GAEL ARTHUR KNOWS HOW TO BE UN-
CONVENTIONAL

 The good news is that the "stolen moments" 
I managed
 turned out to be plentiful I actually felt like a tourist for a few hours of every day.

                
                   Convention Blues

It's so ridiculous it's laughable - in San Diego, one of the most
beautiful cities on the West Coast and no free time. I realized a long
time ago that going to a convention is great if you are going as
someone's companion, but when it's you attending the conference, forget about seeing the sights, unless you book a few days before or after the event. Since work obligations usually prevent this type of forward  planning (as you spend the last hours before heading to the airport madly finishing off overdue projects), the only other thing to do is be ready to take advantage of every free moment, and sacrifice a bit of
sleep on either end of every day.

In San Diego at the end of June for a conference, the best I could
manage for preplanned "free" time was to arrive the afternoon before
things started. The good news is that the "stolen moments" I managed
over the following few days turned out to be plentiful and, prepared as
I was with mini-activities, I actually felt like a tourist for a few
hours of every day. I knew there was a lot to do in close proximity to
the conference, so didn't even bother with a rental car (taxis are
plentiful and fairly priced).

A sure way to feel like I am on holidays is to go shopping (I don't tend
to "shop" at home). For those of you expected to bring back souvenirs
from business trips, the Convention Centre is close to a huge shopping
complex, the Horton Plaza, home to some of the regular American
department stores, Macy's and, a must for any shoe fanatic, Nordstroms.
Nordie's, as the regulars call it, always seems to have a fine
assortment of great shoes on the sale rack alongside the latest in
current fashions. For the absent guilt-ridden parent on a quick trip to
find something for the kids, FAO Schwartz has toys in spades. Whether
it's the latest action hero, Beanie Baby, Barbie or Gund bear, they have it.

Between the Horton Plaza and the Convention Centre is the Gaslamp area,
an older part of San Diego which has been revitalized - architectural
detail from the earlier part of the century has been restored and bright
colours adorn some lovely old buildings. Each block boasts 5 to 15
restaurants, with lots of outside dining. Italian seems to be the most
established theme, but we opted for the slightly less pedestrian -
Iranian one night and, for a big group - Brazilian. Rei do Gado (939 4th
Avenue) is a Brazilian steak house - although I suspect it might not be
owned by Brazilians, they sure know how to serve up a classic Brazilian
feast. Huge salads at the buffet, and a series of meats delivered on
skewers to the table. Coupled with a rather dangerous Brazilian drink
called caipirinha, you have the feeling that you are indeed far, far
away - maybe not exactly in Brazil, but definitely somewhere else.

Another trick to making the most of the location is to participate in
the inevitable "leisure activities" convention organizers set up. While
golf takes a whole day, perhaps a better choice for the time-challenged
is the early morning fun run (or walk). The San Diego Convention Centre
is located adjacent to a seawall, so running alongside marinas crammed
with gorgeous boats is a great way to clear the cobwebs following a late
night checking out the finest in San Diego's blues The city is beautiful
at that time of the morning and you'll meet a bunch of new people. You
can even tell your workaholic side that it was just another networking
opportunity, akin to a cocktail reception.

And how to find the finest in San Diego's blues? A relatively simple
matter of choosing your friends - my buddies Eric and Dave knew what to
do, finding the right people to ask. In our case, it was the pedicab
operators. San Diego is full of pedicabs, with room for two passengers,
chaotically weaving through traffic. If it's a slow night, you can
negotiate a good price to be driven (er, bicycled) through the streets
to the bar of your choice. I regret I can't tell you where we were, but
I can tell you the blues were great and the beer refreshing. I know it
was a 20 minute walk back to the Convention Centre hotels - the Gaslamp
Quarter is laid out in typical North American fashion - straight roads,
the avenues numbered, so finding your way is easy.

There are a lot of hotels in San Diego and, while it is tempting to stay
at one of the "convention hotels", if you don't mind a short walk, the
US Grant Hotel (located a pleasant 10 minute walk away at 326 Broadway),
is a real charmer. You can fool yourself for an extra few minutes every
day, pretending that you are not one of the masses filing into the
exhibition hall to look at equipment, or into a darkened air-conditioned
room to watch endless PowerPoint presentations. The US Grant is a member
of Grand Heritage Hotels, (www.grandheritage.com) and although it is not
as grand and luxurious as the Château du Tertre south of Caen, France,
the Ambassador Hotel in Vienna or a bevy of fabulous Scottish castles in
the Grand Heritage stable, it is definitely a step up from the Holiday
Inn Express (I've stayed at the one in San Diego, and had no complaints,
but given a choice...). The bar and restaurant regularly wine awards for
both food and potables.

For those who manage to bring along the family for a convention, the
hotel of choice is definitely the Embassy Suites. Although the one in
San Diego is identical to the one in Little Rock, Arkansas (other than
having a few extra floors), it serves its guests well, with every room a
suite, lots of room, a fridge and wet bar. The all-included breakfast is
more than generous - you can have eggs cooked to order, bacon, sausage,
hash browns, cereal, fruit, yogurt, you name it. For the networkers, the
cocktail hour is particularly effective - we all met around 5.30 in the
bar and enjoyed complementary margaritas and snacks. Small children are
particularly handy for getting the bowls of snacks for the table, and
the relaxing atmosphere is great to chat with colleagues about the day's
events (or the family's adventures to Balboa Park or the beach, as the
case may be).

While San Diego knows what it takes to attract tourists, those of us who
are in town for business haven't been forgotten. San Diego definitely
makes my list of top convention towns.
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FACT FILE

San Diego Visitor & Convention Bureau http://www.sandiego.org/