Smart Meetings

But the county, which is celebrating its sesquicentennial (150 years) this year, also has another side, one fostered by its sprawling 447 square miles and its boundaries, from San Francisco Bay in the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. More than 70 percent of the county is open space, and there are 30 miles of coast on the bay and 60 miles on the coast. Agriculture plays a dominant role, as
do coastal pursuits.
The meetings market has begun to discover San Mateo County, more recently due to
its high-tech profile. It attracts small-to-large meetings for a variety of reasons, according
to Anne LeClair, president and CEO of the San Mateo County Convention & Visitors Bureau (sanmateocountycvb.com). “There’s the accessibility of San Francisco International Airport, the scenic beauty, and our close proximity to San Francisco,” she says. Plus, “We have the sophistication of San Francisco, but we have more sun here and it’s warmer.”
 With an average annual temperature of
a pleasant 68 degrees, “this is the California experience people expect,” she says, “with
sun, views, fine dining…”
And it’s safe, she comments. “It’s the safest large county in the state of California.”
Add three large convention sites and more than 15,000 hotel rooms, plus recreational activities such as hiking, biking, horseback riding, whale watching and golfing, and San Mateo makes an ideal Northern California meeting spot.
 
BAYSIDE (EASTERN SAN MATEO COUNTY)  t
The county has many upscale residential enclaves that are essentially bedroom communities for San Francisco, among them Atherton and Hillsborough. Its business hubs are suburban in nature and share some of the same history, from Spanish territorial roots to refuge for 1906 earthquake victims or sun-seeking San Franciscans.
Burlingame, for instance, was once a part of a large Spanish land grant. Today its shady streets and many restored Victorian homes are remnants of a time when wealthy San Franciscans were searching for good weather for their second home. Play a round of golf at Crystal Springs Golf Course (playcrystalsprings.com), an 18-hole public course with vistas of the Coast Range and the Crystal Springs Reservoir, or take a fun side trip to the quirky Pez Museum and Store (burlingamepezmuseum.com)—remember those plastic cartoon-character dispensers and sweet/sour candy bricks?
A huge claim to fame for the city of San Mateo is Coyote Point Museum (coyoteptmuseum.com), one of the state’s premier natural history museums and wildlife centers, which hosts meetings and outdoor events. Also well-known is Bay Meadows (baymeadows.com), a popular Thoroughbred horse-racing track.
Redwood City, the county seat, earned its name from the time the city was the port for shipping redwoods cut from nearby forests to San Francisco during the Gold Rush. The San Mateo County History Museum (sanmateohistory.com) can accommodate meetings of up to 20 in its rotunda. A network of lagoons meanders through the area, where you’ll often find dragon boat races and Stanford University rowers practicing their synchronized strokes.
Speaking of Stanford, it’s hard to mention Menlo Park without also mentioning its close proximity to the university (it’s also adjacent
to the Stanford Shopping Center; stanfordshop.com). If you’ve got train buffs in your group, be sure to check out the train station—the oldest continually operating train station in California.
Heading west toward the ocean on Highway 84 you’ll discover Woodside, a wealthy small town (think dot-com billionaires) that retains its rural character thanks to thickly forested, rolling hills and many horse ranches. Join the throngs of neon-garbed cyclists on the scenic, if sometimes challenging, roads or pop into the Woodside Store (sanmateohistory.com), a restored relic that’s now a museum. Also worth a stop is Buck’s, a “locals” restaurant famous as the site of many VC investment deals.

