Анахайм запускает «Золотое десятилетие» с масштабными проектами и пятью ключевыми событиями

Anaheim, California, is charging into what Visit Anaheim has dubbed the “Golden Decade,” with an impressive array of major developments and events in the pipeline for the next 10 years that will greatly enhance its lure for business meetings and events of all types. And as optimistic as the Golden Decade is as a tagline, leave it to Visit Anaheim to one-up even themselves, at least when it comes to the five major events—and four related to the meetings and events industry—set for the next five years. “We’ve coined it “Five in the Next Five,” and it’s just the first part of The Golden Decade,” said Virna Navia, VP of intermediary strategy, Visit Anaheim. “At the end of the day, what we’re trying to do is emerge as a leading destination for major meetings.” [Related: Anaheim’s Rebrand Reflects a Destination Reaching for the Stars] Navia is referring to four major travel industry conferences coming to Anaheim in the next five years, as well as an intriguing true-crime con that is sure to draw interest: - 2026: ConferenceDirect CDX, which pairs associates from leading meetings and events management firm ConferenceDirect with preferred partners and customers - 2027: Connect Marketplace, Informa’s three-day meetings industry hosted buyer-seller appointment and educational event, and the first time it has been held in a California destination - 2028: Confidential, a true-crime conference that takes attendees inside a real investigation, presented by Anaheim Police homicide detectives - 2029: MPI World Education Conference, the annual conference from one of the meetings industry’s largest associations - 2030: IPW, the largest inbound travel tradeshow in the U.S. In all, Visit Anaheim anticipates hosting more than 20,000 meeting planners, industry leaders and decision-makers to Anaheim through 2030 via the four meetings industry events, which would fulfill a key goal of Visit Anaheim President & CEO Mike Waterman when he took the role in 2024. [Related: Why the Future Is ‘Golden’ for Anaheim Meetings and Conventions] Anaheim: A Stage for Global Events Aside from the four heavyweight meetings-related events, Anaheim is also gearing up to host several existing and new marquee global events, including the men’s and women’s indoor volleyball competition of the 2028 Summer Olympics, WonderCon, the NAMM Show—Anaheim’s signature event—Natural Products Expo West and major Disney© fan events, a natural fit as Anaheim is the home of three Disneyland© theme parks. Anaheim’s Impressive Development Pipeline Getting 20,000 meeting professionals to Anaheim is great, but that’s only the first part of the equation. Convincing them to bring their meetings and events there by showcasing major new projects is what ultimately closes the deal. “When planners experience Anaheim firsthand, they don’t just see what the destination offers today, they see where it’s headed,” Navia said. “That combination of existing meetings infrastructure and future developments gives us tremendous confidence that once they experience Anaheim, they’ll want to bring their meetings here." Major projects include OCVIBE, a $4 billion, nearly 100-acre entertainment district that will catapult Anaheim into a new competitive set as a meetings, events and entertainment destination. The project, which also includes a more than $1 billion renovation of the Honda Center privately financed by Anaheim Ducks owner Henry Samueli, will be approximately three times the size of Los Angeles’ L.A. Live, giving meetings myriad options for special event venues and activation opportunities for offsite activities. [Related: Anaheim Is Coming Into Its Own With Tentpole Events That Translate to Meetings] Set to open in phases beginning in 2027 with the opening of its concert hall, Visit Anaheim describes OCVIBE as “the heartbeat of Orange County” and anticipates between 70% and 80% of the project to be unveiled next year. The other major development of note is DisneyForward, which will transform the west side of Disneyland Drive to welcome new theme park attractions, shopping, dining and entertainment options, while also streamlining transportation via roadway and pedestrian improvements. Although Disney has yet to announce a firm opening date—construction began in June—news accounts point to a 2030 or 2031 unveiling. With destination-transforming developments on the near horizon and both meetings industry and major global events on the books, meeting and event planners who are familiar with Anaheim may want to take another look at what this SoCal standout has to offer. In the words of Visit Anaheim Chief Sales Officer Ronnie Collins: “If you haven’t been to Anaheim in the last year, you haven’t been to Anaheim.” Listen Up! An Ambitious Visit Anaheim Rebrand That Widens the Destination's Appeal Connection This article was written in collaboration with Visit Anaheim.