The Future of Meetings in Los Angeles

Los Angeles has always been a dynamic city, constantly evolving to offer the most cutting-edge experiences. The transformation that began a decade ago is in full swing as the city prepares to host some of the most high-profile events in the world. Below are some of the most exciting developments that have us looking forward to 2022 and beyond.

High-profile developments are in the works for LA. In the South Park neighborhood of Downtown, a new 727-room tower under the AC and Moxy banners is underway and set to be completed by 2022. In neighboring Bunker Hill, a 300-room Conrad Hotel is also coming soon as part of the Frank Gehry-designed multi-use project called The Grand. The property is just steps from the Walt Disney Concert Hall in the heart of downtown. Across town, with proximity to Hollywood and Beverly Hills, the 400-room Fairmont Century Plaza just reopened after a $2.5 billion redevelopment that has restored this landmark property to its former glory.

Los Angeles offers a wealth of riches when it comes to more intimate, boutique hotel properties throughout the city. And the newest crop of openings are no different. One notable project coming this year to Hollywood is The Godfrey, trumpeting one of the largest rooftops in Los Angeles just steps from Sunset Boulevard. For more information on other coming-soon or recently-opened hotels, check out Where to Check In Next.

In late September, the much-anticipated Academy Museum of Motion Pictures finally opened its doors to much fanfare. The venue houses movie history and boasts 50,000 square feet of gallery space, two theaters, dynamic indoor/outdoor event spaces and a spectacular rooftop with views of the Hollywood Hills. In 2023, Exposition Park--which is already home to the California Science Center, Banc of California Stadium and the recently-renovated Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum--will get a new addition in the George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. The large gallery will be complemented by two theaters, event space and an 11-acre park surrounding it.

One silver lining of the pandemic is that the modernization projects at LAX are now running 18 months ahead of schedule. That includes major renovations to the terminals and the long-awaited People Mover, a monorail that will connect all terminals of the airport to public transportation and allow for greater ease of travel to and from the rest of the city. The project is now expected to open in 2023.

The expansion of the subway's Purple Line, which will provide a direct connection between downtown and the Westside areas of Beverly Hills, Century City and UCLA, is also running ahead of schedule. Sections of the new line will begin opening in 2023, with a completion date of 2025.

What do the MLB All-Star game, the U.S Open, Wrestlemania, the FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympics all have in common? In the next six years, they will all be hosted in Los Angeles. With some of the world's most epic events coming to town, our city and its entire hospitality community are joining together to create memorable, only-in-LA experiences. Many of these events will take place at the new SoFi Stadium at Hollywood Park, which opened in 2020 and is home to both the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers. We partnered with their team to create a virtual tour that showcases the many event spaces that are part of the expansive 300-acre park in the heart of Los Angeles.

In addition, attendees and sports fans alike will be able to catch several of LA’s mainstay sporting events – the Lakers, Clippers, Sparks or Kings games – at the newly renamed and refreshed Crypto.com Arena (former Staples Center).

In 2018, the Los Angeles Convention Center, in partnership with GSMA Mobile World Congress Americas, was the first in the country to permanently install 5G technology. At that time, Doane Liu, Executive Director of the City of Los Angeles Department of Convention and Tourism Development, said, “This is a significant development that will drive technological advancements in our city, reinforcing Mayor Eric Garcetti’s goal that Los Angeles will continue to be the number one digital city in the United States.” As promised, Los Angeles is leading the way, now one of only a few cities where all four major carriers (Verizon, AT&T, Spring and T-Mobile) have launched 5G networks. And with 5G-capable devices now available, we have the critical infrastructure in place to support the speed of the future.