Meet in San Diego
Surprising in many ways, this bayside city has a rich history and plenty of eventful potential
Surprising in many ways, this bayside city has a rich history and plenty of eventful potential
California is a land of highprofile contrasts. San Francisco has its famous Golden Gate; Los Angeles has the Hollywood Hills and Santa Monica Pier. So it may surprise you to find San Diego is called“the birthplace of California.”
It happened this way: in 1769 Father Junipero Serra chose a hill overlooking the San Diego River to establish the first permanent European settlement in California. The Mission was originally built next to the Spanish fort called the Presidio, what is called Old Town San Diego today. It was here that Father Serra built the first of the 21 Missions that anchored the development of California for Spain.
The area later become a territory of Mexico, then after the Mexican-American War, was ceded to the United States. The new territory gave birth to the states of California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah. In 1850 California was granted statehood, the same year San Diego was incorporated. For decades thereafter, San Diego was a quiet backwater by the bay until a spike of growth in 1880, sparked by the opening of several military facilities.
That spike turned into a full-fledged boom during and after WWII. Today, San Diego’s 107,000 employees in military operations account for $12.4 billion of the region’s economy, according to the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation. Of the nation’s top 25 largest metro areas, San Diego enjoys a comfortable first-place position in military payroll. Even the Pentagon, headquartered Washington, DC ranks second to San Diego, with 39,000 fewer employees than San Diego’s military economy.
However, in recent years San Diego has gradually supplemented its focus on military spending, turning to high-tech industries to become one of the nation’s leaders in game-changing innovation, with groundbreaking developments in the cleantech, life sciences and information and communications technology. Now, these industries together generate more economic activity than the military, which remains firmly in second place.
The bayside city’s third largest meal ticket is revenue from the area’s mighty meetings and tourism industry. The numbers include over 32 million area visitors in 2012, with 16.1 million overnight visitors, resulting in a contribution of $8 billion spread throughout its diverse neighborhoods spanning from the ocean side to the mountains, a melding of parks and urban vistas in between.
With 11,000 hotel rooms to anchor the stunning 2.6 million-square-foot downtown convention center, the city expects to host nearly 600,000 attendees this year generating more than $1.6 billion in regional economic impact. The center is located in the Marina district of downtown San Diego near the Gaslamp Quarter next to the bay. The center’s architecture is marked by the Sails Pavilion, a striking 90,000 square-foot exhibit and special event space intended to reflect San Diego’s maritime history.
The Spirit of San Diego
Ask nearly any meetings and conventions specialists and San Diego will come up as a top five to 10 favorite for attendees. This despite the limitations of the city’s airport, which is the busiest single-runway airport in the country.
San Diego International Airport (SAN) is also known as Lindbergh Field, after aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh, who in 1927, came to San Diego and commissioned Ryan Airlines to build an aircraft that would carry him on a historymaking trans-Atlantic flight between New York and Paris. Money talks, and it was in honor of Ryan’s financiers that the finished product, a Model NYP monoplane, was christened“Spirit of St. Louis.”
On May 10, 1927, Lindbergh departed San Diego on his way to St. Louis, the first leg of a journey that would eventually take him on to Paris and down in history. The flight ignited public enthusiasm for aviation around the world, and the citizens of San Diego passed a bond issue the next year to build a municipal airport, to which Lindbergh lent his name.
Today, the airport that bears Lucky Lindy’s name is still located where it was in 1928, a mere 3 miles from downtown. It handles some 600 flights every day on its single east-west runway, and hosts 18 million passengers a year through its three terminals. London, Toronto, Tokyo, Mexico City and a handful of other destination in Mexico are on its flight boards, along with 40-plus US cities.
Interesting options are available to avoid potential congestion at SAN. Although Los Angeles International Airport lies a two-hour drive away to the north along the notorious 405 Freeway, in between the two markets are Long Beach Airport (about 100 miles north of San Diego) and John Wayne Airport (approximately 90 miles away). Particularly if your business is on the north edge of San Diego, time may be on your side if you plan an itinerary that takes you into one of these alternate airports.
The Hotel Scene
As with any top tier destination, the major brands are present, as are some great classics. At the top of the list of the most talked about properties is the nearby beachfront Hotel del Coronado.
HOTEL DEL CORONADO
Since the opening of the doors in 1888, Hotel del Coronado has played host to presidents, royalty, Hollywood’s elite and everyday travelers – and, according to legend, at least a couple of ghosts. The original intent was to create“the talk of the Western world.”Now in it’s 125th year of operation, with the release of a new history book to prove it, it’s mission accomplished. Visit hoteldel.com
RANCHO VALENCIA RESORT & SPA
Relais & Chateaux aficionados will appreciate knowing the fact that the brand’s only Southern California property – Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa, is in San Diego’s Rancho Sante Fe. Fresh on the heels of last fall’s $30 million transformation, the property boasts a dedicated event planning team. The property offers space for 50 up to 180 guests, with the option of booking the 5,000-square-foot“Hacienda,”which received a separate $1 million update of its own. This private space includes a garden for cocktail receptions and gatherings. And since three spaces can be a charm, there’s the“Wine Cave.” This private dining room with its vaulted brick ceiling, 500-pound antique entrance doors and private patio overlooking the Eucalyptus grove is a real show-stealer. Visit ranchovalencia.com
US GRANT HOTEL
History buffs will take delight in the US Grant Hotel, which is located in the heart of downtown San Diego’s hip Gaslamp Quarter. Now part of Starwood’s Luxury Collection of properties, the 270-room landmark was built by Ulysses S. Grant, Jr., in 1922 and named after his father, the Civil War general and former US president. Additional enticements include a $6.5 million art collection of sculptures,
ironwork, murals and paintings, all in celebration of the hotels storied past and modern renaissance.
Jeff Josenhans, the hotel’s award winning director of venues, suggests that guests consider“Sunset on San Diego Bay, a Padres game with a post-game burger at Burger Lounge, followed by post-dinner cocktails at Grant Grill,”inside the US Grant, after a long day of meetings and other events.
The US Grant’s 6,000 square foot Celestial Ballroom has a hand painted vaulted ceiling supported by grand columns that have been intricately restored to the era when the room was a celebrated supper club and speakeasy. “Hand blown Italian glass chandeliers and coordinating wool carpets harmonize with the original Spanish tiles found in the south entry foyer,”explains Mark Higginbotham, director of sales and marketing at the hotel. Visit usgrant.net