When the team at the Luskin Conference Center and Hotel has an opportunity to elevate a meeting, group stay or conference by offering a little something extra to the experience, they look to the resources available at UCLA to do it. Unlike other hotels, the Luskin resides in the heart of the nation’s No. 1 public university and one of the most well-known campuses in the world. This allows the Luskin to bring a myriad of unique experiences to their clients and guests.
Members of the global Teaching Kitchen Collaborative know this first-hand. The group recently held a three-day hybrid research conference featuring discussions, presentations and breakout sessions. A highlight of the event was a series of pre-taped cooking demonstrations enjoyed on-site by some and streamed online for those attending remotely.
Leveraging a new state-of-the-art teaching kitchen that opened in one of UCLA’s new student residences in Fall 2022, guests not only watched some of UCLA’s talented chefs prepare dishes in front of them, they also participated at 25 individual stations equipped with all the necessary tools to participate in following along in the cooking demos.
This was the first time that conference goers had worked in this space, as the teaching kitchen is primarily designed for UCLA students, but the space was be available at the particular time and offered a wonderful experience that was perfectly aligned with the mission of the Teaching Kitchen Collaborative.
This was not the first time that Luskin event guests have participated in cooking classes. As part of its efforts to create fun and engaging team-building events, the Luskin sales and events team has invited UCLA chefs to the conference center to guide small teams in the creation of a multi-course meal that the group prepares and then enjoys together. Meeting and conference guests have also had opportunities to step out of their comfort zone and build trust with one another by climbing on UCLA Recreation’s ropes course.
Another fun option has been to hold receptions steps away from the Luskin in UCLA’s Morgan Center, which is home to the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame, 120 NCAA championship trophies (more than any other school in the nation) and a replica of renowned basketball coach John Wooden’s den.