WHAT'S NEW IN SAN JOSE:
Following 5-Year Contract Extension, Team San Jose is Gearing Up to Welcome Major Events

SAN JOSE, CA (Jan. 31, 2008) – Team San Jose, which recently received approval from the City to extend their agreement to operate the San Jose McEnery Convention Center and Cultural Facilities for another five contract years, is starting the new year on a roll as it gets ready to host major events over the next few weeks, such as Vietnamese Spring Festival, Cinequest Film Festival, Spring VON.x (Voice on the Net), and California Democratic Party Annual State Convention. The organization is also eager to welcome SAP Open 2008 and Amgen Tour of California back to San Jose. Reflecting this momentum, industry partners have announced the following destination developments:

HOTEL HAPPENINGS

ENHANCEMENTS/OPENINGS/RENOVATIONS

Dolce Hayes Mansion recently completed the installation of new beds as well as an upgraded bedding package with 300 thread count sheets and 1,000 thread count duvets. For more information, visit http://hayesmansion.dolce.com.

The Doubletree Hotel San Jose just finished a $1.3 million renovation of eight parlor suites and two presidential suites. The rooms have a new color scheme and sleek furniture as well as HD plasma televisions in the bedroom, bathroom, and living room. In the fashionable, yet cozy living room, there is a convenient pull out couch as well as a dry bar with marble counter tops that overlook a formal dining table. Each bedroom features a Doubletree "Sweet Dreams" king size bed draped with elegant linens and plush pillows. Large bathrooms include a spacious soaking tub and dual head walk-in shower. For more information, visit www.sanjose.doubletree.com.

The San Jose Marriott in downtown San Jose is making many upgrades to improve the overall guest experience. The hotel will add 37" flat panel televisions and new pillow top beds to all of their 506 rooms by late spring. The San Jose Marriott recently developed a functional taxi cut-out at the front entrance of the hotel, making guest arrivals and departures via taxi, shuttle, or limousine easier. To enhance convenience for guests, there will now be free internet access in the lobby of the hotel. In coming weeks, Concierge guests will have access to the Concierge Lounge seven days a week instead of only Monday through Friday. For more information, visit www.sanjosemarriott.com.

AWARDS/PROMOTIONS

Dolce Hayes Mansion has been selected to receive the prestigious Paragon Award from Corporate Meetings and Incentives, becoming one of only ten conference hotels in North America to be given this award. 2008 marks the fifth consecutive year the hotel has won the award. For more information, visit http://hayesmansion.dolce.com. On the morning of Feb. 14, the Fairmont San Jose will offer an opportunity for the children of San Jose's Pajama Program to be warm and cozy. People are encouraged to drop off brand new pajamas between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Valentine's Day as the hotel launches their pajama drive for kids. All sizes of pajamas are needed, but there is a special need for teen-sized pajamas (adult small through adult extra-large). Pull up curbside and the hotel's staff will deliver freshly baked heart-shaped cookies. All donations of new pajamas and checks written to Pajama Program are welcome. This is the first of the Fairmont San Jose's commitment to the Pajama Program, a national non-profit organization that provides comfort in the way of new pajamas to children-in-need and those waiting for a permanent home. For more information about the program, visit www.pajamaprogram.org. For more information about the Fairmont San Jose or to make reservations, call 1-800-441-1414 or visit http://www.fairmont.com/SanJose.

The Hotel De Anza in downtown San Jose is offering the 2008 SAP Open Tennis Package. This package, priced at $289, includes lower bowl tickets, a deluxe guest room, overnight valet parking, breakfast buffet for two, and "Raid Our Pantry" for late-night deli snacking. To make reservations, call 1-800-843-3700 and ask for Lyndia Bannister. The hotel is also offering the Downtown Event Package. This package, priced at $189, includes a deluxe guest room, overnight valet parking, breakfast buffet for two, and "Raid Our Pantry" for late-night deli snacking. Hotel De Anza is a short stroll from all of the action at HP Pavilion – perfect for an evening after the next big game or concert. For more information, call 1-800-843-3700 or visit www.hoteldeanza.com.

