| Dear Meeting Professional, Please enjoy this guest column by LA INC.'s Senior Director of Cultural Tourism, Michael McDowell. Dear Meeting Professional, Discerning travelers--whether for business or pleasure-- increasingly consider three things critical to enjoying a rewarding time away from home. They want to experience something: - Intellectually, emotionally or aesthetically rewarding; - Not readily available at home; - Unique and authentic to the destination. Want to revel in Southern California car culture? Organize a sleek event at the Petersen Automotive Museum, where four floors of rental space filled with mint-condition cars--from the vintage to the experimental--fuel the imagination. How about an authentic taste of the Old West? The Autry National Center presents a compelling contrast between the Hollywood myth and the Western reality though galleries of paintings, artifacts, antiques and built environments that can host events from 40 to 4,000 guests. Looking for something more glamorous? It would be hard to top the black-tie caché of the Music Center, with four venues including Frank Gehry's iconic stainless steel-clad Walt Disney Concert Hall. Taken together, they offer auditoriums and indoor and outdoor reception spaces for meetings of all sizes. Want your event to be considered a masterpiece? Why not set the tone by surrounding your guests with some of the world's most famous works of art in venues at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art or the Hammer Museum--all of which offer abundant and unique indoor and outdoor spaces to delight the senses. Why not transport your clients to another world entirely with an event at the venerated Natural History Museum, the cutting-edge Craft & Folk Art Museum or the stunning Fowler Museum at UCLA, with its world-class collection of art and artifacts from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceana. These are just a few examples of how Los Angeles' unique and authentic venues can distinguish your meeting planning efforts from your competitors. There are many more. At LA INC., we hope you will call on us to help you discover the wide array of LA cultural venues that will make your meetings and events memorable for years to come. Cordially, Michael McDowell Senior Director, Cultural Tourism |
 | dineLA Stirs Up First Dining Event in Greater LA Showcasing a selection of specially priced three-course menus from a wide variety of LA's best restaurants, the inaugural dineLA Restaurant Week takes place over two consecutive weeks this year: Jan. 27 - Feb. 1 and Feb. 3 - Feb. 8, 2008. Restaurants in two dining categories will serve a selection of three-course lunch and dinner menus (deluxe: $15/lunch and $25/dinner; premier: $22/lunch and $34/dinner). Some of LA's top restaurants participating in this program include Patina, Grace, Crustacean, 3 on Fourth, Twin Palms, Dakota Steakhouse, Ciudad, Zucca and Katsuya. A full list of participating restaurants and info about LA's dining scene can be found on the new dineLA Web site. www.dineLA.com |
  | Experience the Celebrity Lifestyle Meeting professionals now have the chance to win a free trip for two to Los Angeles to experience the Hollywood celebrity lifestyle. This once-in-a-lifetime totally LA experience includes roundtrip airfare for two, hotel accommodations, a fabulous day spa massage, dinner at a hip Hollywood hotspot followed by an evening at a of-the-moment Hollywood night club, a VIP behind-the-scenes studio tour with Warner Bros. and tickets to see the blockbuster hit WICKED. Meeting professionals who submit an RFP (Request for Proposal) between now and March 31, 2008 for an LA meeting will be automatically entered to win. The meeting must be a new prospect for Los Angeles and have a minimum of 50 rooms on peak or 300 total room nights to qualify. The drawing will take place April 1, 2008. LA INC. is also pleased to announce the winner of the recent WICKED promotion. Michele Hastie (conference planner at the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California) has won a trip for two to Los Angeles to see the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical. www.discoverLosAngeles.com |
 | L.A. LIVE in 2008 L.A. LIVE, Downtown's 27-acre entertainment, sports and residential district, anchored by NOKIA Theatre, STAPLES Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center, will add to its list of completed projects in 2008. New restaurant openings include Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar; Katsuya, the ultra-hip sushi and robata bar; the Yard House restaurant and brew pub; New York-based Rosa Mexicano fine dining; ESPN Zone Restaurant and sports bar; a new Wolfgang Puck eatery at NOKIA Plaza; plus a Starbucks, a New Zealand Natural Ice Cream shop and a quick-service restaurant. In addition, the GRAMMY Museum will open in October as part of the GRAMMY Awards 50th anniversary year. The one-of-a-kind museum will include a 200-seat theatre and a rooftop terrace for up to 450 guests. Club NOKIA will open in 2008 with live performances and private events for up to 2,300 guests. The legendary Conga Room will relocate to L.A. LIVE and Lucky Strike Bowling Center will open 18 lanes, plus billiards, darts and private function rooms. NOKIA Theatre's 2008 headliners include Willie Nelson, Aretha Franklin, Larry The Cable Guy, Juanes and The Moody Blues. |
 | The Art of Renting Whether it's for a corporate event, convention or a private presentation, when you're looking for culturally impressive décor in the city that's home to cultural icons including the Getty Center, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) - fine art is the perfect choice. And as the entertainment capital, it's easy, convenient and cost-effective to rent artworks from the LA companies that lend art to the major studios and production companies. Art Pic has more than 1,000 contemporary paintings, photographs, sculptures and tapestries, and can create everything from 18th century-style paintings to trompe l'oeil works. Art a Gogo features reduced rates when an artist's credit is visible with the work, and does custom art and graphics. Film Art L.A. creates digital reproductions on canvas or paper to your size specifications, and can reproduce works befitting a theme. |
 | 23rd annual LA Marathon The 23rd annual LA Marathon takes place Sunday, March 2, 2008. The 26.2-mile course begins at Universal Studios Hollywood in the San Fernando Valley and ends at the Central Library in Downtown. Participants will pass LA landmarks including the Hollywood Bowl, Hollywood and Sunset boulevards, the Los Angeles Coliseum and STAPLES Center. Entry fees are $100 through Feb. 25, 2008. During Expo (Feb. 29 and March 1 at the Los Angeles Convention Center), marathon entry fees are $115. Online registration is available through Feb. 25, 2008. It is not possible to register during race day. The LA Marathon was founded by Dr. Bill Burke and Marie Patrick, following the success of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The first race was held in 1986 and attracted 10,868 participants - the largest inaugural marathon in history. In 2007, 24,750 people participated. |
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Michael K. Krouse
Senior Vice President
Sales
Phone: 213-236-2359
Fax: 213-451-1459
mkrouse@lainc.us |
Why use a CVB? You'll save valuable time by working with LA INC. The Los Angeles Convention and Visitors Bureau when planning your meetings or conventions in Los Angeles. Not only will LA INC. handle all aspects of your site inspection, but its award-winning client services department will meet - and exceed - your expectations. Among the other benefits you'll receive is an unbiased account of hotels and other venues that suit the needs of your group and access to LA INC.'s many member vendors, including hotels, restaurants, attractions, destination management companies and transportation companies, which will work with you in planning a successful, well-attended event. |   Gain access to a world of tools that will help make your next event a success!   More than 60,000 people are expected to live in Downtown by the end of 2008.
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