Smart Meetings

While power shoppers love South Coast Plaza for the 280 fashion-forward retail shops and upscale restaurants (the county’s largest shopping complex), residents will be the first to tell you about Orange County Performing Artscenter, an inviting four-building campus that shares an active calendar of high-end entertainment. Yet, they also continue to celebrate the county’s agricultural roots at the Orange County Fairgrounds.

Picture bringing your winter-weary group to the temperate city (boasting approximately 329 days of sunshine per year), where significant meeting space and attentive hotel staff are literally five minutes away from the airport. In South Coast Metro, the city’s walkable downtown, groups will find dining, shopping, arts venues and a cluster of major hotels that offer more than 100,000 sq. ft. of total meeting space.  While Costa Mesa draws a significant drive market from nearby San Diego, Los Angeles and even Phoenix, the city is also easily accessible by air: 11 major airlines serve John Wayne Airport, which is located at the convergence of three major highways (405, 55 and 73).

Add valuable savings to an inviting climate with easy access, and you’ve got an ideal meeing destination. The Costa Mesa Convention & Visitors Bureau helps to make it possible. One of the most popular amenities for meeting planners from the CVB is the complimentary “The Gift From Us To You.” The gift package is filled with 30 to 40 special offers redeemable at local restaurants and retail stores to encourage attendees to explore the streets and see what Costa Mesa has to offer. “Meeting planners give these to their guests with welcome kits upon arrival,” says Susan Firth, CMP, e-marketing and sales manager for the Costa Mesa CVB.

Hotel Meeting Space
You can count the hotels with significant meeting space in Costa Mesa on both hands. The biggies—the Marriott, the Ayres Hotel, the Hilton and the Westin—provide function rooms of all sizes and develop relationships that attract repeat business over the years. Arlene Sheff, a meeting planner for Boeing, has planned several events at the Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa for the past nine years. “The people are very hands-on at the Hilton,” says Sheff, who coordinates for groups of 10 to 1,000. In fact, according to the hotel’s general manager, Shaun Robinson, the staff routinely looks for ways to add personal touches to the planning process.

“Our executive steward, Jorge Chavez, is an accomplished pianist, and played the baby grand piano wearing a tux at the recent OC Jazz preconvention meeting,” Robinson says. “We are also very competitive with site inspections and customize the experience to each group. Recently, our culinary team made a NASCAR cake with three hours’ notice for a big group staying at our hotel. NASCAR was one of their top accounts, and we secured the business.” The Hilton has about 48,000 sq. ft. of meeting space—the most of any hotel in town.

The service at the Ayres Hotel & Suites in Costa Mesa/Newport Beach is also first-class. Sabrina Schroeter, director of sales, says the staff matches the menu, décor and entertainment to the demographic of the group. “We focus on the goal of each meeting—and who is ultimately the person who’ll literally be sitting in the meeting room,” she says. The hotel, located just one minute from the airport, has 282 plush rooms and suites and more than 12,000 sq. ft. of function space, including a courtyard that allows receptions of 200. The Ayres accommodates repeat business by remaining flexible to unique requests. For example, a recent group of suppliers and retailers transformed the hotel into a trade exhibition; 60 of the suites were used as both trade-booth space and sleeping accommodations. 

Consider hosting your training session in the Costa Mesa Marriott Suites’ 1,932-square-foot ballroom. Just across the hall, there’s a 24-hour business center with complimentary Wi-Fi, where you can re-download your PowerPoint presentation or make those last-minute copies in a pinch. Or, bring your VIPs for an off-site meeting in the 14-seat boardroom. The hotel, only 2.5 miles from the runway, will undergo a lobby renovation by early January. Individual check-in stations, called “pods,” will be incorporated, where guests will experience personalized, one-on-one service. Special attention is also given to groups staying at the Westin South Coast Plaza from the moment they arrive at a private entrance that leads to the 7,598-square-foot Plaza Ballroom. But there’s also room for a reception of 100 in the lobby, which looks out onto an alluring waterfall spilling from the second floor onto a terrace ledge. The Terrace Pavilion on the second level is available for outdoor gatherings by the pool or under a broad tent with space for up to 484.

Unique Meeting Space
The big feature for visitors of Costa Mesa is the Orange County Performing Artscenter, located near the main group of hotels and the South Coast Plaza. Within the last year, the Artscenter has gained a fourth venue on campus—the 2,000-seat Renee and Henry Segerstrom Hall. Events are also possible in Segerstrom Hall, Samueli Theater and Founder’s Hall. Additionally, the Artscenter’s 46,000-square-foot outdoor plaza is a versatile space for welcome mixers. Having such diverse properties on one campus is an excellent advantage, and the complex has broad appeal. “That’s why it’s a slam dunk,” says Stacy Glazer, regional director of catering for the Patina Restaurant Group, which manages the Artscenter. “We also have a full, dedicated catering team. We’re the pros on-property, and our focus is working with the clients.” Shows like Jersey Boys and Frank Sinatra Jr. are lined up for 2008. Check out their full calendar on OCPAC’s new website, ocpac.org.

Five miles southwest of the airport is the Orange County Fairgrounds. Take a break from the shopping scene and explore another Orange County arena—semi-rural farming. The OC Fairgrounds provides educational opportunities for the public to explore the heritage of California agriculture from a local perspective. Visit the four-acre Centennial Farm, and see everything from cows and honey bees to peacocks and verdant fruit and vegetable gardens. And, of course, there’s a variety of meeting space here—the Pacific Amphitheatre holds 8,500, while smaller groups (up to 40) gather in Memorial Gardens, an old housing structure with a backyard for 75. Take your pick from 167 acres of indoor and outdoor space at this expansive and versatile venue.

Nick Bartlett, the producer of Extreme Motor Sports, uses the entire space for his annual event, which draws more than 20,000 people from all over the country. “Nothing fits like this particular venue,” Bartlett says. The parking is free for the expo, and there’s an area where exhibitors can stay in their RVs for a nominal fee. Also, somebody from the staff is on-site throughout the event. “They make my life much easier,” Bartlett says. “The security is top-notch. Nothing has ever gone missing, and I have $400,000-to-$600,000 vehicles at the show—and not even a scratch.” 

Getting There

NEWS

• Based at the Hilton, a new taxi service, Her Majesty’s Ride, launched a fleet of London-style town cars in September, charging budget-friendly flat rates to popular destinations and hourly rates for sightseeing groups. 

• Hilton Orange County will spend $10 million over the next 15 months on upgrades. Plans include renovating the fitness center and adding business-center capabilities to the executive lounge, as well as wireless functionality to all the guest rooms. Expect a redesign on the pool, too.

• The Westin has added the all-new outdoor Terrace Pavilion, with 4,560 sq. ft. of tented space, on the second level.

• O.C. Performing Artscenter has unveiled a new website. Also new to OCPAC is the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, with features a curvaceous glass exterior and seating for 2,000.