Software and networking
Cisco, Adobe, PayPal, Zoom, eBay and NetApp keep their headquarters in San Jose. Their calendars hold developer days, sales kickoffs and holiday parties. A racing leaderboard turns a kickoff into a team contest.
480+ corporate events · 5 years
Corporate Event Planning and Team Building in San Jose
Hire a corporate event planner in San Jose for a McEnery show, a Levi's Stadium kickoff or a campus family day. Racing simulators, AI photo booths and AV come with the operators who run them. We have two bases, Los Angeles and Orlando, and work across the U.S.
Corporate event venues in San Jose
South Bay venues split between downtown San Jose and the Santa Clara stadium district, and each has its own dock and labor setup.
San Jose McEnery Convention Center
It has 214,760 sq ft of exhibit floor, 43 meeting rooms and two ballrooms, with the Hilton and the Marriott joined to the Main Hall. Trucks unload at 410 Almaden Blvd behind Halls 1 to 3. The 35,194 sq ft Grand Ballroom has its own dock on San Carlos Street for two 53 ft trailers, and they can't stay overnight.
Santa Clara Convention Center
It offers 262,000 sq ft of meeting space next to the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara and the VTA Great America stop. Apple held its first developers' conference here in 1987, and the Printed Circuit Board Design Conference has met here every year since 1994.
Levi's Stadium
The stadium in Santa Clara has more than 109,000 sq ft of meeting space in its club areas. A sales kickoff can meet in a club room with a field view, and the stadium hosted Super Bowl LX in February 2026.
SAP Center
The Sharks' arena holds 19,190 for a concert. It suits a client night built around a Sharks game.
Computer History Museum
At 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd in Mountain View, it puts your product launch next to the machines that started the valley.
Silicon Valley conference calendar
Engineering shows set the pace in San Jose, and their weeks fill the downtown hotels joined to McEnery.
Union labor at the McEnery Convention Center and city permits
California isn't a right-to-work state, and San Jose draws a tight line on what your own people can do. Order labor early and the hall opens on time.
Who does what
Team San Jose works under an Exclusive Jurisdiction Agreement. Teamsters Local 287 move freight, Sign and Display Workers Local 510 install displays and signs, IATSE Local 134 handle staging, lighting, sound and AV, and IBEW Local 332 do the electrical work.
The 30-minute, 10 ft line
Union labor is required if a job needs hand tools, more than one person or more than 30 minutes, or if anything is over 10 ft in any direction. A 10 by 20 booth crosses that line by size alone.
Freight
One person may hand-carry in one trip, without a dolly or hand truck. Everything else comes through the dock with the Teamsters.
Your role on the floor
One full-time employee of your company may supervise the union crew. Our lead operator works with that crew on placement, then runs the stations once they're powered.
Outdoor events downtown
The City's Office of Cultural Affairs permits events on streets, plazas, paseos and downtown parks. The application is due at least 45 days ahead, and the City asks for 90 days.
Insurance documents
We send insurance documents to McEnery, Santa Clara or your corporate campus on request.
Where Silicon Valley companies meet
Valley events move between downtown, the stadium district and the corporate campuses, and each area has its own access.
- Downtown San Jose. McEnery, SAP Center and the San Jose Civic, a 3,036-seat hall from 1936, sit within walking distance. Light rail stops at the convention center door, so guests skip the 6 ft 8 in garage.
- Santa Clara. Levi's Stadium, the convention center and the Great America park share one district on the light rail line.
- Mountain View. The Computer History Museum on Shoreline Blvd gives a product launch a backdrop of early computers.
- Japantown and the older neighborhoods. Japantown is one of San Jose's historic enclaves, with smaller venues for a team dinner away from the convention crowds.
Heading north for a second date? We also run corporate events in San Francisco, and we can plan a retreat in Napa or Sonoma after a San Jose conference.
Who hosts corporate events in San Jose
San Jose companies host events for engineers, developers and their customers, so the stations need a technical hook.
Chip design and AI
Cadence is based in San Jose, and GTC, DAC and SPIE bring chipmakers to McEnery. Exhibitors there want a booth draw that suits engineers, and a flight simulator or a racing cockpit with live lap times keeps them at the booth for a conversation.
Product launches and press
Launch events need sound, screens and a stage that work the first time. We run the AV and the interactive under one plan, with QSC speakers and our own displays.
Campus events
With about 298 days of sunshine, San Jose companies hold picnics and family days on their own campuses from spring to fall. A surf simulator or VR station moves outdoors for those days.
Event production and rentals in San Jose
Pick one service for a McEnery booth or combine several for a launch week.
Photo booth rental in San Jose
A photo booth works at a December holiday party in a downtown hotel and at GTC client nights. We bring AI and 360 photo booths with an attendant: AI portraits carry your brand, and the booth can collect guest contacts for sales.
AV rental in San Jose
A tech audience notices a bad mic. Our AV rental for corporate events brings QSC sound, 50 to 65 inch displays and a technician for a general session, a launch or an all-hands.
Team building in San Jose
In the dry months, team building runs outdoors on a campus lawn, and in winter it moves into a hotel ballroom. Pick from our team building formats, from simulator races to group challenges.
Interactive rentals
Racing simulator rental in San Jose suits an engineering show booth at McEnery or a sales kickoff in a stadium club room. Flight and surf simulators, VR and AI photo booths come from the same fleet. See all our event simulator rentals.
Questions about corporate events in San Jose
Can our staff set up a booth at McEnery without union labor?
Only if the work stays inside the 30-minute, 10 ft line from the union rules above. For anything larger, send us the booth plan, and we'll mark which tasks go to which local.
Who handles power and rigging for our stations at McEnery?
IBEW Local 332 for power and IATSE Local 134 for rigging, as the union rules above list. We fit the setup to your booth and confirm space and power with you before the show orders go in, so both crews have them before move-in.
How early should we book around NVIDIA GTC?
As early as you can. GTC brought about 25,000 people to McEnery in March 2026, and the hotels joined to the hall fill fast. Send us the date, and we'll hold the stations and plan the dock time.
Do we need a city permit for an outdoor event downtown?
Yes, for streets, plazas, paseos or downtown parks, through the Office of Cultural Affairs, with the deadlines from the rules above. Christmas in the Park fills Plaza de César Chávez from late November, so check the plaza calendar before you plan a holiday event there.
Is the weather safe for an outdoor company picnic?
Mostly, from late spring to fall. San Jose has a dry Mediterranean summer, but some afternoons reach 90 °F, so plan shade and water. Winter brings the rain, so keep a covered option from November to March.
Can your truck stay at the Grand Ballroom dock overnight?
No. The San Carlos Street dock takes two 53 ft trailers, and neither can stay overnight. We time the delivery to arrive inside your move-in slot, unload and clear the dock.
What does a corporate event planner do for a San Jose event?
We shortlist venues from McEnery to a stadium club room, set the date around GTC and other big weeks, and file the city permit for any outdoor part. We also order union labor and power for the hall. One team then delivers, sets up, runs and packs up the AV and the stations.
How do you quote a San Jose event?
Every San Jose event gets a custom quote. It depends on the stations and hours, and at McEnery on the union labor for anything past the 30-minute, 10 ft line and on the electrical order. Read how we quote, then send us your date.
Plan your San Jose event
Tell us the date, the venue and the guest count. We'll check the venue and our calendar, and we'll reply right away.
Tell us about your San Jose event
Share the event type, the date, the venue or campus, the guest count and your budget. For a McEnery show, add the hall and your booth size. Or call +1 213 912 1010
