Meritage Resort & Spa

Napa, CA

Overview: There are not a lot of properties in Napa that can host a corporate event. The Meritage in Napa is one that works well for small or medium sized events. One of the things I liked best about this property was that it felt like the event “owned” the property. I think because it isn’t the largest property, the staff felt very focused on the attendees and meeting planners.

Ballroom: The main ballroom is the Meritage Grand Salon, which is approximately 8,000 square feet and sits directly off the main lobby. There are a couple of pre-function spaces and a terrace that connect the ballroom area to the main pool and offer beautiful views of the area.

A second ballroom is located in an adjacent building and is more of a standard ballroom.

An amazing cave space is also available for receptions and small events.

Location: The Napa area is beautiful but a site visit to this property is advised because the wine area is very large, and the Meritage is set at the far southern end of the area.

Con: The ballrooms are not very large, so the ceiling heights and power take some creativity to work for a larger event. A creative room and stage design is a must for these rooms.

Bottom Line: If Napa is the destination that you want, then the Meritage is a great and accommodating option.

How to be Creative with a Small Ballroom

Smaller ballrooms, especially ones in boutique hotels, always present challenges when we are designing creative staging plans. Low ceiling heights, minimal rigging or small room sizes are common in these properties. We are always looking to find creative uses for existing technology to combat these challenges. Recently we found that LED wall technology has been a huge asset to us on a couple of recent shows that had small rooms.

LED to the Rescue

Instead of building an entire wall behind the stage, we created a series of LED panels that acted as a backdrop instead. Standing roughly 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide, the panels were ground supported and offered a visually interesting background. We created a number of different graphic looks for the panels, which allowed us to change the look and feel of each presentation. 

The content for the panels was created using existing artwork from the client that was put together into a creative and engaging set. The great thing about these panels is the versatility we were able to achieve for each presenter. The graphics on the panels were changed to support each presenter’s unique message. Most importantly, they fit well into a very small ballroom! 

Disneyland

Anaheim, CA

Overview:  Who doesn’t love Disney? We have produced multiple meetings at the Disneyland hotel in all of the ballrooms. The event staff is responsive, the ballrooms are a good size and the attendees always seem to respond well to the property.

Ballrooms: The Magic Kingdom and Disneyland ballrooms (as well as the Disneyland Exhibit Hall) all work well for general sessions. The Exhibit Hall requires some creative stage design, as there are a couple of pillars that need to be worked around.

The Center Disneyland Ballroom has an existing stage and AV and works great for dinner functions.

In-house AV is handled by PSAV for video, and Disney Engineering handle lights and sound. PSAV seems to have a lot of turnover at the property. Many of the Disney Engineering staff have been on-site for many years and work well with outside production companies.

Internet is something to pay attention to, as it is expensive. We have had some issue with bandwidth as well. The on-site team is willing to work with you but you have to address this early and test immediately.

Loading docks: Disney has very particular loading dock requirements so careful attention to detail on load-in and load-out is required.

Breakout Rooms: There are a lot of breakout rooms but they differ greatly in location and size. There also are a number of rooms located in adjacent buildings which require attendees to walk outside. A thorough review of breakout rooms on the site visit is recommended and good show signage has proved valuable.

There are breakout rooms next to the Exhibit Hall, which can work well when moving back and forth between sessions, but not all rooms have air walls that go to the ceiling. This has not been an issue for us in the past but is something to look at.

Location: Downtown Disney is located next to the hotel so attendees have many options for dinner and entertainment.

Bottom Line: Great property with lots to offer. Some past experience working at the property definitely pays dividends and improves the overall working experience.