Conventions Set Attendance Records

Attendance for conventions held at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Downtown in 2007 jumped as high as 20 percent compared to attendance at the same conventions held in other cities in 2006, according to post-convention surveys commissioned by LA INC. Many factors were cited in the survey, including easy air access between Los Angeles and 88 U.S. and 60 international cities. Moreover, the frequency of LA-bound, non-stop flights from popular departure points usually exceeds that of competing cities. Meeting professionals were also pleased by the fact that airfares into LA are competitive and often lower than fares into competing cities. LA's varied airports (LAX, LA/Ontario International, LA/Palmdale, Bob Hope, Long Beach and Van Nuys) are conveniently located and provide attendees with a wide range of airline options; therefore, the ability to find the most competitive fare. Additionally, LA's average hotel price is among the lowest of the top 25 U.S. visitor markets. With all the excitement and buzz generated by Downtown's renaissance, 28 conventions have already been booked in fiscal year 2008, equating to 403,000 room nights and $215 million in future business for the LA community.

BCAM Born at LACMA

The Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM) is now open at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The $56-million, three-story museum is the first new art museum built in LA since the world-famous Getty Center opened in 1997. Boasting 60,000 square feet of exhibition space, BCAM is one of the largest column-free art spaces in the U.S. BCAM's opening installation includes works by such esteemed artists as Richard Serra, Jeff Koons, Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Ed Ruscha, Cindy Sherman and Jean-Michel Basquiat. The opening of BCAM marks the completion of LACMA's first phase of a multi-year transformation to expand, upgrade and unify its six-building, 20-acre campus. Budgeted at $156 million, the first phase also features the completion of a 15,375-square-foot, glass-enclosed BP Grand Entrance Pavilion, a covered concourse linking the western and eastern sections of the one-third-mile-long campus and public artworks designed by internationally acclaimed artists. With the opening of BCAM, LACMA now leads the field in devoting a greater share of its space and programming to contemporary art than any other encyclopedic museum.

LA Means Green!

It's well documented that LA is the entertainment capital of the world - but it's equally true that Los Angeles is one of the Greenest cities on earth. Boasting one of the nation's greenest convention centers, LEED Certified buildings, more green space than most cities and a host of private and public Green programs, LA takes Green to the next level. The Los Angeles Convention Center (LACC) is North America's largest solar-generating building. It recycles 99 percent of used trade show materials, including beverage containers, food waste (into animal feed), garden waste and practices water conservation. From May 20-22, 2008, the LACC will host Green West Expo/Conference: the first trade show bringing the entire spectrum of Green products together under one roof. And in October, GreenXchange Xpo will be coming to the Los Angeles Convention Center. Sponsored by IDG World Expo and VerdeXchange, GreenXchange will focus global attention on sustainability - and Los Angeles - by facilitating the largest, holistic 'green exchange' of ideas and commerce in the world.

Winter Springs Summer Garden

The "Garden of Flowing Fragrance," a three-acre Chinese summer garden, is set to open Feb. 23, 2008 at the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. This is the first of nine gardens - four seasonal and five special collection gardens - that will encompass the Huntington's new 12-acre Chinese Garden. The newly opened garden will be the largest classical garden outside mainland China and one of the largest of the Huntington's 14 specialized gardens. The Chinese Garden will include a lake, tea house, pavilions and bridges within a landscape of plants native to China. Elsewhere on the grounds, the Huntington Art Gallery, built in 1911 as the residence of Henry E. Huntington (1850 - 1927), is set to re-open on May 28, 2008, following a $20 million renovation. Visitors will enjoy an enhanced experience with one of the nation's finest collections of European art, as well as a more accurate portrayal of the lifestyle enjoyed by one of the early 20th century's most prominent millionaires.

New Hotels Emerge on the LA Scene

Chic new international brands and cushy redoes keep LA's hotel scene fresh, hip and world class.

Kyoto Grand Hotel & Gardens
Downtown's Little Tokyo is now home to the Kyoto Grand Hotel & Gardens. Formerly the New Otani Hotel & Gardens, the hotel features 434 guest rooms and 20 suites, including three wonderfully unique Japanese suites.

The Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa, Pasadena
Langham Hotels purchased The Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel & Spa in January 2008, and is expected to invest $25 million into upgrading the hotel's facilities. The Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa, Pasadena offers more than 30,000 square feet of meeting and event space, along with 380 rooms, suites and cottages.

The London West Hollywood
LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels will re-open the Bel Age Hotel as The London West Hollywood in April 2008, following a revamp by an award-winning team including Chef Gordon Ramsay.

Hotel Palomar Los Angeles - Westwood
The Hotel Palomar Los Angeles - Westwood will open under the management of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants in April 2008. It will have 268 rooms and suites, a destination spa and a high-end, chef-driven restaurant.

SLS at Beverly Hills
In summer 2008, the new 300-room SLS at Beverly Hills, formerly Le Meridien at Beverly Hills, will open following a major transformation. As the first of a new luxury hotel concept by SBE Hotel Group, it will be managed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.