Chic Hotel Valencia at Santana Row, San Jose's 42-acre upscale urban district, turns Valentine's Day into a month-long celebration with packages that offer ways to pamper loved ones. Indulge at Ayoma LifeSpa and take advantage of the Sweetheart Spa Package, which includes specialty Ayurvedic treatments for two people. Each person will enjoy a 60 minute, full-body Abhayanga massage as well as a 30 minute Padabhyanga foot therapy. Rates are $250 per couple, exclusive of tax and gratuity. The package is available during the month of February. For reservations, call 408-423-5424 or visit www.ayomalifespa.com. Lovebirds can also enjoy a special Romance Weekend Package that includes stylish accommodations, a bottle of chilled sparkling wine with seasonal berries, fresh flowers upon arrival, chocolate amenity with turndown service, and an in-room breakfast for two. Rates start at $229 per night, per couple, exclusive of tax and the package is available on Friday and Saturday nights, Feb. 8-9 and 15-16, 2008. For reservations, call 1-866-842-0100 or visit www.hotelvalencia.com and enter the promotional code PKGVAL. Enjoy a sweet springtime retreat at Hotel Valencia with the Easter Weekend Package, which is available March 21-23 and includes a stylish guest room for two, welcome basket filled with Easter goodies, Easter chocolates at turndown, deluxe continental breakfast at Citrus, and children under 12 stay free, with a maximum of two per room. Rates start at $179 per room, per night, double occupancy, exclusive of tax. For reservations, call 1-866-842-0100 or visit www.hotelvalencia.com and enter the promotional code PKGEAS.

SHOPPING SPECIALS

Westfield Valley Fair, the premier shopping destination in San Jose, is celebrating the New Year by partnering with "The Princess Project", a non-profit organization that promotes self-confidence and individual beauty by providing free prom dresses as well as accessories to high school girls who cannot otherwise afford them. During Jan. 28–March 2, Valley Fair will be collecting gently used dresses and accessories. For more information, visit http://www.princessproject.org/princess. Please see Concierge for drop off and a complete list of much needed items or call 408-248-4450.

CULTURAL CORNUCOPIA

The American Musical Theatre of San Jose will soon wrap up a spectacular run of the hilarious sci-fi musical Little Shop of Horrors, a rock-n-roll comedy that tells the tale of a living plant from outer space that loves mankind, especially at mealtime – featuring Hal Linden of television's "Barney Miller." Scheduled dates are Jan. 22-Feb. 3. Tickets are $14.75-$67. The theatre is proud to present Cabaret, the award-winning musical, at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. Set in pre-war Berlin of 1930, this landmark musical depicts a time when the country's politics and its decadent nightlife collide. Scheduled dates are March 4-16. Tickets are $14.75-$74. AMTSJ will also be welcoming Mamma Mia!, the international hit musical featuring the songs of ABBA, at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. By popular demand, a special return engagement of the smash comedy about a mother, a daughter, and three possible dads. Scheduled dates are April 22-27. Tickets are $21-$73. For more information, call 1-888-455-SHOW or visit www.amtsj.org.

Ballet San Jose presents Swan Lake, one of the most romantic ballets ever written, to be danced to a performance by Symphony Silicon Valley. The story follows Prince Siegfried as he rescues his beloved Princess Odette from the wicked Baron Von Rothbart, who has cast a spell on the beauty and turned her into his Swan Queen. Scheduled dates are Feb. 15-24 at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $25-$82. For more information, call 408-288-2800 or visit www.balletsanjose.org.

HP Pavilion in San Jose (www.hppsj.com) is selling tickets for the following events this winter/spring: For the third consecutive year, HP Pavilion has been nominated for Pollstar Magazine's Arena of the Year Award, which will be given out in February. Tickets to all HP Pavilion at San Jose events are available at the HP Pavilion Ticket Office, Ticketmaster Ticket Centers, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or charge by phone at 408-998-TIXS, 415-421-TIXS, or 510-625-TIXS.

Opera San Jose opens in 2008 with its first production, Rigoletto, Giuseppe Verdi's ground-breaking opera. Eight performances are scheduled Feb. 9-24 at the California Theatre, 345 South First Street in downtown San Jose. Based on Le roi s'amuse, Victor Hugo's stinging attack on the French court, Rigoletto was Verdi's 16th opera, yet his first masterpiece. Its libretto by Francesco Maria Piave tells the story of a hunchbacked jester, Rigoletto, who is desperate to keep his beloved daughter, Gilda, from the grasp of the licentious court he serves. But the hedonistic Duke of Mantua finds her and tragedy ensues. Tickets are $66-$88. Opera San Jose brings down the curtain on its 2007-2008 season with Mozart's ever-popular fantasy, The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte). Eight performances are scheduled from April 19-May 4 at the California Theatre. Written by Mozart in the last year of his life, The Magic Flute has been in the standard repertoire since 1791 and shows the full range of Mozart's genius, with music ranging from incandescent arias to simple folk songs. Emmanuel Schikaneder's libretto shines the spotlight on a brave prince and his comic sidekick who go on a quest to rescue a beautiful princess and meet a wise sorcerer, a wicked queen and her three ladies, magical spirits, and animals who dance to the music of magic instruments. Tickets are $66-$88. These productions are made possible, in part, by a grant from the City of San Jose. For more information, call 408-437-4450 or visit www.operasj.org.

