Destination Guide | Los Angeles
WHAT RECESSION?
By Carolyn Koenig
When you’re on a roll, the momentum keeps building (pun intended)—at least if you’re the city of Los Angeles.
What were visionary plans a few years ago are now coming to fruition—with some properties in Downtown and Hollywood now opening and others on pace for 2009 and 2010.
Construction of the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton, which share a footprint as the city’s convention hotel, is on track—even ahead of schedule—for an early 2010 opening.
Planner interest in L.A. is strong; potential citywide site visits are up dramatically, as are bookings. “Downtown L.A. has been in the midst of an unprecedented renaissance since 1999, and meeting professionals are taking notice,” says Mark Liberman, president and CEO of LA INC. The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau. “With 33 conventions already booked in the first eight months of this fiscal year, we are well on our way to another record-breaking year.”
The draw, of course, is what the city has to offer, in terms of hospitality product and attractions. With existing hotel upgrades, new venues coming online, the brand-new Broad Contemporary Art Museum, the architecturally stunning Walt Disney Concert Hall, Wicked on stage at the Pantages Theatre and long-awaited theme park attractions such as “The Simpsons” at Universal Studios, there’s plenty to see and do when your attendees close up their laptops or tear down their trade show booths.
Nightlife may be the biggest surprise, if you haven’t visited for a while. Staples Center is no longer the only game in Downtown. Nokia Theatre, also part of the huge LA Live project, opened last fall and offers some of the top musical acts in the country. And other nightclubs have joined the Standard Hotel’s rooftop hotspot, including the uber-trendy Edison, which has taken over the old power generation facility for the Edison Company and given the area a hip new vibe.
Dining is another enticement, with restaurants like the Water Grill, Twist and Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse, in a scene that’s taking a back seat to nowhere.
In addition to the LA Live and Grand Avenue mega-developments (see below), there’s another new visionary plan in the works—Bringing Back Broadway, a public-private partnership formed to revitalize the historic Broadway district between 3rd and 9th streets. The project will breathe new life into the historic avenue’s old movie theaters, which were either vaudeville houses or elaborate film palaces back in the days before the 12-screen cineplex. The first reopened in February—the Million Dollar Theatre, after a year-long, million-dollar renovation. While these properties can’t be used for live theater, as they don’t have the necessary back stage space, they can be used by corporate groups for presentations, awards ceremonies and other functions. (You can join American Idol as one of the user-groups!)
Perhaps the most telling sign of a reinvigorated downtown is something the city now has: residents. There are currently more than 34,000 residents and, by the end of 2008, the number is expected to grow to 40,000, with numerous residential projects coming online.
LA LIVE
A one-of-a-kind sports and entertainment complex, LA Live is a $2.5-billion project that is bringing 24/7 action to Downtown. The 27-acre, multi-use development by AEG is adjacent to the convention center and will feature not only the convention hotel but also live performance and event venues, ESPN broadcast studios, restaurants, a Lucky Strike bowling center, retail and more. Its anchor is Staples Center, which debuted in 1999; groundbreaking on other major components took place in 2005, with various elements coming on board last year and in 2009–2010.
Complementing the Staples arena is the newly opened Nokia Theatre at LA Live, a mid-size live performance and event venue that features the largest stage in Southern California (a smaller, more intimate venue for up to 2,400 guests is Club Nokia). The venue’s outdoor plaza—with plug-and-play technology for broadcasting events—is an ideal space for receptions, especially given the city’s balmy year-round climate.
For planners, of course, the most dazzling feature to come is the 54-story, Gensler-designed hotel, whose sales team is already in place. Five stories are already completed, and “the steel goes up one floor per week,” says Michael K. Krouse, CHME, CMP, senior vice president, sales for LA INC. All told, the Marriott/Ritz-Carlton will have 1,000 guest rooms and in excess of 90,000 sq. ft. of meeting and ballroom space, with the capability of serving 3,000 seated guests.
GRAND AVENUE
Grand Avenue is a wide, resplendent boulevard lined with hotels, condos, office buildings and restaurants. It leads to the Los Angeles Music Center Complex and is eminently walkable, although you may recognize it as the backdrop for many car commercials. The other mega-billion L.A. project in the works, the Grand Avenue development, just passed a major milestone—approval by city, county and redevelopment officials of the updated designs for the first stage, which means they can move forward with their funding model. The project includes a 295-room Mandarin Oriental hotel as well as residences, dining, retail and office space. Groundbreaking is expected sometime this summer, with an estimated completion date of 2011.
