Purse strings may be tightening on budgets for corporate meetings, but companies are still planning off-site strategy sessions, sales team rewards and teambuilding events.
But they are doing it on the cheap, which means they are staying closer to home.
Luckily, in Southern California there are a lot of places within driving distance that feel like destination retreats.
“Expenses and airfares are hot button issues,” said Robb Thornsberry, president of Infinity Events in Anaheim. “Clients are looking more locally or holding meetings back to back in the same location to avoid extra travel.”
Thornsberry tells clients to look for unique experiences in their own backyards as a way to reward employees: VIP access to local celebrity events, backstage passes at a concert or one-on-one opportunities to meet with celebrities.
“It’s all about giving them something the public doesn’t have access to,” he said.
Lili Shadab, chief executive of Elite Productions International in Laguna Niguel, agreed that clients are cautious about spending.
One local Elite client held meetings in Cabo San Lucas and Hawaii during 2006 and 2007. This year, the program was in Laguna Beach to cut down on traveling expenses, Shadab said.
“They rented two houses on the beach to control the environment for a feng shui theme,” she said.
Business Component
To allay any corporate concerns about having incentive trips during tough economic times, some companies are adding a business component to such trips.
Thales-Raytheon Systems Co.’s parent company, Raytheon Co. in Arlington, Va., twice has used the beachfront Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach for a 350-person business development group event that included international and domestic attendees.
“We chose it for the conference center and breakout rooms,” Maurita Williams, Raytheon’s special events manager said.
Because the meeting focuses on global strategy, Williams said it doesn’t have any programmed social component.
“We’re all trying to be prudent in how we do meetings in the current environment,” she said. “We’re not going to spend money on flowers.”
Marcia Willett, senior director of corporate events for Santa Ana-based Ingram Micro Inc., said Ingram’s budgets haven’t been slashed yet, but controlling costs through the use of regional meeting locations is standard practice.
They’ve taken incentive groups to the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa, Balboa Bay Club and Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach, with positive feedback.
Thales-Raytheon in Fullerton is challenged to find regional venues that are intriguing to international attendees and still handy to company offices. For one French leadership team visit, Ree Taylor, manager of customer relations, is looking at a program that would include bowling at Lucky Strike Lanes at The Block at Orange followed by a more formal dinner at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda.
To some extent, regional companies crisscross Southern California for getaways. Coastal resorts in Orange County get groups from San Diego and Los Angeles; OC groups may head to Santa Monica, Santa Barbara or Lake Arrowhead.
“Southern California is about what people can do on or near a beach,” said Mark Lorimer of Eventive Group in Long Beach.
His client base is 80% to 85% corporate meetings. He also has used the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort in Huntington Beach and the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach.
He’s created bike riding tours along the beach path in Huntington Beach and in South County between the St. Regis in Dana Point and Montage Resort & Spa in Laguna Beach.
In Los Angeles, he’s turned Beverly Hills/Century City events into Hollywood themes with bus tours of celebrity homes.
“It’s quirky, but people don’t stop loving them,” he said. He’s also staged a celebrity spotting contest on Rodeo Drive.
“Always add a twist that targets the personality of your group,” Lorimer said.
In Southern California, Newport Beach-based Broughton Hospitality Group,a boutique hotel management company that typically targets the leisure market for its hotels,has combined a gas incentive with a “cruise the coast” theme that features four hotels in Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, Solvang and San Simeon, each of which has its own must-do activities. Small incentive groups or those focused on individual itineraries could hold a meeting at one and then move on to another for a recreation component.
“You could build in wine tours, spas or golf,” said Steve Buckler, vice president of marketing for Broughton Hospitality. “It plays to the trend of customizing.”
Pacific Palms in City of Industry is another all-in-one resort where a group can drive in, kick back and enjoy golf, spa, pools, expansive meeting space, several new restaurants and a special event area for groups.
At the soon-to-open Resort at Pelican Hill, companies will be able to rent an entire villa for a day or week for special occasions.
Elite’s Shadab sometimes uses hotels like the Westin South Coast Plaza or Wyndham Orange County in Costa Mesa for meet-ings and includes spouse programs at South Coast Plaza,complete with private fashion shows.
Locals may be jaded by the idea of a harbor cruise, but visitors still enjoy them.
If business travelers seek a taste of Disney while in OC, Thornsberry of Infinity Events recommends a reception or dinner at Stage 17 in Disney’s California Adventure, which also can include private use of part of the park after hours.
Disney also offers a Disney Institute at its original theme park in Anaheim with business training and teambuilding exercises.
At one Institute program offered in May, attendees came from as far away as Japan and from a variety of industries and government organizations. Costco Wholesale Corp., Ingram Micro Inc. and the Transportation Security Administration were there, as were several healthcare providers.
Dianne Cox, vice president of human resources at Redlands Community Hospital, said her group attended because it wanted to promote leadership among its employees and ultimately improve customer satisfaction.
“We took the best of what we heard and now consider it a new way of life for us,” she said.
Other Unique Venues
– StaRRanch
Whether you want to get away for a day or a week, an Old West experience awaits at StaRRanch on a hilltop in Santa Ana Canyon. Here your group can watch a rodeo or Indian dancers or bond with the resident buffalo. Conventioneers can come out for a social program at the Old West Saloon, or schedule skeet shooting and a steak dinner. Teambuilding programs can be arranged on site or planners can bring their own ideas for a shoot ’em up saloon brawl or mariachi entertainment. The ranch can accommodate up to 300 people comfortably. It is operated by Phoenix-based Western Destinations, which has similar Old West towns in Arizona.
– House of Blues, Downtown Disney
Hardly an obscure venue for concerts, it’s sometimes overlooked for group events. The music hall is available for product launches, movie release parties, convention groups and client appreciation events. Custom menus and meals are available, including those that are alcohol-free. Groups can book breakfast, lunch, dinner or the traditional Sunday gospel brunch.
– Rancho Las Lomas
Tucked within Silverado Canyon, this private estate is close to Irvine and Newport Beach. Because 75% of its group business is weekend weddings, the estate typically can be booked on short notice for weekday retreats or teambuilding. Saddleback Church and the Building Industry Association are among its clients.
“People are tired of hotel banquet rooms and want to stimulate attendees,” said Nili Stevens, director of sales for the estate. Up to 250 people can fit comfortably indoors and 400 can fit outside. There’s on-site catering and a meeting coordinator. Guests may visit its zoo and botanical gardens or stage a presentation in the open-air Teatro.
– Mission Inn, Riverside
The historic Mission Inn in down-town Riverside is a unique place for off-site meetings and events. Director of Sales Nicole Newman said they’ve seen an uptick in queries from local businesses for board retreats and meetings.
“They may have gone elsewhere before and now are staying local without looking cheap,” Newman said.
Some of that business comes from Los Angeles and OC. Many add extra events or play off the hotel’s history for special themed events. A tour of the catacombs is almost a must-do.
– Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort
Another option for longer getaways is the Alisal Guest Ranch and Resort near Santa Barbara. Here your guests can test their ability to truly get away, as there are no TVs or phones (or much cell reception) in the 73 guest cottages. Cottages do have other amenities like fireplaces, refrigerators and coffeemakers. The 10,000-acre ranch has 50 miles of riding trails, two golf courses, a teambuilding ropes course, fly fishing, canoeing, kayaking, a rodeo arena and resort staff can arrange square dancing or line dancing lessons.
