Spotlight : Silicon Valley : San Jose
Meeting planners across America are on a quest for
the ultimate meeting, and they’re finding their way to
San Jose.
San Jose represents the only destination that offers
one-stop shopping for meeting planners. The Team San
Jose concept handles everything from housing and customized
menus to permits and technically savvy special
events. San Jose takes away the typical headaches
associated with planning meetings, offering 223,000
square feet of diverse, column-free, flexible meeting
space for all kinds of meetings.
San Jose as a destination is easy to manage and full
of exciting surprises. Silicon Valley, south of San Francisco
and northeast of Monterey, is well-known as a
city of innovation, but more and more delegates are
discovering that the city…well…rocks! And because
we offer sunny, comfortable weather year-round, delegates
can enjoy the city even in the winter.
Within walking distance of the convention center is
an amazing array of cultural entertainment, nightlife
and restaurants. Delegates short on time but eager to
enjoy a performance or museum discover that San Jose
is laid out like a cultural campus, with facilities such
as the Civic Center, California Theater and local groups
such as the opera, ballet, Repertory Theater, Museum
of Art, Tech Museum of Innovation and Children’s Discovery
Museum all within blocks of each other. The Mexican Heritage Plaza is a short cab ride away, and eclectic
galleries a short walk away in the groovy SoFA District
(South of First Area), which also features diverse nightlife,
many of which feature live music from jazz and house to
blues and rock ‘n’ roll. Dotted throughout downtown are hip
and casual restaurants, from sophisticated spots in boutique
or convention hotels to bar-friendly bistros in San
Pedro Square. Those looking for a little pampering can
enjoy day spas around the city, or enjoy major destination
spas such as the Tova Day Spa at the Fairmont San Jose,
one of downtown’s premier convention hotels.
Just three miles west of downtown is the trendy Santana
Row, a happening shopping and entertainment center featuring
diverse shopping from designer boutiques to bookstores.
Stroll the European-style streets and shop, drop in
at a day spa, enjoy cutting-edge cuisine al fresco or listen
to international rhythms at several outdoor clubs. Shopaholics
can walk across the street and enjoy the Westfield
Valley Fair Mall.
San Jose is smack in the middle of Santa Cruz wine
country, featuring dozens of beautiful wineries and vineyards
just minutes from the city. Wine connoisseurs can sip
and enjoy a variety of vintages overlooking the vines or
between meetings downtown at the J. Lohr tasting room.
Delegates wanting to bring their families for the weekend
can enjoy kid-friendly museums, hiking on beautiful trails or amusement parks such as Great America and Raging
Waters. They can also drive a half hour to the beach and
spend part of the day at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk before
heading back to San Jose for afternoon and evening entertainment.
If you want to plan the ultimate meeting—and give delegates
a destination they can sink their teeth into—
think San Jose!
For the SJCVB (Team San Jose), please contact us
at 408-295-9600 or submit an RFP online at
www.SanJose.org. For The Fairmont Hotel, San Jose,
please call 408-998-1900 or submit an RFP online at
sanjose@fairmont.com. — Marshall E. Jones, CMP