MAJOR MEETINGS VENUE
State-of-the-art when it was built, L.A.’s Convention Center continues its cutting-edge leadership role in greening both the building and its conference practices. For example, LACC is now considered North America’s largest solar-generating building (they’re working on LEED certification), plus 99 percent of its used trade-show materials is recycled—not just the ubiquitous beverage containers, but also food waste that’s now turned into animal feed.
The facility currently purchases 20 percent of its energy load from renewable sources through the city’s water and power department; the figure is anticipated to reach 100 percent by early next year.
The sun-filled center’s mammoth size (930,000 sq. ft. of meeting and exhibit space; the largest of which, the South Hall, has 346,890 sq. ft. of exhibit space) allows it to comfortably host citywides and huge trade shows (2.5 million annually).
Planners have already discovered the Nokia Theatre for more than an evening’s entertainment. According to Krouse, the bureau has booked more than 188 event dates there that are related to citywide conventions.
“Our customers are using this for unique purposes, like general sessions,” he says. “It’s so economical to utilize it. Everything is all preassembled; you don’t have to buy a power package, a sound package, a light package. It’s all one fee, with 7,000 seats right there.” The beauty of this venue, also, he says, is that it allows planners to increase the number of exhibits in LACC, which allows them to make more money.
A number of new hotels are also in the pipeline. “Three new boutique-style projects between 300-400 rooms are on the horizon in Downtown next to the Los Angeles Convention Center and LA Live, and they are scheduled to open around 2011,” Krouse says. “One will be located at Pico Boulevard and Figueroa Street. Another will be located across from Staples Center on Figueroa Street. And the third will be located across LA Live off of Olympic Boulevard.
UNIQUE VENUES AND ACTIVITIES
L.A. is Southern California's cultural hub. In fact, there are more live theaters in Los Angeles than in New York City, in part due to L.A.’s size (a sprawling 500 square miles) and the sheer number of 99-seat non-Equity houses. The Music Center—which the Grand Avenue project will both border and complement—encompasses not only the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, home of the L.A. Philharmonic, but also the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, housing the Los Angeles opera, the Mark Taper Forum and the Ahmanson Theater, world-class venues in their own right.
Consider holding your reception or dinner at one of the city’s numerous museums—the bureau can help you locate a suitable site for your event and help you make the necessary arrangements. The range of museums here is astonishing—and you’ll find many along Wilshire Boulevard, including the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Petersen Automotive Museum. Along with a wonderful collection of antique, race cars and celebrity cars, the Petersen has 60,000 sq. ft. of event space, including an 18,000-square-foot, clear-span pavilion.
The landmark Bradbury Building—made famous by many movies, including Blade Runner, is another option. Built in 1893, it features a tall, dramatic interior with filigreed iron railings and a birdcage elevator, all bathed in natural light from the then-avant garde skylights. Headquartered on the first floor is Red Line Tours, which offers a variety of specialty walking tours ranging from historic and modern downtown to Hollywood—or you name it; they’ll customize an itinerary for you (and have done so for groups as large as 1,000).
You’ll find guaranteed star-sightings at the Griffith Observatory, which reopened last year after a $93-million renovation, including a new 200-seat theater.
GOING HOLLYWOOD
Prominently visible on a scenic hillside, the iconic Hollywood sign may signal your geographic location, but the area’s street signs give you a real sense of place—like the crossroads of Hollywood and Vine, for instance. Not coincidentally, that’s where Hollywood & Vine, a $315-million, mixed-use development, is nearing completion. Its centerpiece, a new 305-room W Hotel, with five meeting rooms and 5,909 sq. ft. of space, is on schedule for a 2009 opening.
Hollywood and Highland is another famous location—now the site of the Hollywood & Highland Center, an entertainment complex encompassing shops, two nightclubs and the Kodak Theatre, the venue for the Oscar award ceremonies. Next month, the adjacent Renaissance Hollywood Hotel (637 rms; 65,000 sq. ft.) unveils its long-awaited Luce Spa, a 5,700-square-foot spa with six treatment rooms and celebrity-inspired pampering. Many Academy Award attendees reserve their rooms at the property for the big event—and you can bet that more than a few will be fluffed and buffed at this in-house spa. If you need a stage for an awards ceremony or a product launch, the Kodak is available for meeting groups as well. Just roll the red carpet up the front staircase Academy-style and plop your VIPs into the A-list front-row seats. There’s a small private event room with roots as a speakeasy for those VIPs as well.
