MEETING FACILITIES.

In L.A. County, ranked by square footage

THE PACESETTER

LOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTER

THOUGH still the largest in the county, the 30-year-old Los Angeles Convention Center is looking to expand by 40 percent to keep up with its major competitors in Anaheim and San Diego.

Last year, the Democratic National Convention in August dominated the convention center scene. This year, the premier conventions have been the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show, the California Gift Show and the Electronic Entertainment Expo. Also the National Education Association convention is expected to draw 15,000 people this month.

The convention center has 300 to 325 events books for fiscal 2000-2001, ending June 30, compared with 350 for the previous year.

Attendance this year was expected to reach 2 million, down 20 percent from last year's 2.5 million. Part of that, explained convention manager George Rakis, is because so many days had to be blocked off for the Democratic convention. Also, attendance has declined for several of the technology shows.

As a result, exhibit hall occupancy declined this year to 80 percent compared with 84 percent the previous year.

Also, gross revenues in fiscal 2000-2001 were projected to be $32 million, down from $37.5 million the previous year. Much of that is attributed to the amount of time blocked off for the Democratic convention.

A feasibility study is being conducted to determine whether the convention center's exhibit hail space can be expanded from its current 720,000 square feet to compete with Anaheim Convention Center, which has 815,000 square feet, and the recently expanded San Diego Convention Center, which will double to 525,000 square feet. The study should be done by the end of the year.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

THE top 25 meeting facilities on this year's list offer 613 rooms for meetings, conventions and social gatherings, down slightly from the year before when there were 635 rooms available. Still, the combined total of meeting space increased to 2.8 million square feet from 2.7 million square feet last year.

Amenities offered at the facilities include ballrooms, multimedia theaters, art deco salons, large auditoriums and heliports.

Meeting venues dot Los Angeles County, going from downtown L.A. to Santa Monica and Pasadena. Some are housed in museums, such as the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica. Others are located on ships, such as the Queen Mary in Long Beach.

L.A. has hosted several major conventions this year, including the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show.

According to George Rakis, the general manager of the L.A. Convention Center, meeting and convention business is holding steady.

Two architectural firms, LMN in Seattle and WWCOT in Santa Monica, have been hired to study how the L.A. Convention Center can be expanded so it can hold simultaneous events.

