Guide to Meeting & Event Planning in

San Jose, Calif.

New & Coming Soon to San Jose

• Team San Jose, which manages the City of San Jose’s largest meeting and cultural facilities, has announced its commitment to the city’s sustainability initiative, Pathway to Carbon Neutrality by 2030. As part of the commitment, the Silver LEED-certified San Jose McEnery Convention Center and the San Jose Theaters have implemented policies that include recycling more than 80 percent of all waste; saving 365,000 gallons of water; providing LED lighting, plasma screens and digital marquees; installing electrical vehicle charging stations and battery-powered service carts; using recycled, biodegradable, compostable or reusable products, and recycling all paper products; sourcing local ingredients and composting food waste; and donating meals to local food banks and time to local nonprofits.
• Groups holding their meetings in San Jose in 2026 will find the area bustling with large-scale sporting events, including the Super Bowl and the World Cup. Super Bowl 60 will be held at Levi’s Stadium, with Super Bowl Week events held across the Bay Area. Levi’s Stadium will also be the site of games for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
• For sports enthusiasts, San Jose offers a variety of options. The San Jose Sharks (hockey) and Bay Area Panthers (indoor soccer) play at the SAP Center, which also hosts larger comedy and music shows. PayPal Park is home to Major League Soccer’s San Jose Earthquakes, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2024, while the San Jose Giants (minor league baseball) play at Excite Ballpark. Two special events are being held this summer that might be of interest to groups meeting in the city: Premier Rugby Sevens will hold its Western Conference Finals at PayPal Park on July 15 and the 2023 U.S. Gymnastics Championships will take place at SAP Center August 24-27.
• The Hilton Garden Inn San Jose Airport has opened less than a mile from the Mineta San Jose International Airport, 2.3 miles from the city center and 5.5 miles from Levi’s Stadium. The hotel features 150 guest rooms, flexible meeting spaces and a private board room
• A new live-music venue, bar and restaurant has opened a block from the McEnery Convention Center in the city's downtown. Located in the SoFA district, Mama Kin provides seating on its sidewalk patio, booths and tables on the main floor near the stage and bar, and comfortable seating on the mezzanine level. Mama Kin’s menu features a blend of American classics and modern Mexican cuisine.
• California’s first Signia by Hilton hotel has opened in the center of downtown. Formerly the Fairmont San Jose, the hotel underwent an extensive renovation prior to its relaunch. The property recently launched a Sip-and-Savor wine series designed to highlight local wineries, paired with a curated menu from executive chef Hans Lenz. The property is the largest in the city, with 805 guest rooms and 65,000 square feet of meeting space.
• A new recreation venue called The Plex provides meeting, event and team-building space for up to 2,700 delegates. The open and flexible floor plan features an abundance of natural light and opportunities for corporate branding, plus activities that include bocce, arcade games, roller skating, wall-climbing and more.
• Groups looking to work on their golf swing can head to the new Topgolf San Jose. The high-tech venue features dozens of climate-controlled hitting bays, along with private and semi-private meeting spaces. Participants can use Topgolf’s complimentary clubs or bring their own.
• Available for private branded functions or casual happy hours, San Pedro Social offers food, drinks, bowling, arcade games and pool tables, in addition to live-streamed sports, DJs and karaoke. The new entertainment center is located near Historic San Pedro Square Market, which can also host private events.
• Featuring more than 10,000 products from every region of Italy, the new Eataly Silicon Valley has opened at San Jose’s Westfield Valley Fair. Groups can book private dining experiences in the Terra or La Pizza & La Pasta restaurants and cooking classes at La Scuola or reserve the entire 45,000-square-foot space for a large gathering with up to 2,000 people.

More Meeting & Event Venues

• Just steps from the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, The Tech Interactive offers a fully customizable meeting hall, three levels of interactive science and technology exhibits, and a Rooftop Terrace with spectacular views of the downtown area. The entire facility can accommodate up to 2,500 people, with individual spaces available for smaller groups. Planners can also book the center’s IMAX Dome Theater, which features a four-story screen and can seat 280, and the Bowers Institute, which is located around the corner and features meeting rooms with built-in audiovisual systems for up to 100 people.
• San Jose’s Corinthian Grand Ballroom, which can host a variety of events for groups of up to 300 delegates, recently reopened its outdoor pool deck. The space surrounding the multipurpose venue’s pool is decorated with palm trees, cabanas and lounge chairs. Planners can add in a live DJ, drinks and food packages to create an ideal open-air mixer.
• An iconic attraction on its own, the maze-like 160-room Winchester Mystery Housecan also host events for up to 500 people. Team-building activities include axe-throwing at the stables and Houdini’s Spirited Escape, where attendees solve puzzles and search for clues in an immersive themed room. The venue has launched a “Walk with Spirits,” tour that lets visitors attend the wake of a departed soul, participate in a Victorian-era seance to communicate with the other side and visit supernatural hot spots at the iconic estate.
• The iChina restaurant offers private dining in four different rooms, including avirtual reality dining room. No need for goggles, as the restaurant’s VR dining room uses projection technology mapped that, when added to the taste and aroma of the food and the sound system, is designed to create a totally immersive experience. Groups of up to 12 people can select from a variety of themes or customize one of their own.
• The newly remodeled Secco Restaurant and Bar at the Hilton San Jose can accommodate up to 200 guests for private gatherings in spaces that include its popular outdoor patio. Upcoming events at the restaurant include the Santa Cruz Wine Tasting Series, which features a series of tastings from local wineries along with light appetizers and runs through May 17, 2023.
• Featuring a variety of private event spaces and an impressive collection of California wines, Mastro’s Steakhouse has opened in the Westfield Valley Fair shopping mall. The new restaurant is located across an outdoor plaza from two other restaurants with private event space — iChina and Eataly Silicon Valley — making it the latest addition to the mall’s growing “foodie wing.”
• Located in the heart of downtown, the San Jose Museum of Art can be rented out for events or booked for private tours. Small intimate events can be held in one of the permanent or rotating galleries or groups can rent out the entire museum. The museum’s indoor space can also be combined with the city’s outdoor “Circle of Palms” venue, located between the museum and the Signia by Hilton hotel (the largest in the city).
  