COASTSIDE (HALF MOON BAY)  t
At the end of curvy Highway 84 is the San Mateo coast and the city of Half Moon Bay, where a pretty downtown is surrounded by sprawling fields growing flowers, Christmas trees, artichokes and seemingly endless acres of pumpkins. The annual Art and Pumpkin Festival (miramarevents.com) in October draws 250,000 visitors in one weekend for its colorful bounty, food, art and music. This year’s festival will be held October 14–15.
In Half Moon Bay, says Michele McGrath, director of sales and marketing for the Half Moon Bay Coastside Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau (halfmoonbaychamber.org), “you can experience high quality and yet be away from the city. It’s a little bit country,
with some four-stars in between.”
Several smaller towns dot the fringe of the nearby coast, from Montara to the north and Pescadero to the south. The 1875 Point Montara Lighthouse (parks.ca.gov), one of two in this area (the other is Pigeon Point),
is adjacent to the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve (co.sanmateo.ca.us/smc/department), which has one of the best tidepool habitats in Northern California.
Not far from both is Mavericks, the infamous surf break where the world’s best surfers compete each winter on monster waves. Dates depend on the surf—and the invitations go out worldwide. (If you didn’t get one, it wasn’t lost in the mail.)
Also nearby is Año Nuevo State Reserve (parks.ca.gov), the largest elephant seal rookery in the country. These huge animals can be viewed (carefully, guided by docents during mating season, December—March) year-round.
A good mix of brew pubs, bistros, bars and restaurants add to the coastside ambience, the perfect antidote to a day of meetings, as is a day spent riding horses on the beach (Sea Horse Ranch; horserentals.com/seahorse)
or whale watching (Riptide Sportfishing;
riptide.net), or golfing. There’s links-style
play on two courses (halfmoonbaygolf.com) adjacent to The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay (ritzcarlton.com), an exceptional
destination in itself.

CONFERENCE AND MEETING VENUES
Along with its hotel properties, San Mateo has three major meetings and event venues. The South San Francisco Conference Center (ssfconf.com), located just one mile north of SFO, is a full-service venue that has a four-story atrium and a 6,300-square-foot lobby. It counts among its 16,500 square
feet of function space the Grand Ballroom, which can be divided into ten meeting rooms, and the Baden Room, which can be divided into two rooms. They offer special prices for local accommodations.
In Daly City, on the southern edge of San Francisco, the Cow Palace (cowpalace.com) has a whopping 300,000 sq. ft. of flexible exhibit space and arena seating for up to 16,500. This venue is home to the popular Grand National Rodeo (its raison d’etre), rock concerts and many SMERF gatherings.
The third, San Mateo County Event Center (sanmateoexpo.com) in San Mateo, has undergone numerous improvements to
its grounds and facilities, including upgrades to its technology. The 48-acre property
(formerly known as the San Mateo County
Expo Center) has seven halls, ranging from 6,500 to 105,000 sq. ft. Parking for 4,000
is available.

