RECongress, one of the largest annual Catholic gatherings in the United States, is packing up its long-time Anaheim base and heading to the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center starting in February 2028. The four-day conference, which kicks off with a full Youth Day for middle and high school students, is expected to redirect hotel bookings and foot traffic straight into downtown Long Beach. City and hospitality leaders are treating the move as a prime opportunity for restaurants, shops, and downtown services that cater to big groups, while organizers say the relocation is part of a broader effort to grow Long Beach’s meetings and events profile ahead of 2028.
As reported by the Long Beach Press‑Telegram, RECongress organizers have signed a five-year agreement that will keep the convention at the Long Beach venue from February 2028 through 2032. The outlet notes that the four-day gathering typically draws more than 20,000 people each year, and that Meet Long Beach estimates the move could generate more than 5,000 hotel room nights along with fresh spending at downtown restaurants and attractions. Sister Rosalia Meza, the RECongress senior director, told the paper the shift "brings the congress back to the archdiocese of Los Angeles."
What RECongress Is
The Los Angeles Religious Education Congress is an annual four-day event organized by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ Office of Religious Education and built around liturgies, music, workshops, and exhibits. According to RECongress, the gathering opens with Youth Day, then runs a packed schedule of adult and youth programming through the weekend.
The RECongress site currently highlights a Save-the-Date for April 22–25, 2027, which serves as a reminder that next year’s congress will remain in Anaheim while planners work behind the scenes on the Long Beach transition.
Why Long Beach?
The Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center promotes more than 400,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space, along with recent campus upgrades meant to lure national shows. Planners and city officials point to downtown walkability, proximity to multiple airports, and refreshed event infrastructure as key reasons Long Beach can handle a gathering the size of RECongress.
Long Beach has also been positioning itself for more major events as it prepares to host several 2028 Olympic and Paralympic venues, a push city officials have outlined in recent press materials. RECongress now becomes one of the marquee tests of that strategy.
What Attendees Should Know
For now, the official RECongress site still lists Anaheim dates for 2027, so parishes, school groups, and other regulars should keep an eye on the event’s channels for registration details and future hotel blocks. Organizers say they plan to post venue maps, hotel information, and transit guidance on RECongress and city planning pages as the Long Beach plans are finalized.
Local hoteliers and Meet Long Beach have said they will coordinate with organizers to smooth logistics for groups that have historically routed through Anaheim. City leaders describe the five-year deal as a trial run for Long Beach’s ability to host more large national conventions in the years ahead. We will be watching for additional details from the Archdiocese and convention officials as 2028 comes into clearer focus.
