Just minutes from the John Wayne Orange County Airport and outstanding hotels, restaurants, beaches, and attractions, the Beckman Center is a first-class conference center.
Meeting Spaces
Comfortable meeting rooms with natural light, state-of-the-art equipment, and convenient proximity to dining, break areas, and restrooms.
Meeting and Outdoor Spaces
Seven acres built on the crest of a hill adjacent to the campus of the University of California, Irvine. The Beckman Center features large windows that open to expansive views of trees and lawns. Most meeting rooms include French doors to private terraces or balconies. The grounds are simply landscaped and walking trails are nearby, resulting in a natural feeling which belies our location in the heart of Orange County. There is simply no comparison to most conference venues. Your event will be better at The Beckman Center.
Comfortable meeting rooms with natural light, state-of-the-art equipment, and convenient proximity to dining, break areas, and restrooms. Every Beckman Center meeting room is exceptionally well-equipped, including equipment and services that are costly extras at other facilities.
Indoors or out, the Beckman Center offers a variety of lovely settings for breakfast, lunch, receptions, or dinner. Irvine offers pleasant daytime temperatures year round. Our outdoor spaces include heaters for cool evenings and umbrellas for extra shade. Cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and meals can be presented buffet style, at stations, or served in these locations. We encourage you to visit our photo gallery to see some of our most popular spaces.
Large events (200+) – Two elegant and efficient spaces for large events, lectures, and plenary sessions.
Conferences (100 to 200) – Five comfortable choices for meetings, receptions, and meals.
Large groups/small conferences (40 to 100) – Six spacious options for larger meetings, receptions, and dinners.
Medium groups (20 to 40) – Five choices that are just the right size for many different purposes.
Small groups (up to 20) – Ten spaces that are perfect for smaller meetings or breakout groups.
Offices (1 to 3) – Ten well-appointed private offices, ideal for meeting organizers, speakers, and VIP guests.
Sustainability
We recognize the impact each of us has on the environment and we are committed to environmental stewardship. The staff of the Beckman Center strives to create environmentally friendly meetings through reduction, re-use and recycling programs, and by conserving natural resources. We invite you to pay us a visit and learn more.
About
Dr. Arnold O. Beckman
Arnold O. Beckman was a leader in establishing the modern instrumentation industry. In 1935 he founded Beckman Instruments with the invention of the acidimeter, a forerunner of the modern pH meter. This indispensable tool in analytical chemistry earned Dr. Beckman a place in the National Inventors Hall of Fame, alongside Edison, Bell, Ford, and Pasteur.
Dr. Beckman was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering and he was awarded the National Medal of Technology, the National Medal of Science, and the Presidential Citizens Medal. He received the National Academy of Sciences' Public Welfare Medal—its most prestigious award—for his leadership in analytical instrumentation and his deep and abiding concern for the vitality of the nation's scientific enterprise.
Deeply grateful to the scientific community that nurtured his success, Dr. Beckman directed his philanthropic efforts to the sciences. In September 1977, Dr. and Mrs. Beckman established the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. Their generous gifts have benefitted many medical and scientific institutions.
The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center
As a scientist and a businessman, Dr. Beckman envisioned a West Coast center where experts could discuss matters of science and technology, comparable to the headquarters of the NAS and the NAE in Washington, DC. A grant from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, and The Irvine Company's donation of seven acres on the crest of a hill adjacent to the campus of the University of California, Irvine made this vision a reality. Designed by the renowned architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, the the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences and Engineering opened its doors in April, 1988, and the Beckman Center continues to be operated by the academies as their West Coast location for both program activity and conferences.
The Beckman Center is in Irvine, California, adjacent to the campus of the University of California, Irvine. In the heart of Orange County, our location is approximately midway between Los Angeles and San Diego. Meeting participants and their guests will find spectacular scenery, excellent hotels and restaurants, and a variety of fun and interesting things to do.
Local Area