UNIQUE MEETING VENUES
If you’re looking for “unique,” San Mateo County encompasses many interesting and
fun sites, both inland and on the coast.
See your group’s name in lights on the marquee of the classic, restored Fox Theater (foxdream.com) in Redwood City, which makes a fun alternative for presentations, product launches and receptions. Built in 1928 as a vaudeville and movie house, it can host up to 1,400 in its combined event space, which includes the elaborate lobby, plus the 948-seat auditorium and its mezzanine and balcony.
Two notable estates put your group in the center of the county’s elegant past. Ralston Hall (ralstonhall.com) in Belmont, now part of Notre Dame de Namur University, was one of the lavish country homes built by San Francisco’s early financial kingpins in the 1870s. The mansion was designed similar to an Italian villa, but with elements of interest even to modern-day meeting professionals, such as doors that slide sideways, up into walls or open flat, to allow an unimpeded flow throughout the guest area.
A second option is Filoli (filoli.org), an elegant, former private estate in Woodside with 16 acres of formal gardens. The main meeting space, an auditorium that can be divided into three rooms, can accommodate up to 200 people. Outdoor lunches, also for up to 200, are available from May through September. Guided tours of the Georgian Revival house and the gorgeous gardens can be arranged.
For a taste of old California, try the Allied Arts Guild (alliedartsguild.com) in Menlo Park. Set among seasonal gardens, the 1929 Spanish Colonial-style center houses open artists’ studios and shops, plus a restaurant. Available for day meetings of up to 100, the Guild operates as a benefit for the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.
Located just five miles south of SFO is Coyote Point Museum for Environmental Education (coyoteptmuseum.org), in San Mateo. This bayside facility has several indoor venues: the Concourse, especially nice for evening receptions, with 2,800 sq. ft. and views of the bay; the Environmental Hall, whose 8,000 sq. ft. include interactive exhibits, and a small theater and meeting room. Garden areas are also available.
It’s no surprise to find wineries among
the county’s most popular meetings venues. Known for its award-winning wines, Thomas Fogarty Winery and Vineyards (fogartywinery.com) also draws meeting groups with its spectacular hillside location in Woodside.
The events facility, with panoramic views,
can accommodate up to 220.
New to the county is Domenico Wines (domenicowines.com) in San Carlos, which hosts group events in its tasting room. Have a guided wine tasting here, or for groups of 24, participate in a hands-on wine bottling event (you can also create a custom label).
On the coast, surrounded by rolling hills and rugged bluffs, Costanoa Lodge and Camp (costanoa.com) settles you into a pristine natural area with an elegant lodge or, also elegant but more rustic tent cabins, plus 1,600 sq. ft. of meeting space. Nature hikes, team-building scavenger hunts, horseback riding and kayaking get you “out of the box.”
A satellite of the University of California, Davis, the Richard J. Elkus Ranch (cesanmateo.ucdavis.edu), on the coast in Half Moon Bay, provides outdoor environmental education programs for children in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Its barn-shaped, 4,400-square-foot conference center is available for outside groups of up to 120 for day meetings. There’s also a board room for ten and a ranch house hosting up to 20.
And, for something completely different, suggests Half Moon Bay’s McGrath, there’s the Long Branch Saloon and Farm (longbranchfarms.net), only minutes from Highway 1 in Half Moon Bay. Constructed partially from the western-town movie set of The Quick and the Dead, the year-old corporate event site can host groups up to 300, with western entertainment, barbecues (catering on-site) and fun. Learn how to lasso like a real cowboy, or try a chili cook-off for a fun team-building experience. Later, kick back in the saloon with some live music and a frosty long-neck, then kick up your heels.

THEY’LL BE BACK
San Mateo County CVB president Anne LeClair is confident about her area’s desirability for meetings. “When we get a planner to come and see the area—this beautiful, well-kept secret—they love it,” she says. “Give us a shot!”  Back to Top

Getting There

• This one’s easy. San Mateo County borders San Francisco International Airport (www.flysfo.com), which is served by 29 domestic and international airlines. • If you’re staying along the county’s eastern corridor off Highway 101 or 280, there’s no need for a rental car. The area is well-served by BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit; bart.org), which also connects with SFO; plus CalTrain (caltrain.com) and SamTrans (samtrans.com), local commuter rail and bus service into San Francisco. Back to Top

Not To Be Missed

• Año Nuevo State Reserve, on the coast, where elephant seals return to mate and raise their young. Docent-guided tours will bring you close to these huge pinnipeds, once nearly extinct.

• Oceanside golf at Half Moon Bay Links (halfmoonbaygolf.com; two world-class, public courses: the original Links course and the newer Ocean Course, located adjacent to The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay).

• 1872 Pigeon Point Lighthouse in Pescadero (parks.ca.gov), an operating light (and hostel) and a great viewpoint.

• Hiller Aviation Museum (hiller.org) in San Carlos, where your “top guns” will enjoy the wide array of restored aircraft, models, interactive displays and multimedia presentation (it’ll also hold group events up to 820).

• The house and garden tour at Filoli (from mid-February through late October; filoli.org) in Woodside, which showcases an exceptional example of Willis Polk architecture and both formal and natural gardens reminiscent of the “Golden Age of American Gardens.” Back to Top