The San Mateo County Event Center hosts trade shows, consumer shows, conferences, large meetings, corporate parties, galas, concerts, festivals, private events and sporting events, for groups from about 350 people in its smaller halls to 10,000 in the Expo Hall. The 48-acre site in San Mateo, on the San Francisco Peninsula, has seven buildings with more than 195,000 square feet of indoor exhibit space, outdoor event areas and three large parking lots. It hosts hundreds of events every year.
Seminars and company events
Corporate clients use the center for product shows, company parties, galas and meetings of every size. The Expo Hall, at 104,900 square feet, takes up to 540 booths of 10 by 10 feet, 10,000 people in a conference setup and 6,000 at a banquet. It has a 25-foot ceiling, four roll-up loading doors, show offices, a ticketing window, full heating and air conditioning, Wi-Fi and gigabit cabled connections. Smaller halls such as Sequoia Hall and the Event Pavilion suit gatherings of around 350. The center provides security, audiovisual services and flexible lighting and decoration, with a single point of contact available around the clock during an event. Move-in rules, safety policies and an accessibility guide are published for organizers.
Rooms and capacities
Fiesta Hall covers 50,000 square feet and takes 3,000 people. Redwood Hall covers 14,000 square feet for 500 to 700. Cypress Hall, 80 by 196 feet, takes 1,056. The Jockey Club, 78 by 161 feet, takes 801. Sequoia Hall and the Event Pavilion, each 67 by 97 feet, take 350. Outdoors, the Central Mall measures 595 by 163 feet for more than 1,000 people, and the parking lots, about 1,000 by 600 feet, can hold outdoor events of more than 10,000. The site does not list separate breakout rooms.
Catering
The Expo Hall has built-in concession stands and in-house food service from All American Grill & Coffee Shop. Alcohol service is available in-house, and outside catering can be arranged on a quote.
History and setting
The grounds held the Little Flower Show in 1926 and have grown since then into the home of the annual San Mateo County Fair. The center also serves the county as an emergency response and resilience site.
Getting there
Hillsdale Caltrain station is about half a mile from the grounds, an easy walk along El Camino Real and 25th Avenue, and Hayward Park station about 15 minutes away on foot. San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland airports are within 30 minutes by car. Event parking is entered from 1346 Saratoga Drive and 2701 S. Delaware Street, with East, West and South lots, room for about 4,000 vehicles and RV parking. Rideshare drop-off is at 2544 S. Delaware Street.
