The town of Temecula and the surrounding region has grown exponentially over the past 30 years. What used to be a gas stop on route 395 is now a bustling city of 100,000. The surrounding valley now boasts over 300,000 residents. Living and working in the area since 1993, I can attest to the growing pains of small towns. When we first moved to Murrieta, we had one market and a handful of restaurants. Now there are numerous markets, shopping centers, and more restaurants than you can count.
It used to be that everyone commuted away from the valley for jobs in San Diego and Orange County. If you were a business professional, you planned events elsewhere. Over the last ten years, this has all changed. The Temecula Valley has now become a major event destination. With numerous resort facilities and a bustling wine district, many companies are now selecting the region for their seminars and conferences.
To give you an idea of the opportunities this area offers, I would like to introduce you to three friends who have put together business opportunities in Southern Riverside County.
1. Robb Braun and his company, The Leadership Source, have been active in the valley for over 8 years. Robb offers leadership seminars and small group coaching to business professionals. Robb recently put on a half day video seminar at the new Temecula City Hall building. This venue offers a freeway close location and a beautiful view of the Old Town Temecula area. The facilities were amazing with a parking garage for guests and large expandable conference room with multimedia for the meetings. This venue is perfect for smaller conferences of up to 200 people.
2. Marie Waite founded a small business oriented non-profit organization called the Inland Valley Business and Community Foundation or IVBCF back in 2009. The IVBCF holds two major events a year along with weekly events showcasing local businesses. The Family Spring Expo is a showcase of local businesses and vendors, usually held at an outdoor location with booths and a car show. In the Fall, the group offers their annual Business and Community celebration, highlighting outstanding businesses and individuals from Southwest Riverside County.
In 2011, this event was held at the Eagle’s Nest Conference room at the Pechanga Resort and Casino. This amazing venue on the top floor of an 14 story hotel offers beautiful valley views and fine dining service. Awards were given for Business of the Year, along with best community organization, community leader, and educator of the year.
3. Jim McLaughlin envisioned TEDx Temecula a few years back and wondered if it would be possible to host a TED event in the Temecula Valley. After numerous phone calls, e-mails and conversations, TEDx Temecula will now be a reality. This powerful speaking event will be held at the Temecula Conference center on October 13th. This will draw an audience from Riverside, San Diego, and Orange counties.
TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. With the quality of local speakers in the Temecula Valley, this should be a high quality event.
Overall: The Temecula Valley is a great destination location for your business events and conferences. With numerous venues, conference centers, and hotels, the valley offers a nearby location with nice weather, clear skies, and friendly and welcoming residents.
Question: Have you ever attended a business event in the Temecula Valley?