Rumor has it that the legendary Hollywood Roosevelt will be adding a spa (stay tuned!); its ballroom renovation is expected to be completed this summer.
UNIVERSAL APPEAL
A unique part of Los Angeles, Universal City encompasses 415 acres that include the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park, as well as several hotels and Universal CityWalk, a shopping and entertainment center. It’s an industry town: NBC Universal is said to be relocating its television and cable facilities here from Burbank as part of an upcoming $800-million development.
If you want to give your meeting a star-quality event, Universal Studios has two new venues ready to book: The Wild West Arena, a country and western-style outdoor setting that can host anywhere from 500 to 1,200 (ideal for picnics), and Moulin Rouge, an indoor space with a Parisian-style courtyard that can accommodate up to 150 guests. You can even make your own film, from script to post-production, with Feet First Entertainment. If you’ve got a really large group, you can do a buyout of CityWalk and give your 4,000 attendees free run of the place; or organize a dine-around at the various restaurants. For a “really big show,” book your event at the ever-popular Globe Theatre, where you can put your group’s (or CEO’s) name up in lights on the marquee.
Coming up next month is the debut of the much-anticipated “Simpsons” attraction, with thrill rides and animated fun based on the ever-popular Fox TV show. June will see the opening of the new Universal Experience “Behind the Scenes of Universal Pictures” attraction, showcasing props, costumes and artifacts along with special-effects displays (sounds perfect for your film buffs). Back to Top
Construction of the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton, which share a footprint as the city’s convention hotel, is on track—even ahead of schedule—for an early 2010 opening.
Planner interest in L.A. is strong; potential citywide site visits are up dramatically, as are bookings. “Downtown L.A. has been in the midst of an unprecedented renaissance since 1999, and meeting professionals are taking notice,” says Mark Liberman, president and CEO of LA INC. The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau. “With 33 conventions already booked in the first eight months of this fiscal year, we are well on our way to another record-breaking year.”
The draw, of course, is what the city has to offer, in terms of hospitality product and attractions. With existing hotel upgrades, new venues coming online, the brand-new Broad Contemporary Art Museum, the architecturally stunning Walt Disney Concert Hall, Wicked on stage at the Pantages Theatre and long-awaited theme park attractions such as “The Simpsons” at Universal Studios, there’s plenty to see and do when your attendees close up their laptops or tear down their trade show booths.
Nightlife may be the biggest surprise, if you haven’t visited for a while. Staples Center is no longer the only game in Downtown. Nokia Theatre, also part of the huge LA Live project, opened last fall and offers some of the top musical acts in the country. And other nightclubs have joined the Standard Hotel’s rooftop hotspot, including the uber-trendy Edison, which has taken over the old power generation facility for the Edison Company and given the area a hip new vibe.
Dining is another enticement, with restaurants like the Water Grill, Twist and Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse, in a scene that’s taking a back seat to nowhere.
In addition to the LA Live and Grand Avenue mega-developments (see below), there’s another new visionary plan in the works—Bringing Back Broadway, a public-private partnership formed to revitalize the historic Broadway district between 3rd and 9th streets. The project will breathe new life into the historic avenue’s old movie theaters, which were either vaudeville houses or elaborate film palaces back in the days before the 12-screen cineplex. The first reopened in February—the Million Dollar Theatre, after a year-long, million-dollar renovation. While these properties can’t be used for live theater, as they don’t have the necessary back stage space, they can be used by corporate groups for presentations, awards ceremonies and other functions. (You can join American Idol as one of the user-groups!)
Perhaps the most telling sign of a reinvigorated downtown is something the city now has: residents. There are currently more than 34,000 residents and, by the end of 2008, the number is expected to grow to 40,000, with numerous residential projects coming online.
LA LIVE
A one-of-a-kind sports and entertainment complex, LA Live is a $2.5-billion project that is bringing 24/7 action to Downtown. The 27-acre, multi-use development by AEG is adjacent to the convention center and will feature not only the convention hotel but also live performance and event venues, ESPN broadcast studios, restaurants, a Lucky Strike bowling center, retail and more. Its anchor is Staples Center, which debuted in 1999; groundbreaking on other major components took place in 2005, with various elements coming on board last year and in 2009–2010.