Rank  Facility (Ranking in 2000)               Meeting Space
      * name                                  * total sq. ft.
      * address                            * largest room's sq. ft.
                                           * number of mtg. rooms
   1  Los Angeles Convention Center (1)           867,000
      1201 S. Figueroa St.                        347,000
      Los Angeles 90015                              64
   2  Long Beach Convention &                     400,000
      Entertainment Center (2)                     20,456
      300 E. Ocean Blvd.                             34
      Long Beach 90802
   3  The Sheraton Suites Fairplex (3)            258,000
      601 W. McKinley Ave.                        105,600
      Pomona 91768                                   19
   4  California Mart (4)                         160,000
      110 E. 9th St., Suite A727                   35,000
      Los Angeles 90079                              10
   5  The Westin Bonaventure Hotel and            110,000
      Suites (5)                                   26,108
      404 S. Figueroa St.                            27
      Los Angeles 90071
   6  The Century Plaza Hotel & Spa (7)           100,000
      2025 Avenue of the Stars                     25,134
      Los Angeles 90067                              25
   7  The Queen Mary Hotel (6)                     85,000
      1126 Queens Highway                          50,000
      Long Beach 90802                               16
   8  Millenium Biltmore Hotel (8)                 70,000
      506 S. Grand Ave.                            16,800
      Los Angeles 90071                              17
   9  Pasadena Conference Center (9)               60,000
      300 E: Green St.                             32,000
      Pasadena 91101                                 22
  10  The Beverly Hilton (10)                      55,100
      9876 Wilshire Blvd.                          20,000
      Beverly Hills 90210                            20
  11  Hilton Los Angeles Airport (11)              55,000
      5711 W. Century Blvd.                        13,585
      Los Angeles 90045                              45
  12  Shrine Auditorium & Expo Center              54,000
      (12)                                         54,000
      649 W. Jefferson Blvd.                         4
      Los Angeles 90007
  13  Hilton Burbank Airport & Convention          50,000
      Center (13)                                  15,015
      2500 Hollywood Way                             40
      Burbank 91505
  14  Los Angeles Airport Marriott (14)            50,000
      5855 W. Century Blvd.                        12,320
      Los Angeles 90045                              40
  15  Wilshire Grand Hotel and Centre              50,000
      (18)                                         11,131
      930 Wilshire Blvd.                             27
      Los Angeles 90017
Rank       Types of Spaces/Services          Year Built
                (partial list)             * year renovated
   1   720,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space,        1971
       5,600 sq. ft. convention on-site         1997
       parking, four public food courts
   2    13,500 seat arena, two recently         1978
      renovated performing arts theaters,       2000
        exhibition hall, meeting rooms
   3  situated on 487 acres with 247,000        1992
        sq. ft. of column-free exhibit          1999
                     space
   4   exhibit hall, multimedia theater,        1963
          conference rooms, penthouse           2001
               exposition center
   5     3 ballrooms, conference level          1978
        features 19 meeting and banquet         2001
        rooms, exhibit hall, plaza deck
         accommodates up to 3,000 for
                outside events
   6  fully renovated meeting room space,       1966
       20 breakout rooms, 23,000 sq. ft.        2001
      of exhibit space, two junior ball-
                     rooms
   7     16 art deco salons, tri-level          1936
       exhibit hall, largest salon seats        2000
       500 theater, wedding chapel seats
                      200
   8   17 meeting rooms, including five         1923
        ballrooms to accommodate small          2001
       groups of 200 to large receptions
                of up to 1,000
   9     in-house telecommunications,           1973
         electrical/utilities, food &           2000
       beverage, a/v services, Internet
        capability, 3,000 seat theater,
               meals up to 2,000
  10   3 ballrooms from 4,500 to 20,000         1955
       sq. ft. executive business center        2000
      with 13 breakout rooms from 900 to
        2,400 sq. ft. state-of-the-art
        equipment in all meeting rooms
  11     banquets, meetings, exhibits,          1983
             seminars, conferences              1994
  12      6,300 seat auditorium with            1926
      54,000 sq. ft. adjacent expo center     ongoing
  13   conference for 10 to 1,900 people        1982
                 theater style                  1999
  14   2 ballrooms/12,320 and 10,560 sq.        1971
        ft., accommodations up to 1,700         2000
      people, 27 breakout rooms, on-site
      audio visual, 1,010 guest rooms and
                    suites
  15    21 breakout rooms for 10 to 175         1952
        people, 2 ball rooms, permanent         2001
       boardroom, 10,000 sq.ft. exhibit
                     space
Rank           Owner                  Contacts
                                     * catering
                                    * convention
   1    City of Los Angeles          Dan Butler
                                  Patricia Gunness
   2     City of Long Beach         David Taylor
                                   Dianne Johnson
   3          Fairplex              Jenny Dodson
                                      John Buck
   4      Hertz Investment          Mary Burgess
                                        same
   5         Today's IV             Rodney Smith
                                        same
   6          Pivotal                Larry Dean
           Group/Century                same
             Plaza LLC
   7     City of Long Beach        Diane Dagestino
                                        same
   8         Millennium             Sara Cameron
          Hotels & Resorts          Steve Haller
   9      City of Pasadena        Charlotte Rowland
                                     Mell Motio
  10    Merv Griffin Hotels          Jill Cross
                                     Tommy Chow
  11  Fortuna Enterprises Ltd.  Maribel Serrao-Doratt
                                  Erik Dahlerbruch
  12        Al Malaikah           Aramark Services
           Auditorium Co.        Douglas Worthington
  13      Strategic Hotel            Sondra Ryan
            Capital Inc.        Giorgio Lambruschini
  14      Marriott Hotels          Laurel St. John
                                      Don Boyd
  15    Hanjin International          Carl Sola
                                     Terry Clark
               Corp.
Rank  Top Local Executive
      * name
      * title
      * phone
   1  George T. Rakis
      general manager
      [phone]
   2  David Gordon
      general manager
      [phone]
   3  Eddie Timmons
      general manager
      [phone]
   4  Kit Marchel
      president
      [phone]
   5  Brian Fitzgerald
      general manager
      [phone]
   6  Ken Pilgrim
      general manager
      [phone]
   7  Joseph F. Prevratil
      ceo, president
      [phone]
   8  Armel Santens
      general manager

