The University of Southern California (USC) is one of the world’s leading private research universities, located in University Park just minutes southwest of Downtown LA. Founded in 1880, USC is a world-class center for arts, technology and international trade. Reflecting LA’s status as a global city, USC enrolls more international students than any other university in the country. USC’s School of Cinematic Arts is the oldest and largest film school in the country, and in 2012 it was ranked the number one film school in the world by The Hollywood Reporter. The USC Trojans have won 96 NCAA team championships, and 361 NCAA individual championships. Trojan athletes have won 287 medals at the Olympic games, more than any other U.S. university.

The Radisson Hotel Los Angeles Midtown is owned and operated by USC, offering a convenient Downtown location on the east side of the University Park campus. The hotel is ideally situated across the street from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the California Natural History Museum, five minutes from Downtown Los Angeles, three minutes from the Los Angeles Convention Center and 20 minutes from LAX. There are 240 refurbished and well-appointed guest rooms, with premium amenities and services such as complimentary Wi-Fi access, a 24-hour fitness center, a 24-hour business center and an outdoor pool and whirlpool. The Radisson Hotel Los Angeles Midtown offers on-site dining at McKay's Restaurant, and its 15,000 square feet of banquet facilities can host any type of celebration or business function.

Located just south of USC’s main campus, Exposition Park is the site of some of L.A.’s most famous cultural attractions, including: California Science Center (home of the Space Shuttle Endeavour); California African American Museum; Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Sports Arena; and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. The historic Exposition Park Rose Garden is a popular location for weddings and other events.

The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) is a private college dedicated to educating students for the fashion, graphics, interior design and entertainment industries. FIDM was founded in Los Angeles by Tonian Hohberg in 1969. It was the first fashion college of its kind on the West Coast. There are now four FIDM campuses, each located in a California cultural mecca: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, and San Diego. The college created the FIDM Museum in 1978, and its collection now has over 2,000 pieces representing 200 years of fashion history. Students, researchers, designers, and the public are welcome to visit by appointment. The museum’s annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibits selected costumes from films released that year, highlighted by the previous year’s Academy Award® winner for Best Costume Design.

Located at the intersection of Figueroa Street and Olympic Boulevard in Downtown L.A., Luxe City Center offers a premier boutique hotel experience just steps from the Los Angeles Convention Center and L.A. LIVE. The hotel’s 164 rooms and 16 suites feature top-notch amenities that include two-line cordless speaker phones, ionic hair dryers, rainfall-style shower heads, 42” LCDs, Evolve energy management system, safe, minibar and Keurig single-cup gourmet coffee makers. Luxe City Center is the only hotel in Downtown with the innovative GuestLINK system, which seamlessly connects business and entertainment portals. The hotel features 3,000 square feet of meeting space, with its largest room able to host 250 reception guests.

The spectacular L.A. LIVE entertainment complex is the centerpiece of the Downtown L.A. renaissance, adjoining STAPLES Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center. The $2.5 billion complex is located on a 27-acre site and features a myriad of entertainment venues, retail, commercial and residential spaces, including: Conga Room; Grammy Museum; Lucky Strike; Microsoft Theater and Club Nokia; JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton; and the West Coast flagship for Regal Cinemas. Dining options include Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, Rosa Mexicano, Trader Vic’s, Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, and the Yard House.

Established as the Southern Branch of the University of California in 1919, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) was officially founded in 1927 as a public research university located in Westwood. UCLA is the university with the largest enrollment in the state of California, with approximately 28,000 undergraduate and 12,000 graduate students. For the fall of 2012, UCLA received 72,000 freshman applications, making it the most popular university in the country by number of applicants. In the 2013 edition of its National University Rankings, US News & World Report ranked UCLA second among public universities, and 24th among national universities, tied with USC and the University of Virginia. The UCLA Bruins have won 125 national championships, including 109 NCAA team championships, the most of any athletic program.

The W Los Angeles - Westwood is located on Hilgard Avenue across from UCLA, nestled at the foothills of Bel-Air, just minutes away from Sunset Boulevard and the beach. The hotel’s luxurious accommodations include 258 redesigned modern, spacious rooms and suites with a wealth of amenities, making it one of the top boutique hotels in Los Angeles. During your stay, you can experience superb dining at NineThirty Restaurant, or mix and mingle at the scene-stealing Whiskey Blue Restaurant and Bar. Relax and rejuvenate at Bliss Spa, or sip a refreshing cocktail in a private cabana at WET.

