Catalina Island Meeting Venues

From Grand Gatherings in the 1929s Era Casino to Seaside BBQs Under the Stars, Catalina Island Provides Meeting Planners with an Idyllic Setting and Unique Venues

AVALON, Catalina Island, Calif. — Meeting and corporate incentive planners searching for a picturesque venue to host corporate retreats, meetings, and team-building seminars will appreciate the unique offerings found through the Santa Catalina Island Company on Catalina Island. The locale is a long-time favorite among corporate meeting and event planners due to its unique atmosphere and variety of venue options including grand gatherings inside the historic 1929 Casino Ballroom, barbecues under the stars, and seaside picnics at Descanso Beach Club or meetings inside the Catalina Visitors Country Club, former home of spring training for a group that knows a thing or two about team spirit: the Chicago Cubs.
    On the island, groups can choose from four event locations as well as various other spots around the island. In addition to taking advantage of one or all of the offerings below, the island company’s special events team can deliver a one of a kind experience that will help any group think outside the box from a kayak or boat excursion leading to a meeting on a remote beach to a team-building bicycle ride or, for those with more lofty goals, a ride on the new zip-line eco tour. Catalina offers the following choices for meeting venues.

Meeting and Event Space at Avalon
The Catalina Casino, which opened in 1929, drew famous Hollywood celebrities and still retains an aura of glamour. Restored to its original condition, the circular art deco icon with its grand ballroom is a stunning venue for large meetings, corporate lunches or retreats. The theatre, with its art deco murals by John Gabriel Beckman, also is suitable for large lectures and conferences. The Catalina Casino can accommodate up to 1,200 people.
Descanso Beach Club, nestled in a private cove just past the famous Catalina Casino, is a relaxed site for corporate retreats, meetings, and team-building seminars. The terraced lawn provides an ideal location for picnics beside the ocean or barbecues under the stars. The location combines the beauty of the beach with all the amenities of a club: restrooms, outdoor showers, dressing rooms, volleyball courts, and beach equipment rentals. The club is undergoing a complete transformation with new high-end amenities such as private cabana and chaise lounge rentals. The open-air restaurant will offer daytime and evening dining with fire rings on the beach, and two outdoor bars. A play area for children makes the property a desirable choice for family-friendly retreats.
Catalina Visitors Country Club is a good option for small and mid-sized groups who want a private location steps from the golf course so that meetings can be moved to the green. Both casual and formal seating areas can accommodate 25-200 guests. The Boardroom, with an inviting fireplace and historic artwork, is suited for private committee or board meetings. Located off the main Courtyard is the Avalon Bay Room, which will appeal to planners of conferences or group lectures utilizing a classroom-style or u-shaped configuration.  Meeting rooms can be tailored to suit groups’ needs.

Meeting and Event Space at Two Harbors
From casual meetings or events along the shore to more formal and intimate events inside the stately Banning House Lodge, Two Harbors has the history and scenery to provide meeting attendees with the memory of a lifetime. For outdoor events, Two Harbors boasts some of the most beautiful beachfront locations in the world. White sandy beaches, spectacular sandstone cliffs, and the crystal blue Pacific Ocean provide inspirational settings for meetings or brainstorming sessions. Four picnic areas—three of them with bandstands—can accommodate from 100 to 500 people.

Catering
The Santa Catalina Island Company offers the highest quality products at all of the venues, whether a group requests appetizers or plated dinners.  At Avalon, catering services are provided at the Casino Ballroom, Descanso Beach Club, and Catalina Visitors Country Club. Offsite catering is available through any of these three venues. At Two Harbors, The Harbor Reef Restaurant provides year-round catering services for corporate outings, picnics, weddings and other special occasions. Catered meals for groups can be served at campsites, the beach, the Banning House Lodge, or even on a boat. In addition, deli platters and appetizers can be ordered for pickup or delivery.

Lodging and Activities
The island features lodging options to suit every budget including  the completely renovated Pavilion Hotel opening in May, Hotel Atwater, and the 12-room Banning House Lodge. In between meetings, groups can enjoy such activities as the new Zip Line Eco Tour and Sea Trek Undersea Adventure, scuba diving, snorkeling, golf, a new GPS Ranger Walking Tour, buffalo safaris, glass bottom boat cruises, flying fish boat trips, mountain biking, hiking, relaxing at spas, or Hummer tours.

For more information, visit www.visitcatalinaisland.com or contact Brandon von Guenthner, sales manager for the Santa Catalina Island Company, at 805.496.1736 or bvong@scico.com.