SoCal Entertainment

#1 Trade Show & Convention
With about 130,000 attendees that have long outgrown the San Diego Convention Center, the pop culture convention has expanded to include satellite venues all over town for brands’ parties, events, and stunts. Next: July 9-12, 2015

#2 Trade Show & Convention
At more than a century old, the event has recently shown it can reinvent itself to grow attendance and meet the changing technology and networking needs of the industry. Press days have expanded to three, and the number of total attendees at the massive show hovers around one million. Next: November 17-29, 2015

#3 Trade Show & Convention
The gaming show, commonly known as E3, takes over the Los Angeles Convention Center each June. The Entertainment Software Association-owned event draws about 50,000 industry attendees from 100 countries around the globe and generates about $40 million in revenue for the city. Next: June 16-18, 2015

#4 Trade Show & Convention
The long-established show dates back more than a century. The National Association of Music Merchants’ event is considered one of the biggest and most important music products shows around in the world. The Anaheim Convention Center—which keeps the show at least through 2018—hosted nearly 96,000 people from more than 100 countries around the world. Next: January 21-24, 2016

#5 Trade Show & Convention
After D: All Things Digital co-creators Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher parted ways with The Wall Street Journal, the fate of the tech conference was somewhat unknown. But the duo’s reboot of the conference beat expectations when it debuted last year, having sold out in record time—and it promptly sold out again this year. Next: May 26-28, 2015

#6 Trade Show & Convention
The giant convention is considered the top trade show for the natural, organic, and healthy food industry. It takes place at the Anaheim Convention Center, drawing more than 2,600 exhibitors and more than 67,000 attendees over 350,000 net square feet. Next: March 10-13, 2016

#7 Trade Show & Convention
The Independent Film & Television Alliance produces the event, which gathers the global film industry in Santa Monica for eight days of deal-making as well as screenings, conferences, networking, and parties. The most recent event was the 35th installment, drawing 1,670 buyers from more than 70 different countries and a total of nearly 8,000 industry professionals. Next: November 4-11, 2015

#8 Trade Show & Convention
The expo is now a decade old and billed as the largest consumer travel show in the country. This year’s event, held at the Long Beach Convention Center, set a record of 34,000 attendees and 475 exhibitors. Next: February 27-28, 2016

#9 Trade Show & Convention
The Progressive Insurance-sponsored event takes place the Los Angeles Convention Center and in the water at Marina del Rey. It’s among the longest-running boat shows in the country, now in its 58th consecutive year, and includes a kids’ area, block party, and seminar series. Next: February 26-29, 2016

#10 Trade Show & Convention
The expo is billed as the largest of its kind on the West Coast. It takes over the Los Angeles Convention Center twice a year—in January and July—with 10,000 product lines spread across more than 200,000 square feet. Since acquiring the show in 2012, Urban Expositions has worked to reinvent the event, bringing back more top-name lines and new resources. The January run included a new handcrafted section and focus on made-in-America and eco-friendly goods. Next: July 17-20, 2015

#11 Trade Show & Convention (new to the list)
The investment bank this year hosted its 27th annual Growth Stock Conference at the Ritz Carlton. One the biggest of its kind, the three-day investment conference brings together executives from more than 530 public and private companies and approximately 1,000 investors. Company presentations, Q&A sessions, panels, and management one-on-one meetings offer investor clients opportunities for interaction with executives. Next: Spring 2016

#1 Entertainment Industry Event
It’s unlikely the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences’ Oscars will ever be knocked off its perch as the biggest, buzziest annual entertainment award show in the region. The show hits every winter, with its massive roster of related events including the academy’s own Governors Ball, plus huge parties for Vanity Fair and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Next: February 2016

#2 Entertainment Industry Event
Each January, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association brings its glitzy dinner ceremony to the International Ballroom at the Beverly Hilton hotel. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler’s last go at hosting the show resulted in nearly 20 million viewers—a dip from the previous year, which had marked a 10-year high. Next year the 73rd annual show will air live on NBC. Next: January 10, 2016

#3 Entertainment Industry Event
The Recording Academy’s show, billed as “Music’s Biggest Night,” takes over Staples Center annually for a star-packed telecast. The academy’s Branden Chapman is among a team that oversees the massive Grammy Celebration after-party at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Other official and unofficial events like studio- and brand-hosted parties and suites take over town throughout the week. Next: February 2016

#4 Entertainment Industry Event
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences award show honors TV’s stars and players with a ceremony at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live. After last year’s show moved to August to avoid conflict with Sunday Night Football, this year’s affair will move back to September. The academy’s own massive production, the Governors Ball, is billed as the largest formal dinner in the United States, hosting nearly 4,000 guests with fare from Patina. Next: September 20, 2015

