We changed our plans and date because of several reasons. We did have space reserved at the convention center, but we could not get enough hotel rooms at any of the nearby hotels to meet our needs. Summertime is just a very busy time for hotels in San Diego, much like it is here at the Jersey shore.
More importantly though, we learned from the Daytona trip that holding an event in a resort hotel is the way to go when possible. By keeping the events smaller and using the resorts location and amenities it really helps to transform the event into something really special and a lot more fun. For instance, instead of having your meals in the same room where you workout, you can now have them on a pool deck overlooking the ocean. This just makes for a much more fun and relaxed atmosphere and helps everyone to get to know each other a lot better.
The Loews Coranado just seemed to have everything we wanted, including the beach which everyone loved in Daytona. And at $149 a night for a room you can't beat the price for a hotel of this quality in a major city.