San Jose, CA

Key Highlights

Hotels 220
Total Sleeping Rooms 24,823
Committable Sleeping Rooms* 805
Committable Meeting Rooms* 800
Largest Exhibit Space 220,000 Sq. Ft.
Largest Ballroom 143,000 Sq. Ft.
Average Hotel Room Rate USD $121
Average Daily Meal Cost USD $56
Average Weekly Car Rental USD $252
*Maximum for a single hotel
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San Jose, CA Meeting Planning Overview

Welcome to our San Jose meeting planning guide – a San Jose city guide for meeting planners. With seven impressive large-scale event facilities, numerous convention hotels and a wealth of versatile unique meeting spaces, San Jose is emerging from the shadows of other larger California meeting destinations of Los Angeles and San Diego as a top player. Thanks to a recent $1.7 billion investment in urban redevelopment, which revamped museums, libraries, parks and more, the city can offer the same big city amenities at very competitive rates. With its flexible pricing structure, San Jose provides groups with customized pricing based on room nights, food and beverage expenditures, overall economic impact and more.

Welcoming guests into the 10th largest city and one of the safest cities in the U.S. is the Mineta San Jose International Airport. As the 3rd largest airport on the West Coast, the airport sees over 10 million visitors per year and about 360 commercial flights per day.

Once inside the city, event attendees are greeted by a host of meeting facilities, the flagship of which is the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. With 143,000 square feet of column-free exhibit space, 100,000 square feet of pre-function space and a 22,000-square-foot ballroom, the immense convention center is equipped to host events of all types and sizes. Fitting for a convention center in the capital of Silicon Valley, McEnery is also one of the most technologically advanced meeting facilities in the world, offering webcasting and video streaming capabilities and a hyper-speed network infrastructure.

Within walking distance to the convention center, the spacious Center for the Performing Arts is a great alternative to large-scale events in San Jose. Also just across the street from the McEnery Convention Center, the Civic Auditorium is the premiere South Bay Concert location. The Spanish Mission-style building is also a perfect host for meetings and events, thanks to its 3,001 concert seats, four meeting rooms and general assembly space. Combined with other stunning event sites such as the California Theatre, HP Pavilion and Montgomery Theatre, San Jose approaches 200,000 square feet of meeting space.

San Jose event venues also offer the benefit of being eco-friendly. The city is one of the first to start a convention facility composting and recycling program. Non-recyclables, such as furniture, poster board and scrap metal, are donated to non-profit organizations and local schools.

In addition to going green, meeting and event planners can get green by hosting an event at one of the city's carefully tended parks. Group outings can be taken to a whole new level at San Jose's Guadalupe River Park and Gardens, which features the world's largest Monopoly game board. The board, which measures in at 930 square feet and is accented by huge game pieces, can be rented out and played by several people. Back indoors, the mango-colored Tech Museum of Innovation serves as a great backdrop for events in San Jose of up to 2,500 people.

San Jose's economy centers on high-technology engineering and computer and microprocessor technologies. The city serves as headquarters for such corporations as Adobe Systems Incorporated, Apple, Inc., Cisco and eBay. Higher learning also holds a strong presence in the city, as San Jose is home to San Jose State University, National Hispanic University and Lincoln Law School of San Jose.

About San Jose, CA / Additional Info

Originally inhabited by Ohlone Native Americans, San Jose was established first as a farming community by Lieutenant Jose Joaquin Moraga. Despite being the second incorporated city in California – and its first capital – its economy relied heavily on agriculture until World War II. As industrial manufacturing and defense contracting grew in importance, so did the city's prominence and population. San Jose truly skyrocketed onto the world stage at the end of the 20th century, thanks to government-led growth campaigns and its key position in the prosperous Silicon Valley.

Today the city today remains a destination on the rise. Set between the Santa Cruz Mountains and Diablo Mountain Range in the picturesque Santa Clara Valley, the city is the 3rd most populous city in the state with over 900,000 residents. Its entire metropolitan area is home to over seven million people, representing a diverse range of cultures and ethnicities. In addition to large Hispanic, Chinese and Japanese populations, the city also has the largest Vietnamese American population in the United States.

Guests can enjoy this rich cultural mosaic by exploring the city's vibrant communities and cultural attractions. Visit the unique Hispanic district of Alum Rock, where the Biblioteca Latinoamericana holds one of the largest collections of Spanish language materials in Northern California. Guests can pick up unique souvenirs at Japantown, where street vendors sell beautiful kimonos, handmade tofu and unique Japanese gifts. Guests can also indulge in some retail therapy at the San Jose Flea Market, touted as the largest open-air market in the United States. Its 120 acres encompass more than 6,000 eclectic booths, selling everything from comic books to jewelry.

Strolling the streets of San Jose's neighborhoods is a great way to enjoy the pleasant Mediterranean climate of the area, which sees 250 days of sunshine each year. This idyllic weather also makes it easy to take advantage of the city's 15 local and championship golf courses, 150 parks and gardens and assorted local wineries. Enjoy the sweet scent of over 3,500 rose trees and shrubs at the Municipal Rose Garden in North San Jose, or pack a picnic to enjoy at one of Kelley Park's 100 tables or 30 grilling areas. Enjoy the landscape and a glass of fine wine at J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines, Pinder Winery or one of the other many area vineyards.

Visitors should of course not limit their experience to the outdoors, as the city is home to a host of exciting indoor attractions. Established in 1969, the widely-acclaimed San Jose Museum of Art features 1,400 works that focus on West Coast and California art and technology. View one of the largest collections of Ancient Egyptian artifacts in the West at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium.

For a truly unique experience, get lost in the winding halls of the Winchester Mystery House. Once the residence of gun magnate William Wirt Winchester's widow, the house features bizarre architecture such as windows built into the floor and doors that open to blank walls. With so much to do and see, it's no surprise that the fun never stops in San Jose.

 
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