Sacramento Meeting Facilities

The Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau has the privilege of hosting meeting planning professionals and conference delegates from throughout the United States. Shortly after their flight arrives and luggage claimed, one of the most common requests we've received from out of state visitors is 'Where is the nearest In-N-Out?'

In-N-Out (2900 Del Paso Road, Sacramento, Calif. 95834 // 1-800-786-1000 // www.in-n-out.com ) is only 10 minutes from the Sacramento International Airport, en route to dowtown and Sacramento meeting facilities. It's typically open from 10:30 AM to 1 AM.

This California institution has a cult following because it quickly serves up high-quality burgers, fries, and shakes from a streamlined menu... as well as a not-so-secret menu of variations like 'animal style' or '4x4'. Look for the marquis and signature crossed palm trees.

The second most common request is 'Where is See's Candies?'

It's 10 minutes from In-N-Out! Located in downtown Sacramento, See's Candies (1009 L Street, Sacramento, Calif. 95814 // 916-443-4497 // www.sees.com) faces the California State Capitol, which is only a block from the Sacramento Convention Center and downtown hotels.  

This California original has its own devotees as well. In fact, the company was one of Warren Buffett's earliest purchases! Our East Coast and international visitors are very fond of the chocolates, peanut brittle, and other candies. They often buy them by the pound to take home for gifts -- or for themselves! And locals are almost guaranteed to receive See's from family, friends, even business partners during year-end holidays.

Got a California exclusive you want to check out during your stay in the capital, Sacramento? Contact the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau to ask us.

With four different major freeways that flow into downtown Sacramento, the Sacramento Convention Center is a very popular meeting facility among meeting planners who have a significant proportion of drive-in attendees.

Unfortunately this can create a parking and transportation puzzle. Dare I say, 'Nightmare?' While Rush Hour may be a fun board game, such logistics issues are no laughing matter. 

Organizers of a series of eight annual citywide conferences sought the expertise and services of the Sacramento Convention and Visitors Bureau (SCVB).

These meetings have gathered more than 40,000 delegates over eight (nearly consecutive) weekends. This requires about 3,000 parking spaces a day! The SCVB works closely with city parking services, private operators, and motorcoach companies, to ensure these delegates are sitting in productive educational sessions -- not traffic.

Have a specific problem during the planning of your meeting, convention or trade show? Don't fret! Ask about the convention and meeting services the SCVB can offer you and your delegates.

Why all this hoopla from regional business leaders—the SCVB included—to keep the Kings in Sacramento and to build a new sports & entertainment complex? 

Is it about the Kings needing a pretty new arena to bounce their balls in and make more money—or is it about the Sacramento region generating jobs, increasing the hotel transient occupancy tax, and providing sales tools to local companies, all while increasing the bottom line of hundreds of local businesses?

Why can’t it be about both? What’s so bad about a scenario where everybody benefits?

It’s no secret that Sacramento is mired in a heated debate on the merits of professional basketball and the creation of a new regional sports & entertainment complex. And when arguing those collective merits with the Kings as the lead motivation, some people answer with a resounding NO! After all, if you’re not a basketball fan, why would you care what type of facility they play in—or if they even play at all? 

But that argument misses the point of what a new sports and entertainment complex would mean for Sacramento.

It’s About so Much More Than Basketball. 

A new sports and entertainment complex, built in the right location, serves as a catalyst for new development.  

Specific examples from other cities show that downtown Phoenix saw a 20 percent increase at arts and cultural venues after America West Arena opened, not to mention $2.5 billion in development investment in their Central City. The San Francisco Giants pay the City of San Francisco millions of dollars in rent and taxes annually for AT&T Park, which has also acted as a catalyst for development in a previously underutilized area of that city. Coors Field in Denver brought not only a world-class stadium but also an investment in restaurants, shops, hotels and offices that revived a pre-stadium downtown depression. And the revival of the neighborhood surrounding the HP Pavilion in San Jose post-arena construction is nothing short of amazing. 

All that aside, and taking the construction of a new facility out of the discussion, you’d still have tremendous value from professional sports in Sacramento.  

A recent article in the Sacramento Business Journal estimated that the loss of the Kings would top $100 million for this region. That same article noted that the Kings provide 773 full and part-time jobs for area residents, fund the largest contract for off-duty Sheriff officers in the region and have donated $19 million to local charities in just 11 years.

How about the game night business that the restaurants in Natomas do? What about a few years ago when the team was one of the best in the league? How many bars—from Elk Grove to Roseville—were packed with jubilant Kings fans buying drinks and food while they cheered the team on—and how many tax dollars did that generate for local governments that was used to pay for services utilized by the residents of those regional cities? 

What other businesses did the team touch? Uniforms for arena staff, legal services paid for by the team to local law firms, chiropractors, taxis and limos companies, sales for local beer distributors, real estate agents and the list goes on and on.

