Smart Meetings

 Its namesake city is a friendly, manageable size town (population 44,200) whose acronym—SLO—is a giveaway to its less-than-frenetic pace. It's the kind of town where "people smile and say hello when you walk down the street. It's also the kind of place that celebrates its agricultural heritage, most famously with a Thursday night downtown Farmers' Market (downtownslo.com/farmers.html), the forerunner of similar markets around the country. Featuring local produce, seafood and artisan products—plus live music and the killer aroma of tri-tip sizzling on the grill—it's a major area attraction.

With its collegiate energy and cultural offerings, Cal Poly (California Polytechnic State University; cal-poly.edu), located in the heart of SLO, adds another lively flavor plus a nightlife vibe to the city.

Fanning out from downtown SLO are nearly 10 beaches, some with charming villages but each with its own personality. Among them are Cayucos, a small beach town; Morro Bay, with its iconic rock (actually the wave-sculpted peak of an ancient volcano); and Cambria, a hilltop enclave with art galleries and antiques stores galore.

For sheer opulence, not to mention jaw-dropping views of the Pacific Ocean, there's nothing like Hearst Castle (hearstcastle.com) near San Simeon State Beach. Once the private estate of newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, the property offers daytime and evening tours; the hilltop can be rented for your special events.

Nearly 50 years ago, the 165-room castle was deeded to the State, along with 127 acres of surrounding grounds. Last February, 80,000 acres of the adjoining Hearst Ranch passed to the state in a permanent conservancy, preserving 128 square miles—including 13 miles of spectacular coastline along and 1,000 acres along Highway 1.

Much has been written about W. R. Hearst's extraordinary creation and the glamorous guests who gleefully "roughed it" there, but for the future, the open vistas surrounding the estate will remain enchanting forever.

In the meantime, if you are searching for a truly spectacular experience for your attendees, consider participating in an Enchanted Evening at Hearst Castle (friends@hearstcastle.org). Called "one of California's most extraordinary and exciting black-tie events, " and including a swim in the famed Neptune Pool, it has "incentive" written all over it.

With eight rooms and 101,314 total sq. ft. of meeting space, the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo (pacslo.org) is the largest venue in the area. It provides meeting and event space on four levels for up to 1,313 people.
A little farther south, in Arroyo Grande, the Clark Center for the Performing Arts (clarkcenter.org) has 90,000 sq. ft., including the 600-seat Forbes Hall and 125-seat studio theater, which has movable chairs and stage platforms.
To the north, the Madonna Inn's new Expo Center can host groups of up to 2,600, a much-needed exhibit and banquet space in the area.

San Luis Obispo also is home to the third largest wine region in California. Over 100 wineries are tucked into the gentle valleys around Paso Robles in the north and the city of San Luis Obispo in the south.

Try Edna Valley Vineyard (ednavalleyvineyard.com), known for its pinot noir and chardonnays, which has a popular tasting room and meeting space for 50–60.

Just as there are winery "trails" here on the Central Coast, San Luis Obispo also has a golf trail; click on SLOCountyGolfTrail.com, which offers course views, packages and tee times for nine courses.

Or, if you're adventurous, strap on a helmet and head out on an ATV or dune buggy on the 6.5 miles of sand dunes at Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area (ohv.parks.ca.gov). This is another one-of-a-kind—the only beach in California where four-wheeling and ATV'ing is legal—and rentals proliferate along the coast (try BJ ATV in nearby Grover Beach; 805/481-5411).

With eight rooms and 101,314 total sq. ft. of meeting space, the Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo (pacslo.org) is the largest venue in the area. It provides meeting and event space on four levels for up to 1,313 people.

A little farther south, in Arroyo Grande, the Clark Center for the Performing Arts (clarkcenter.org) has 90,000 sq. ft., including the 600-seat Forbes Hall and 125-seat studio theater, which has movable chairs and stage platforms.

To the north, the Madonna Inn's new Expo Center can host groups of up to 2,600, a much-needed exhibit and banquet space in the area. Back to Top

Getting There

San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport (sloairport.com) - offers more than 40 flights a day, with the bulk of them from Los Angeles and San Francisco. It also offers nonstop service to Phoenix and Las Vegas; from there, it's a one-stop connection anywhere in the country. Back to Top