Smart Meetings

Consider that Greater San Diego is blessed with 70 miles of beaches. There are the ones on the ocean, the ones on the big bay, the ones on the island, the ones on the strictly-play-in-it bay; take your pick.

Consider that you can go boating to meet, to dine, to sail, to row, to experience history, to paddle or pedal, to schmooze (and drink), to sunbathe, to water-ski and to catch or admire the fish.

Consider that the area abounds with nationally-award-winning theater and innovative restaurants, as well as ultra-cool bars and lounges. Some pretty great family attractions are found here, too, like the original SeaWorld and the San Diego Zoo, not to mention the zoo’s savannah-like Wild Animal Park and LEGOLAND.

Consider that a 20-minute excursion takes you to another, and most welcoming, country. Consider that the area’s recorded history dates back nearly 500 years when a Portuguese subcontractor to the Spanish Crown, one Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, was sent out to explore and then found his way here.

Of course, there are fascinating little neighborhoods as well as resorts galore with sumptuous spas and scenic golf courses created by big-name designers.

But all of these are just the “gimmes,” because—and this is where the Meeting Goddess up there has really excelled—San Diego has got the fundamentals nailed.

We’re talking about an international airport that’s almost-walking distance, at 3 miles, from the heart of downtown.
We’re talking about a dazzling, light-filled convention center that’s on the waterfront and surrounded by a completely diverse selection of outstanding hotels, with new ones being framed up as you read this.

And finally, we’re talking about a CVB with an exclusive electronic interface called iLead that zips your specifications electronically to member hotels that best match your needs. Then it enables the hotels to respond directly using a standard template, all downloadable into an Excel spreadsheet. This way you can review their responses side by side (oranges-to-oranges, this being Southern California) at any time. “It’s the envy of the industry,” says David Peckinpaw, president & CEO of the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau (sandiego.org).
Differentiating himself as “the only person crazy enough to have left San Diego twice in my life,” Peckinpaw says the multiple facets of the city are its huge advantage in the meetings market. “I was eight years on the meeting-planner side, and that was what always stood out to me about San Diego,” he says. “It’s got golf and tennis and waterfront and the urban core, the Gaslamp District.” It also has Coronado Island, North San Diego Bay,

Mission Bay and Mission Valley.
And just a little farther afield are the two coastal villages, La Jolla and Del Mar.

Last year, nearly 28 million out-of-towners arrived in San Diego. For those without friends and family to put them up, the average tab for a room among the city’s 452 hotel and motel properties  ran $130.75 per night, with a 10.5 percent added for the city’s TOT. After the typically good time in San Diego, it’s gladly surrendered at checkout.

DOWNTOWN AREA AND CORONADO ISLAND
Nowhere is San Diego’s mix more apparent than in the city center. The energy felt here comes not only from the new skyscrapers, but particularly from the variety and character of the downtown’s unique neighborhoods. And you can get around this whole area by trolley and even by horse-drawn carriage.

San Diego’s central business district is also a performing arts area with Broadway/San Diego and the San Diego Opera sharing the San Diego Civic Theatre (sdcivic.org), as well as Copley Hall, home of the San Diego Symphony. The World Trade Center and City Hall are located here, as is the historic US GRANT, built by the son of the president. It reopened last year as part of the Luxury Collection.

Horton Plaza takes up about 15 blocks built around San Diego’s pre-eminent shopping center of the same name (westfield.com/hortonplaza/). The center has 130 stores plus restaurants and a movie theater. It’s also the home of the San Diego Repertory Theatre (sandiegorep.com), housed in the Lyceum Theater, and adjoins the Westin Horton Plaza San Diego.

Just north of the downtown core is 1,200-acre Balboa Park (balboapark.org), described by the CVB’s Peckinpaw as “the largest single concentration of the arts and culture anywhere in the United States,” which is why some call it “The Western Smithsonian.” Although the park was founded nearly 160 years ago, the architectural core went up in 1915 for the Panama-California Exposition, followed by more exhibition spaces for the California-Pacific International Exposition 20 years later. The resulting ornate Spanish-Colonial buildings house an impressive collection of museums including the San Diego Natural History Museum (sdnhm.org), the San Diego Museum of Man (museumofman.org) and the San Diego Museum of Art (sdmart.org). One of the city’s top institutions, The Old Globe Theatre (oldglobe.org), is also here.

