[ON LOCATION] LAUREL HERMAN
On the occasion of the 2024 PCMA Convening Leaders conference in January, San Diego Tourism Authority rolled out the red carpet for 5,000 attendees, both in person and online, that came together at the San Diego Convention Center for education, networking and collaboration. Prevue got the opportunity to visit the city ahead of the conference to get the intel on the city’s offerings. Says Julie Coker, President and CEO of San Diego Tourism Authority, “San Diego offers the perfect climate for collaboration and creativity. A full recovery was seen in 2023 in the business sector and that was due to meetings and conventions coming back much faster than anticipated. In 2024, we see the momentum continuing. We’re really excited about many developments here, especially about the airport renovation, which will really enhance the attendee experience.”
We got a behind-the-scenes look at San Diego International Airport’s $3.8-billion enhancement to Terminal 1, which will allow for airlift increase with the completion of 19 new gates by September 2025. By 2028, the airport will have 30 new gates and a new Terminal 1, with all the amenities you expect from a modern terminal including tripling the amount of concession space and the addition of two club rooms. This project also will include a new parking plaza and an arrivals roadway. Angela Shafer-Payne, the airport’s Chief Development Officer, explains that there will also be enhancements to Terminal 2 that are expected to start in 2025 for completion in 2029. This will create a total of 61 revitalized gates.
The airport is conveniently located close to downtown so there are no long transfers for attendees. “We are uniquely positioned here as people want to come to San Diego for both meetings and leisure travel,” says Shafer-Payne “We now have 80 nonstop to/from this market of which 72 are U.S. destinations.”
Groups have plenty of accommodation choices, with the downtown area alone offering 46 hotels for a total of 12,200 rooms. Openings and newbuilds include the August 2023 opening of Margaritaville Hotel San Diego Gaslamp Quarter with 235 rooms, the Fairmont Manchester San Diego, slated to open in downtown in 2027, and the Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center in Chula Vista, only eight miles from downtown, set for a summer 2025 opening. Several hotels are also getting spruced up, including the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter ($22.5 million), the Omni San Diego and the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina ($130 million). The latter, located just minutes from the airport and near downtown, will show off the bulk of its renovation this fall, with the facelift for its 600-room Bay Tower set for completion in 2025.
We toured the property during our recent visit and found the renovation of the guest rooms and meeting spaces to be extremely well done. “In our Marina Tower, all of our rooms have balconies and water views, either bay or marina view,” says Sarah Newcomer, the hotel’s Regional Director of Marketing. The 130,000 sf of meeting space is part of the hotel but is laid out in such a way that it does not interfere with the rest of the property’s leisure guests if not a full buyout. The resort has multiple dining venues, with two that are excellent for groups to gather: The signature Rumorosa restaurant, with Cali-Baja-inspired fare that can seat 150 or 200 for a reception with water views; and Brewery X, set to open in August with an outdoor deck. There’s also 20,000 sf of outdoor space including the Eventide Gardens. Newcomer says sustainability efforts include the on property hydrogen cells that power 75 percent of the Marina Tower.
The San Diego Convention Center is celebrating its 35th anniversary, says Clifford “Rip” Rippetoe, the convention center’s President and CEO. “We believe we’re a premier gathering place that provides life-changing events, and we’re constantly looking at ways we can improve our product. For instance, we added water bottle refill stations throughout, and in other sustainability efforts added special containers for recycling.”
Prevue found the convention center ideally located, set in the heart of downtown just across the street from the historic Gaslamp Quarter and Petco Park, plus it’s flanked by the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina and the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel. The convention center, which has over 2.6 million sf of convention space, was the perfect host for the 2024 PCMA Convening Leaders conference, beautifully handling all of the general sessions including the conversation with former President Bill Clinton and the 67th U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the almost 50 educational offerings and the collaboration with suppliers in an area called “The District.” For the conference, it integrated flexible space from the exhibit hall, meeting rooms, ballrooms, the Sails Pavilion, with sweeping views of the city and bay, and the marina-facing terrace, which proved ideal for outdoor gatherings. The convention center is the annual home of Comic-Con, which has been coming to San Diego for 55 years, and recently hosted the American Society of Hematology convention that welcomed over 30,000 attendees.
“Our goal with Petco Park,” says Kristie Ewing, Sr. Director of Special Events for the ballpark, “is to activate it 365 days a year when the San Diego Padres are not on the field. We really focus on a myriad of opportunities for planners to use this venue. Whatever we dream up, we make happen. For instance, we’re putting on the first ever rodeo this year. On the playing field we can set up plated dinners for up to 1,500 and for receptions 5,000. Another unique amenity of Petco Park is we feature a lot of our local restaurants here, so corporate groups can get a taste of the San Diego experience in one place.”
There are dining venues and lounges around the ballpark that can be privatized including the Premier Club, which can accommodate 250-275 but can be expanded with outflow to the concourse. Another choice is the Western Metal Concourse with vaulted ceilings and brick walls; it’s a unique space inside the historic Western Metal Supply Co Building that’s part of the Petco Park experience.
“We run two other venues,” adds Ewing, pointing to The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park (where the final evening event for PCMA was held), set on the waterfront and able to host up to 7,999 people for a private event; and EVE, a new event space on the water in the downtown area that boasts high ceilings and 7,800 sf of indoor/outdoor event and meeting space, ideal for a reception of 1,000 or seating at 570.
“Our clients are so comfortable with the quality and service here at the park, so we now have the new venues to work with and we act as a DMC and handle it all for groups from the food and design to branding. We’re a one-stop-shop deal,” concludes Ewing.
Planners should note that in addition to the culinary offerings at the various hotels, convention center and Petco Park, there are many San Diego neighborhoods with stellar dining options. One such area is Little Italy, where we experienced dinner at Juniper and Ivy, helmed by Celebrity Chef Richard Blais. Here we were immersed in an array of creative dishes, including a miso black cod. The restaurant can accommodate groups of up to 150.
sandiego.org; visitsandiego.com; petcoparkevents.com; marriott.com/sansi; san.org; juniperandivy.com/events