Luskin Conference Center to Open at UCLA Campus

February 1, 2016

UCLA Meyer & Renee Luskin Conference CenterNext-generation technology, inspired architecture and the technical and intellectual resources of a renowned university will usher in a new era in meetings at the UCLA Meyer & Renee Luskin Conference Center.

Rising on the UCLA campus and scheduled to open August 2016, the new Luskin Conference Center will bring meeting guests together in a new facility designed to optimize the best in technology. Conferees also will find modern accommodations, healthful dining and an array of meeting and recreational facilities. The UCLA campus is noted for its natural beauty and striking architecture, and the Luskin Conference Center will reflect those elements with its elegant landscaping and thoroughly modern design that references UCLA’s original Romanesque Revival buildings that opened in 1929.

“We have created an exclusive environment that enables achievement and draws on the impressive resources of the university,” says General Manager Les Utley. Reflecting UCLA’s leadership in technology, the Luskin Conference Center’s technical facilities are unmatched, with advanced connectivity, audio-visual equipment and teleconference services available, supported by a highly trained technical staff. From ergonomic chairs to free, ultra high-speed Wi-Fi throughout the conference center, every aspect of the meeting experience has been thoroughly and thoughtfully planned.

“We addressed several pressing issues of concern in the meetings industry,” Utley explains, “and none is more important than adequate bandwidth.” Today’s conferences demand sufficient connectivity to host Internet access, teleconferencing and the myriad of devices and apps used by planners, speakers and attendees. The Luskin Conference Center’s high-speed service attaches to UCLA’s backbone Internet wireless service and is so powerful that it can support the meeting requirements for any group or number of groups. “Videoconferencing is crucial to the center’s global mission,” Utley says, and the exceptional technology will enable planners to host speakers from any location. Meeting planners also can take advantage of wireless capabilities that support audience feedback applications, and vanity URLs.

This sophisticated system ensures the security and comfort of guests and protects confidential information and sensitive equipment. With Wi-Fi operative throughout the center, the facility can be constantly monitored for enhanced privacy. Guest rooms and conference rooms as well as elevator banks and connected entryways are accessed via smart cards that track usage history. All internal card readers will be wireless, resulting in significant cost and energy savings.

The conference center will have centralized audio-visual controls. Its background music and paging system, room reservation system, and the building data distribution frame will be integrated, providing controlled interconnection with other rooms and systems. Simple touchscreens will provide control of audio and visual within all individual conference and meeting spaces. “Intelligent inputs” will take the headache out of “Bring Your Own Device” connections: any laptop’s signal, once connected, will be up-converted automatically to the correct signal type and resolution so that it will display correctly on the installed projection systems. Presenters control the entire meeting room environment from a centralized control panel: LED lighting, projectors, Blu-Ray players and window coverings all at one’s fingertips.

The Centennial Hall ballroom is wired with highly sophisticated LED ceiling lighting. The system also accommodates third-party event coordinators who bring in their own lighting companies, as the lighting rigging is already installed in the ceiling. Distinctive atmosphere for group events can be created or suggested by multicolored LED ceiling lights.

With 25,000 sf of versatile meeting space, the Luskin Conference Center is designed to accommodate a wide range of groups and configurations up to 750 attendees at indoor/outdoor functions. The multilevel conference wings and the sub-divisible Centennial Hall allow up to six groups to comfortably use the property simultaneously while maintaining adequate privacy and separation. Each of the three main Conference Center wings is organized around a primary meeting room capable of accommodating 120 conferees or, in the case of the ground level of the south wing, a tiered classroom with seating capacity of 90. Each of the three conference wings has a series of smaller breakout rooms. Facilities include:

  • Reception/Entry Court, accommodating pre- and post-lecture receptions of up to 100 guests.
  • Deck adjacent to the main dining room hosts receptions of 80 guests.
  • Patio off the Centennial Hall accommodates up to 200 conferees during meeting breaks.
  • Centennial Hall accommodates up to 750 people.
  • Centennial Terrace accommodates up to 600 people in a variety of outdoor event configurations.
  • Multipurpose Centennial Hall accommodates plenary sessions of up to 750 people and banquets up to 500.

There are 25 separate meeting rooms, each named to reinforce the Luskin Conference Center’s mission to be a place of education and inspiration. Names such as Artistry, Catalyst and Synergy mark the rooms and quotes from leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., Ansel Adams and Steve Jobs add the perspective of society’s most creative and committed social, technological and artistic leaders.

The center is working to achieve a LEED Gold certification, utilizing the latest design and construction practices and technologies to conserve water and energy, and to maximize the use of recycled and renewable materials.

Plateia, the Luskin Conference Center’s 162-seat restaurant and lounge, offers Mediterranean flavors combined with fresh ingredients locally sourced in California.

Amenities in the center’s 254 guest rooms include complimentary Wi-Fi, flat-screen HDTV, docking station for electronic devices, speaker phone with voicemail and in-room safe, coffee maker, robes and earth-friendly sustainable toiletries. Express Room Service will offer a quick and convenient dining option.

www.luskinconferencecenter.ucla.edu

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