San Diego seduces visitors with its balmy, sunny weather—a daytime high of 68 degrees in winter and 78 degrees in summer (40s to mid 60s at night). That may be the first of the city’s attractions for meeting planners, followed by an infrastructure that supports group business with a state-of-the-art convention center, an easily accessible airport (really accessible, as it’s also right downtown) and hotel properties that offer plenty of event space and breakouts, many within walking distance of the convention center.

They fringe a big, beautiful bay that, surprisingly, is also a dynamic working port. And it’s this port that was the focus of a recent press trip I attended, hosted by the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Unified Port of San Diego. What an eye opener (the point of first-hand visits)!  For planners, the area has myriad opportunities for meeting venues and intriguing off-sites.

The San Diego harbor
   The San Diego harbor.

All manner of ferries, water taxis, fishing boats, sightseeing and whale-watching boats and other watercraft (not to mention cruise ships) dock on the bay. The Navy has a huge presence in San Diego, and seeing the imposing ships en route or in dry-dock is a timely reminder of their service.

The waterfront is also home to Seaport Village, a dining and retail complex, the USS Midway aircraft carrier museum and the Maritime Museum of San Diego, a collection of historic ships, including the Star of India, the steam ferry Berkeley and the B-39, a Russian submarine, among others. All are available for tours, and both the Midway and Berkeley can host groups for receptions, dinners and other events.

The flight deck of the Midway
  The flight deck of the Midway.

Our host hotel was the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, a new convention hotel that’s as sleek as the yachts that also sail the bay. It totals 1,190 guest rooms and more than 165,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, and is located only steps from the convention center and the Gaslamp District.

But downtown isn’t the only bay option for groups. Tony Coronado Island, only a quick ride over the Coronado Bridge, is where you’ll find the Loews Coronado Bay Resort & Spa, an elegant California-Mediterranean property with 440 guest rooms, 65,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, a spa and Mistral, its signature, sustainably-focused restaurant.

San Diego Gondola Ride
  Our sunset Gondola cruise (photo courtesy of Peter Lowy).

And if you want a real treat for your small group (or VIPs), the hotel can arrange gondola rides (complete with singing gondoliers) through the Coronado Cays, another—unexpected—watercraft experience. You can rent one or any number of the fleet (for up to 44 passengers) for sunset excursions or create-your-own regattas.

If your group is more nature-minded, the South Bay is home to the Chula Vista Nature Center, showcasing the geology, ecology and natural history of the area’s wetlands. You can also host events here, complemented by educational opportunities presented by docents.

All too soon, it seemed, the trip to sunny San Diego was over and the journalists were returning to their homes in Boston, Chicago, Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Vancouver—snow-covered or rain-dampened places where the wind-chill factor was bone-numbing. The most overheard remark when it was time to leave? “Do we have to?”