ANAHEIM, CA - (May 15, 2012) - The Anaheim Convention Center will soon introduce a meeting and event area giving guests blues skies as the ultimate canopy. The outdoor Grand Plaza, a 100,000 square foot multi-use space, broke ground this morning and beginning January 2013 will be a focal point to greet the more than one million guests and convention goers who annually visit the Convention Center for large-scale conferences, sports and entertainment events, and special occasions.

This Grand Plaza will create a uniquely Southern California outdoor environment that can be utilized year-round for a wide variety of events. The Grand Plaza is slated to open January 2013.

“The Anaheim Convention Center today provided a glimpse into why it remains one of the most popular convention venues in the country,” said Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait. "The Grand Plaza will be a beautiful new public space in the city of Anaheim - adding to the world-class service and the state-of-the-art amenities that makes the Anaheim Convention Center such a sought-after facility. The Grand Plaza grand opening will be a tremendous community asset for all to enjoy, and I look forward to making it available to the public in the new year."

The pedestrian oriented plaza will include 153 palm trees (65 of which are re-purposed from the existing landscape), 60 citrus trees reminiscent of Anaheim and Orange County’s citrus industry, a river of lights that will run through the middle of the plaza, water features, a 48-foot lighted entry monument, and more than 80,000 square feet of colored concrete and pavers.

“The Grand Plaza provides a new avenue for our clients to use their imagination and create something spectacular for their attendees,” noted Charles Ahlers, president of the Anaheim Orange County Visitor and Convention Bureau. “Orange County’s excellent year-round sunny weather is the perfect backdrop for this space. Here groups can dine al fresco, listen to concerts, or attend receptions and exhibitions. The Grand Plaza will enhance our open, campus-like space surrounding the Anaheim Convention Center and the walkability to the adjacent hotels. It will provide attendees with a spectacular outdoor meeting and gathering environment like no other.”

In addition, meeting and event attendees can look forward to the grand entrance, landscaping and water features designed to reflect and pay homage to Anaheim’s history and its unique Southern California environment. The area will also feature a special Transit Plaza for group travel flow.

“The 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 residents,” said Tom Morton, Convention Center, Sports and Entertainment executive director.

Located outside of the convention center’s front entrance off of Convention Way, the Grand Plaza will seamlessly create a pedestrian esplanade that will span from the entrance to the Anaheim Convention Center and flow between the Hilton Anaheim and the Anaheim Marriott hotels.

The Grand Plaza is the sixth major construction project added to the Anaheim Convention Center. The LEED-certified Anaheim Convention, the largest convention center on the west coast, sits in the heart of the Anaheim Resort District, and is remains a popular meeting space choice for guests both locally and from around the world.

For more information please visit www.anaheimoc.org. Guests can also visit an online microsite showcasing the Grand Plaza, by clicking here.

Media Contact: Ruth Ruiz 714.765.5060more city news

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ABOUT ANAHEIM – The City of Anaheim, founded in 1857, is one of the nation's premier municipalities and is one of California's most populous cities. Anaheim covers 50 square miles with more than 343,000 residents and more than 2,950 City employees. The municipal corporation's annual budget is $1.5 billion. Anaheim supports a thriving business community with companies such as Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc., L-3 Communications, Pacific Sunwear, and Disneyland Resort. Successful sports franchises call Anaheim home, including Angels Baseball, Anaheim Ducks, the U.S. Men's National Volleyball Team, the 2012 Olympic Games Silver Medal winning U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team, and the Professional Arena Soccer League Anaheim Bolts. Anaheim also boasts world-class meeting and entertainment venues with the Anaheim Convention Center, LEED-certified and the largest on the west coast, Honda Center, City National Grove of Anaheim, Anaheim GardenWalk, and Angel Stadium of Anaheim. In addition, Anaheim embraces its vibrant cultural arts community, including the world-renowned Anaheim Ballet. Annually, Anaheim welcomes millions of visitors to the city, truly making it where the world comes to live, work and play. For more information, please visit www.anaheim.net.

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