Destination: Southern California Meeting & Event Planning City Guide
Featured Venue
The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa
71333 Dinah Shore, Rancho Mirage, California, 92270-1501
512
17,500 sq ft
The Westin Mission Hills Resort & Spa is set on 360 acres in picturesque Rancho Mirage, California. Nestled in the heart of the Palm Springs Valley, the resort enjoys warm, sunny days and cool, relaxing nights. Lush landscaping creates a desert oasis, with the surrounding Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountains creating an awe inspiring view from every angle.
Destination Articles
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The Big Picture
By Dawna L. Robertson
April 23, 2013
Planner might easily be convinced that sunny San Diego is designed purely for nce. With San Diego International Airport (SAN), downtown and s wrapped into one tidy package, groups can hit the ground run- Pown to business in a flash. Hese congenial logistics, California’s second-largest city unfurls 269-square-mile canvas of possibilities. Seven distinctive regions stretch 86 miles from the Pacific Ocean to Anza-Borrego Desert and 65 miles from Cleveland National Forest to the Mexico border. It all adds up to meetings and diversions that are far from the same old grind.
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City of Delightful Twists
By Dan Johnson
March 26, 2013
When Jan and Dean’s catchy song “Little Old Lady from Pasadena” sailed toward the top of the charts in 1964, people across the globe got an inkling there was more to the city than the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl football game. The song tells of an elderly lady who is “the terror of Colorado Boulevard” as she races a powerful “brand new, shiny red, super-stock Dodge” through the city.She wasn’t and isn’t the typical Pasadena resident, but she represents an eccentric element of the city that intrigues visitors and meeting attendees.
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3 Days in Palm Springs
By Jennie Nunn
January 29, 2013
Say “Palm Springs,” and people usually think of midcentury modern architecture, straw fedoras, sunscreen, Old Hollywood legends and, of course, palm trees. But there’s much more to this idyllic desert city.
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Catching up with Southern California
By Nikki Gloudeman
December 31, 2012
Setting trends is second nature to Southern California, a region consistently in the throes of buzz-generating new development. Planners who have never booked in this inspired region of the country will find the fresh inventory enticing; those who have booked here, even frequently, will be pleased that the meetings product rarely feels stale.
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California's Central Coast Calls
By Samantha Durbin
September 24, 2012
Central California is an evocative, trendsetting destination. Between the technology- hub of Northern California and entertainment fueled Southern California are stretches of natural coastal beauty and countless ways to enjoy life. For groups big or small, a meeting in this compelling region'can vary from relaxing, wine-country jaunts to exciting oceanic adventures to discovering the latest culinary trends.
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The OC's Top 21 Outdoor Spaces
By Jessie Fetterling
August 30, 2012
Just south of Los Angeles, Orange County may be one of the most recognized counties in the U.S., with its real housewives and teenage melodramas on primetime TV. However, Hollywood charm takes the backseat when it comes to attracting tourists to these beach towns set along the Pacific Ocean. Whether your group wants to experience a laid-back surfer vibe, an artsy enclave or a piece of history, the OC has it all. Plus, with an average temperature of 70 degrees, planners can flirt with the idea of meeting outside, no matter the season. That’s why Smart Meetings put together a city-by-city rundown of the area’s top outdoor spaces. While the OC has many to explore, these 21 gems merge sunshine and a welcoming ambience that simply can’t be caught on film.
Learn about Southern California for Event Venues, Services & Meeting Destinations
Destination Description
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To many, Southern California is a place of sunshine, flip-flops and endless sand. It’s where you can ride a Ferris wheel along the Santa Monica Pier, run beside the crashing waves of La Jolla or shop in perfect weather at a downtown farmer’s market.
The Southern Californian beach town is not so much a stereotype as it is a reality, and a welcome one at that. Once you have put your feet in the sand and languidly strolled along the waterfront of one of SoCal’s laid-back locales, a change in perspective and persuasion towards relaxation are inevitable. With sunshine for most of the year and all of the outdoor offering to accompany the spectacular weather—it’s the place that you want to be. Southern California offers, surfing, skateboarding, an uber-hip art scene and of course all of the excitement of Holywood.
But beneath this exterior, another SoCal lurks—and it is just as enticing as what meets the eye. Here, there are shades of gray and wafts of smoke. You can uncover the history of film noir, eat at the restaurant where a classic mystery came to life or explore the dark stories of Old Hollywood. For meeting planners, this SoCal promises an experience like no other, if you just know how to dig it up.
