The International Agri-Center in Tulare ranks No. 1 on The Business Journal’s 2026 Meeting Facilities list, reporting banquet-style seating for 6,000 and theater-style capacity for 8,000. Photo courtesy of International Agri-Center

The Central San Joaquin Valley has more meeting and event facilities represented on The Business Journal’s latest list, and the region’s largest venues continue to dominate by seating capacity.

The 2026 Meeting Facilities list includes 40 venues, twice the 20 facilities appearing on the 2025 list. The rankings are based on indoor banquet-style seating capacity, with theater-style capacity used as a tiebreaker. Not all facilities surveyed respond each year, meaning changes in the rankings can reflect participation as well as changes at individual venues.

The expanded list also illustrates the range of places competing for meetings and events in the Valley, from fairgrounds and conference hotels to country clubs, museums, entertainment venues and community centers.

International Agri-Center remains No. 1

The International Agri-Center in Tulare remains the largest meeting facility on the list, with banquet-style seating for 6,000 and theater-style capacity of 8,000.

It has held the No. 1 position on Business Journal lists dating back at least to 2024.

The Big Fresno Fair ranks No. 2 with banquet capacity of 1,667 and theater-style seating for 4,701. Its theater capacity increased from the 3,871 reported on the 2024 list.

Wonder Valley Ranch Resort & Conference Center in Sanger remains No. 3, with banquet seating for 1,450 and theater-style seating for 1,740. It also reports 36,421 square feet of exhibit area, 13 meeting rooms and 70 sleeping rooms.

Four facilities can seat at least 1,000 banquet-style

Visalia Marriott at the Convention Center ranks No. 4 with banquet seating for 1,000 and theater-style seating for 3,000.

DoubleTree by Hilton Fresno Convention Center follows at No. 5, also with banquet capacity of 1,000. Its theater-style capacity is 1,400.

The Golden Palace in Fresno another venue reporting banquet capacity of 1,000, ranks No. 6 based on its theater-style capacity of 1,200. It did not appear on the 2025 list provided to The Business Journal.

Warnors Center for the Performing Arts ranks No. 7 with banquet capacity of 900 and theater-style capacity of 2,100. The 2026 list notes the Warnors Center includes Frank’s Place, Star Palace and Warnors Theater.

Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite follows with banquet seating for 850 and theater-style capacity of 1,150.

Familiar names fill out the top 10

The Tulare County Fair ranks No. 9 with banquet capacity of 700 and theater-style capacity of 3,000.

Wyndham Visalia rounds out the top 10, reporting banquet capacity of 650 and theater-style seating for 1,000.

Clovis Veterans Memorial District also reports banquet capacity of 650, but its theater-style capacity of 999 places it at No. 11.

The district stands out in another category. It reports 40,000 square feet of exhibit area, more than any other facility among the first 20 entries on the 2026 list that disclosed exhibit space. Its offerings include 11 meeting rooms and four commercial kitchens.

List expands beyond traditional conference venues

The 2026 rankings include a broader mix of facilities than the 2025 list.

The Clovis Castle ranks No. 12 with banquet seating for 500 and theater capacity of 1,500. Elite Event Venue in Fresno follows at No. 13 with banquet capacity listed at 500, with a footnote stating total capacity is divided between two rentable spaces.

The Painted Table, Pardini’s Catering and Kerman Community Center follow.

The list also includes Wedgewood Wedding & Banquet Center, University Square Hotel, Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino and Star Palace Ballroom among the top 20.

The second half of the expanded list includes The Grand 1401, Belmont Country Club, Swan Court Conference Center, Copper River Country Club, Ramada Fresno North, The Pines Resort, Kings River Winery and Frank’s Place.

Other facilities include Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater, Wyndham Garden Fresno Yosemite Airport, Historic Seven Sycamores Ranch, Piccadilly Inn Airport, Cattlemens, Fresno Grizzlies Baseball, Hotel Piccadilly, The Lodge at Two Moons, Fresno Art Museum, University Business Center, National University Conference Services and Best Western Plus-Yosemite Gateway Inn.

That variety shows the meeting-facilities market extends well beyond hotels and convention centers.

Facilities on the list offer combinations of banquet halls, conference rooms, lodging, audiovisual equipment and recreational amenities. Some provide specialized attractions ranging from golf and swimming to museums, wineries and entertainment.

Hotels combine meeting space with lodging

Several of the Valley’s larger meeting facilities also offer substantial room inventories.

Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino reports 402 sleeping rooms, the most disclosed on the 2026 list. Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite reports 352, while DoubleTree by Hilton Fresno Convention Center has 321.

Wyndham Visalia reports 256 sleeping rooms, Wyndham Garden Fresno Yosemite Airport has 210 and Visalia Marriott at the Convention Center has 197.

Hotel Piccadilly reports 184 rooms, Ramada Fresno North has 166, Best Western Plus-Yosemite Gateway Inn has 134 and Swan Court Conference Center reports 116.

The lodging component gives hotels and resorts a different offering from event-only venues, particularly for gatherings requiring overnight accommodations.

Downtown Fresno has multiple event options

The expanded list also puts several downtown Fresno venues into the rankings.

DoubleTree by Hilton Fresno Convention Center is the highest-ranked downtown property at No. 5.

Warnors Center for the Performing Arts ranks No. 7, while Star Palace Ballroom is No. 20. The Grand 1401 ranks No. 21 and Frank’s Place ranks No. 28.

Fresno Grizzlies Baseball at 1800 Tulare St. ranks No. 34 based on banquet-style capacity. Its listing reports 34 meeting spaces.

The latest rankings differ considerably from the 2024 and 2025 lists, but the changes should not necessarily be interpreted as openings, closings or changes in capacity.

The Business Journal’s list is based on information provided by representatives of the businesses and Business Journal research, including company websites. Not all sources surveyed responded to inquiries.

That means a facility appearing for the first time on the latest list may have simply participated this year, while an absent facility may still be operating.

By the numbers

6,000 — Banquet-style seating capacity at the International Agri-Center, No. 1 on the 2026 list.

8,000 — Theater-style capacity at the International Agri-Center.

1,667 — Banquet-style seating capacity at The Big Fresno Fair, No. 2.

1,450 — Banquet-style capacity at Wonder Valley Ranch Resort & Conference Center, No. 3.

40,000 square feet — Exhibit area reported by Clovis Veterans Memorial District.

402 — Sleeping rooms reported by Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino.

352 — Sleeping rooms at Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite.

321 — Sleeping rooms at DoubleTree by Hilton Fresno Convention Center.

40 — Meeting facilities appearing on the 2026 list.

20 — Meeting facilities appearing on the 2025 list.