February 2009
Did You Know?
In 2008 Inc.com ranked Bakersfield the No. 9 best mid size city in the nation to do business in.Did You Know?
Bakersfield is the 11th fastest growing city in the United States with a population of over 100,000, and the fastest growing city in the United States with a population of over 250,000.Fun Fact
In 2005 Garth Brooks proposed to then girlfriend Trisha Yearwood on stage at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace in Bakersfield. The proposal was televised to a national audience.
Our new, exclusive monthly newsletter gives you the inside scoop on meeting and events news in Bakersfield. Look for a few articles each month highlighting venues, hotels, promotions, and attractions in the area. You will learn a thing or two about Bakersfield! We hope you enjoy reading it!
Don I. Cohen
Executive Director
Bakersfield Convention & Visitors Bureau
The 2008 calendar year was a very important and busy year for the Bakersfield meeting and convention market. In February the Bakersfield CVB appointed its new Executive Director, Don I. Cohen. Additional personnel were hired and by June the organization was fully staffed.
After a six-month conversion, the Bakersfield Marriott at the
Convention Center opened in October. The 259-room hotel is connected to
the Rabobank Convention Center. The hotel has 14,000 sq. ft. of meeting
space, along with a full restaurant and lobby bar. All meeting and
guest rooms went under complete renovations. The new property is a
great addition to our meeting and lodging portfolio.
The Holiday Inn & Suites Bakersfield North opened in August. The 120-room property includes 1,925 sq. ft. of meeting space, an on-site restaurant, and has easy access to Highway 99.
The Moorea Banquet Centre opened in fall 2008. The venue gives meeting planners a great new option to host events. The center can hold up to 360 people and has full audio/visual capabilities, bar service area and a catering preparation room.
Finally, the CVB has some great new services now available to meeting planners. We have teamed up with meetingmax inc. to provide online housing services for groups coming to Bakersfield. The system allows the meeting planner to track room pick up in real time and gives attendees a single web site to compare hotels. No more going back and forth to see who has the best rate or the right amenities! Additionally we have a group discount program set up with local museums. Attendees will receive a wristband upon registration and it’s good for a discount at any of the four local museums! Both of these services are complimentary to groups.
One of the many questions meeting planners ask is, ‘Why should I bring my group to Bakersfield?’ It’s pretty simple. California is a pretty big state with a lot of people who attend meetings. Bakersfield is located within four driving hours of 90 percent of the state’s population. No other city our size can make that claim! To a savvy meeting planner, this means you can get your attendees to the meeting and back while saving money on transportation costs.
Speaking of costs, did you know the average hotel room rate in Bakersfield is about 40 percent lower than the state average? And yes, we have all the big name hotels, such as Marriott, Doubletree, Sheraton, Red Lion, Holiday Inn, Wyndam, Courtyard, and many more. The value you get in Bakersfield is unmatched anywhere in the state.
Finally, Bakersfield is home to some great off-site and unique venues. A reception among native California animals, browsing 18th century art, listening to live music at the Crystal Palace, or sipping wine in the mountains is all a possibility when you meet in Bakersfield.
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