Making special events memorable is an ongoing quest for a meeting planner. One way to create a different atmosphere for any event is to remove it from the usual, stodgy meeting space and take it outdoors. The Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center has embraced this trendsetting concept. After evaluating several outdoor locations on the property, new event venues were created: the Promenade Plaza, Terrace Theater Plaza, the Pacific Gallery and Patio, and the Top of the Lot.
The Promenade Plaza is a walkway that passes by the centerβs main entrance. The view from this elevated pedestrian path is striking, as it overlooks the bustling Long Beach waterfront and beautiful Rainbow Harbor. Gourmet food trucks or food booths can actually be positioned along the Promenade.
The Terrace Theater Plaza is a lovely walkway with beautiful dancing fountains and palm trees. But now it can be transformed into a magical space that includes dinners, concerts, and receptions, while offering a panoramic view of the downtown cityscape.
While creating the sleek modern style of the Pacific Room at the Long Beach Arena, the center renovated and upgraded the lobby to match the new room. Dubbed the Pacific Gallery and Patio, this lobby space has become a popular special event site. Perfect for receptions, presentations, and meal functions, the space includes an outdoor patio that overlooks picturesque Rainbow Lagoon Park.
When a group booked for a ballroom suddenly blossomed to nearly 10,000, the only place on the center's campus with enough space was the top of a parking structure. With some modifications and the addition of stage lighting, stylish furniture, and cabanas, the parking lot was transformed into the Top of the Lot, a special event venue with spectacular cityscape and Pacific Ocean views.
For each of these spaces the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center installed attractive landscaping and new, colorful lighting designs for evening events. Modern, stylish furniture and decor was added, including fire tables, bars, and light sculptures. The result is the addition of spectacular outdoor entertainment venues in a region where outdoor events are seldom marred by bad weather.
Meeting planners are always in need of new ideas to satisfy increasingly demanding clients, and taking an inside meeting outside is one way of offering new, unusual, and exciting sites for unforgettable special events.
For more information, visit www.meetinlongbeach.com.