• The Alamitos Vineyards Estate recently won 10 medals, including two Double Gold (the highest honor), in the 2023 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Founded by former tech workers, the winery can host private events for 25-250 people on its grounds. It is located in San Jose’s New Almaden neighborhood, which got its start as a mining town during the 1949 Gold Rush and offers a peaceful countryside retreat just minutes from downtown.
• We’ve all heard of beer flights and wine flights, but how about coffee flights? A new coffee shop in downtown San Jose, A.M. Craft offers a “drip flight” featuring specialty coffee beans from local, national and international roasters and a “red-eye flight” comparing single-origin beans prepared as drip coffee, espresso and cortado (equal parts espresso and milk). A.M. Craft can also bring its coffee services to an event, with customizable options that include an espresso cart, milk tea bar and drip-coffee bar.
• For sports enthusiasts, San Jose offers a variety of options depending on the season. The San Jose Sharks (hockey) and Bay Area Panthers (indoor soccer) play at the SAP Center, which also hosts larger comedy and music shows. PayPal Park is home to the San Jose Earthquakes (outdoor soccer), while the San Jose Giants (minor league baseball) play at Excite Ballpark. Two special events are being held this summer that might be of interest to groups meeting in the city: Premier Rugby Sevens will hold its Western Conference Finals at PayPal Park on July 15 and the 2023 U.S. Gymnastics Championships will take place at SAP Center August 24-27.
• A great way to explore the San Jose area's food-and-beverage scene is on two wheels. Groups interested in sipping and cycling can start by renting bicycles downtown at Bicycle Express. San Jose’s urban pathways offer access to the scenic Los Gatos Creek Trail, which takes riders out to popular spots in the town of Los Gatos that include Manresa Bread and Testarossa Winery.
• The city's Santana Row has been called the “Rodeo Drive of Silicon Valley.” The entertainment district offers a variety of shops and restaurants (many providing space for private dining). 
• Groups can take in a show at one of the city's entertainment venues, including the four city-owned San Jose Theaters: Center for the Performing Arts, Montgomery Theater, City National Civic and California Theatre. Comedy and improv spots include San Jose Improvand Comedy Sportz San Jose, while smaller cafes, bars and clubs offering live music can be found via San Jose Jazz
• For sports enthusiasts, San Jose offers a variety of options depending on the season. The San Jose Sharks (hockey) and Bay Area Panthers (indoor soccer) play at the SAP Center, which also hosts larger comedy and music shows. PayPal Park is home to the San Jose Earthquakes (outdoor soccer), while the San Jose Giants (minor league baseball) play at Excite Ballpark.
• In the nearby Santa Cruz Mountains, Testarossa Winery blends state-of-the-art technology with centuries-old winemaking techniques. Located on the grounds of the historic Novitiate Winery, Testarossa sources its chardonnay and pinot noir grapes from throughout California to make its vintages, which groups can taste at events catered by an on-site team in the wine cave, cask room, cellar or patio.
• Attendees can take in the great outdoors at Big Basin Redwoods, California’s oldest park. Hikes through the ancient coastal redwood trees are available for every level of fitness along terrain that is known to transform from one area of the park to the next depending on how much fog has rolled in from the coast.

Top Restaurants in San Jose

The following restaurants available for group events feature a mix of local and international, casual and fine cuisine:

1. ADEGA Restaurant — Michelin-starred California Portuguese
2. Mt. Hamilton GrandView Restaurant — Steakhouse
3. iChina Restaurant — New American Chinese
4. Olla Cocina — Mexican
5. Petiscos — Small Plates
6. SP2 Communal Bar + Restaurant — Locally sourced American
7. The Farmers Union — American Tavern

Featured Meeting Venues

7

Superior First Class

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Signia by Hilton San Jose

Guest Rooms - 541

Meeting Rooms - 22

Largest Conference Room - 13,464 sq. ft.

Total event space - 65,000 sq. ft.

Room Rate Range - $450-$900

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6

First Class

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Hayes Mansion

Guest Rooms - 214

Meeting Rooms - 24

Largest Conference Room - 6,600 sq. ft.

Total event space - 33,000 sq. ft.

Room Rate Range - $149-$509

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6

First Class

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DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Jose

Guest Rooms - 505

Meeting Rooms - 33

Largest Conference Room - 9,940 sq. ft.

Total event space - 30,535 sq. ft.

Room Rate Range - $155-$299

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