However, the park is much better known as the home of the world-renowned San Diego Zoo (sandiegozoo.org). The zoo’s proclamation to our industry that they “cater to your wilder instincts” should be inspiration enough. But add together their seven party venues, along with private tours, thousands of rare and exotic plants and 4,000-plus animals to keep your group of up to 4,000 humans company (in a nice one-on-one), and you’re guaranteed an unforgettable event.

Another venue in the park is the beautiful Spanish Colonial-style The Prado (cohnrestaurants.com). It comes complete with courtyards and embellished ceilings, and offers 22,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space indoors and out.

GASLAMP QUARTER AND EAST VILLAGE
The Gaslamp Quarter (gaslamp.org), a 16-block area just south of the downtown business core, is one of those places where you wish the brick walls could talk. Designated as a National Historic District in 1980—a century after its heyday—the streets today are lined with gas lamp-like streetlights highlighting the late-Victorian architecture. These buildings house more than 100 restaurants (see Group Dining), 40 nightclubs and bars and some 100 shops. But the Quarter is a lady with “a past.”

Back in the 1880s, wary locals referred to her as the Stingaree, where the unsuspecting got “stung” out of their coinage by the loosely principled operators of the various prostitution houses, gambling dens and saloons. Even the illustrious hero-lawman Wyatt Earp got in on the action, running three gambling halls during the era. You’ll find the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation (gaslampquarter.org) a lively substitute for the non-talking walls; on the organization’s walking tours, guides share stories from the Quarter’s red-lit past.

In the heart of the Quarter—and, in fact, incorporating one of its vintage buildings—San Diego’s PETCO Park (petcoparkevents.com) is the home of the San Diego Padres baseball team. Among its 20 venues, the ballpark can accommodate your group of 50 to 40,000 year-round, working in fantasy baseball and batting practice or player and mascot appearances, among other memorable experiences on their menu.

At 130 blocks, East Village is downtown’s largest neighborhood. Adjacent to PETCO Park, this formerly rundown warehouse district has been rapidly changing over the last two years. As a sign of its transformation, Kimpton’s new Hotel Solamar has opened on the edge (see page 96), joining the San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter and the Omni San Diego Hotel.

THE SAN DIEGO CONVENTION CENTER
Right across the street from the Gaslamp Quarter’s southern end is the San Diego Convention Center (visitsandiego.com). Expanded and completely renovated in 2001 at a cost of $216 million, the center now offers 615,701 sq. ft. of exhibit space, plus another 200,000 of breakout meeting space, out of a total of 1.7 million sq. ft. Just the lobby alone has 115,756 sq. ft. for networking and performances; it’s currently slated for added furnishings to encourage more gathering.

“One of the great things about this building is that it’s not just a box,” says Steven Johnson, vice president for public affairs of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation. “It’s designed to reflect the spirit of San Diego; it mirrors the sailboats in the harbor.”

The design of the center also takes advantage of its sublime location right on San Diego Bay. All along the back are bougainvillea-draped terraces that invite attendees to walk outside and savor the salt air and water views. A short stroll away are the Marina, Seaport Village and the Embarcadero, where the San Diego Symphony holds its Summer Pops program.

Four “headquarter hotels” are also just steps away. Omni, Hyatt and Marriott are represented and the Hilton is nearing completion. When the Hard Rock opens this fall, the total room count encircling the convention center will be about 5,000. Say good-bye to the hassles of shuttling.

The center diverts more than 33 percent of their total waste to recycling or composting annually. “We would do more,” says Johnson, “but the facility operated here by the city can’t handle more volume.” The corporation cut back 30-million kilowatt hours annually by upgrading the building’s air-conditioning system. Further, they also constantly monitor and shut down the lights and climate-control in out-of-use areas.

The food-service provider is Centerplate, which services 25 other convention and civic centers around the country. The company has increasingly sought San Diego’s local food sources, according to Johnson. They’ve also gone trans-fat free.

With so many appealing features, the San Diego Convention Center has enjoyed 75-percent occupancy, the measure of a very good year; 2008 is also shaping up nicely. Furthermore, as Johnson puts it, “We don’t have a down period so we don’t vary our rates based on the time of year.” It’s a combo that lessens your leverage. His best advice is to “Start early and be flexible; we’re doing everything we can to try to continue to accommodate our clients.” And that includes booking some of them out to 2020.

By that time, Johnson expects to see a lot more hotel rooms, with some 5,000 to 10,000 currently on the drawing board, he says. So maybe you’ll at least get a break on guest rooms.

