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The Anaheim Convention Center announced grand news in August. By the end of the year, facility will be expanding its outdoor and special event space by 100,000 square feet, creating a new multi-use venue area called the Anaheim Convention Center Grand Plaza . According to facility officials, this new space, to be situated along Convention Way – the front entrance to the Anaheim Convention Center, between the Hilton Anaheim and the Anaheim Marriott   – will provide meeting and event planners and attendees with plenty of open, year-round and multi-functional outdoor space. 

Construction of the Anaheim Convention Center Grand Plaza is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2012 and conclude by the end of the year. “The Grand Plaza provides us with a new opportunity to let our clients use their imagination and create something spectacular for their attendees,” said Charles Ahlers, President, Anaheim Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau.

This new outdoor events space is intended to be a vibrant pedestrian plaza featuring lush landscaping, expansive walkways, innovative “hardscape” designs, dramatic fountains, ample seating areas, special lighting as well as the infrastructure necessary, including a dedicated Transportation Plaza area with shuttle pick-up/drop-off areas, to support a multitude of special events. The Grand Plaza will also provide for pedestrian circulation, concession opportunities and recreational event areas, creating an ideal location for networking or just enjoying the sunshine and picturesque venue between meeting sessions.

 “Our excellent year-round sunny weather is the perfect backdrop for this space,” said Ahlers.  “Here groups can dine al fresco, listen to concerts, or attend receptions and exhibitions. The Grand Plaza will provide attendees with a spectacular outdoor meeting and gathering environment like no other. It will enhance our open, campus-like space surrounding the Anaheim Convention Center and the walkability to the adjacent hotels.”

In addition, the space will provide visitors with a stronger sense of arrival as the entrance will be anchored with a dramatic entryway, landscaping and water features designed to reflect and pay homage to Anaheim’s history and its unique Southern California environment. “The Anaheim Convention Center Grand Plaza is designed to create a new sense of arrival for guests visiting our resort area, as well as provide us with the flexibility to utilize this attractive outdoor space in a number of ways to accommodate the needs of our clients and local citizens,” said Tom Morton, Executive Director, Convention Center, Sports and Entertainment.”

In other Anaheim news, the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, in celebration of its 50th Anniversary, launched a brand new website. “We are thrilled to be celebrating our 50th Anniversary as a leading convention and tourism organization, and we have no plans to slow down now,” Ahlers declared. “Our team has been working diligently for months to revamp, redesign and rewrite our web presence. To remain relevant in today’s world, companies and organizations must adapt and change to the needs of their customers, and communicate in the most appropriate way. We have adopted this philosophy and feel that with this new website, we’ll be able to achieve even higher goals. Our organization has accomplished a tremendous amount with our industry partners over the past five decades and has evolved much like our destination. We look forward to an even brighter further in the years ahead as we continue to promote Anaheim and Orange County as a leading meeting and leisure destination.”