About the City

Guadalajara, innovation is our tradition. No one is surprised that the capital of Jalisco has regained its splendor before the eyes of the world. Considered the jewel of Mexico in the mid-20th-century (and home to Mexico’s most emblematic symbols, including tequila and mariachis), Guadalajara has now redefined its identity with interesting concepts in architecture, art, design, and urban life in general.

There is no doubt that the “Pearl of the West” is still a fruitful source of artists and scholars who have understood the signs of the times without losing faith in their roots. Here a dynamic and attractive cultural life echoes through the painted pottery of the Tonaltecas, valleys filled with blue agave, sunsets over Chapala, architecture marked by horizons and quarried stone patios, the smell of damp soil, aging tequila, and Charro nostalgia. These elements, along with countless others, endow this fair province with a cosmopolitan face unafraid to show its creative and vivid potential.

Guadalajara’s present is lived on multiple levels: it is a city where history, celebration, nature, the artisan tradition, and good drinking are interwoven to highlight Mexico’s most authentic region. Getting to know Guadalajara takes time and requires the ability to interpret layers and layers of multiple and simultaneous phenomena. The following pages will show you the best and most essential features of this constantly changing city.

Guadalajara is an intersection of Mexican traditions and modern amenities. Boasting the largest convention center in Mexico, 61 unique venues, 22 arenas and stadiums and 28,500 suitable hotel rooms for groups within the metropolitan area, Guadalajara is the perfect place for your next high-impact event or meeting. In Guadalajara, we trade in confidence. From small to large, understated to extravagant, Guadalajara has been there and done it. The experience of planning events is one that we have honed and perfected over 50 years.

The Guadalajara Convention and Visitors Bureau is a non-profit association that, together with the Tourism Trust of the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, is dedicated to promoting its economy through tourism. Over our more than five decades in operation, we have time and time again brought congresses, conventions, fairs, and exhibitions to reality in our city, by offering our extensive advice and support to associations and event organizers. (We trade in confidence).

Through its nearly 500 years of existence, Guadalajara has epitomized Mexican culture. Its cultural icons, although ‘Guadalajaran’ in origin, are conjured up whenever one thinks of Mexico. Whether it be the romance of Mariachi, the sumptuousness of Tequila, or the primal poetry of Charreria, all of these embodiments of Mexico began their lives in Guadalajara.

The land on which Guadalajara sits, within the state of Jalisco, gifts its residence with a bounty of ingredients from which its citizens are more than happy to craft distinctive flavours and unique dishes. As a result, Guadalajara has long been recognized as having one of the country’s and the world’s finest cuisines. You are never far from one of our over 700 restaurants; to find them simply follow the scent of culinary alchemy that coats the streets and avenues.

Go big or go small at Expo Guadalajara, Mexico’s largest convention center, which yearly plays host to everything from mega-trade shows to intimate, industry conferences and events. The 32 customizable event spaces and over 300,000 sq. ft. of functional meeting space on offer here can be customized to suit any event of any size. The Guadalajara International Book Fair, better known as the FIL, which is the largest book fair in all of the Americas and the second-largest in the world, is held here annually, bringing over 800,000 people through its doors over the space of little more than a week.

As we say here in Mexico, “a sus órdenes” or “at your service” and here at The Guadalajara Convention and Visitors Bureau, we strongly embody this tenet, we will be your support, your guide, your advisor, from inception to completion of your event. We are a sus órdenes.

The Guadalajara Convention and Visitors Bureau focuses on client service excellence to work towards the success of events: https://gotoguadalajara.com/.