Event Report from Ontario, California: Honored To Produce The State of The City Event For This Fast Growing Destination

Southern Californian CVBs like to advertise the fact that visitors can snow ski and ocean surf in the same balmy winter day.

We just produced the
2016 State of The City Event for Ontario, a city
which is actually located so centrally that this statement becomes true!

The Ontario Convention and Visitors Bureau launched in 2012.  The Ontario International Airport Authority took control of the airport recently.
The tourism and meeting industry in Ontario is growing so fast it deserves to be called:
Boomtown USA!

Ontario, located half way between the Pacific Ocean and Palm Springs and a gateway to all areas of Southern California as well as Las Vegas, had a lot to celebrate during the 2016 State of The City.

The Greater Ontario CVB's work is showing great results.
In 2014 Ontario's hotel room occupancy growth rate was more than two times larger than in other Southern California destinations.
The Convention Center hosted 32 conventions in 2014, 47 in 2015, and has booked 64 in 2016.
Meeting numbers are equally impressive. 450 meetings were held here in 2015.
The forecast number of total visitors in 2016 is 553,000, an increase of 36% over the previous year.

The State of the City, a business and general community event, spanned three distinct phases in three locations inside the convention center over the span of 6 1/2 hours that celebrated successes and announced future developments and projects.

We were tasked to create a concept that included branding, excitement and social settings that encouraged business and mingling.

Sue Oxarart, Director of Communications:
"What I like about EventWorks is that they listen. They understood our vision and made it better. There was a lot of back and forth in pre-production. EventWorks provided the pizzazz."

The Event:

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2016 from 3PM to 9:30PM.

Three Phases:

Sponsor Reception (150 guests)  -

General Reception (800 guests) -

Post Reception (950 guests).

Location: Ontario Convention Center

EventWorks Executive Producer: Brynne Peña

Our Vision: to create a focal point in the ballroom with a 20' wide fountain overhang ceiling treatment, Star Drop perimeter drape on a 80' circular truss with an inner lit central bar with LED column back bar for the final event, the 900 guest post reception.

 Here you see it in action! 

The Sponsor Reception:

Sue Oxarart: "The room was very dynamic. The decor was very visual."

Guests transitioned from the Sponsor Reception to the General Reception via a 40' video tunnel running cloud imagery in line with the evening’s theme: Reaching New Heights. 

Cocktail tables featured event graphics and an 80’ circular star-drop curtain further enhanced the subtle sky & space theme of the evening.

  

The Post Reception featured a central bar, food stations, seating groups and DJ entertainment. 

Featured Speaker "Queen of QVC" Lori Greiner of "Shark Tank" television fame inspired the guests with her truly motivational presentation!

What a pleasure to share positive economic and general news!

See you in Ontario!

Thank you for reading!

Warm regards,

Janet 

Photo Credits:

Images 1 and 3: William Vasta

Image 2: EventWorks Rendering

Images 4-7: Gilbert Baghramian