elevated pedestrian walkway on Long Beach's downtown waterfront, debuted last month. The span takes convention center attendees from one side of campus to the other, but it's an attraction in its own right, with bench seating and 3,500 LED lights that illuminate at night to create musical light shows.
 

The Westfield Century City shopping center wrapped up a $1 billion makeover this past September. In addition to its more than 200 shops and restaurants, the mall now offers celebrity-friendly secret elevators and automated luxury-car parking. An outdoor event space, Atrium, can seat 1,000 people.

The 889-room InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown at Wilshire Grand, which debuted last June, soars for 1,100 feet, making it the tallest building in the United States west of Chicago. The 73-story building features a sky lobby on the 70th floor and an open-air Skydeck atop the structure that can accommodate as many as 548 people for a reception. The property offers 95,000 square feet of meeting and event space.

Downtown L.A.'s renaissance continues with the planned opening late this month of the 241-room NoMad Hotel Los Angeles. The much-anticipated property will open in the historic Giannini Building and offer 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including a rooftop pool and gathering space overlooking the downtown cityscape.

Alpine Lux
North Lake Tahoe's iconic Squaw Valley Inn is being redeveloped and will debut as the PlumpJack Squaw Valley Inn and Residences in December 2019. The newly luxe inn will have 60 guest rooms and 34 residences.

The 268-room Hotel Figueroa will have a debut of its own this month, in the form of a $30 million transformation of the property. The original Moroccan décor is being remade into a more contemporary look with a Spanish accent. Other new features will include 57 suites, a pool bar and a rooftop garden. New F&B options will include Breva, a tapas-style restaurant with influences from Northern Spain and Southern France, and Bar Alta, a 28-seat bartender's table

Meeting Hotels: Properties include the 1,358-room Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites, 1,234-room Hilton Los Angeles Airport, 1,004-room Los Angeles Airport Marriott, 878-room JW Marriott Hotel Los Angeles L.A. Live, 869-room InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown at Wilshire Grand, 802-room Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles, 740-room Westin Los Angeles Airport, 683-room Millennium Biltmore Los Angeles, 580-room Hyatt Regency LAX, 569-room Beverly Hilton, 496-room Sheraton Grand Los Angeles, 495-room Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City, 469-room L.A. Hotel Downtown and 350-room Hotel Indigo Downtown Los Angeles.

Convention Center: Los Angeles Convention Center; exhibit space, approximately 720,000 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 64; (213) 741-1151

Transportation: Los Angeles International Airport, 17 miles from Downtown Los Angeles. Transfer cost by taxi, about $47; Uber service from LAX to the convention center starts at $24

Taxes: Sales tax, 9.25%; room tax, 14%; Tourism Marketing District assessment, 1.5%; total tax on hotel rooms, 15.5% 

Looking to Plan a California Meeting?
Learn everything you need to know about this exquisite locale at Destination California, Northstar’s premier event for meetings and incentive pros looking to book biz in the area.

Event Venue: The latest large hotel to open near the airport, the Hyatt Regency LAX offers 580 guest rooms and a hefty 52,000 square feet of meeting space. Among the meeting venues on-site are two large event lawns and the largest ballroom in the area, spanning 14,000 square feet. (424) 702-1234

Contact: Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board, (888) 733-6952 

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