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Who's on 1st/What's on 2nd, a series of temporary multi-media artworks by Bay Area artists along downtown San Jose's main public transit corridor, continues to intrigue passersby. The exhibition features art projects by eight artists and artist teams that are being displayed individually over the coming year along 1st and 2nd Streets in various locations from St. James Park to Paseo de San Antonio. The art projects were inspired by people and activities that make up downtown San Jose. Most of the artworks involve an element of public participation and each is intended to stimulate a sense of wonder and surprise. Who's on 1st/What's on 2nd was commissioned by the City of San Jose in partnership with the San Jose Redevelopment Agency and the Valley Transit Authority (VTA). For more information, visit www.w1w2.org.

TRANSPORTATION TIDBITS

Over the next twelve months, Mineta San Jose International Airport will be building up, tearing down, upgrading, and replacing most of its terminal facilities. Changes are happening every week as SJC moves into "fast forward" mode to complete Phase 1 of the new Airport by mid-2010, and it is staying on schedule and on budget for this $1.3 billion construction program. Demolition of the north end of Terminal C will occur in early February to clear the site for the start of construction on the foundation for a new Terminal B by April. Structural steel erection for Terminal B is scheduled to begin this fall. All of the modifications at Terminal C last year made this step possible, including the relocation of aircraft gates, consolidation of security checkpoints, and installation of "shared use" airline ticket counters that provide more flexibility and efficiency to serve passengers. Terminal B will supply ticketing, security, and baggage claim support for the gates in the new North Concourse, which is on schedule for completion by the end of the year. Next month, the expansion at Terminal A will begin on the "air side" of the terminal and provide additional space for new concessions as well as much more comfortable passenger hold rooms. In March, work will commence on new ground-level ticketing lobbies that are scheduled to be operational next January. Once the new lobbies are in service, the Airport will replace the security checkpoints upstairs, doubling their capacity to provide better service and shorter waits by spring 2009. Throughout this period of exciting change, the Airport will continue to do all it can to help make traveling easier for passengers and minimize any inconvenience presented by construction. SJC appreciates the support and patience of its customers as it creates an outstanding airport that is convenient, comfortable, and competitive for the people of San Jose and Silicon Valley. For more information and to view a complete update, visit www.sjc.org/improvement/updates.html.

BART continues its preparation work for the Silicon Valley Project, a 16-mile extension that will be added to the regional rail network and link three major Bay Area cities: San Jose, San Francisco, and Oakland. The Valley Transit Authority (VTA) is presently reviewing station area plans as well as environmental studies, finishing initial engineering tasks, and taking the necessary steps to ensure funding. For more information, call the VTA Community Outreach Department at 408-321-7575 or visit http://www.svrtc-vta.org.

Frequenters to downtown San Jose can now expect to pay $2 to park after 6 p.m. in most city-owned parking lots and garages. The proceeds generated from the fees, which went into effect after the New Year, will go toward facility maintenance and safety as well as the development of future downtown parking structures. Parking is still free between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Drivers may also obtain validations from participating businesses, including cinemas, for most of the garages. For more information, visit www.sjdowntownparking.com.

SPORTS SHORTS

On Jan. 18, San Jose Earthquakes selected midfielder Shea Salinas with the 15th overall pick in the 2008 Major League Soccer SuperDraft held in Baltimore, Maryland. The San Jose Earthquakes are a MLS expansion franchise and will begin playing in April of this year at Buck Shaw Stadium. Season ticket deposits for the 2008 Earthquakes season are on sale and can be purchased by calling 408-556-7700. For more information, visit www.sjearthquakes.com.

WEBCOR San Jose King-of-the-Mountain Ride, taking place on Feb. 16, denotes the beginning of a series of South Bay cycling activities. This one-day event serves as a preamble and will feature a strenuous ascent up Sierra Road. San Jose City Hall will serve as the gathering spot for participants as well as the site for a post-ride celebration and awards ceremony. The following day, Feb. 17, the city will sponsor a casual ride from San Jose to Stanford University in Palo Alto, where contestants who are part of the Amgen Tour of California can take part in a 2-mile prologue event that kicks off the entire race. On Feb. 20, cyclists participating in the Amgen Tour of California will ride through the sprawling hills of Silicon Valley while making their way from Modesto to San Jose. This new course serves as the third stage of the scenic race and challenges contestants to a vigorous workout. The 26-mile stretch includes continual climbing and a 4,360 ft journey up Mt. Hamilton, which provides one of the highest elevations ever reached in the Amgen. After crossing over the mountain's crest, participants will continue on to Sierra Road and then embark upon an 18-mile run to the heart of San Jose. The city is proud to be hosting the Amgen Tour of California for the third year in a row. For more information, visit http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com.

