L.A. Is Taking the World Stage With Marquee Sporting Events and Venues

 

Los Angeles is on a serious winning streak when it comes to welcoming premier global sporting events and has built the facilities and infrastructure those showpieces demand.

Add to that the addition of world-class museums and the recent approval of a massive modernization and expansion of the Los Angeles Convention Center and you may say that L.A. is lighting up the scoreboard in terms of tourism, meetings and events lures.

Meetings Today touched base with Adam Burke, President and CEO of Los Angeles Tourism, to delve deeper into some of the big happenings in the City of Angels and beyond.

L.A. has really been on an amazing winning streak regarding hosting major sporting events. What are some of the biggest ones and how is the city gearing up to host them? 

Adam Burke: Los Angeles is in the midst of what has become known as an unprecedented decade of major sporting events. In 2026, L.A. will host NBA All-Star 2026 at Intuit Dome, the new home of the Los Angeles Clippers, and will also host eight matches for the FIFA World Cup 2026 at SoFi Stadium, including the U.S. Men’s National Team opening match. 

[Related: L.A. Is Ready to Strike Gold Via Hosting World-Class Sporting Events]

In 2027, SoFi Stadium will host Super Bowl LXI, marking the second time the stadium will have hosted “The Big Game.” All of this leads up to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, when Los Angeles will become the only U.S. city to have hosted the games three times.

Remarkably, SoFi Stadium will become the first venue in history to host the FIFA World Cup, Super Bowl and Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

I am often asked how Los Angeles is preparing to host these incredible events, and I think the best answer is: L.A. is made for these types of events. 

L.A. is home to 11 professional sports teams—the most in the nation—and hosts multiple major sporting events each year. Los Angeles International Airport is undergoing one of the largest and most complex airport transformations to improve guest experience, and we’re encouraged that the Los Angeles City Council has recently voted to move the Los Angeles Convention Center Expansion and Modernization Project forward, which will bring important revenue to our city and the more than 530,000 Angelenos that depend on tourism for their livelihoods.

[Related: Meetings Redefined - L.A. Event Planning Made Easy]

How does this wealth of new sports facilities, and other major venues such as the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and the NHM Commons at the Natural History Museum, figure into the general meetings and conventions offerings of the city? 

Adam Burke: Los Angeles is an ever-changing destination where no two meetings are the same. Continued investment in the City of Angels with venues like the brand-new Cosm in Hollywood Park’s retail district, the Intuit Dome and the upcoming Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and NHM Commons at the Natural History Museum are proof points that the best resources, talent and support across various industries reside in L.A. and that our incredible city truly offers something for everyone. 

The unique, “only-in-L.A.” venues our city offers are also unbelievably versatile and programmable, can accommodate virtually any event and offer planners and their attendees an opportunity to experience L.A.’s unique cultural landscape.

Why is the expansion of the convention center such a major happening, and what are some highlights of the expansion that you think will stand out to groups in particular? 

Adam Burke: The expansion and modernization of the Los Angeles Convention Center are critical for the continued recovery of L.A.’s local economy. Citywide conventions support thousands of jobs and hundreds of businesses across every L.A. region and neighborhood. 

The new construction will connect the two existing South and West Exhibit Halls by adding 190,000 square feet of space to create one contiguous hall and will add 55,000 square feet of new meeting room space and 95,000 square feet of multipurpose space. The plan also includes redesigning Gilbert Lindsay Plaza, which will add public open space and become an exciting outdoor venue for event programming.

Any other L.A. news in regard to the meetings, conventions and events industry—and meeting planners in general—that is of interest? 

Adam Burke: L.A. Tourism is offering a multitude of group offers for planners to take advantage of through June 30, 2025. Over the next several months, Los Angeles will host hundreds of live entertainment and sporting events, and the “Now Playing” campaign highlights the concept of play and unique “only-in-L.A.” experiences that make meetings and events in L.A. genuinely unforgettable.

[Related: Los Angeles Tourism Offers Incentives for Meetings and Event Planners]

Our hotel community has really come together to provide a range of incentives that are all combinable with L.A. Tourism’s “Destination Offer.” We strongly believe that this partnership will enhance the overall experience for meeting planners and reinforce L.A. as the ultimate destination for meetings and events, where every gathering is transformed into a one-of-a-kind experience.

Hotel Happenings: Greater L.A. Region

Anaheim

Hilton Anaheim, located steps away from the Anaheim Convention Center and Disneyland Resort, launched a multimillion-dollar full property enhancement. The renovation of the 1,574-room hotel will include redesigned guest rooms and suites, upgrades to its 105,959 square feet of meeting space, a restaurant and bar rebrand, improved outdoor spaces and other improvements.

Kimpton Hotel Garden Grove, a new AAA Four-Diamond hotel, is expected to open in Garden Grove in 2026. The 200-room property will feature 10,000 square feet of meeting space and two signature restaurants.

Long Beach

Marriott Long Beach Downtown opened in July. The 376-room, 12-story hotel features a rooftop pool deck with sweeping city and Pacific Ocean views. Located on the city’s promenade, other features of the waterfront hotel include a lobby market, state-of-the-art exercise facility, an all-day restaurant and 21,000 square feet of meeting space, including 14 event rooms and 18 breakout rooms.

Marina del Rey

Hilton Garden Inn, Marina del Rey, located across from Marina “Mother’s” Beach, completed a renovation of its 136 guest rooms and suites, including its loft studios. The hotel offers 3,900 square feet of meeting space.

Santa Monica 

Sandbourne Santa Monica, Autograph Collection debuted in May in the former Le Merigot Santa Monica space. The reimagined beachfront hotel offers 175 guest rooms and an outdoor pool and patio spaces. The hotel also welcomed an all-new dining concept, Marelle, as well as indoor and outdoor meeting spaces complete with an event services team and California-cuisine catering. 

Regent Santa Monica Beach, a coastal luxury resort that combines Hollywood glamour with the relaxed charm of a California beach town, is set to open later this year and feature a restaurant from celebrity chef Michael Mina, a Guerlain Spa, an oceanfront pool deck and seven versatile meeting and event spaces.

Viceroy Santa Monica completed updates to its accommodations, poolside spaces, in-house art collection and on-property restaurant Sugar Palm. The 162-room property offers nearly 7,000 square feet of meeting space.

Connect  

Los Angeles Tourism 

 

Read more meetings and events news in California.

This article was produced in partnership with Visit California.