Smart Meetings

UNIQUE VENUES

Even when you’re not actually out at sea, many of Newport’s unique venues can give you a nautical experience. Get a taste of the sea at the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum (nhnm.org) located on the Balboa Peninsula. Peruse the museum, where you’ll find more than 80,000 historical photos and a spectacular antique engine exhibit.

Newport also lays claim to the Orange County Museum of Art (ocma.net), where you can enjoy more than 3,000, mainly California-based works of art. Hold a banquet or reception among exquisite modern art displays in the museum’s pavilion, featuring a soaring ceiling and dramatic columns, which connects to an outdoor courtyard. The museum’s auditorium can accommodate groups of up to 108 for presentations, and its conference room can seat 40 guests.

FUN ON THE WATER

Because Newport Beach is home to one of the largest yacht harbors in the world, boating is always a popular option for groups of just about any size. “We are the harbor,” says Jessica Roswell, marketing and public relations manager for the Newport Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau (NBCVB; visitnewportbeach.com). “The big thing is, we get you on the water.”

For a truly memorable Newport experience, charter a yacht from one of Newport’s four yachting companies. Or rent a self-captained, covered “Duffy” boat (duffyboats.com), a party-sized electric watercraft accommodating eight to 12 passengers, for your own personal bay excursion. If you’re considering a team-building activity on the water, divide up your group and take them on a Duffy boat scavenger hunt, which can be arranged by the NBCVB.

You can also charter an oceangoing boat and take your members on a 26-mile cruise to Catalina Island (catalinainfo.com), where you’ll have a wide range of outdoor activities like horseback riding, bicycling, golf and scuba diving at your disposal.

Many of the city’s 350+ restaurants are located on the waterfront, and come complete with their own boat dock for easy waterside access. If you’re hungry for some fresh seafood or locally grown cuisine, pull your watercraft right up to one of Newport’s many eateries for a dock 'n’ dine excursion—the local version of a dine-around. Then get back on your boat for another adventure at sea.

Or hold a memorable event on John Wayne’s exclusive yacht Wild Goose (hornblowerholidays.com), a former WWII minesweeper and the old stomping grounds for Hollywood icons Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Bob Hope, who once gathered there to play poker. The 136-foot luxury yacht is now available for group charter within Newport Harbor—perfect for grabbing a cocktail and watching the harbor lights sparkle on the bay at night.

When you get a free afternoon, take time to explore Balboa Island (balboa-island.com), a picturesque community of about 4,000, featuring more than 70 gift shops, galleries, boutiques and restaurants. You can catch the island ferry, leaving every few minutes from the Balboa Peninsula, a three-mile spit of land with neatly manicured historic homes from the 1930s and 1940s. While you’re there, take a stroll on the Balboa Boardwalk, located between Balboa and Newport piers at the end of the peninsula, and relive your youth on the Ferris wheel in the Balboa Fun Zone.

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Getting There

Orange County is accessible by four major airports: John Wayne/Orange County Airport (ocair.com), located 16 miles from Anaheim, as well as Los Angeles International Airport (lawa.org), Long Beach Airport (longbeach.gov/airport) and Ontario International Airport (lawa.org). Several ground transportation services offer door-to-door service to and from all major airports. Back to Top