Mike Testa

Visit Sacramento is doubling down on improving the meetings experience in California’s capital. Mike Testa, who took over from Steve Hammond as president and CEO in July, will ensure that the expansion of the Sacramento Convention Center aligns with the needs of today’s meeting planners and will continue to be an ideal destination going into the future.

“One of our biggest responsibilities in this project is to ensure that the needs of our customers are met—not just in the short term—but for years to come," Testa said. "We’ve been very deliberate in making sure that we’re listening to the specific needs of our customers, while aligning the expansion with industry trends and best practices that position Sacramento to meet future client needs.”

It’s an exciting time in Sacramento for both the convention market and visitors – and your delegates will notice. The newly opened Golden 1 Center is the heart of a revitalized downtown core that is walkable, safe and home to a vast array of restaurants and unique meeting spaces. The Kimpton Sawyer Hotel is set to open soon just blocks from the Sacramento Convention Center, adding to the 2,000 hotel rooms already within walking distance.

“Sacramento has changed dramatically over the past five years and, based on the development projects already on our civic schedule, the next five years promise more of the same," Testa added. "From new hotel product, an expanded convention center and renovated Community Center Theater to construction beginning on a Major League Soccer Stadium, new retail and entertainment attractions, the evolution of this city continues to progress at breathtaking speed.  It’s an amazing time in Sacramento, and we’re anxious to share the energy with the rest of the country.”