      [phone]
   9  James Canfield
      executive director
      [phone]
  10  Christopher Crider
      general manager
      [phone]
  11  David Villarrubia
      general manager
      [phone]
  12  Douglas Worthington
      general manager
      [phone]
  13  Joseph Kruvi
      general manager
      [phone]
  14  Javier Cano
      general manager
      [phone]
  15  John Stoddard
      v.p., general manager
      (213) 688-777
16  Autry Museum of Western         50,000
    Heritage (15)                   8,300
    4700 Western Heritage Way         7
    Los Angeles 90027
17  University Student Union,       50,000
    Cal State Northridge (16)       7,500
    18111 Nordhoff St.                25
    Northridge 91330
18  Hollywood Park Casino           46,000
    3883 West Century Blvd.         22,800
    Inglewood 90303                   8
19  The Westin Los                  45,000
    Angeles Airport (17)            13,500
    5400 W. Century Blvd.             36
    Los Angeles 90045
20  Sheraton Gateway Hotel          42,000
    Los Angeles Airport (19)        7,900
    6101 W. Century Blvd.             42
    Los Angeles 90045
21  Skirball Cultural Center (20)   41,630
    2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.         9,320
    Los Angeles 90049                 17
22  Westin Long Beach (21)          40,000
    333 E. Ocean Blvd.              13,434
    Long Beach 90802                  20
23  Hilton Universal                34,500
    City & Towers (22)              16,000
    555 Universal Terrace Parkway     18
    Universal City 91608
24  The Museum of Flying (23)       30,000
    2800 Donald Douglas Loop North  15,000
    Santa Monica 90405                5
25  Industry Hills Sheraton Resort  30,000
    & Conference Center (24)        12,000
    One Industry Hills Parkway        25
    City of Industry 91744
16      courtyard, plaza, lawn,       1988       Autry Museum of
       classrooms, theater, cafe       N/A    Western Heritage Inc.
17     meeting, conference, and       1978     University Student
       banquet services, outdoor      1995            Union
           patio, performing
              arts center
18     ballroom, meeting rooms,       1994    Churchill Downs Inc.
     exhibit space, outdoor/indoor   ongoing
          patio with a view,
         audio visual services
19     auditorium, 2 ballrooms,       1986      Starwood Hotels &
       2 executive board rooms,       2000           Resorts
      conference center, theater,
     outdoor patio, meeting rooms
20  up to 950 people theater style,   1981      Metlife/Starwood
       600 people banquet style,      1995      Hotels & Resorts
        professional convention
    service and banquet dept., a/v
     company on-site, 24 hr. free
        shuttle to and from LAX
21   Ahmanson Hall 1, auditorium      1996            same
     seating, outdoor facilities,     2000
       Internet, exhibit halls,
        flatfloor seating, 35mm
         projectors, projector
     lenses, Dolby Surround Sound
22      Centennial Ballroom and       1988      Starwood Hotels &
       multiple breakout meeting      1998        Resorts Inc.
      rooms on one level, adorned
       with windows and terraces
23    Sierra Ballroom, boardroom,     1984      Universal Paragon
           conterence rooms,         ongoing          Corp.
            function rooms
24        boardroom, theater,         1990        American Golf
       restaurant, main museum,       1995
              air venture
25  Grand Ballroom, 2 restaurants,    1980       Majestic Realty
    2 golf courses, 17 illuminated    1999
      tennis courts, Olympic-size
      swim complex, heliport for
       direct helicopter service
16    Marty Meyerson     John L. Gray
        Dana Ching       ceo, executive director
                         [phone]
17    University Club    Debra Hammond
         Marti Cox       executive director
                         [phone]
18     Alyssa Rosen      Tom Bowling
           same          v.p., general manager
                         [phone]
19     Dan Sparacino     Jon Kimball
        Patty Burns      general manager
                         [phone]
20  Christine Koeberle   Jack Ward
       Monty Zebisch     general manager
                         [phone]
21  L. Dudley/L. Parlen  Uri Herscher
     Marilyn Delanoeye   president, ceo
                         [phone]
22   Barbara McDonald    Duane Neel
       Alan Chavarin     general manager
                         [phone]
23      Leta Leiman      Juan Aquinde
        Eddie Velez      v.p., general manager
                         [phone]
24     Lynne Duncan      Lynne Duncan
           same          director, special events
                         [phone]
25    Michael Swyney     Scott Huntsman
           same          general manager
                         [phone]
(1) Opened April 2001.
Note: The information on the list was provided by representatives of
the facilities themselves. Facilities are ranked by the total square
footage of their meeting and corporate facilities, and by the square
footage of the largest room, respectively. The survey was completed
during the week of June 4, 2001.
To the best of our knowledge, this information is accurate as of
press time. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and
thoroughness of the list, omissions and typographical errors
sometimes occur.

[Graph omitted]

[Graph omitted]