There is pretty much nowhere on Earth you cannot reach from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and it is a major jumping-off point for such far-flung destinations as Australia, Japan, South Korea and China; also—for weekenders—the Hawaiian Islands. This makes LAX meeting venues extremely convenient for Pacific area international attendees. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the sixth busiest airport in the world, with annual numbers migrating through it reaching almost 60 million.
The nearest convention center is the Los Angeles Convention Center, some 10 miles to the northeast. The center has 720,000 square feet of exhibit space and 147,000 square feet of meeting space.
Hotel venues in LAX account for more than 10,000 hotel rooms in its immediate vicinity. The largest is the 1,234-room Hilton Los Angeles Airport, which has 55,000 square feet of meeting space, including a brand-new conference center. Other behemoths here are the 802-room Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles, with 50,000 square feet of indoor meeting space to complement 55,000 square feet of outdoor space; the 740-room Westin Los Angeles Airport, with a 13,363-square-foot ballroom, and the 630-room Hacienda Hotel at LAX. A wonderful boutique choice is the 250-room Custom Hotel, a very stylish roost managed by Joie de Vivre Hotels.
There are not really any event venues in LAX; however, one fun restaurant on the airport grounds is Encounter, which has a Space Age theme (arches, funky seat covers, lava lamps, that kind of thing) and space for up to 165 diners; quite aptly, it boasts that everyone's favorite alien-swatter Sigourney Weaver has been there.
Other dining venues in LAX include the Daily Grill, which has lots of polished wood and sits adjacent to the Westin. Specializing in surf n' turf, it has a private dining room for 14 persons and two semi-private areas for 45 each. Giving it a decided run for its money, but a few minutes outside LAX, is the Buggy Whip on La Tijera Blvd. It too likes steaks and seafood and has a banquet room. And why dirty your feathers by saying no to this favorite sea-and-land combination if you are right on the airport perimeter? Surround your property with old planes (American, British and German war craft) and call yourself the Proud Bird. This restaurant, from which diners can see real planes land at LAX, has four event rooms and a ballroom seating 1,200 persons. In Westchester is Italy's Little Kitchen, which, not surprisingly serving Italian dishes, has a small private room for 30 persons. Apart from that, the area has numerous pit stops for those hungry but soon to be on the fly.
Looking for more LA area venues? Browse the complete Los Angeles area event venue directory.
