Smart Meetings

WALK THIS WAY

Author: Hunter Holcombe
November 2007

Features

SILICON VALLEY DELIGHTS WITH ACCESSIBILITY AND CONVENIENCE

Anyone who endured grade school with the yoke of an unusual name can empathize with Silicon Valley. The unincorporated urban area just south of San Francisco in the Santa Clara Valley was given its label for being ground zero to the high-tech revolution that began in the early 1970s with Apple and computer chip makers. Later, the valley exploded with the dot-com phenomenon of the late ’90s, and today it remains home to hundreds of innovative companies that influence global life more than any other place in the world.

But the flipside of such a homogenous reputation is that it can blind some to the many other diverse traits that defined this area long before eBay, Intel and Google arrived. Meeting planners who have come to Silicon Valley in the last five years rediscovered an area that has perfect southern California-like weather, hosts two major convention centers and boasts more than a dozen unique museums and attractions. It is also minutes away from many non-urban pleasures like world-class vineyards and tasting rooms, hiking trails in the Santa Cruz mountains, and several secluded resorts. Additionally, San Jose has redefined itself with Santana Row, the hot new downtown destination with shopping, restaurants, hotels and spas that offers a cleaner, simpler alternative to larger cities. And then there is Santa Clara to the north, which offers one of the most meeting-friendly convention center/hotel combinations around.

The tech companies aren’t going away, but Silicon Valley is beginning to break free of its reputation and reclassify itself as a meetings destination. Come see what the buzz is about.

California’s third-largest city, San Jose may be the state’s most misunderstood, due to its close proximity to such distinct personalities as San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Set in the beautiful Santa Clara Valley, San Jose evolved as a bedroom community for the area’s many high-tech companies and for San Francisco businesses; the small San Jose International Airport made travel extremely easy. With sunny days, warm evenings and picturesque hills to the east and west, the city was an ideal setting for well-salaried families, and it was no surprise when San Jose overtook San Francisco in population in the late 1980s.

Today, however, planners will find a large and well-designed convention center with several large hotels in walking distance, a number of unique attractions that double as meeting venues, and a thriving restaurant and nightlife scene. “Meeting planners who have not been to the area in the last 10 years would be very surprised by San Jose,” explains Dan Fenton, president and CEO of the San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Santana Row, a pristine street packed with high-end retail, chic bars and inviting outdoor restaurants, is the latest hotspot. The hip Hotel Valencia, with 213 rooms, also has several small meeting rooms and a large inner courtyard that is perfect for a cocktail reception or an evening gathering. Its on-site restaurant (Citrus) and bar (Vbar) are both major hits, and are ideal for small gatherings or VIP events.

San Jose is also surrounded by a number of vineyards, many of which excel at hosting small groups and setting up private tastings. One of the best venues, however, is also the most convenient. The J. Lohr tasting room, just a few blocks from the convention center, has a special area for private sampling, and can arrange excellent catered dinner events.

Convenience and flexibility are the name of the game at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. Not only does it feature 223,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and 31 meetings rooms, but it is also surrounded by a number of large hotels with their own meeting space. In fact, both the San Jose Marriott and the San Jose Hilton are connected to the convention center, with entry ways opening into opposite sides of the main exhibition hall foyer. To make things even easier, the two hotels have joined forces with each other and with the convention center to form the San Jose One Connection, which makes planning and booking space with the three facilities virtually seamless, and all through one agent.

The convention center itself is an extremely versatile facility, and the staff go out of their way to customize it to a client’s specifications. “It is really a blank canvas,” says Anita Pagin, national sales manager. “We can do just about anything for the customer. We don’t have a lot of restrictions.” Attendees who still don’t know much about San Jose will get a few good ideas from the drop-down flat-screen TVs placed throughout the center, which run a cycle of ads for local attractions and restaurants. “The convention center worked really well for us,” says Katherine McCarter, executive director of the Ecological Society of America, based in Washington, D.C. “Members really enjoyed the venue, and how they could just walk down to restaurants in the area.”

The adjoining 534-room Marriott is a beautiful facility, with a curving window façade lining the foyer that gives it the appearance of a performance hall. It is also well designed for meetings, with 21,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space, an on-site restaurant by celebrity chef Michael Mina with a 40-person private dining room, and a trendy new bar (a la “W”) expected to go in early next year.

At the other end of the convention center, the 354-room Hilton will be undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation of its meeting space and rooms next year, and is adding flexible meeting space in place of its existing restaurant.

Across the street from the convention center, the Fairmont San Jose offers 805 rooms and 65,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. An eco- and pet-friendly hotel, the Fairmont will also be getting a new 9,000-square-foot spa by the end of the year. The Wyndham San Jose is yet another solid choice for meetings, with 355 guest rooms and 16,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space.

Out-of-the-ordinary meeting venues abound in San Jose, with a multitude of diverse museums and attractions. For example, the Dolce Hayes Mansion, just a few minutes from San Jose, is a restored mansion that is both beautiful and quirky. With a unique, elegant décor, it offers 214 guest rooms and 33,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.

No visit to San Jose is complete without a trip to the Winchester Mystery House, and this is no exception for meeting attendees with at least an hour of free time. The massive house, a lifelong pet project of the rich widow heir to the Winchester Repeating Arms Company, is full of mind-boggling oddities (it’s also perfect for group tours).

