Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1094881
NORTHERN CALIFORNA TOPS WITH MEETING PLANNERS B Y R U F U S M C K I N N E Y Northern California, often abbreviated NorCal, is the northern portion of the Golden State. Spanning the state's north- ernmost 48 counties, in contrast to the 10 counties of Southern California, its main population centers include the San Francisco Bay Area (anchored by the cities of San Francisco, San Jose , and Oakland), the Greater Sacramento area (anchored by the state capital Sacramento), and the Metropolitan Fresno area (anchored by the city of Fresno). • • OAKLAND • • Just 12 minutes from San Francisco, Oakland offers a cutting edge art and music scene, hip international dining experience, world-class sports teams and more. For tour operators, wholesalers and travel professionals, Oakland is the solution to planning an idealistic Northern California experience. Located in the heart of downtown Oakland, the Oakland Convention Center is just minutes from San Francisco. Featuring 64,000 sq. ft. of convention, exhibit, social gathering and meeting room space, the facility is connected to the Oakland Marriott City Center, offering an additional 25,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space and 483 deluxe guest rooms. Oakland Convention Center is a world- class exhibition hall within walking dis- tance of Jack London Square, Chinatown, Oakland Museum of California, Preservation Park and Oakland City Center. It is also surrounded by beautifully restored Victorian buildings and the finest shops, restaurants, art gal- leries and museums that this exciting city has to offer. The iconic 363 room Hilton Oakland Airport Hotel is an oasis by the airport with 12 manicured acres in a resort-like setting conveniently located less than a mile from Oakland International Airport (OAK). Other hotels in the Oakland area that provide conference attendee's top level hospitality are The Oakland Marriott City Center, The Claremont Hotel and Oakland Airport Executive Hotel. With four runways and a yearly pas- senger count of over 10 million, Oakland International Airport is served by various regular and low-cost airlines offering numerous direct and connecting flights throughout the country, with connections to all points of the globe. • • SACRAMENTO • • Sacramento is experiencing a true ren- aissance. It is alive and buzzing with new sights, sounds, and smells. As America's Farm-to-Fork Capital, it fuses surrounding farms with local restaurants, which led to the explosion of our farm-fresh food scene. The newly opened Golden 1 Center is the heart of a revitalized down- town core that is walkable and home to new hotels and an entertainment district. It's one of California's most affordable and accessible cities, served by 150 flights daily. The soon-to-be-expanded convention center currently offers 384,000 sq. ft. of event space, 137,500 sq. ft. of exhibit space, and 31 meeting rooms. There are more than 2,000 hotel rooms within walking distance of the cen- ter and a total of 4,000 hotel rooms are within a three-mile radius. Sacramento has more than 2,000 hotel rooms within walking distance of the Sacramento Convention Center, along with another 2,000 within three miles and a total of 16,000 in the region. There are hotels to fit all budgets, including big names Hyatt, Sheraton, Hilton, DoubleTree by Hilton, Marriott, Kimpton, Holiday Inn and more. Sacramento also offers a selection of boutique hotels and bed-and-breakfast inns. There are also multiple small unique vacation stays avail- able from sites such as Airbnb and VRBO. WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Visit Sacramento (916) 808-7777 or (800) 292-2334 www.visitsacramento.com B M & T ••• November/December 2018 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 38 AREA GUIDES • • • STATS • • • HOTEL ROOMS Oakland Marriott City Center 483 Hilton Oakland Airport 363 The Claremont Hotel 276 La Quinta In n& Suites Oakland Coliseum 152 Radisson Hotel Oakland Airport 266 Oakland Airport Executive Hotel 189 EXHIBITION FACILITIES The Oakland Convention Center Total Exhibit Space 64,000 sq. ft. Meeting Rooms 12 WHO YOU GONNA CALL? The Oakland Convention & Visitors Bureau (510) 208-0529 visitoakland.org N O R T H E R N C A L I F O R N I A View of Sacramento skyline from the shore line of the Sacramento River Credit: Copyright : Andrew Zarivny