Destination: Anaheim/Orange County Meeting & Event Planning City Guide
Featured Venue
Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa
25135 Park Lantern, Dana Point, California, 92629
362
50,000 sq ft
Located above the Dana Point Harbor; walking distance to dining and activities.
Destination Articles
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Catching up with Southern California
By Nikki Gloudeman
December 31, 2012
Setting trends is second nature to Southern California, a region consistently in the throes of buzz-generating new development. Planners who have never booked in this inspired region of the country will find the fresh inventory enticing; those who have booked here, even frequently, will be pleased that the meetings product rarely feels stale.
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The OC's Top 21 Outdoor Spaces
By Jessie Fetterling
August 30, 2012
Just south of Los Angeles, Orange County may be one of the most recognized counties in the U.S., with its real housewives and teenage melodramas on primetime TV. However, Hollywood charm takes the backseat when it comes to attracting tourists to these beach towns set along the Pacific Ocean. Whether your group wants to experience a laid-back surfer vibe, an artsy enclave or a piece of history, the OC has it all. Plus, with an average temperature of 70 degrees, planners can flirt with the idea of meeting outside, no matter the season. That’s why Smart Meetings put together a city-by-city rundown of the area’s top outdoor spaces. While the OC has many to explore, these 21 gems merge sunshine and a welcoming ambience that simply can’t be caught on film.
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Orange County With a Side of Art
By Josef Aukee
February 28, 2012
Formerly an agricultural region wedged between Los Angeles County to the north and San Diego County to the south, booming Orange County is many things to many people: beach bum original chic, L.A. sprawl gone mad, family holiday extravaganza and wealthy oceanside retreat. Truth is this once homogeneous county is a multicultural mix filled with enticing attractions, which includes marquee-name theme parks and deluxe meeting hotels and resorts to suit any group’s fancy. It may be urban in parts rather than suburban, but don’t expect much in the way of a high-rise downtown. Anaheim plays anchor to Disney’s dramatic footprint and the sparkling Anaheim Convention Center. The Pacific Coast Highway winds through the primary oceanside towns of Huntington Beach, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. And much fun and function is to be found inland at the facilities and resorts that dot the communities from Costa Mesa to Irvine.
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The United Nations of California
By Sandi Cain
December 28, 2011
California is well known for its Spanish and Mexican heritage, but it also boasts roughly 70 other ethnicities, reflected in delightful museums, restaurants and cultural centers throughout the state.
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Capital of Cool
By Sandi Cain
August 29, 2011
Once an afterthought to Los Angeles, Orange County has come into its own in the 21st century as the capital of cool, at least as related to surfing and the beach. It’s home to surf-fashion giants such as Quiksilver and Roxy, and it’s the place where surfing legends like Hobie Alter and Corky Carroll made their names. The real OC has 42 miles of coastline with sparkling beaches, top-rated coastal resorts and a user-friendly airport that makes travel easy for OC-bound groups.
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Only in California
By Nikki Gloudeman
February 28, 2011
Palm trees. Surfers. Disneyland. Dazzling vistas of the Pacific Ocean. Never-ending sunshine.
Learn about Anaheim/Orange County for Event Venues, Services & Meeting Destinations
Destination Description
Smart Stats:
Number of Meetings Hotels: 77
Total Hotel Rooms: 15,492
Number of Special Events Venues: 13
Local Convention Centers: Anaheim Convention Center
Local Airports: John Wayne Airport
Local CVB: Anaheim Visitors and Convention Bureau, Anaheim CVB, Costa Mesa CVB, Huntington Beach CVB
Smart Snapshot:
South of Los Angeles, and with just as much cachet, is Orange County, most recently famed for its starring role on Bravo TV’s reality show The Real Housewives of Orange County, a second act, so to speak, for the uber-popular sitcom, The O.C.
Aside from its TV fame, Orange County encompasses multiple destinations that are suited for meetings. Cities of note include Irvine, which is surrounded by shopping, several championship golf courses, beaches and protected wilderness areas, and Anaheim, home of the Disneyland Resort. Finding fun in Orange County isn’t a complicated task with Mickey Mouse at the ready, but a (much) lesser-known example of pop culture is the City of Fullerton Museum. See how dinosaurs (often Hollywood’s biggest stars) have come to life on the big screen over the years or explore the pop and counterculture movements of the 1960s.
Having fostered numerous popular musical groups, Anaheim is yet another picturesque, quintessential beachside town. Offering sexy nightlife, unbeatable watersports, and a no shorts, no shoes, no problem type of aesthetic, Anaheim is a great way to add a little casual to your next conference.
