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Visitor's bureau promotes Tri-Valley as place to host special events
Destination Showcase tradeshow displayed everything from best venues to caterers, hotels and wineries

by Janet Pelletier

Some 65 meeting and event planners attended the Tri-Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau's Destination Showcase Jan. 20, perusing vendor booths seeking information as well as checking out displays such as dinner tables decorated with chiffon tablecloths, china settings and elaborate floral centerpieces.

More and more, the Tri-Valley region is becoming a preferred location to hold special events such as weddings, anniversary gatherings, corporate parties and meetings, according to Natalie Alvanez, who is the CVB's director of marketing and partnership. It's the second year the bureau has held the showcase as a way to attract more meeting and event revenue to the area. This year's event was held at the Casa Real event center at Ruby Hill, located on Vineyard Avenue at Isabel Avenue in Pleasanton.

Casa Real, which opened in 2008, was an appropriate backdrop to the event as it offers the adjoining Ruby Hill Winery just footsteps away. Many of the Tri-Valley's venues for special events are wineries, which offer meeting space amid the vineyards, Alvanez said.

"Time is money. Meeting and event planners need to economize like the rest of us and attending Destination Showcase saves them a great deal of time by providing one-stop-shopping over sourcing event services individually," she said.

The showcase featured 40 booths that were represented by employees from local event venues, caterers, event service providers, hotels and wineries.

"Relatively new venues include the Palm Event Center, Casa Real at Ruby Hill Winery and the Bankhead Theater," Alvanez said. "Additionally, many of the hotels in the area have been renovated within last few years, including the San Ramon Marriott, Pleasanton Marriott, Pleasanton Sheraton and Doubletree Hotel in Livermore."

Alvanez said the bureau is unaware of other regions holding this type of a tradeshow.