The Hammer Museum was established by industrialist and philanthropist Armand Hammer as a venue to exhibit his extensive art collection. The museum opened its doors to the public in 1990, and has since presented key solo artist and themed exhibitions of historical and contemporary art produced by its curators or prepared in collaboration with other institutions. The Hammer Museum is one of three public arts units of the School of Arts and Architecture at UCLA. One of the museum's most treasured works is The Great Wave off Kanagawa, a woodblock print by the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. The Great Wave off Kanagawa is Hokusai’s most famous work and one of L.A.'s unexpected masterpieces.

Otis College of Art and Design is a non-profit institution founded in 1918 by General Harrison Gray Otis, the founder and publisher of the Los Angeles Times, who bequeathed his L.A. home to the city for "the advancement of the arts." Otis remained at its downtown location until 1997, when it moved to the Westside of Los Angeles. Designed by architect Eliot Noyes for IBM, the 115,000 square-foot  Ahmanson Hall was renovated in 1997, using the concept of an artist's loft or a working studio instead of a traditional classroom. Ahmanson Hall's open plan encourages communication among the departments, as well as between students and faculty members. The 40,000 square-foot Galef Fine Arts Center, designed by Frederick Fisher Architects, opened in 2001. Its complex geometry and corrugated metal forms contrast with the "punchcard" vocabulary of Ahmanson Hall. Together, these buildings comprise the Elaine and Bram Goldsmith Campus.

Four Points by Sheraton LAX is conveniently located less than one mile from Los Angeles International Airport. Guests can enjoy services and amenities such as a free airport shuttle, free high speed Internet access and bottled water, Best Brews™ and great food at Brewster's - a Beererie, and the 24 Hour Check-In/Check-Out program. With 566 newly renovated guest rooms, 6,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space, and multiple food and beverage outlets, the Four Points by Sheraton LAX is the ideal hotel for leisure and business travelers, meetings, conferences and special events.

California State University, Northridge (CSUN) is a vibrant, diverse university with nearly 36,000 students and more than 4,000 faculty and staff, located on a 356-acre campus in the San Fernando Valley. CSUN was founded first as the Valley satellite campus of Cal State Los Angeles. It then became an independent college in 1958 as San Fernando Valley State College, with major campus master planning and construction. The University adopted its current name of California State University, Northridge in 1972. CSUN's Chicana and Chicano Studies Department is the largest in California. The university awards more California Teaching Credentials than any other public institution, more than from all the University of California campuses combined.The stunning Valley Performing Arts Center at CSUN is known for its commitment to bringing a world-class performance program to the university community every season, as well as serving as the intellectual and cultural heart of the San Fernando Valley.

The Airtel Plaza Hotel and Conference Center is located at the Van Nuys Airport in the San Fernando Valley, offering convenient access to Sherman Oaks, Encino and Northridge. The hotel’s 267 spacious rooms have been designed to please business and leisure travelers alike. The newly renovated Preferred Guest Rooms and suites are ideal for guests seeking an extra touch of modern sophistication and comfort. The Airtel features 22,000 square feet of flexible function space, an outdoor garden venue, 18 meeting rooms and two ballrooms. For historians and film buffs, a visit to Van Nuys Airport is a must: Amelia Earhart set a speed record after taking off from Van Nuys, and the final scene in Casablanca was filmed there.

Perched atop a hill in Simi Valley with sweeping views of the Southland, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum is one of the most beautiful and unique cultural attractions in the Los Angeles area. In the Air Force One Pavilion, visitors can walk aboard the actual Air Force One aircraft, tail number 27000, that flew seven U.S. presidents. Guests can also view a full-size replica of the White House Oval Office and learn about the history of the Secret Service. A piece of the Berlin Wall and an F-14 Tomcat are also on display on the grounds. The Memorial Site is the final resting place of our 40th president. The Presidential Library’s holdings include over 60 million pages of documents, over 1.6 million photographs, a half million feet of motion picture film, tens of thousands of audio and video tape, and over 40,000 artifacts.