At the other end of the spectrum, The Tech Museum of Innovation is a playground of high-tech wonders and inspiring scientific design. Not only can the museum accommodate groups in its private meeting space, but also the entire museum can be rented out after-hours for truly memorable events. For a really impressive product launch or presentation, the on-site IMAX theater is available for rental, complete with the capability of having video presentations projected onto the larger-than-life dome screen.

Just like San Jose, Santa Clara in the northern part of the valley has a lot to offer planners within a small, walkable area. With a number of excellent meetings hotels clustered around the Santa Clara Convention Center, it makes for an excellent meetings destination. “I just found it to be one of the most user-friendly cities,” says Sharon Covey, CMP, of Covey and Associates. Covey brought 2,000 primary education teachers to Santa Clara in January and was impressed with the affordability of the convention center, due to such things as free parking, discounted light rail and walkability to the hotels and attractions. “They all felt very safe; it is a great location,” she says.

The convention center is also close enough to San Jose that it basically shares attractions like The Tech Museum and Santana Row (just not the revenue). But Santa Clara has plenty of envy-inducing attractions of its own, such as the Intel Museum, a free museum showcasing the history and inner workings of the Santa Clara Valley-based premier chip maker. Then there is the California Santa Clara Paramount Great America, with 100 acres of heart-stopping thrill rides, games and other amusing activities. The park has dozens of meeting venues and can do everything from renting out a theater to catering a picnic to opening up the whole park to a group. (And remember, it’s not just kids who fantasize about theme parks with no lines.) Great America is currently creating exciting team-building activities that will incorporate the park’s games and rides.

In addition to its existing attractions, Santa Clara is still hoping to woo the San Francisco ’49ers to the area (their headquarters and training facilities are already there), which would give the city plenty of exposure in the U.S. Finally, the San Jose International Airport, just minutes away, is undergoing a significant expansion that may lure more major carriers offering nonstop service to most domestic cities.

A meeting planner’s urban dream site is found in the cluster of venues that make up the Santa Clara Convention Center and its neighboring hotels. The convention center itself features 262,000 sq. ft. of recently renovated meeting space, and it just broke ground last month on a new $37-million, 24,000-square-foot ballroom. Your best bet for guidance on the convention center and its neighboring hotels is with the Santa Clara Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

Directly connected to the convention center is the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara, which is a major meetings venue on its own and actually leases a grand ballroom from the convention center on a permanent basis. With more than 60,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space and 501 guest rooms completely renovated in September, the Hyatt also features state-of-the-art amenities like a virtual concierge and express check-in and airline-ticket kiosks. A short distance away, the Santa Clara Marriott has 759 guest rooms and nearly 24,000 sq. ft. of recently renovated meeting space. It is also home to Parcel 104, one of the top restaurants in the valley, with several private dining rooms.

If you’ve got day meeting needs, check out the Network Meeting Center at Techmart, which can handle meetings for up to 300 and has several different day meeting packages.

Along with the hubs of San Jose and Santa Clara, Silicon Valley claims a number of other small cities, such as Palo Alto, Milpitas and Los Gatos.

Palo Alto is primarily known for its prestigious Stanford University, which is responsible for spawning many of the high-tech innovators that populated Silicon Valley with some of the world’s most successful companies. Stanford is a beautiful campus, and has a number of meeting room options available.

The chic Beverly Heritage, right between San Jose and Santa Clara in the town of Milpitas, provides 4,400 sq. ft. of meeting space and 237 guest rooms. And, just a quick drive over the hill into Santa Cruz, the Seascape Resort is an award-winning meetings destination and ocean-view resort that provides a tranquil escape from the valley. Another premier off-the-beaten-path destination is the Five-Diamond CordeValle Resort near the small town of San Martin, a half-hour south of San Jose. With a Robert Trent Jones, Jr.-designed course, this is truly a golfer’s paradise. But it is also a paradise for many more reasons, such as its beautiful canyon setting, exquisite private bungalows and villa suites, and first-class spa. Meetings are state-of-the-art in the nearly 7,000 sq. ft. of executive boardrooms and small meeting rooms. For a truly unique team-building experience, try blending your own wines at the on-site Clos LaChance winery.

• The Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport is only a few miles from the heart of both San Jose and Santa Clara. A small and easy airport, it is currently adding a third concourse.

While San Jose is known for its innovation in the high-tech world, it may also become a shining prototype for meeting planning simplicity with its exemplary new program called Team San Jose. Imagine calling only one person and having all of your convention center arrangements, room bookings and event needs taken care of—one person who has the authority and knowledge to make all of these plans without you having to speak with a different person from each venue.

“We looked at it from the customer’s side,” explains Dan Fenton, president and CEO of the San Jose Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Traditionally, you have three or four different contacts you have to deal with. But we have set it up so that one person can do it all.”

• Santa Clara has put forth a bid to be the future hometown of the NFL’s San Francisco ’49ers football team. It currently hosts the team headquarters and practice facilities.

• The Santa Clara Convention Center just broke ground on a new 24,000-square-foot ballroom.

• The San Jose Fairmont is building a new 9,000-square-foot spa.

• San Jose International Airport is undergoing a $1.5-billion expansion, which may lure more airlines and create more direct flights.

Parcel 104, Santa Clara

American

Arcadia, San Jose

American

Three Flames Restaurant, San Jose

American

Buca di Beppo, Campbell

Italian

Habana Cuba, San Jose

Cuban