"One of the fun things that I love about this building,” says Johnson, “is that we’re probably the only convention center with tennis courts on the roof.” Somehow the juxtaposition perfectly captures San Diego’s easy blending of work and play.

ALONG THE WATERFRONT
Just up the waterfront from the convention center is Seaport Village (seaportvillage.com), with an eclectic group of 54 restaurants and shops and an 1895 carousel. Just beyond is the berth of the USS. Midway (midway.org), the longest-serving aircraft carrier in U.S. Navy history. The famed ship, which sailed under orders from the close of World War II through Desert Storm, can accommodate your group of up to 3,000 for an evening event. You’ll get spectacular views of the San Diego skyline and a dozen or so jets thrown in as part of your décor. (Ask about the skydivers.)

Another bayside jewel is the Maritime Museum of San Diego (sdmaritime.com), which numbers among its collection the world’s oldest active ship, the 1863 iron-hulled barque, Star of India. Designated both a National and State Historic Landmark, the Star can host receptions and even has been the site of pirate-theme parties. The HMS Surprise, prominent in the recent film, Master & Commander, is also available, as is California’s own tall ship, Californian, which can sail around the bay. The museum offers a sailing team-building program, as well. Hornblower Cruises & Events (hornblower.com) operates a fleet of eight ships on the bay. These can accommodate from 30 to 1,000 seated guests; don’t forget to order fireworks. New to the waterfront are San Diego Harbor Excursion’s (sdhe.com) nature cruises, which will take a group of up to 120 for a day cruise to Los Coronados Islands in Mexico for an up-close look at dolphins, whales and sea lions, as well as 80 types of sea birds.

CORONADO ISLAND
Located a few short miles from downtown, Coronado Island (coronadovisitors.com) is rooted in another time, specifically to a period between the 1890s to around 1950. For small-town charm, it’s hard to surpass. Not surprisingly, author L. Frank Baum was inspired to write some of his stories about the Land of Oz while living on Coronado. It’s just the place for outdoor concerts on the green and cycling under the palms. Several top resort hotels, including the historic Hotel del Coronado, have prime spots on the island’s spectacular beaches.

NORTH SAN DIEGO BAY
At the north end of San Diego’s great bay is the San Diego International Airport. Here you’ll also find two vacation-like islands, Shelter and Harbor islands, side-by-side with hotels, restaurants and marinas that seem to exist only for pleasure.

On Harbor Island, your group can connect with the Harbor Island Yacht Club (harboryc.com) for a corporate sailing regatta. Their single-design fleets distinguish their program. They’ve had more than 80,000 guests on the water, 80 percent with no previous sailing experience.

Just inland from the north end of the bay, and four miles north of downtown, is San Diego’s Old Town (oldtownsandiego.org). This was the first settlement of San Diego. Here in 1769 the Spanish established the first of those successful pairings that reached up Alta California as far north as Sonoma—that of a presidio for the soldiers and a mission for the priests. The 1929 Junipero Serra Museum (sandiegohistory.org) stands just above the site today. The colorful Bazaar del Mundo (bazaardelmundo.com), with many shops and restaurants inspired by the Spanish and Mexican heritage of this State Historic Park, enhances the overall pleasure of a visit. The 1829 Casa de Estudillo (www.letsgoseeit.com/index/county/sd/san_diego/loc05/estudillo.htm ) is replete with fine Spanish furnishings carried overland from the south. It also has porcelains and artworks brought from China aboard the trading ships that put into port for the hide trade. The grace of the interiors suggests a surprising refinement when you consider the remoteness of the locale at that time.

MISSION VALLEY AND MISSION BAY
Farther north of San Diego Bay and Old Town are Mission Bay and then Mission Valley, just inland. Mission Valley is another San Diego meetings hub. Its location is both convenient to San Diego International Airport and quite central to much of San Diego County.

The valley has more than 6,800 hotel rooms and is serviced by the light-rail San Diego Trolley. There’s golf at the Riverwalk Golf Club (riverwalkgc.com) and pro-football at Qualcomm Stadium (qualcomm.com), home to the San Diego Chargers.

There’s no shortage of meeting space here among the array of hotels, starting with Town & Country Resort & Convention Center’s (towncountry.com) impressive 225,000 sq. ft. There are also the various meeting facilities of the majestic, hilltop University of San Diego (sandiego.edu), which has the Douglas F. Manchester Executive Conference Center, along with views of Mission Bay.