#5 Entertainment Industry Event
The show, which marked its 21st iteration this year, draws A-list attendees to the Shrine Exposition Center each January. It includes a production- and decor-heavy official after-party, hosted by People and the Entertainment Industry Foundation, which also takes place at the Shrine, and this year had an opulent speakeasy theme. Next: January 30, 2016

#6 Entertainment Industry Event
Film Independent’s award show takes place each year on the Saturday before the Oscars, but the vibe is distinctly different from that black-tie affair: Instead, the Spirit Awards take place in an oceanfront tent in Santa Monica with a much more casual atmosphere. Sponsor tents take over the adjacent space. Next: February 2016

#7 Entertainment Industry Event
BET Networks’ big award show now also comes with a multiday fan experience known as the BET Experience at L.A. Live, which makes for the brand’s largest consumer event in its history. The festival accompanies the televised show at the Nokia Theatre honoring African-Americans in music, sports, and other entertainment realms. Kevin Hart, Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, and Ice Cube are all on board for this summer’s event. Next: June 25-28, 2015

#9 Entertainment Industry Event
The Environmental Media Association’s annual eco-minded show honors individuals, organizations, movies, and TV programming for their work to raise public awareness of environmental issues. There’s also an after-party and auction with an environmentally conscious production. Warner Brothers’ Hillary Harris produces the event, which could move off the lot this year for its 25th anniversary. Next: Fall 2015

#10 Entertainment Industry Event
The music award show doesn’t command the industry importance nor the cachet of the Recording Academy’s Grammy awards, but each year around Thanksgiving—when corporate events recede as private social events ramp up—it does draw big stars and buzz at the Nokia Theatre. Next: November 2015

#12 Entertainment Industry Event (up from #13)
Now 26 years old, the film festival is one of the biggest on the continent—even though it’s more than 100 miles east of Hollywood—welcoming 135,000 attendees each year for a program of international films. The event is also known for its annual black-tie award gala, which draws celebrity names as big as any in Hollywood. Next: January 1-11, 2016

#13 Entertainment Industry Event
The festival passed its 20-year milestone last summer with a program in conjunction with presenting media sponsor The Los Angeles Times and host partner L.A. Live. Film Independent’s Los Angeles Film Festival screened more than 400 films from 40 countries, and also included programs like the filmmakers’ retreat, music in film nights at the Grammy Museum, and master classes. Next: June 10-18, 2015

#14 Entertainment Industry Event
Fans and media devotees get exclusive behind-the-scenes details on shows during interactive panel sessions and premiere screenings at the event from the Paley Center for Media. The three-decade-old festival benefits the center’s preservation and archival digitization efforts and last year grew to about 30,000 participants—nearly double the figure from the previous year. Next: Spring 2016

#15 Entertainment Industry Event
Having debuted in 1975 and now more than 40 years old, the People’s Choice Awards summon about 700 million fan votes. In 2015, Ben Affleck scooped up the “Favorite Humanitarian” award for his work in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Procter & Gamble owns the show, which is produced by United Artist Media Group. Next: January 2016

#16 Entertainment Industry Event
The gay advocacy group celebrates outstanding images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community in the media at the biggest such gala in the country, now in its 26th year. The evening includes a cocktail reception and silent auction, a sit-down dinner award ceremony, and a V.I.P. after-party following the show. A version of the event is also held in New York. Next: March 21, 2015

#17 Entertainment Industry Event
The magazine’s annual award show has an intimate vibe with a curated guest list of mainly A-listers at the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. Past sponsors like Calvin Klein Collection, L'Oréal Paris, and David Yurman have inspired the look and feel of the ballroom, which gets a total transformation into a chic, understated dining room. Next: October 19, 2015

#18 Entertainment Industry Event
The Britannia Award is the highest honor presented by Bafta Los Angeles. It’s meant to celebrate achievements of individuals and companies from the United States, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere. Honorees over the years have included Michael Caine, Martin Scorsese, Elizabeth Taylor, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Steven Spielberg, and George Clooney. Jaguar was the title sponsor for the event last year, presented by BBC America and United Airlines at the Beverly Hilton. Next: Fall 2015

#19 Entertainment Industry Event
Playboy Enterprises presents the musical programming at the Hollywood Bowl. It’s one of the best-known festivals of its kind in the country, now nearing four decades of history. Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis, and the Roots are all among the performers who have taken the stage. In 2014 George Lopez hosted for the second consecutive year, having taken over from Bill Cosby. Next: June 13-14, 2015

