ANAHEIM, CA - (December 24, 2012) - The Anaheim Convention Center Grand Plaza, a 100,000 sq. ft. outdoor event and meeting space, will open on Saturday, Jan. 12, and the entire community is invited to the dedication ceremony and free concert by the Orange County Symphony, Anaheim’s resident symphony orchestra. The ceremony will begin at 4:30 p.m. with the concert immediately following.Located outside of the convention center’s front entrance off Convention Way, the Grand Plaza will create a pedestrian esplanade that will span from the entrance to the Anaheim Convention Center and flow between the Hilton Anaheim and the Anaheim Marriott hotels. The Grand Plaza will provide a uniquely Southern California outdoor environment that can be utilized year-round for a wide variety of events.The plaza will include palm trees, citrus trees reminiscent of Anaheim and Orange County’s citrus industry, a river of lights that will run through the middle of the plaza, water features, a 48-foot lighted entry monument, and more than 80,000 square feet of colored concrete and pavers. The Grand Plaza is the sixth major construction project added to the Anaheim Convention Center. The LEED-certified Anaheim Convention, the largest convention center on the west coast, opened in 1967 and sits in the heart of the Anaheim Resort District. The Anaheim Convention Center remains a popular meeting space choice for guests both locally and from around the world, and hosts major conventions and events such as the NAMM Show, Natural Products Expo, Disney’s D23, the Orange County Auto Show and the DirecTV Classic, hosted by ESPN.For more information please visit www.anaheimoc.org. Guests can also visit an online microsite showcasing the Grand Plaza, by clicking here.



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ABOUT ANAHEIM – The City of Anaheim, founded in 1857, is one of the nation's premier municipalities and is one of California's most populous cities. Anaheim covers 50 square miles with more than 343,000 residents and more than 2,950 City employees. The municipal corporation's annual budget is $1.5 billion. Anaheim supports a thriving business community with companies such as Carl Karcher Enterprises, Inc., L-3 Communications, Pacific Sunwear, and Disneyland Resort. Successful sports franchises call Anaheim home, including Angels Baseball, Anaheim Ducks, the U.S. Men's National Volleyball Team, the 2012 Olympic Games Silver Medal winning U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team, and the Professional Arena Soccer League Anaheim Bolts. Anaheim also boasts world-class meeting and entertainment venues with the Anaheim Convention Center, LEED-certified and the largest on the west coast, Honda Center, City National Grove of Anaheim, Anaheim GardenWalk, and Angel Stadium of Anaheim. In addition, Anaheim embraces its vibrant cultural arts community, including the world-renowned Anaheim Ballet. Annually, Anaheim welcomes millions of visitors to the city, truly making it where the world comes to live, work and play. For more information, please visit www.anaheim.net.

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