SAP Open 2008, the world class men's tennis tournament, will be held in San Jose during Feb. 18-24. This event marks the SAP Open's 120th year – priding itself on a prestigious roster of past champions, including John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, and many more. The tournament, which is open to the public, is taking place at the HP Pavilion. For more information, visit www.sapopentennis.com.

In March, exciting indoor football action returns to the HP Pavilion in San Jose and defending Arena Football League champions the San Jose SaberCats begin their quest for a fourth league title. Ticket prices start as low as $18 a seat and spectators can enjoy the non-stop action of a fan-friendly game. For a complete 2008 season schedule, team news, and information, visit www.sanjosesabercats.com.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND FESTIVALS

KOOZA by Cirque du Soleil
Jan. 31 – March 16, 2008
Downtown San Jose under the Grand Chapiteau at Taylor Street Bridge
The talented performers of Cirque du Soleil are at it again in San Jose! KOOZA is the company's latest touring show that features daring acrobatic performances as well as a variety of circus traditions, including slapstick humor and clowning. As with any Cirque du Soleil show, KOOZA is a colorful sight to see, providing a marvelous visual presentation of breathtaking stunts and comic characters that are sure to captivate audience members. KOOZA tells the story of The Innocent, a loner in search of his place in this world. Tickets are $38.50-$90. For more information, visit http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueduSoleil/en/showstickets/kooza/tickets/sanjose.htm.

11th Annual Vietnamese Spring Festival and Parade
Feb. 10, 2008
Downtown San Jose
A celebration of all things Vietnamese – arts and crafts, food, music, and dance. Past festivals have included live performances by Vietnamese entertainers or martial arts experts and a parade that showcases colorful Vietnamese dance and cultural groups, plus marching bands from throughout the Bay Area. The parade takes place at 11 a.m. on Market Street between St. John and San Carlos. The festival takes place between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Park Avenue. Admission is free. For more information, call 408-292-8283 or visit http://www.vsfsanjose.org.

Cinequest Film Festival
Feb. 27 – March 09, 2008
Downtown San Jose
The Cinequest Film Festival is a soul-stirring and personable discovery festival of international films and digital media forums for movie lovers, Maverick film artists, and film students. The event's uniqueness stems from always being ahead of the curve, whether discovering independent voices in front of and behind the camera, showcasing new technology, or reinventing the very definition of film festival. It's a celebration of Maverick movie-making and a laboratory of new ideas that was recently named one of the Top 10 festivals in the world by the Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide. Tickets are $15-$500 and passes are available. For more information, call 408-295-FEST or visit http://www.cinequest.org/index.php.

Cinco de Mayo Celebration
May 4, 2008
Downtown San Jose
Marking its 25th year, the fiesta kicks off with a parade down Market Street in downtown San Jose. The merriment continues in Discovery Meadow with arts and crafts vendors, food booths, and live music as well as dances by vividly-garbed folklórico groups. Look for entertaining shows on the youth stage, where tiny dancers do their best at traditional bailes. For more information, call 408-288-9470 or visit http://www.sjgif.org/cincodemayo.html.
Zero One San Jose (01SJ)
June 4-8, 2008
San Jose City Hall
The Second Biennial Global Festival of Art on the Edge provides a platform for some of the world's most innovative and contemporary artists. Their goal is to create artworks that use technology as a key tool. It's a multi-dimensional spectacle, including everything from performances to exhibits and films – with sometimes startling and brilliant aspects like the new outdoor Culture Screen and City Hall Rotunda projection. For more information, call 408-916-1010 or visit www.01sj.org.

About Team San Jose
Team San Jose's mission is to ensure that San Jose's Convention Center and Cultural Facilities are effectively managed to reduce costs, improve the local economy, and add value for our customers, residents, workers, and businesses within the City of San Jose. Team San Jose's board includes local hoteliers, organized labor, the arts and the Convention & Visitors Bureau.

About The San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau (SJCVB)
The San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau (SJCVB) mission is to enhance the image and economic well being of San Jose by marketing San Jose as a globally recognized destination. The SJCVB offers meeting planners, tour operators, and individual visitors a wide range of services to ensure a successful event and fun visit to San Jose. To receive a copy of the Bureau's Meeting Planning Guide or Official Visitors Guide, please contact the SJCVB at 1.800.SAN.JOSE (1.800.726.5673) or visit http://www.sanjose.org.