Prevue March/April 2013 - (Page 40)

Previous: Disney’s Cars Land theme park Right: Ojai Valley Inn Below: Rancho Valencia It’s no secret that California... is a land of plenty when it comes to the number and variety of activities, attractions and venue options for meetings. After all, with 840 miles of scenic coastline, rugged mountain ranges, fertile valleys, 300+ state/national parks, famous wine regions and world class cities, in a climate that runs from Mediterranean mild to snowy Alpine, there’s something for everyone. But with so many possibilities, delving into all those options can a Pandora’s Box says Gordon Thompson CMP/DMCP, president/CEO of DMC Cappa & Graham in San Francisco. “Sometimes meeting planners get overwhelmed because they didn’t realize the magnitude of the experiences available,” he explains. “California is absolutely unique as a destination. We can do anything here. Just recently I was surfing in Santa Cruz in the morning and was knee deep in snow Friday evening in Tahoe. And how many cities beat San Francisco from a destination point of view?” For meeting planners, a easier approach is to break it down: city experiences on one hand, and countryside resort options on the other. Both are found in abundance in California, often in close proximity to the other. And of course, 40 | prevue magazine combining both urban and outdoor experiences can be as easy as a short bus ride across the Golden Gate Bridge. “Our groups can be sleeping in the Four Seasons in downtown at night, experiencing zero gravity in the morning —a cool and super high-end program—and be in wine country in the evening,” says Thompson. “They can have a once-ina-lifetime experience, and then it gets eclipsed by something else.... Biking across Golden Gate Bridge, having a lunch arranged in Sausalito, taking the ferry back and shopping the fine food shops in the Ferry Building—that makes for an unbelievable day.” He also advises groups to stay where they want to do most of their activities. For those who prefer wine, food or golf, he recommends the resort-friendly Napa Valley. “There are so many wineries and varietals, that you can always enjoy a wine-themed meeting here,” he says. Besides wine tastings, Thompson recommends groups blend their own wines. “Sales people love it because they get to pitch their wine to a panel, and some of these people are very creative, which can be really fun.”

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue March/April 2013

Planner's Pick: Miami
Fresh Meets: Renaissance Hotels
Bureau Buzz: Austin
Good Business: Washington, DC
Sea Shores: Cruising Sweden
Feelin' Good About Incentives
Special Section: California
On Location: JW Marriott Desert Springs
Caribbean & The Bahamas
On Location: U.S. Virgin Islands
On Location: Aruba
On Location: Omni Amelia Island
The South: Best of Golf & Spa
On Location: Fairmont Scottsdale
On Location: W Singapore
Austria
Ireland
On Location: Mexico City
On Location: Starwood Los Cabos
On Location: Universal Orlando
On Location: Villas of Grand Cypress, Orlando
Check Out: Alpina Gstaad, Switzerland
Club Med

Prevue March/April 2013