The opening of several new hotels and Downtown Disney in Orange County has left meeting planners with a wider variety of choices for meetings, banquets and special event parties. Throw in remodeled hotels and projects under construction that are slated to open this year, and event planners could find they never need to leave OC again.
That, of course, is the hope of tourism officials here, who hope to lure more visitors to the county for longer stays and convince local corporate business to stay close to home. Up to now, about a third of the people who come here to visit Disneyland don’t stay in Orange County, but that’s expected to change with the opening of California Adventure Feb. 8. The park also is expected to be a factor in attracting more meetings and convention business to OC.
“Disney can be a tremendous attraction to some (conventions),” said Doug Ducate, president and chief executive of the Chicago-based Center for Exhibition Industry Research. Ducate said a Disney presence can bring a different character to meetings, with attendees more willing to bring their families along and stay longer than they otherwise might.
Larry Linkin, president and chief executive of the National Association of Music Merchants, which brought about 65,000 people to Anaheim last week, said new entertainment options like Downtown Disney would be welcome additions for delegates.
“It will be great for our people and they won’t have to go so far (as in the past),” he said before the convention.
About 40 million people visited OC in 2000, a figure expected to increase to almost 42 million this year. Convention bookings are up (see related story, page 16), Disney’s California Adventure is expected to draw 7 million visitors in its first year and all indications are that tourism numbers and spending will be strong, despite a softening of the economy. Projections for growth in OC range from 4% to 10% for 2001.
Those rosy projections haven’t been lost on developers and hoteliers, who have scrambled to bring projects on line to take advantage of the expected growth despite tight financial markets. Existing venues, faced with increased competition, have been remodeling or adding perks to their meetings packages, too.
Following are some of the new spaces (besides the Convention Center) that are available for group use.
Hotels
—Crowne Plaza Resort, Garden Grove: This newcomer has 28,000 square feet of space with two ballrooms, liberal prefunction space and a poolside patio that can accommodate 500 for an outdoor reception. Designed with a hacienda theme, the hotel also has a chapel on the mezzanine level that can hold up to 86 for weddings. The ballrooms can be divided into two or three smaller rooms, and there are three comfortable board-size rooms near the Mazatlan ballroom. In addition, the Copa de Oro Restaurant & Margarita Bar has almost 5,000 square feet of space for a casual reception. The hotel is a mile from the Convention Center and Disneyland, at the corner of Harbor Boulevard and Chapman Avenue, across from the Hyatt Regency Alicante, which is undergoing its own expansion that will bring its meeting space to 55,000 square feet.
Crowne Plaza director of sales Catherine Rad said group bookings have been strong and have included groups from last week’s NAMM convention, religious groups, medical seminars and corporate seminars for pharmaceutical companies.
—Grand Californian, Anaheim: On the grounds of Disney’s California Adventure, this hotel officially opened Jan. 2, but hosted several events in its 20,000 square feet of meeting space before that, including the Ducks in Tux charity event, the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau’s installation dinner, Isuzu Corp., Sav-On Drugs and the UCLA Tourism Outlook Conference.
Donna Sue Davis, Disneyland’s director of resort sales and services, said the hotel is going after corporate and incentive groups to fill its space. Upcoming groups will include the Society of American Travel Writers, which arrives later this week, the Optical Society of America, Union Bank of California, and a host of others.
The hotel’s Craftsman-style architecture and interior design aims to create the feel of a remote forest hunting lodge. It’s the first Disney-designed hotel on the West Coast and the first Disney hotel inside a theme park.
Davis, who has 30 years of meeting planning experience, helped design the features of the meetings area. The hotel has a separate entrance for conventioneers, enabling them to check in to the hotel and meeting simultaneously at one of two four-station registration areas. A 125-square-foot meeting planner’s office and dedicated storeroom are nearby and at the planner’s disposal for the duration of an event, and a convention service manager can be assigned to each event to assist with planning details.
The 12,000-square-foot Sequoia ballroom has 22-foot ceilings and one-of-a-kind chandeliers and is divisible into eight areas. Seven breakout rooms have their own outdoor patios, and there is a central courtyard that is also available for private functions.
A separate 1,300-square-foot board room has its own pre-function area, phone booths, restrooms and storage area and full audio-visual services. A buffet area is at the back of the room.
Meeting attendees can exit directly from the convention area to Downtown Disney; all hotel guests have their own entry into California Adventure.
—Palm Garden at Four Seasons Hotel, Newport Beach: The former Twin Palms restaurant was transformed into this 10,000-square-foot meeting, banquet and reception building in a $2.5 million renovation. It opened in the fall, and will accommodate up to 500 guests for special events. The renovated building includes a permanent stage, gourmet kitchen and oversize rear doors that allow for product launches and car shows. Events are catered by the Four Seasons. n Pacific Promenade at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel: a 4,000-square-foot ballroom opened last summer on the resort’s Monarch Lawn. It features a full kitchen, restrooms, telephones and a reception area and can be divided into three sections.
The building has been used mainly for social events, including weddings, fundraisers and bar mitzvas, though corporate meetings have been part of the mix, according to director of public relations Lisa Poppen.
Downtown Disney
The most recent hot action has been at the 300,000-square-foot Downtown Disney, which opened to the public Jan. 12. A retail, dining and entertainment area between the two Disney theme parks, it would not appear at first glance to be a place where group events would be de rigueur. But inquiries about group options have been brisk, with some of the newly opened,and yet-to-open,businesses already talking about Christmas business. Here are a few samples of group meeting and banquet options at OC’s newest entertainment district.
