Ever wonder what goes on inside the San Diego Convention Center throughout the year? The Gaslamp Quarter Association got the chance to go inside the iconic venue for a special tour that hosts and builds small cities within its walls every day.
The San Diego Convention Center is located on a beautiful waterfront setting with an international reputation for five-star service, plenty of flexible meeting space, a kitchen that can serve an intimate 12 person fine dining event to a 10,000 person buffet-style meal, a full public safety command center, gorgeous views of the Bay and the Gaslamp Quarter, and a great host for people to meet from near and far.
On our exclusive tour, we were met by Deann Snyder, Rita De La Fuente, and Bess Eberhart. We looked at the Mile-long hallways with exhibitor space that hosts big and small conventions like San Diego Comic Con International with 135,000 attendees, American Academy of Dermatology with 18,000 attendees, or smaller 2500 -5000 meetings that happen every year. The meeting planners have been hard at work and have booked the San Diego Convention Center up through 2037!
We had the chance to look in the giant kitchen where Sufi Karaien, Senior Executive Sous Chef, spoke to us about the wide range of guests they cater to. Also, their sustainability with composting their scraps, no garbage disposals, taking advantage of California’s rich bounty of meat, fruits and vegetables and giving away their food that isn’t consumed to those in need.
The San Diego Convention Center is a proud industry leader in sustainability. The business practices are recognized for going above and beyond when it comes to environmental responsibility in operating and managing their venue. They divert 80% of waste from landfills, use energy-management software, and LED lighting, and recycle everything they can. They even have purchased state of the art machinery that helps in batching cardboard!
Towards the end of the tour we were able to see the new upgrades to the Sails Pavilion, and catch views to die for of the bay. Our favorite part of the tour of course was the view looking from the top floor on the patio over at the prestigious Gaslamp Quarter sign that welcomes people to the Historic Heart of San Diego! The San Diego Convention Center Attendees are just steps away from the beautiful Gaslamp Quarter. Hotels, restaurants, shopping and entertainment close by!
Go to visitsandieo.com to learn about all of the incredible people, events, and happenings that go on within the walls of the San Diego Convention Center.