State Bar moves 2011 convention to Long Beach

The State Bar will move its 2011 Annual Meeting, originally scheduled to be held at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, to Long Beach. “This action is being taken on the basis of the bar’s business and convention needs and to make the convention as successful as possible,” said a spokeswoman for the bar.

The bar originally was scheduled to return to the Manchester Grand, the site of the 2009 Annual Meeting. The hotel came under fire because of its owner’s support of Proposition 8, the November 2008 ballot measure that eliminated same-sex marriage rights in California. Because Doug Manchester, owner of the Manchester Financial Group, contributed $125,000 to the Yes on 8 campaign, the hotel was targeted by opponents of the measure.

Despite pressure to honor the boycott, the bar held last year’s convention at the Manchester Grand, honoring a long-held contract.

When the bar originally booked the Manchester Grand for 2011, “competition for convention sites was very stiff and there was no availability at facilities throughout the state for a September or October date,” the preferred months for the meeting, the spokeswoman said.

But with the bottoming of the convention market, that bar was able to obtain September dates in Long Beach.

The bar is renegotiating its contract with Hyatt to return to the San Diego hotel for its 2014 meeting.