Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga in Southern California’s Cucamonga Valley is one of the Inland Empire’s oldest wine regions. It also checks off all the must-have items on a meeting and event planner’s wish list. Easy to get to? Check. Budget-friendly? Check. A destination for foodies? Check. Beautiful backdrop to serve as inspiration? Check. Plenty to do after all the day’s meetings are done? Check, check, and check.
“We provide groups and meeting professionals with an unbiased, comprehensive resource when booking a tour, convention, meeting, or event within the cities of Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga. The region boasts scenic mountains, deserts, vineyards, and metropolitan areas that are both historic and cosmopolitan in character,” says Michael Krouse, president and CEO of Greater Ontario Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The Ontario International Airport welcomed nearly 520,000 domestic and international passengers in May 2022, making it the country’s fastest growing airport for four years in a row. The area —located approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles—is also situated at the apex of two major interstates.
Less than two miles—or a 10-minute drive—from Ontario International Airport, you’ll find the GBAC-accredited Ontario Convention Center. The multi-level venue offers more than 225,000 square feet of flexible exhibit, meeting, and function space ideal for conventions, trade shows, or sporting competitions. It also provides a full range of technology services, including Wi-Fi, DS3, and video-conferencing capabilities to accommodate all types of programs and presentations. Additional large-scale venues include the nearby Toyota Arena, also 225,000 square feet in size, can accommodate more than 11,000 guests and features 36 luxury suites. Toyota Arena hosts more than 250 events annually, including concerts, family shows, and sporting competitions and is home to several sport teams. For more intimate spaces, try the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center – Celebration Hall with approximately 4,500 square feet of meeting and banquet space.
The area has more than 6,000 hotel rooms that can accommodate all budgets, including brands such as Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt, Wyndham, Sheraton, Holiday Inn, Best Western, La Quinta, and more. Most hotels offer free shuttle service to and from the airport, and all Greater Ontario hotels offer free parking.
For post-meeting activities, your group will have plenty of opportunities for memory-making as the area has an average of 300 days of sunshine each year—perfect for outdoor adventures. The region has a distinguished wine industry, including the Galleano Winery, San Antonio Winery, and Joseph Filippi Winery and Vineyards. In addition, depending on the direction you head, in less than an hour, groups will find Big Bear mountain resorts, fresh-water fishing lakes, Pacific beaches, world-class golfing, and Hollywood. Centrally located it is also easy to add-on a few days for a visit to Las Vegas, Palm Springs, San Diego, and Joshua Tree National Park.
“Getting down to business has never been so fun,” says Krouse.
