Executive travel: creative event venues abound in West Hollywood. (An Advertising Supplement).

West Hollywood might be small (1.9 square miles) and young (incorporated only 18 years ago), but the city's dynamic sense of style has set it apart as a mecca for the latest trends in interior design, fine arts, fashion and cuisine. Visitors can enjoy the legendary Sunset Boulevard, lined with some of the hottest hotels, restaurants and clubs in the country, or the fashionable Melrose Avenue, home of trendy boutiques and cool sidewalk cafes. On the Avenues of Art & Design, visitors and locals browse shops and showrooms for the finest in both traditional and contemporary interior design.

Known as the "Creative City," West Hollywood is also fittingly recognized for its vast array of creative event venues. The glittering Sunset Strip alone is brimming with enough vibrant options to make any event planner's mouth water. Not to mention that "WeHo," equidistant from downtown LA and the beaches, is ideally situated for any event.

When considering creative event venues, West Hollywood's famed hotels are a good place to start. The 14 hotels, which run the gamut from the landmark Art Deco Argyle to the ultra modern Standard, offer unique environments and exclusive amenities to suit a nearly endless variety of creative events.

Many of the hotels boast rooftop decks with stunning views that provide an outstanding back-drop for every event. The roof deck at the Hyatt West Hollywood offers breathtaking views from one of the highest vantage points on the Strip, and can easily accommodate receptions of over 250 people. The Hyatt, recently renovated in a chic, contemporary style, also offer its Sunset Ballroom and six other rooms for events and meetings.

The SkyBar at the Modrian Hotel, one of the Strip's hottest locales, also features spectacular views from its poolside deck. Conceived by the hip hotel guru, Ian Schrager, and designed by Phillip Stark, the modern Mondrian is ideal for swank LA--style events, and the critically acclaimed Asia de Cuba restaurant serves up delicious Asian-Cuban fusion cuisine.

Another West Hollywood hotel that provides diverse options for creative events and meetings is the Wyndham Bel Age. After an extensive renovation of the guest rooms over the past year, this full-service hotel, locate moments from the Strip, is better than ever. The Wyndham has 12 rooms for boutique-style conferences and events, including a rooftop garden, a sculpture garden and an outdoor terrace.

Aside from the renowned hotels, the world-class clubs of Sunset Boulevard are also an exciting option for creative events. The Key Club (recently named the top club in the U.S. by Details magazine) is a slick venue for events up to 500 people, and also has the exclusive "Plush Room" for more intimate occasions. The House of Blues, co-owned by Dan Akroyd, is a legendary music venue with juke-joint decor and yet another exciting spot for fun, creative events.

But the possibilities for groundbreaking events in West Hollywood don't stop there. Thanks to the vision of the Pacific Design Center's (PDC) latest owner, Charles Cohen, the "Creative City" has yet another extraordinary event venue to add to its roaster.

The PDC, located at 8687 Melrose Avenue, is the largest center of its kind on the west coast, with over 130 showrooms that display and sell high-end interior design products to professional architects, designers and decorators. The striking PDC complex, designed by Cesar Pelli, is also an architectural and cultural landmark. While the past perception of the PDC has been that of an exclusive "trade only" location, the space has been reconceived as an exceptional creative event venue that welcomes the trade and public alike.

With 1.2 million square feet of dramatic interior space, decks with spectacular views and a lushly landscaped two-acre outdoor plaza, the PDC offers diverse settings for any event, from intimate board meetings to indoor/outdoor receptions for up to 3,500 guests. In light of all that the PDC already has to offer, it's hard to imagine that when all renovations are completed, the possibilities for innovative events will be even more expansive.

The latest round of changes at the PDC involves a comprehensive overhaul of all public areas, inside and out. The main goal of the interior renovation is to maintain the original design integrity, while addressing issues of lighting and acoustics. The Melrose Ave. entrance plaza has also been redesigned as a lush, undulating landscape, called Wave Park, designed as an open invitation to enter the space. These renovations are expected to be completed by mid-summer 2002.

Other recent changes include the addition of Astra West and The Lounge @ astra, west coast outposts from renowned chef Charlie Palmer of New York's Aureole. Located on the third floor of the PDC's "blue building," Astra West is an elegant, yet flexible contemporary environment that can be easily configured for events ranging from sit-down dinners to open cocktail receptions. The Lounge @ astra, located on the ground level, is a modern, linear space conceived in the tradition of the great bar lounges. Both restaurants have adjacent outdoor space, making them an ideal setting for indoor/outdoor events.

If you are looking to plan an event in the near future, West Hollywood has an amazing range of creative options for events of every size, shape and character--with a great location to boot. There is no need to settle for an ordinary event venue when you can have the extraordinary in West Hollywood.

For more information on creative event venues in West Hollywood, go to www.visitwesthollywood.com.