What A Conference

This past weekend presented me the opportunity to help with and attend the “Big Ideas” conference.  This is a big event put on every year by the Alliance for Innovation, the company I am working for.   Every year well over 100 city planners, city managers, mayors, councilmen, and other professionals gather in some Alliance affiliated city to discuss current and future challenges facing their cities.  Last year they met in Ann Harbor, Michigan.   This year, the cities of West Hollywood and Santa Monica were co-hosts. 

It all started with the board of director’s dinner on Halloween.  I was able to meet with some pretty interesting people, half of which were dressed up in costumes.   Dinner was at the Grand Marquis hotel, less than a half a mile from the world’s largest Halloween party, thrown every year in West Hollywood.  As soon as dinner was finished, we all went down and joined over 400,000 of our closest friends wondering up and down Santa Monica Blvd.  Although I did not dress up, it was quite an enjoyable time people watching and seeing the tens of thousands who were. 

Me and Bob's Big Boy at the Halloween event in West Hollywood

The conference continued the next day in the Mondarin Hotel on the Sunset Strip, with an early morning board meeting.  During which I learned much about the structure of the Alliance, as they went over budgets, personnel, etc.  I then went with the event organizer Brandi to help prepare for the over 100 non board members who would arrive later that evening.  The preparation involved putting together “hand bags” that included everything from free drink vouchers to merchandise from the event sponsors. 

Board of Directors Meeting

The evening portion that we were setting up for was at the beautiful Andaz Hotel in the Hollywood Hills on Sunset Blvd.  While now called the Andaz, used to be the original Hard Rock Hotel.  Our event space was beautiful, as we were in their “view room” which was attached to their pool.  The view room was used for the conference and dinner, and the pool as a lounge while the conference room tables were turned set up for dinner.

Roof top Pool attached to our even space at the Andaz Hotel.  The location of our reception

View room set up for dinner at the Andaz with the city of LA in the background 

The next day (Saturday) began early, with a breakfast held at the iconic Anneberg Beach House.  This was also where we held the day part of the conference.  It was quite good weather, and the beach was remarkably empty.  After the afternoon session, the participants were given a few hours to either go on a guided tour of Santa Monica, or wander around the beach on their own.  I chose to use the time to sit and do homework, as I had had little to no time so far during the weekend. 

Standing at the entrance of our conference room at the Annenberg Beach House

After the free time in Santa Monica, the conference resumed at the Mondarin Hotel, where they reserved the pool and event space for a drink mixer and dinner.  Each dinner allowed for me to meet with different city managers and professionals from a vast array of locations.  To me that was the most interesting part of the whole conference, to be able to sit down, unwind, and get to know the people who run many of the largest cities in the United States. 

The pool and reception at the Mondarin overlooking the city of Los Angeles

The last day (Sunday) found us back in the View Room of the Andaz for breakfast and the last session of the conference.  The breakfast was probably the best breakfast I have had in over a year, and probably the most expensive I have had ever.  It was a great way to end what had been a long, yet fruitful weekend.

View of LA from the view room before breakfast at 6:45 am