#1 Art & Design Event
Only five years old, the gala hit the ground running in the art world, bringing in millions each year for the museum; last year’s iteration brought in $3.85 million. This year, Lacma is celebrating its 50th anniversary—and will hold a second special April gala as well. Next: Fall 2015

#2 Art & Design Event
The inventive benefit often gets buzz going with its over-the-top creative production, like decor homages to marijuana or human heads staring back from tabletops. Last year’s big 35th anniversary celebration sponsored by Louis Vuitton raised $2.4 million for the museum. Next: May 30, 2015

#3 Art & Design Event
The 20-year-old show takes over 200,000 square feet at the Los Angeles Convention Center, with 20,000 works of art and 56,000 visitors. It’s billed as the longest-running venue for contemporary, modern, historic, and traditional art in the country. And it pulls in $30 million in sales, plus five billion media impressions. Next: January 27-31, 2016

#4 Art & Design Event
The art museum’s event last year honored Joni Mitchell and artist Mark Bradford with sponsorship from Bottega Veneta and a menu by Suzanne Goin and Lucques. It raised a record $2.5 million. The Westwood gala is a major date on the fall social calendar, selling out each year. Next: October 10, 2015

#6 Art & Design Event
One of Orange County’s most recognized social events, the Art of Dining is also the museum’s most significant fund-raiser each year. The black-tie gala last year was presented by Louis Vuitton, and it was the first-ever event held on the Bridge of Gardens at South Coast Plaza. Next: May 30, 2015

#8 Art & Design Event
The springtime flower exhibition is the museum’s signature fund-raiser. Last year’s program included 120 floral interpretations of famous works of art and three days of events. More than 10,000 people attended. Next: April 24-26, 2015

#9 Art & Design Event
The three-day exhibition and conference at the Los Angeles Convention Center draws speakers, product demonstrations, continuing education classes, and seminars. It includes 400 exhibitors over 250,000 square feet of exhibition space and 250 speakers on three stages, plus five full-scale prefab homes. Next: May 29-31, 2015

#11 Art & Design Event
This year’s theme will be “the pursuit of happiness,” which will explore concepts both ancient and current. The annual event includes a stage show comprising people who pose as the subjects in modern and historic artworks. The accompanying festival includes the works of 140 local artists and is one of the country’s oldest juried fine art shows. Next: July 8-August 31, 2015

#13 Art & Design Event
The West Coast art fair at Santa Monica’s Barker Hanger presents 70 top galleries from around the world and attracts more than 12,000 attendees. Fair Grounds Associates produces the event. Next: January 2016

#15 Art & Design Event
Mission Federal Credit Union is the title sponsor for the annual event, which last year filled 17 blocks of Little Italy in downtown San Diego. More than 350 artists participated in the 30th anniversary year. Next: April 25-26, 2015

#1 Festival & Fair (up from #2)
Drawing 1.34 million people for 23 days of food, rides, exhibits, animals, music, and action sports, the annual fair edges out a slightly less-attended Los Angeles. fair. For a sense of scale, the massive event doled out nearly half a million carnival plush toys, and guests ate 1,650 pounds of watermelon during a nightly eating contest last year. Next: July 17-August 16, 2015

#2 Festival & Fair
The long-established end-of-summer fair drew more than 1.2 million attendees last year. The all-ages music and entertainment club Grinding Gears was a new nighttime addition to the lineup, and the Luminasia Chinese lantern festival also drew thousands of guests to the fair after dark. The program opens Labor Day weekend each year and runs for four weeks. Next: September 4-27, 2015

#3 Festival & Fair
The Goldenvoice-produced music and arts festival in the Southern California desert of Indio sells out tickets annually, even after a change in format in 2012 saw it expand to two weekends with the same lineup at the Empire Polo Fields. Parties hosted by brands, largely in the media and fashion realms, take over surrounding towns, typically on the festival’s buzzier first weekend. Next: April 10-12 and April 17-19, 2015

#4 Festival & Fair
The program attracts more than 150,000 attendees annually for books and authors, as well as for screenings, food, and music. It’s free and open to the public. The most recent program on the University of Southern California campus added stages for poetry and emerging bands. Next: April 18-19, 2015

#6 Festival & Fair
Last year, the annual street festival in the Venice community celebrated 30 years. It takes over a mile-long stretch of the closed Abbot Kinney Boulevard near the beach, drawing a packed, laid-back crowd of about 120,000. Nearly 300 vendors offer multiethnic food, music on multiple stages, crafts, shopping, and more. Next: September 27, 2015

