Destination: Greater San Jose / Silicon Valley Meeting & Event Planning City Guide
Featured Venue
The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay
One Miramontes Point Road, Half Moon Bay, California, 94019
650-712-7682
650-712-7809
239
17,000 sq ft
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay combines ideal venues with impeccable service to produce unforgettable meetings. Ensure success with our trained staff and award-winning meeting space.
Destination Articles
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Take Me Out to the Ball Game
By Holly Woolard
March 26, 2013
San Francisco's got game. So do Oakland and San Jose, and Santa Clara will be added to the list of Bay Area cities with professional sports franchises in August 2014 when the San Francisco 49ers begin playing at Santa Clara Stadium. Heck, even the San Francisco Bay has game and will be showcased this summer during the 34th America’s Cup racing July through September.
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The Northern California Must List
By Nikki Gloudeman
December 31, 2012
Northern Californians are quick to share an audacious opinion: Their region is the best in the world.
A lofty claim, sure, but there are ample facts to back it up: Where else can you find scenic coastal towns, a world-class metropolis, a political hub, the epicenter of technology and a renowned ski resort? Where else can you explore one of the world’s most heavily visited wine regions and national parks? And where else can you do all this in a famously sunny and temperate climate? The reality is, few other places boast the diverse appeal of Northern California, and few serve as such an enticing, well-rounded meetings locale. Making the decision to book in this stellar region should be easy; a better question is what to do while here.
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The Wine Scene in Tech Town
By Jessie Fetterling
October 24, 2012
California produces 90% of the wine in the U.S., a fact many people attribute to the rolling vineyard landscapes of Napa and Sonoma counties. However, Silicon Valley is starting to make a name for itself in the wine world, too. Yes, the area's known for its high-tech innovations and worldclass schools, but now it can add winemaking as one of its claims to fame. Wine Spectator magazine recently called the Santa Cruz Mountains "the most underappreciated appellation in the world," and wine enthusiasts everywhere are taking note.
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Outdoor Adventures by the Bay
By Maxine Cass
March 29, 2012
“Strip down the business hierarchy. Get groups and corporate executives learning new skills together, having a blast exercising outside with blood pumping and endorphins flowing,” suggests Cliff Hodges, Adventure Out owner and CEO. “Think surfing, rock climbing, backpacking, mountain biking and wilderness survival training as icebreakers.”
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The United Nations of California
By Sandi Cain
December 28, 2011
California is well known for its Spanish and Mexican heritage, but it also boasts roughly 70 other ethnicities, reflected in delightful museums, restaurants and cultural centers throughout the state.
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Escape to the South Bay
By Jessie Fetterling
October 28, 2011
Silicon Valley has long vied with its popular neighbor to the north for a place in the spotlight, but while San Francisco offers a distinct cultural potpourri with ever-changing cuisine, arts and entertainment, so does the valley. “This area is like a satellite San Francisco but with a different personality,” says Barbara Gross, general manager at Palo Alto’s Garden Court Hotel.
Learn about Greater San Jose / Silicon Valley for Event Venues, Services & Meeting Destinations
Destination Description
Smart Stats:
Number of Meetings Hotels: 215
Total Hotel Rooms: 35,000
Number of Special Events Venues: 580
Local Convention Centers:Santa Clara Convention Center, San Jose Convention Center
Local Airports: San Francisco International, Oakland International Airport Mineta San José International Airport
Local CVB: Santa Clara Convention and Visitors Bureau, Team San Jose Menlo Park/San Mateo County CVB, San Jose CVB, San Mateo County CVB, Santa Clara CVB
Smart Snapshot:
Home to high-tech giants and trendsetters in the tech industry, Silicon Valley is a leader in innovation and a breeding ground for great ideas. (What more reason do you need to take your meeting there?) While the Valley is made up of multiple cities, including Santa Clara, San Jose and San Mateo, it’s a mindset as well as a destination.
Once your group has scoped out all the large buildings with even bigger names (like eBay and Google), they can retreat to the distinctly low-tech Pez Memorabilia Museum. Located in the nearby city of Burlingame, the Pez Museum tells the story of the tasty little candies that pop out of the 1950s-era dispensers with cartoon heads such as Mickey Mouse, the Mario Bros. and Batman. Fun fact: The treats were originally peppermint-flavored and marketed to help people quit smoking (who knew, although the shape of the dispenser should have been a clue).Once you’re sufficiently hopped up on sugar, take to the green on the campus at nearby Sanford University and try to catch a glimpse of the next Zuckerburg sprinting to class.
An area that is so synonymous with the tech movement this is the place to be if you want you meeting to have that futuristic flair. For exemplary AV, or even just a new perspective on what you already know, everything looks a little different in the Valley.
