Meeting and events business is an important mix to any destination, and Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau is committed to providing groups with everything they need to meet safely, responsibly and effectively in our world renowned central coast destination. Our organization has expanded its business development staff and target markets and invested in new, state-of-the-art hybrid meetings technology to accommodate groups globally.

“Monterey County has been inspiring meeting planners and business travelers for decades, whether you’re a corporation, association or incentive meeting planner,” said Teresa Savage, Vice President of Business Development at Monterey County CVB. “The destination is easily accessible from major California cities including San Jose and San Francisco, as well as expanded direct flight markets nationwide, and has the facilities and space to accommodate meetings and motivate attendees.”

Reimagining Meetings in Monterey County

In 2020, when in-person meetings were paused, Monterey County CVB began reimagining its approach to meetings and conferences. The intentional efforts were meant to maintain awareness and communications with meeting planners throughout the pandemic, allowing an even stronger return when restrictions were lifted. Following the addition of our VP of Business Development to lead the business development team in fall 2020, our organization recently expanded its staff even further by hiring Richard Hud, a 30-year veteran in sales and hospitality management. Based in Illinois, Hud will help broaden the CVB’s focus to the Midwest and East Coast regions, ripe with incentive companies and industries that host meetings between 300 to 800 attendees: Monterey County’s sweet spot.

“We are thrilled to add industry veteran Rick Hud to our team,” said Savage. “Rick has extensive relationships within the Midwest and deep relationships in the industry that will give Monterey County a jumpstart in regaining this important market.” 

CANVAS Studio Hybrid Meeting Solution

Other investments in Monterey County include the CANVAS technology platform with Immersive Design Studios, which is now available for bookings at Monterey Conference Center. It is the first partnership of its kind with a convention center, and the same service used by well-known life and business strategist Tony Robbins for his immersive events attracting more than 20,000 remote participants. The offering will continue to position Monterey County on the cutting edge of meeting capabilities as the pandemic evolves.

Safety in Meetings 

Since the onset of the pandemic, Monterey County hotels and businesses have enhanced their health and safety protocols, including several hotels and the Monterey Conference Center achieving GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation. One of the destination’s greatest assets continues to be its ability to host outdoor meetings and events with its year-round mild climate and wide range of scenic, open-air venues. The addition of new flight markets and jet services that have been added to Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) over the last six months also makes the destination more accessible to longer-haul markets. Direct flight cities include Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle.

“The groups segment is a critical piece of Monterey County’s traveler mix, which is why we have continued to pursue meeting and event planners and increase promotion of our unique facility, sanitation and technology options over the last 18 months,” said Rob O’Keefe, president and CEO at Monterey County CVB. “We are eager to welcome back both those familiar with Monterey County and introduce our amazing destination to new markets and audiences.”

Book Now Promotion

Monterey County CVB is offering a special promotion to book and host a hybrid meeting or offsite event in the coming months. The promotion includes a $20 credit per actualized room night for groups with 25 to 500 guest rooms that book and actualize a program between Sundays through Thursdays through June 30, 2022. For more details on how to book, visit here.

As the meeting industry continues to evolve and groups get back to business, Monterey County CVB is here to help you plan and reconnect in our awe-inspiring destination.