#1 Benefit
This is an off year for the massive gala, which takes over the Beverly Hilton every two years. Since beginning in 1978, the large-scale and star-studded event has brought in more than $77 million toward finding a cure for diabetes. Barbara Davis is the chair and works with a committee to rake in funds through sponsorships (in 2014, Mercedes-Benz was the presenting sponsor for the sixth consecutive time), a live and silent auction, underwriting, and contributions. Past performers have included such boldface names as Beyoncé, Elton John, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Celine Dion, and Whitney Houston. Next: Fall 2016

#2 Benefit
Led by multiple sclerosis survivor and patient advocate Nancy Davis, the big annual fund-raiser last took in more than $1.75 million at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, with Ceelo Green, Natalie Cole, and Steven Tyler among the performers. This year Race to Erase MS will honor Tommy Hilfiger. Next: April 24, 2015

#3 Benefit
This year’s benefit bash got a Middle Eastern theme relating to the museum’s buzzy Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit. Christina Sion heads up the annual event, which has raised nearly $20 million since its inception and typically draws its theme from a big exhibit debut. Next: March 2016

#4 Benefit
The Los Angeles Philharmonic and conductor Gustavo Dudamel will kick off the new season—the milestone 30th—at Walt Disney Concert Hall with an opening-night gala. The affair begins with a pre-performance reception and ends with a dinner catered by Patina, plus an after-party. Next: September 29, 2015

#5 Benefit
Held at a private Mandeville Canyon estate, the affair is the biggest event of the year for the nonprofit Chrysalis. The Butterfly Ball raises funds to support homeless and low-income people, pulling in a record $1.4 million last year with Al Gore as a presenter and performances by Gavin Rossdale and Karmin. Next: June 6, 2015

#6 Benefit
The annual event held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel began in 1977 to acknowledge women’s talents in a male-dominated industry. Tracee Ellis Ross last year hosted Women in Film’s splashy award show, with Amy Adams, Kristen Bell, Cate Blanchett, and Kerry Washington among the honorees and presenters. Next: June 16, 2015

#7 Benefit (new to the list)
Drawing an A-list roster of guests and raising and impressive $6 million, the Help Haiti Home gala is an event that Sean Penn and his J/P Haitian Relief Organization hosted at the Montage in January. Buzz-generating attendees included Bill Clinton, Charlize Theron, Reese Witherspoon, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, and Salma Hayek, with performances by Coldplay and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Next: January 2016

#8 Benefit
The large fund-raiser for the cancer nonprofit celebrated 40 years last summer with a “Fiesta Grande” theme and 4,000 people. It raised $1.8 million, marking a steady increase in fund-raising over the years. Next: July 11, 2015

#9 Benefit
This year, the Los Angeles Opera’s season-opening gala will be the organization’s 30th anniversary celebration. Last year’s event had an Art Deco and Gatsby-inspired theme and honored County Supervisor and opera champion Zev Yaroslavsky. The gala followed the opening performance of La Traviata. Next: September 12, 2015

#10 Benefit
The benefit takes place each year on Golden Globes weekend and is the largest annual fund-raiser for the Art of Elysium. This year, the event had a high-concept feel—including a silent cocktail hour and multimedia experiential art—with direction from Marina Abramović. It raised more than $1.3 million. Next: January 2016

#11 Benefit
The black-tie event happens once every two years. And its last iteration was a biggie: In 2013, organizers hosted an event known as the Grand Centennial Celebration in honor of the museum’s 100th anniversary and exceeded their substantial fund-raising goal of more than $2 million. This year, it returns in its familiar format. The evening will be a farm-to-table affair, with dinner served alfresco in the new nature gardens, and will honor the museum’s president and director, Jane Pisano, who is planning her retirement. Next: June 13, 2015

#12 Benefit
The high-end car show has a May iteration at Greystone Mansion hosted by the City of Beverly Hills as a fund-raiser for the former Doheny family venue. It includes a fashion show, award ceremony, and vendor marketplace. Another popular version of the Concours (which does not include a benefit element) is free to the public and takes over Rodeo Drive each Father’s Day weekend, drawing a thick crowd. Next: May 3, 2015

#2 Fashion & Retail Event (up from #3)
The event co-sponsored by the City of Beverly Hills and the Rodeo Drive Committee honors big names in fashion. It happens either once or twice annually, with last year seeing events in February and November, honoring The Great Gatsby costume designer Catherine Martin and Burberry, respectively. Although organizers have yet to announce the date, the event is expected to take place this year. Next: Fall 2015