At 4,600 acres, Mission Bay is not only San Diego’s water playground, it’s the largest man-made aquatic park in the nation. There are miles of paths for biking, jogging and strolling, as well as areas for jet-skiing, waterskiing, swimming and kayaking in the warm waters. An oceanfront beach and a three-mile boardwalk plus a few islands complete the layout. Mission Bay is ringed by resorts recalling the charms of the tropics with their buildings, gardens and amenities.

But, of course, you’ve heard of Mission Bay because of SeaWorld (seaworld.com), where magnificent ocean creatures exhibit not only their agility but also their astounding intelligence hourly. This 189-acre park has dozens of rides, games and shows, as well as on-site catering for your day or evening event for 75 to more than 12,000 guests. Go casual or formal, picnic or gourmet. You can do a full-park buyout in the evening with 3,500 or more, and that will include private use of the entire park with shows and all major attractions, exhibits, restaurants and gift shops, with multiple opportunities for customization. Be prepared to be amazed.

LA JOLLA AND DEL MAR
With a setting atop a nub of land that protrudes out into the ocean, La Jolla’s village is surrounded on three sides by water, and by renowned beaches. The village, one of California’s premier coastal resorts, blends luxury, history and incredible scenic beauty in a tiny, walkable area. The noted Tony-award winning La Jolla Playhouse (which gave us Gregory Peck, the local pharmacist’s son, among others; lajollaplayhouse.com) is a longstanding attraction, as is the Museum of Contemporary Art (mcasd.org), which also has a new facility in downtown San Diego. On the waterfront, the surfing and swimming at La Jolla Shores and Windansea Beach are huge attractions, as are snorkeling, kayaking and scuba diving in La Jolla Cove and the 6,000-acre La Jolla Underwater Park and Ecological Preserve.

Immediately to the north is the La Jolla Shores area, with another beautiful beach, along with resort recreational amenities plus fine dining at the historic Marine Room (marineroom.com). There, the waves crash against the dining room’s windows at high tide.

The University of California, San Diego (next year the university is opening a new 6,500-square-foot ballroom; ucsd.edu) and its Birch Aquarium (aquarium.ucsd.edu) are part of the La Jolla cultural mix. And the area’s Torrey Pines Golf Course (torreypinesgolfcourse.com) will be a huge magnet for your group’s golfers; it’s not only the home of the annual PGA Buick Invitational, but it’s also been tagged as the site for the prestigious 2008 U.S. Open. The largest meeting-space block in this north area is the 60,000 sq. ft. at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines.
The story of Del Mar as a delightful playground goes back to the early 20th century. To begin with, Del Mar’s beach is among the best in the county, and its walkable village is just plain adorable. However, it’s the summer season from mid-July through Labor Day Weekend at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (dmtc.com)—the place “where the turf meets the surf,” and that’s not a menu combo—when things really heat up. This track is celebrating an anniversary this year; it was 70 years ago that investor Bing Crosby stood by the gate to greet the first racing fan.

Other regulars (area residents, like Crosby) included Desi Arnaz, Jimmy Durante and Pat O’Brien. They brought along some of their glamorous Hollywood buddies over the years, and the track that saw Seabiscuit race has been the ongoing center of very serious West Coast racing ever since. It still maintains its quality and panache.
 The racing complex is part of the Del Mar Fairgrounds (sdfair.com), which holds various events through the year, topped by the annual, month-long Del Mar Fair in June. Incidentally, the fairground offers 180,000 sq. ft. of indoor exhibit space, and it also has a range of event venues from a luxury suite in the track’s grandstand to O’Brien Hall, which can accommodate up to 6,800 without calling in the fire marshal. The Del Mar Arena can seat up to 7,000 outdoors, a minimal risk apart from January and February.

At the completion of your meeting in San Diego, your toughest problem will be making sure that absolutely everyone is on board to return to their real lives. Count noses.

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Getting There

San Diego International Airport (san.org) is served by 21 passenger airlines providing nonstop service to 37 U.S. airports, as well as four in Mexico and two in Canada. Air Tran and Express Jet are set to begin service this summer. The airport is located 3 miles northwest of downtown San Diego. Multiple shuttle services and most major rental car companies provide transfers. Back to Top

Not To Be Missed

• Balboa Park
• The beaches
• The Hotel del Coronado
• The Gaslamp Quarter
• Mission Bay
• Del Mar Racetrack in summer
  

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