Technological advances are often crucial for event planners to have a marketing edge. Here are new and recently renovated San Diego venues that have stayed on top of upgrades and improved offerings for tech-savvy guests. The hotels, conference centers, restaurants, private rooms, and other spaces can accommodate groups large or small for private and corporate events, conferences, meetings, weddings, business dinners, teambuilding activities, cocktail parties, and more.
In September, the 1,000-square-foot False Idol tiki bar opened in San Diego's Little Italy. Guests enter the hidden venue through a secret entrance in the newly opened restaurant Craft & Commerce. Inside, they will find a faux Polynesian paradise, including a volcano that “erupts” and shakes the bar seats when guests order the Alkala the Fierce punchbowl. False Idol can accommodate as many as 60 guests for receptions.
Located in the East Village neighborhood, Knotty Barrel will debut major renovations in January 2017. The remodel adds 5,800 square feet of space to the gastropub, which now measures 8,300 square feet. The venue is divided into several areas, including a 1,500-square-foot brewery, a 2,500-square-foot indoor restaurant that serves American cuisine, a 2,300-square-foot outdoor patio, and a 2,000-square-foot game room. Knotty Barrel can accommodate as many as 300 guests for receptions, with room for 150 inside and 150 outside. The venue has multiple televisions and offers independent audio zones for each room, enabling planners to create distinct experiences in each space. Knotty Barrel online gift cards are available through the Gift Rocket website.
Meeting planners can opt for a videogame-centric event at Coin Haus, which opened in La Mesa in July. Formerly a car dealership, the venue incorporates repurposed metal and vintage junkyard machinery into the relaxed decor. The beercade has 30 video games, ranging from classics such as Super Mario Brothers and Donkey Kong to new releases such as Game of Thrones pinball. Measuring 2,400 square feet, the venue can accommodate as many as 91 people for receptions. Guests receive a wristband key fob that they use to access all of the games as well as to pour beer, wine, coffee, and Kombucha from 50 self-serve taps.
In January, Montage Hotels & Resorts is set to open Pendry San Diego in the Gaslamp Quarter. All 317 rooms and suites in the 12-story hotel are wired with USB ports and include portable, wireless Bluetooth speakers that guests can use in the room or at the beach during their stay. The hotel will offer 28,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including an 8,400-square-foot ballroom which can seat as many as 764 guests theater-style, 467 classroom-style, or 564 banquet-style, or hold 718 for receptions. A 2,600-square-foot ballroom can accommodate 245 theater-style, 148 classroom-style, or 178 banquet-style, or hold 230 for receptions. Four additional conference rooms range from 600 to 1,400 square feet. Pendry San Diego will also have a rooftop pool bar, a beer hall, and an entertainment venue.
La Jolla restaurant the Hake was renovated in October. The renovation added 2,000 square feet of space to the 5,400-square-foot restaurant, which now offers sweeping views of La Jolla Cove. In total, the Hake can seat as many as 202 seated guests, including 125 in the dining room, 65 in the bar/lounge, and 12 in a private dining room. In the private dining room, planners and guests can connect their wireless devices to a 60-inch flat-screen TV for presentations, videos, and streaming. The chef-driven, locally sourced menu is heavily influenced by Mediterranean and Mexican flavors, and the Hake also boasts a nationally recognized wine program.
After a renovation, Milagro Winery in Ramona reopened in September. Set on a 110-acre property, the vibe here is rustic, modern, and Tuscan, The venue has several areas available for events, including a 3,700-square-foot outdoor patio that seats as many as 200 guests banquet-style, as well as a 2,122-square-foot crush house and wine cave and a 1,565-square-foot tasting room that each accommodate 100 for receptions. The tasting room incorporates iPads, and the outdoor patio has Wi-Fi access. Planners can bring in food from approved outside caterers or hire food trucks to park and serve onsite.
Slated to open in January, Fairfield Inn & Suites San Diego North/San Marcos is a 116-room hotel in San Marcos that has two separate meeting areas. The 700-square-foot Twin Oaks room can seat as many 36 guests theater-style, 20 classroom-style, or 40 banquet-style. The San Marcos boardroom seats 10 boardroom-style. The hotel will give guests the option to check in via their mobile devices and will offer breakfast, Wi-Fi access, and parking, all free of charge.
Open since June, Moonshine Beach is a major space for live music and entertainment in San Diego's Pacific Beach neighborhood. As guests enter the 20,000-square-foot venue, they’re greeted by a large American flag and a motorcycle, immediately establishing the laid-back, honky-tonk vibe. Once inside, they enjoy arcade games, a stage, a large dance floor, and three bars that serve classic cocktails with a beachy twist. Moonshine Beach can accommodate as many as 1,200 guests in mixed seating, and offers access to adjacent Mexican eatery Cerveza Jack’s. For presentations, videos, and visual effects, Moonshine Beach includes a massive LED screen that spans more than 30 feet wide.
San Diego's North Park neighborhood welcomed Twisted Taps in August. The upscale, New American pub uses iPads to control its point-of-sale system and its five 55-inchTV screens, which are all equipped with Chromecast capabilities. Planners can use the screens for presentations, videos, and streaming, as well as to play audio through a Bluetooth speaker system. Measuring 1,482 square feet, the venue can seat 59 guests in the dining area and eight at the bar. Movable pub tables allow for flexible seating setups. An outdoor patio can accommodate 25 people for receptions.
In October, the San Diego Convention Center announced a collaboration with Smart City Networks to enhance on-site digital advertising capabilities. The new technology offers immersive branding experiences through large-format projection displays, allows meeting planners to engage attendees through comprehensive messaging and dynamic content, and delivers high-resolution video welcome messaging. Smart City Networks will also provide advertising sales and event sponsorship support, content services and gamification, a user-friendly content management system, and real-time messaging. The waterfront convention center measures 2.6 million square feet, including 615,700 square feet of exhibit space. The venue has more than 72 separate rooms for meetings and events that total 204,114 square feet of space, including two ballrooms totaling 80,706 square feet. The largest indoor meeting space is Hall H, a 6,842-square-foot room that has standing capacity for 6,700, or a seating capacity of 6,130 theater-style, 4,520 classroom-style, or 2,900 banquet-style.
