Uptick in corporate events
Phillips, who also served on the Tri-Valley tourism board for about nine years, has noticed a “remarkable” uptick in the region’s corporate events and business meetings over the past several months, especially from the South Bay area.
“I think people are just bloody tired of not being able to get their people together,” she said. “The whole advent of online meetings and webinars — I’m sorry, but it is not the same as being in a room with people and seeing the expression on their faces and shaking their hands. It will never take the place of a meeting. I think people are really craving that get-back-together time.”
Compared to San Francisco, San Jose and Napa Valley, the Tri-Valley region is more affordable, Phillips said.
“And,” she said, “you get really fabulous quality.”
Like other area hotels, the San Ramon Marriott works with local venues, including Beets Hospitality Group and the Alameda County Fairgrounds, to offer package rates.
In January 2012, the hotel completed a $4.5 million renovation of its 16,500 square feet of meeting space that included new carpet, new wall coverings and new artwork in 21 meeting rooms, general manager Tom David said.
The hotel also upgraded its meeting space, including its audiovisual equipment, wireless Internet and lighting systems.
The Marriott, which refreshed its 368 guest rooms in 2008, is now renovating its lobby and restaurant. Its new Bishop Grill will serve locally and regionally sourced ingredients in the American-comfort-food dishes.
David expected the $2.5 million project to wrap up early this month.
The Blackhawk Museum in Danville, which displays more than 90 automobiles that are historically significant and artistically inspired, hosts more than 200 events a year.
Its 5,000-square-foot Automotive Dining Room, is filled with antique and one-of-a-kind automobiles, which the museum calls “rolling sculptures,” displayed on gleaming black floors.
“It’s a very nice, upscale venue with a beautiful antique car museum that’s [affiliated with the] Smithsonian,” Sarabia-Mason said.
In the end, what makes the Tri-Valley region an interesting destination is its diversity: five cities, three valleys, and landscapes that range from high-end business parks to rolling hills of agricultural land.
“When you drive into these communities, you feel like you’re in a community,” Phillips said. “Somebody who is coming in to do a two-, three-day meeting and brings their folks for a convention or retreat — there are a ton of things for them to do here.”
