Imagine the Best Meeting Experience Possible
February 2, 2016 — At UCLA, we have put careful thought and planning into providing our clients with event spaces, technology and expertise that solve the challenges often prevalent in hotel-based meeting venues. “Making the Luskin Conference Center become a reality has been an extraordinary opportunity – to imagine, design, and build the best meeting venue from the ground up,” says Pete Angelis, assistant vice chancellor, UCLA Housing & Hospitality Services.
Thoughtfully Designed Floor Plans that Go With Your Flow
The Luskin Conference Center is designed to accommodate groups of 20 to 750, in 25,000 square feet of beautiful and versatile meeting space. Meeting areas on the first and second floors are designed for up to six main groups to comfortably use the Center simultaneously, while maintaining adequate separation and privacy.
The ground level meeting area includes the south wing anchored by the Laureate Room – with tiered, fixed seating for up to 90 people, and Centennial Hall – with an overall seating capacity of 750 that can be subdivided into four smaller salons. Both of these meeting rooms have pre-function areas for various activities such as registration, poster sessions, and receptions.
On the second floor, the two meeting room wings are each organized around a primary meeting room designed to accommodate up to 160 attendees. The second floor also features two specially furnished and equipped boardrooms that seat up to 16 people each. Both the first and second floors include a selection of breakout rooms that attendees can use for a wide range of meeting and event activities.
Experience Freedom from Sterile, Confining Spaces
One of the best built in features of the Luskin Conference Center meeting rooms is the floor-to-ceiling windows that provide lots of natural light, creating a feeling of openness and connection with the outdoors. Rather than being in an enclosed space like many ballroom-style hotel venues, Luskin’s Centennial Hall, for example, has expansive windows facing the Pre-function Hall and the outdoor patio just beyond.
There are also numerous meeting spaces throughout the Center that provide groups with opportunities to enjoy events al fresco — taking advantage of southern California’s sunshine and mild climate. These areas include:
- The Entry Court which can be set up for outdoor receptions of up to 100 guests
- A deck adjacent to the main dining room for receptions of up to 80 guests
- The patio that runs the length of Centennial Hall which can accommodate up to 200 conferees during meeting breaks
- The Centennial Terrace on the third floor, that can be arranged in a variety of outdoor event configurations for more than 600 people.
Take Control of Your Event Environment
In the Luskin Conference Center meeting rooms, the presenter has control of the meeting room environment right at their fingertips. A centralized control panel in each meeting room allows the presenter to dim or brighten LED room lighting, activate or deactivate built-in projectors, switch to Blu-ray players, close or open window coverings, or drop black-out window shades, as needed.
Event coordinators can control the mood and ambiance in Centennial Hall with its highly sophisticated LED ceiling lighting. The vaulted, multi-pane glass ceiling is capable of being back-illuminated in a wide array of colors and intensities. Depending on the time of day and function, these ceilings can be “tuned” to provide a range of color values from warm daylight to candlelight, or to UCLA “Blue and Gold” or other color themes.
Connect to Technology That Makes Holding Your Meeting Simple
UCLA is renowned for its research and technology and the Luskin Conference Center offers the most advanced connectivity, audio-visual equipment, and high-tech services available, supported by our highly trained technical staff.
Meeting rooms and breakout spaces are equipped with overhead speakers; ceiling-mounted video projectors; recessed, motorized projection screens; and dedicated wireless microphones. Several rooms have wall-mounted cable televisions and/or built-in Blu-ray players. Power ports are floor-based to avoid running electrical cords and cabling throughout meeting spaces, providing convenience and safety. White board wall space and ergonomic chairs provide ease and comfort for conference guests.
All meeting and event spaces, guest rooms, and public spaces have access to ultra-high-speed, wireless Internet access through the UCLA campus backbone. “We addressed several pressing issues of concern in the meetings industry,” explains general manager Les Utley, “and none is more important than adequate bandwidth. Today’s conferences demand sufficient connectivity to Internet access within the venue to accommodate teleconferencing capabilities, and the myriad devices and apps used by planners, speakers, and attendees.”
Additional benefits of our complimentary high-speed wireless network include:
- High-speed connectivity for third party vendors, available on demand by plugging directly into the Center’s control systems
- Vanity URLs available for each meeting group to sign into the Center’s wireless network
- Support of audience feedback applications during meetings
- Bandwidth capable of supporting client video conferencing equipment
- Active Listening Systems available for hearing impaired guests
- “Intelligent inputs” where any guest’s laptop signal, once connected, will be converted automatically to the correct signal type and resolution so that it will display correctly on the Center’s built-in projection systems.