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San Diego Convention Center Guide

San Diego's refreshing ocean breezes, cutting-edge innovation, and booming metropolitan culture make event planning as easy as spreading a towel out on the beach. Its sunny, year-round average temperature of 70 degrees make weather worries a thing of the past. Your attendees will thank you for the scenery, the unbeatable cuisine, and the myriad cultural opportunities right at their doorstep.

Imagine welcoming attendees into the state-of-the-art San Diego Convention Center after an impossibly short, scenic cab ride from the airport. Attendees will arrive relaxed and excited to visit a place that's been a world-class destination city for decades. The full-service hotels they're staying in are just a block away, while the delectable world cuisine and nightlife of the Gaslamp Quarter are only five minutes by trolley. You'll finally be able to forget the gritty details and focus your energy on creating an truly unforgettable guest experience. That's what hosting an event in San Diego is all about.

Overview of Area

San Diego shines like a beacon at the southernmost tip of California. Everywhere you look, you're greeted by the smooth reflection of the city's contemporary skyline in the calm waters of the San Diego Bay. This scenery provides the ideal backdrop for a wide range of entertainment. Outdoor concerts and theater performances are held year-round, often only steps from the Bay. Downtown's vibrant nightlife -- where you can find everything from hand-rolled cigars to sushi so fresh it melts in your mouth -- is just a short cab ride away from many of the city's entertainment venues.

No matter what your style, San Diego will happily accommodate your needs. Cosmopolitan culture and cuisine weave effortlessly with the sun-baked devil-may-care attitude that has attracted visitors to the city for generations. It's the kind of place where sharp minds work daily to retain the city's status as a world-class research and innovation center, but nobody has trouble slipping into the ocean for a sunset surf session after a long day's work. You can run on the beach, climb aboard a military tanker, picnic in the park, take in the latest art, and immerse yourself in the city's history -- all with plenty of daytime to spare.

Surprisingly, you also don't need a car. The SDCC is located just minutes from hotels, the marina, beaches, and Downtown, which gleams with big-city culture. Cultural gems, from hole-in-the-wall boutique galleries to the ornate Spanish arches of Balboa Park, are never far away. Haute cuisine lovers and budget diners alike will be pleasantly surprised by the sumptuous fare the city offers.  Music fans will delight in outdoor concerts with the sparkling Pacific as a backdrop, while a short stroll to the Gaslamp district will provide city types with enough clubs, bars, and theaters to stay entertained for weeks.

With all that walking, it's comforting to know that San Diego is one of the country's safest big cities. The city prides itself on keeping a secure, welcoming beach city environment despite the fact that it's the second-biggest city in California. Leave your worries behind as you embark on the many attractions San Diego has to offer.

San Diego is one of those rare cities where the trip from airport to the Convention Center is actually relaxing. A ten minute cab ride gets you to the heart of downtown and the San Diego Convention Center. With enticing views of the San Diego Bay and Coronado Island, the Convention Center couldn't be located at a better place. Four headquarter hotels and more than 10,000 rooms are only a short ocean-view walk away. The brand new Martin Luther King Promenade, a tree and flower-lined pedestrian mall lined with public art and trolley stations, offers easy access to the many vibrant services and activities the city has to offer.

* Gaslamp Quarter dining, shopping and nightlife

San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter is a thriving historic district in the heart of Downtown. Named for the many gaslamps that once lit the way for late-night visitors in the early 1900's, it's now a hub of world-class city entertainment. Recently restored Victorian buildings mesh with trendy restaurants, nightclubs, boutiques, and galleries to make for an unforgettable night on the town. Every form of entertainment, from cigars and wine to theater to high-energy clubbing, is covered in the Quarter's sixteen city block area.

* Seaport Village and Embarcadero Park

Nostalgia is never far away in this quaint bayside village. Kids relish a carousel ride followed by a double scoop of handmade ice cream at the village's old-fashioned parlor. Adults appreciate the slow pace of life here, where it's easy to spend an afternoon strolling around and drinking in the nautical sights that pepper the area. Surrounded by the calm waters of the San Diego Bay, the village, with its white clapboard houses and gently arching foot bridges, brings up images of old-time seafaring.

The surrounding Embarcadero Park hosts a variety of cheap eats. Don't forget to buy trinkets while you visit. The village's many small boutiques sell everything from maritime-themed jewelry to fresh-pulled saltwater taffy.

* PETCO Park, home of the San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres are the city's pride and joy. To prove it, the city built PETCO Park, a stunning, state-of-the-art baseball stadium just a few minutes' walk from the Convention Center. With cupholders in every padded seat, seven restaurants and lounges, and 58 group suites, it's everything a discerning sports fan could dream of. The stadium sits at the center of the Ballpark District, San Diego's newest hub of cosmopolitan activity, where high-end hotels blend aesthetically with residential towers, bistros, and modern city parks. The stadium's perfect location and easy accessibility make long waits and cramped elbows a thing of the past.