Sacramento Kings Good For Tourism

What about tourism? With about 40 rooms used by the visiting team per game (sometimes for two nights) for 41 home games the numbers add up to more than $320,000 spent on hotel rooms and transient occupancy taxes.  

That’s a decent number but it pales in comparison to the $2 billion generated annually by visitors to Sacramento. Our ability to attract business and leisure travelers relies heavily on the image that our city portrays to the rest of the world—and professional sports helps to create that image and identity internationally on our behalf. 

Win or lose, the name “Sacramento” appears in newspapers throughout this country for the majority of the year. That’s exposure for this region, which translates into visitors, which benefits the people who live here.

It’s also about proactively leveraging the team to generate more business. The SCVB, for example, has attended Kings games in Chicago and Washington, DC, in an effort to meet with various national association groups. At those games, we hosted prospective clients and had upwards of three hours to talk to them about bringing their convention business to Sacramento. 

In just two seasons, the SCVB booked four convention groups that delivered more than $4 million worth of economic impact to our city. We also generated leads that, if closed, will provide an additional $10 million in economic impact. The tax revenues generated from those groups (or any convention group, for that matter) goes into the City’s general fund which is then used  to improve roadways, build new parks and hire police and fire officers.  

But it’s certainly not just the SCVB that leverages the appeal of the team. Local companies buy suites for the opportunity to conduct business while at the game. They buy sponsorships to increase the visibility of their business. They do these things to increase sales and grow profits—which in turn creates more jobs for those of us who live here.

Wanting to keep the Kings or build a new sports and entertainment complex in Sacramento is not about paying for a team facility that is owned by billionaires. It is about investing in Sacramento, growing local business and tourism dollars to improve the resident’s quality of life—all while continuing to foster regional pride. Whether you’re a Kings fan or not, professional sports make your life better if you live in Sacramento. 

One area that can seem like a relatively simple process, but you soon discover that the coordination can be time-consuming, daunting even, with results that can be less than desired, is the RFP (request for proposal) process. Primarily, the response rate for proposals can be slow in coming or not at all, causing planners to question if hotels value their business.

The short answer is YES. Hotel sales managers place a premium on meeting planners and their business, as it is often the bread and butter for their properties. 
 
Corporate Meetings & Incentives ran a very good article in its February issue on the RFP process and why it does and can break down.

The writers (Katherine Markham and David Markham) presented some worthwhile reasons why properties don't respond promptly, including hotel sales executives inundated with inquiries, incomplete RFP's and hotels waiting to hear about a better piece of business. 

They also presented solutions for planners to make the process better for both sides, such as ensuring that all the information is covered in the RFP, doing your homework, creating a realistic deadline.

A large part of the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau responsiblities is securing hotel RFP's (request for proposals) for the planner. When you work with a CVB, your sales manager will help you avoid some of the pitfalls and serve as the liaison to the hotel sales managers to get you the best possible service, including prompt responses.

Furthermore, we're the meeting experts on Sacramento meeting facilities and Sacramento area hotels, plus we offer the added bonus of convention and meeting services which are typically free.

We are an extension of your meeting planning department, whether you're a department of one, five or 20, or even a part-timer who slips in meeting planning between a host of other responsibilities.

A convention & visitors bureau role is pretty straightforward - we work on behalf of the customer (i.e. meeting planner) to find suitable hotels, meeting facilities and amenities to ensure a successful convention/conference/meeting in the destination of choice.

Triple bottom line (TBL) just may be what my chin looks like after the holidays, if I don't get to the gym or a hotel fitness facility for a few days this month. -- Dear warmer weather, I miss Sacramento recreation with all its kayaks, rafts, fat tire bikes and less muddy trails. Come back soon! 

More commonly, TBL is a way individuals or businesses measure the impact of their decisions based on values about economic, social and ecological success. It's also one way meeting planners & event professionals evaluate potential vendors & suppliers.

For example, downtown Sacramento dining foodies make a beeline for Mulvaney's B&L and Next Door, its events space. Its Culinary Specialists team offers services for cocktail receptions to company picnics to formal dinners at many off site venues. The commitment to showcasing local products, besides sponsoring opportunities for low-income youth, has a huge following. Rural-Urban Connections Strategy recently recognized Chef Patrick & his wife Bobbin as a business of the year.


Another off-site caterer a bit further from the Sacramento Convention Center is Plates Cafe. This nonprofit serves gourmet food and generous portions of compassion and inspiration. St. John's Shelter Program gets once homeless women back on their feet. Trained by Culinary Institute of America alumnus, Executive Chef Stu Edgecombe, participants gain much-needed experience to enter (or re-enter) the workforce. They also get exposed to new flavors & ingredients that foodies and chefs take for granted. Overall, mothers and kids feel confident about their personal accomplishments -- especially as program graduates land full-time jobs.

