As the attendance for the Sammelan has surged from over 800 in 1998 (when the San Francisco Bay area hosted the last Konkani Sammelan) to over 1600 at the Sammelan in Canada, the Committee was faced with the challenge of finding a suitable venue that could host this large gathering.
Finding a suitable venue to host the event turned out to be a challenge in itself! The committee was faced with constraints for dining capacity, auditorium requirements and restrictions on cooking facilities. Various places in Northern California ranging from Santa Clara, San Jose, Fresno, Sacramento and Burlingame were considered, and after much deliberation, the committee decided on the modern Santa Clara Convention Center.
Located just south of San Francisco in the center of the Santa Clara Valley's high-tech corridor internationally known as "Silicon Valley," this 262,000 square foot state-of-the-art meeting, trade, and convention complex has taken its cue from the dynamic business that surrounds it.