Complementing the Staples arena is the newly opened Nokia Theatre at LA Live, a mid-size live performance and event venue that features the largest stage in Southern California (a smaller, more intimate venue for up to 2,400 guests is Club Nokia). The venue’s outdoor plaza—with plug-and-play technology for broadcasting events—is an ideal space for receptions, especially given the city’s balmy year-round climate.
For planners, of course, the most dazzling feature to come is the 54-story, Gensler-designed hotel, whose sales team is already in place. Five stories are already completed, and “the steel goes up one floor per week,” says Michael K. Krouse, CHME, CMP, senior vice president, sales for LA INC. All told, the Marriott/Ritz-Carlton will have 1,000 guest rooms and in excess of 90,000 sq. ft. of meeting and ballroom space, with the capability of serving 3,000 seated guests.
GRAND AVENUE
Grand Avenue is a wide, resplendent boulevard lined with hotels, condos, office buildings and restaurants. It leads to the Los Angeles Music Center Complex and is eminently walkable, although you may recognize it as the backdrop for many car commercials. The other mega-billion L.A. project in the works, the Grand Avenue development, just passed a major milestone—approval by city, county and redevelopment officials of the updated designs for the first stage, which means they can move forward with their funding model. The project includes a 295-room Mandarin Oriental hotel as well as residences, dining, retail and office space. Groundbreaking is expected sometime this summer, with an estimated completion date of 2011.
MAJOR MEETINGS VENUE
State-of-the-art when it was built, L.A.’s Convention Center continues its cutting-edge leadership role in greening both the building and its conference practices. For example, LACC is now considered North America’s largest solar-generating building (they’re working on LEED certification), plus 99 percent of its used trade-show materials is recycled—not just the ubiquitous beverage containers, but also food waste that’s now turned into animal feed.
The facility currently purchases 20 percent of its energy load from renewable sources through the city’s water and power department; the figure is anticipated to reach 100 percent by early next year.
The sun-filled center’s mammoth size (930,000 sq. ft. of meeting and exhibit space; the largest of which, the South Hall, has 346,890 sq. ft. of exhibit space) allows it to comfortably host citywides and huge trade shows (2.5 million annually).
Planners have already discovered the Nokia Theatre for more than an evening’s entertainment. According to Krouse, the bureau has booked more than 188 event dates there that are related to citywide conventions.
“Our customers are using this for unique purposes, like general sessions,” he says. “It’s so economical to utilize it. Everything is all preassembled; you don’t have to buy a power package, a sound package, a light package. It’s all one fee, with 7,000 seats right there.” The beauty of this venue, also, he says, is that it allows planners to increase the number of exhibits in LACC, which allows them to make more money.
A number of new hotels are also in the pipeline. “Three new boutique-style projects between 300-400 rooms are on the horizon in Downtown next to the Los Angeles Convention Center and LA Live, and they are scheduled to open around 2011,” Krouse says. “One will be located at Pico Boulevard and Figueroa Street. Another will be located across from Staples Center on Figueroa Street. And the third will be located across LA Live off of Olympic Boulevard.
UNIQUE VENUES AND ACTIVITIES
L.A. is Southern California's cultural hub. In fact, there are more live theaters in Los Angeles than in New York City, in part due to L.A.’s size (a sprawling 500 square miles) and the sheer number of 99-seat non-Equity houses. The Music Center—which the Grand Avenue project will both border and complement—encompasses not only the Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall, home of the L.A. Philharmonic, but also the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, housing the Los Angeles opera, the Mark Taper Forum and the Ahmanson Theater, world-class venues in their own right.
Consider holding your reception or dinner at one of the city’s numerous museums—the bureau can help you locate a suitable site for your event and help you make the necessary arrangements. The range of museums here is astonishing—and you’ll find many along Wilshire Boulevard, including the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Petersen Automotive Museum. Along with a wonderful collection of antique, race cars and celebrity cars, the Petersen has 60,000 sq. ft. of event space, including an 18,000-square-foot, clear-span pavilion.
The landmark Bradbury Building—made famous by many movies, including Blade Runner, is another option. Built in 1893, it features a tall, dramatic interior with filigreed iron railings and a birdcage elevator, all bathed in natural light from the then-avant garde skylights. Headquartered on the first floor is Red Line Tours, which offers a variety of specialty walking tours ranging from historic and modern downtown to Hollywood—or you name it; they’ll customize an itinerary for you (and have done so for groups as large as 1,000).