* USS Midway, the nation's most visited new attraction in 2005

The USS Midway, an aircraft carrier with the longest tenure in the US Navy's history, never actually retired. Instead, she was transformed into living, breathing history museum where visitors experience life as a naval aviator firsthand. Midway Navy veterans chat with visitors about their real-life battles next to the more than 21 restored airplanes on display. Rotating exhibits show aspects of carrier life ranging from sick bay operations to navigating above the clouds on high seas. Visitors can even fly an F-14 Tomcat on one of the Midway's two flight simulators. The ship's cafe provides refreshments after an action-filled visit. It's a native San Diego experience not to be missed.

* Balboa Park, known as the Smithsonian of the West

There are four main ways to get into Balboa Park: through a native cactus garden, via an antique bridge overlooking one of the California's most scenic freeways, through a space and science center, or through the world's most famous zoo. And that's just the beginning. The 1,200 acre park is a panorama of cultural activity. From the fortune tellers at the east end to the UN heritage site to the south, it's an impressive cross-section of everything San Diego has to offer. Besides the zoo, there are fifteen museums, eight gardens, and enough shows, exhibits, and musical performances to keep you entertained for several days.

* San Diego Bay Marina, with a fleet of charter sailing vessels and luxury yachts for regattas, receptions and whale-watching charters; deep-sea fishing charters; and scenic and historical U.S. Navy aircraft carriers.

The word Marina usually evokes images of sailboats floating peacefully on azure waters, perhaps with a palm tree or two swaying in the wind. Though there are plenty of palms and sailboats in the San Diego Bay and Marina, the main attraction here is the diverse range of maritime sights. Tiny, occupied houseboats dock near shore, while luxury yachts point to the distant giants that are San Diego's Navy aircraft carriers.

Visitors can participate in a stunning range of activities aboard various craft here. A fleet of XX charter sailing vessels and luxury yachts are available for regattas and receptions. Other vessels are specially equipped for whale-watching and deep-sea fishing off the city's famous Pacific coast. Evening bay cruise charters, with one of the city's postcard sunsets in the background, provide an ideal setting for networking.

Attractions, Activities, Arts & Culture

Attractions that make SD a family-friendly destination: San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld, LEGOLAND, Wild Animal Park, Wet & Wild World (?), children's museum. Activities that make SD a fun, active destination: beaches, boating, boardwalk, Mission Bay. Venues that make SD a cultural center: museums and galleries throughout the county, Balboa Park galleries, Soho district, off-Broadway theater.

Families will enjoy the many world-class theme attractions San Diego has to offer. The Zoo and the Wild Animal Park are globally renowned for their animal conservation and education initiatives. Both are spectacular to visit at night, when the animal enclosures are lit up and live music permeates the air. SeaWorld, where killer whales do live tricks for audiences and kids can pet manta rays, is another must-see. In North San Diego, LEGOLAND offers an array of theme rides, shows, and play opportunities -- all made from carefully crafted LEGO pieces.

Outdoorsy types need not look far for a host of fun activities. San Diego's famous beaches cater to everyone from surfers and boaters to runners, volleyball players, and fishermen. Rollerbladers and cyclists will also be pleased by the long, scenic boardwalks around Mission Bay and the pine-lined trails in North and Inland Counties. There's no better way for attendees to spend a free afternoon than out by the beach.

San Diego's cultural scene is as diverse, varied, and abundant as its beach activities.  Museums and galleries, from the cutting-edge Museum of Contemporary Art to the quaint Julian Pioneer Museum, spot the entire county. Balboa Park, an expansive, old Spanish-style cultural hub near downtown, is world-renowned destination in itself. The park alone houses a planetarium, an anthropology museum, art museums, outdoor shows, and the world-renowned Old Globe Theatre -- to name a few. For a more antique taste of San Diego, explore the SOHO district by foot, then catch an off-Broadway show at one of the city's several ornate, historic theaters.

SD is a great destination for adding on vacations because it has beaches, the Bay, and spa and golf resorts such as Four Seasons Aviara, La Costa, Torrey Pines Inn, Rancho Bernardo Inn, Hotel Del Coronado and Catamara Resort.

There's good reason that San Diego is continually ranked one of the country's top vacation spots. Relaxation and recreation are often just a short drive away. The city is lined with expansive white-sand beaches where beach activities like surfing and volleyball are readily available. For aquatic fun, rent a boat or jet ski at Mission Bay. The Bay is also the perfect place to grab a pair of Rollerblades, skate along the shoreline boardwalk to Pacific Beach, then lounge on the sand for a slow, leisurely lunch.

Beautiful, relaxing spa retreats are also easy to find. The Four Season Aviara and Catamaran Resort offer soothing hilltop views of the Pacific. The La Costa Resort and Rancho Bernardo Inn, which also boast state-of-the-art spa facilities, are situated in San Diego's surprisingly green inland area. For a more classic experience, try the Hotel Del Coronado, which is famous for its architecture and rich history.

Golf lovers will relish the world-famous setting of the Torrey Pines Golf Course, which hosts not only the Buick Invitational, but one of the most stunning golf course settings in the nation. The smooth rolling hills at La Costa Golf Course, home of two PGA Championship 18 hole courses, are another experience not to be missed. Various lesser-known but equally beautiful courses dot the rest of the county.