plenary Anaheim CONVENE ON SITE Anaheim Gets Its Groove On U

sually, a trip to California’s Orange County in January equates to a welcome influx of

warm sun and clear, blue skies, but for my group of journalists who traveled to Anaheim for the grand debut of the Anaheim Convention Center’s new Grand Plaza and the 2013 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show, the sun had retreated into a gray, drizzly sky. It was hard to believe, considering the destination enjoys 328 days of sunshine per year. But leave it to the resil-

But the convention center isn’t

ient, sunny staff of the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau (AOCVCB) to inject a bright ray of energy into our three-day trip. On day one, after our group had checked into the neighboring Marriott Anaheim and Hilton Anaheim, we kicked off a packed itinerary with lunch at Mor- ton’s The Steakhouse with Jay Burress, AOCVCB’s incoming president. From there, we set out on a guided

After five expansions, the Anaheim Convention Center is now the largest meeting facility on the West Coast.

the only revamped venue option in Anaheim. After a quick preview of NAMM’s show floor (look for an article in next month’s issue), our group was off to visit Angel Stadium of Anaheim and the Honda Center, an 18,900-seat arena that is currently adding the Grand Terrace. Due for completion in 2013, the Grand Terrace will include a 15,000-square-foot indoor/outdoor event space with a new, 250-seat restaurant and expanded gift shop. That evening, we toured the new Cars

tour of the convention center’s new Grand Plaza, a 100,000-square-foot out- door campus punctuated by fountains and verdant landscaping, including 151 palm trees and 60 orange trees. Every night starting at sunset, the plaza’s river of colored lights, which can be coordi- nated to an event’s theme, illuminates the landscape. The center is also gearing up to begin

yet another expansion. After opening in 1967 and undergoing five expansions, the center is now the largest meeting facility on the West Coast. The plan is to add another 200,000 square feet, which will provide extra meeting and ballroom space to accommodate the breakout needs of medical meetings and other groups.

30 PCMA CONVENE MARCH 2013

Land, which opened in 2012 as part of Disney California Adven- ture Park’s five-year expansion. Sprawled across 25 acres, Cars Land is suited for both large-scale events and smaller groups, who can opt to just buy out individual attractions. Next morning, our group

explored Anaheim’s up-and- coming downtown shopping and dining districts — Center Street Promenade and the Anaheim Packing District. While sipping on lattes at the Gypsy Den, we learned from our hosts that downtown Anaheim has grown and changed during the past few years. Not only has the promenade become a birthplace for quirky, independently owned shops, arts and entertainment venues, and restaurants such as the Gypsy Den, it has revitalized one of Anaheim’s most historic commercial centers. Across the street, the Pack- ing District — which takes its name from the 1920s-era buildings that

once served as packing warehouses for the area’s orange groves — is home to Umami Burger, a hip, upscale burger joint, and The Anaheim Brewery. Next door, a vacant lot will soon be trans- formed into a community park, which is flanked by the restored Packing House

— an airy, two-story space that will house an open-to-the-public culinary marketplace. On the last day of the trip, we

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