Meeting planners discover a different type of gold when they select Sacramento, California's cosmopolitan state capital, for their next meeting or convention. In addition to a hotel and meeting package where groups "own the city," delegates will experience great restaurants, shopping, performing arts, and museums with just enough well-preserved Gold Rush history to deliver a truly unique meeting experience.

It was that rush to gold more than 150 years ago that brought millions of people by water and over land from all over the world to settle in the centrally located Northern California city. That easy access is still relevant today. Sacramento is situated about an hour and a half drive from San Francisco and Lake Tahoe in each direction. Getting here by air is convenient as Sacramento International Airport is served by more than a dozen airlines and 150-plus daily flights. And the airport is located just 15 minutes from downtown.

It's in the heart of downtown where the 384,000-square-foot Sacramento Convention Center sits. The complex features 134,000 square feet of exhibit space with convertible arena seating for 6,500; two separate 6,000-square-foot pre-function areas; an elegant 24,000-square-foot ballroom and 31 meeting rooms.

Just a few blocks away from the Convention Center are the new 235-suite Marriott Residence Inn and the city's first Joie de Vivre property — the Citizen Hotel (scheduled to open in late 2008) with 197 rooms and 11,000 square feet of meeting space. The city also welcomed its first riverfront luxury hotel, Le Rivage, bringing 101 rooms, spa, fine dining restaurant and 5,000 square feet of meeting space.

These three properties join more than two dozen hotels within walking distance or a short drive from the Convention Center, including the Hyatt Regency and the Sheraton Grand Sacramento, which are adjacent to the Convention Center, making an excellent meeting package for a national group.

The day doesn't end when the meeting ends. Unlike the miners of 1848 who had to pan for days to find gold, your delegates need only to walk from their hotels to find a gold mine of restaurants, nightlife and entertainment. Take your pick: fresh California seasonal cuisine in a historic firehouse...cool drinks by the outdoor fire pit... champagne tasting with friends...belting "Free Bird" at live band karaoke (no questions asked). The choice is yours.