You’ll find guaranteed star-sightings at the Griffith Observatory, which reopened last year after a $93-million renovation, including a new 200-seat theater.
GOING HOLLYWOOD
Prominently visible on a scenic hillside, the iconic Hollywood sign may signal your geographic location, but the area’s street signs give you a real sense of place—like the crossroads of Hollywood and Vine, for instance. Not coincidentally, that’s where Hollywood & Vine, a $315-million, mixed-use development, is nearing completion. Its centerpiece, a new 305-room W Hotel, with five meeting rooms and 5,909 sq. ft. of space, is on schedule for a 2009 opening.
Hollywood and Highland is another famous location—now the site of the Hollywood & Highland Center, an entertainment complex encompassing shops, two nightclubs and the Kodak Theatre, the venue for the Oscar award ceremonies. Next month, the adjacent Renaissance Hollywood Hotel (637 rms; 65,000 sq. ft.) unveils its long-awaited Luce Spa, a 5,700-square-foot spa with six treatment rooms and celebrity-inspired pampering. Many Academy Award attendees reserve their rooms at the property for the big event—and you can bet that more than a few will be fluffed and buffed at this in-house spa. If you need a stage for an awards ceremony or a product launch, the Kodak is available for meeting groups as well. Just roll the red carpet up the front staircase Academy-style and plop your VIPs into the A-list front-row seats. There’s a small private event room with roots as a speakeasy for those VIPs as well.
Rumor has it that the legendary Hollywood Roosevelt will be adding a spa (stay tuned!); its ballroom renovation is expected to be completed this summer.
UNIVERSAL APPEAL
A unique part of Los Angeles, Universal City encompasses 415 acres that include the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park, as well as several hotels and Universal CityWalk, a shopping and entertainment center. It’s an industry town: NBC Universal is said to be relocating its television and cable facilities here from Burbank as part of an upcoming $800-million development.
If you want to give your meeting a star-quality event, Universal Studios has two new venues ready to book: The Wild West Arena, a country and western-style outdoor setting that can host anywhere from 500 to 1,200 (ideal for picnics), and Moulin Rouge, an indoor space with a Parisian-style courtyard that can accommodate up to 150 guests. You can even make your own film, from script to post-production, with Feet First Entertainment. If you’ve got a really large group, you can do a buyout of CityWalk and give your 4,000 attendees free run of the place; or organize a dine-around at the various restaurants. For a “really big show,” book your event at the ever-popular Globe Theatre, where you can put your group’s (or CEO’s) name up in lights on the marquee.
Coming up next month is the debut of the much-anticipated “Simpsons” attraction, with thrill rides and animated fun based on the ever-popular Fox TV show. June will see the opening of the new Universal Experience “Behind the Scenes of Universal Pictures” attraction, showcasing props, costumes and artifacts along with special-effects displays (sounds perfect for your film buffs). Back to Top
Getting There
- Los Angeles International Airport is serviced by 20 domestic airlines, including Southwest. Most international flights are handled in the Tom Bradley International Terminal (Terminal B). There’s Flyaway bus service direct to Union Station in Downtown ($4).
- Bob Hope Airport in Burbank provides service by seven carriers. In addition to car-rental companies, hotel shuttles and taxis, an airport shuttle can take you to the nearby Amtrak station for connections to Downtown.
- Long Beach Airport handles four carriers, including JetBlue Airways. It is about 25 miles from downtown and has cab and shuttle service.
Not To Be Missed
- The Frank Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall (above)
- The Broad Contemporary Art Museum, with a design as fresh as its collections
- Downtown’s Jewelry District, with 5,000 retail and wholesale jewelers
- The Fashion District, 90 blocks of wholesale and retail bliss—the West’s largest garment district
- The Farmers Market, a landmark marketplace
- The new Chinatown, where old (food stalls, apothecary shops) meets new (art galleries and a decidedly cutting-edge vibe)
- A tour of the Kodak Theatre (prepare your acceptance speech before standing on that vaunted stage)
Fast Facts
| Population | 3,849,378 |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 233 ft |
| Temperature | 49°f - 83°f |
| Nearest Airport | Los Angeles International Airport |
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