—ESPN Zone: Not just another sports bar, ESPN Zone is a full restaurant and entertainment venue that caters to virtual-reality game enthusiasts, hardcore sports fans and families all in the same breath. But the 36,000-square-foot, two-story building isn’t just for sports fans,though about 200 of those were lined up as early as 7 a.m. for the NFL championship games on the restaurant’s first full weekend open to the public.
ESPN Zone is the new production home of the “Up Close” sports interview show and the part-time home of ESPN radio jocks Joe McDonnell and Doug Krikorian (see the report on page 46).
Randall Baumberger, vice president and general manager for ESPN Zone, calls it a “3-D extension of the ESPN experience.” Officials say less than 30% of ESPN Zone’s business comes primarily to watch a sports event, and about 50% is repeat business.
But the facility can also be rented,in full or in part,for up to 1,700 people for private events. Director of sales Don Gross said the Anaheim restaurant already has fielded inquiries for events into summer.
The Anaheim building is ESPN Zone’s sixth restaurant, the first on the West Coast, and the first on a Disney property or inside one of its amusement parks.
The Zone is divided primarily into the Studio Grill, Screening Room and Sports Arena. The Studio Grill, the main dining area on normal business days, can handle up to 325 for a reception.
The Screening Room, where the centerpiece is a 16-foot TV screen surrounded by 16 smaller monitors, has its own bar area and can hold 200 for a reception. Off the Screening Room is the exclusive Bristol Suite, which has glass paneled doors that can be closed off for privacy while still providing all the viewing access and amenities to the room. The suite has its own video and audio control panel and regular dining room service can be provided. Another, smaller suite called the Skybox holds up to 10 people and is well suited for a VIP reception or private meeting.
For more casual events, planners can seat up to 60 at the outdoor patio,or rent out the 10,000-square-foot Sports Arena for an evening of fun and interactive games that include a 30-foot “glacier climb,” hockey, basketball, bowling, football and even fishing.
n Y Arriba! Y Arriba!: A new Latin dinner theater concept, it won’t open until Feb. 1, but already has fielded inquiries for parties as far out as December. Buyouts for the second floor or for the whole restaurant are available. David Klein, president of the company, said four such buyouts were already in the works.
“We’ve probably had 15 to 20 calls already about private parties,” said Klein.
The new concept is backed by the Cachaldora/Currais family famous for their Club Tropigala in Miami Beach. Another partner in the venture is Pat McBride, whose credits include Caf & #233; Tu Tu Tango and Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.
The 18,000-square-foot dinner theater at Downtown Disney has some unique features that have the potential to make it attractive for corporate parties and special events. The venue has its own musicians and dancers (who were rehearsing at corporate headquarters off Katella Avenue in Anaheim early this month) and designs its shows to be interactive with the audience. The seating arrangement puts everyone close to the performers, and there is a distinctive fiberglass dancer above the stage. The outdoor patio provides some of the best views in Downtown Disney and has its own solid brass bar for patrons.
—AMC Theatres: The AMC 12 at Downtown Disney has 60,000 square feet of theater space, but movies aren’t the only thing it has going for it. Designed in a style reminiscent of old Hollywood, the theaters incorporate art deco interiors and an open-air arboretum-style dome over its entry plaza. But it’s also available for private screenings and meetings. Groups needing special sound or film presentations can take advantage of AMC’s digital sound and THX film technology. Requests for group bookings are handled by the general manager on a case-by-case basis.
California Adventure
—Hyperion Theater: Found in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot section of California Adventure, the 2,000-seat theater is designed in the style and size of the Hollywood movie houses of yesteryear. When the theme park opens, the theater will be home to “Steps in Time,” a 30-minute tribute to Disney musicals through the ages that will be presented 10 times daily.
This is the first live-stage theater inside a Disney park; it can handle two productions simultaneously and is likely to house special events as well as the regularly scheduled productions. Its dramatic stage, balcony seating and special boxes would easily lend themselves to awards shows.
Though the theater will most likely be devoted to Disney productions during the first year of the park’s operation, it will be available for some private parties in the future.
—Golden Vine Winery: At the base of Grizzly Peak, this is a mission-style building that includes a wine-tasting facility and a gourmet restaurant, the first time alcohol has been offered to the public inside a Disney park. The winery is sponsored by Robert Mondavi Wines, which also designed the restaurant.
A limited number of private receptions can be arranged, according to general manager Jonathon Smiga.
The main dining room, dubbed the Vineyard Room, encompasses 2,000 square feet; the downstairs plaza patio can hold up to 250. The Vineyard Room will offer private wine and dine seminars for up to eight guests hosted by an onsite wine ambassador.
Farther Afield
—SMG Sun Theatre
Since last summer, this concert venue, once known as Tinseltown, has added a special VIP room to its mix of dinner, concert and meetings options. The VIP room holds up to 150 guests for lunches, dinners, or receptions. It’s big enough that a grand piano or other musical equipment can be brought in for entertainment, but small enough to be cozy,or private.
The Sun sells memberships, including corporate memberships that entitle companies to one use of the VIP room per year without additional facility charges, according to Kelly Pond, who oversees bookings for the room.
The Sun also can rent out the entire building for up to 1,800 people. Last year, it had about $1 million in group bookings. Corporate groups from Toyota, Nextel and Deloitte and Touche were among those clients. n