Plates Catering uses only the freshest, highest quality ingredients and actively supports local growers / producers who engage in organic and sustainable agricultural practices. It supplies bio compostable flatware, plates, cups & other environmentally friendly disposables for all of its events. In addition, the cafe is available for facility rental. Contact David Lose, Business Manager at (916) 381-2233 or dlose@eatatplates.com for more information. 
 

To learn more about planning an event in California's capital, get started here. Have you already booked an event in Sacramento, but still need convention services? Consult our directory or contact us.

At a time when meetings budgets are small, conference planners still seek experiences that are BIG. Most convention schedules feature a major evening activity for its attendees. Receptions, banquets, and dances are common... 

This week American Art Therapy Association is making Sacramento exclusively theirs. During its annual conference, visitors will enjoy “Night on the Town: Sacramento Art Walk” on Friday, 11/5/2010. The special event is modeled after the city's very own and very popular Second Saturday. From 6 pm - 9 PM, the customized art tour exhibits artwork and performances from AATA's own members at a number of local galleries and venues.

The walkable midtown venues are bounded by H & L streets, as well as 19^th & 22^nd streets. Stop by the following locations for some fantastic art and good company: 

Old Soul at Weatherstone at 812 21st Street

Soul Awareness (NorCATA Member Art Show) 6 pm-9 pm 
featuring artwork by Northern California Art Therapy Association members

L Wine Lounge at 1801 L Street

Bruce Moon Performance and DDSO Art Show 6 pm-7:30 pm

Sacramento Art Complex at 2110 K Street, Suite 100

“Mutiplicity & Self-Identity: Trauma & Integration in Shirley Mason’s Art” 6 pm-9 pm

And Various Artist Demos throughout the evening

20th Street Art Gallery at 911 20th Street

Gong Yuebin Studio at 915 20th Street

Brick Alley Art Studios at 919 20th Street 
 

b. sakata garo Gallery at 923 20th Street

Viewpoint Photographic Art Center
at 2015 J Street, Suite 101

Kennedy Gallery at 1114 20th Street

The Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau helps meeting and conference attendees get the most benefit from face-to-face meetings. Like gold, each visitor's time and presence in our city is valuable. Who wants to be another number lost in a big city convention destination? If you are a meeting planner who dreams of being THE main event in a downtown convention center with state-of-the-art meeting facilities and four-star hotels, in a cosmopolitan city that awaits your arrival with customized messages and convention services, then you are ready to discovergold.org. We work closely with our hospitality partners to make Sacramento exclusively yours.

It's a simple concept -- Contact, Connect, and Collaborate.  By asking your CVB representative a simple question ('what other organizations of similar focus and background are considering meeting in Sacramento over over a certain time frame?'), you open the door to some new math with your conference numbers, quality, and attendee value.

Recently, two contacts (I'll call them "John" and "Jim") were in town for a site inspection. They work for an association and were considering Sacramento for a convention during Fall 2011.  Like many conference organizers, their primary goals were to look at hotels, see a few Sacramento meeting facilities, visit some off-site event venues, and get a general feel of the activities available.  They also took time to meet with a couple of "experts" in the area who are familiar with their association and are nationally recognized for being leaders in their fields.  These individuals and their agencies would be key in contributing programming expertise to the conference.

Knowing the Game Plan
John and Jim looked to the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau to help coordinate their meetings, collect hotel proposals, and identify various activity options...and, if that was all there was during the site visit, I wouldn't be blogging about it now because that's a common stopping point; it's where most people's expectations and hopes end when working with a CVB.

However, that ISN'T where the conversation and opportunities ended. A CVB is in a unique position to offer a perspective that can only come from being the "home team." We not only know the playing field, but we know all the players because we're constantly scouting...in essence, we know the game plan, we know which organizations are planning future meetings in Sacramento, their space and accommodations needs, and, most importantly, when they're coming (or even thinking of coming) to the capital city.

Making the Connection
Jim and John are considering Fall 2011 for their conference. My CVB counterpart, Susan, who works with meeting professionals on the east coast was speaking to an agency interested in bringing a conference to Sacramento around the same time. Immediately, Susan and I realized that these two organizations, which have collaborated on projects in the past, didn't know they were independently considering Sacramento for their respective conferences around the same time.

Only a CVB would know such details and make the connection...because we have the only playbook. Well, you probably guess what happened when we gave them the news.

Light bulbs went off over John's and Jim's head. Text messages to their agency colleagues started flying (what did we do before cell phones?!).

It's now quite likely the association and the agency will collaborate and co-host their meetings over the same dates, sharing convention and meeting services.


By combining their respective efforts and areas of expertise, they expect this collaboration will draw their own respective target audiences, but also allow for expanded programming and networking that will attract a wider audience. This will bring more value to their conference attendees and point this conference in a new and more exciting direction.

In several ways for this conference, its organizers and its participants, the whole will be greater than the sum of its parts.