Process Palooza 2025 FAQ
General
What is Process Palooza?
Process Palooza is a high-energy collaborative experience showcasing and celebrating the power of continuous improvement through competitions, hands-on learning, and interactive exhibits in our community pavilion. Learn more about Process Palooza.
Where and when is Process Palooza held?
The annual Process Palooza experience is held on the campus of the University of California San Diego, which is nestled along the Pacific Ocean on 1,200 acres of coastal woodland, just a short trolley-ride away from downtown San Diego.
This year, Process Palooza will take place on August 6-7, 2025 at the Price Center.
Who is the audience for Process Palooza?
Attendees are an engaged audience of change-makers, leaders, and decision makers from industries including higher education, manufacturing, information technology, healthcare, professional organizations from San Diego, the U.S., and across the globe. Our community unites around a shared passion for business excellence, operational efficiency and continuous improvement.
Do you need to be associated with UC San Diego to participate in the event, or can the public join?
You do not need to be associated with UC San Diego to participate. All those interested in starting or advancing their continuous improvement journey are welcome to join us!
Registration
How much does it cost to register?
Pricing:
- UC San Diego affiliates: $25
- University of California (UC) and Cal State (CSU) affiliates: $150
- General Admission: $325
- Add-on Training Opportunities (limited seats):
- Kaizen Workshop: $425
- Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt: $225
- Root Cause Analysis Workshop: $395
Registration for Process Palooza includes:
Access to all keynote and speaking events, breakout sessions, viewing The Great Innovate competition, campus tours, meet-ups and communities, team building activities and games, the sponsor raffle and the Process Palooza Networking & Happy Hour
Registration for Process Palooza does not include:
- Access to the Add-On Training opportunities
- Lodging
- Free transportation and/or parking
What do I get with my registration?
Registration for Process Palooza includes:
- Access to all keynote and speaking events, breakout sessions, viewing The Great Innovate competition, campus tours, meet-ups and communities, team building activities and games, the sponsor raffle and the Process Palooza Networking & Happy Hour
Registration for Process Palooza does not include:
- Access to the Add-On Trainings & Certifications (Kaizen Workshop, LSS Yellow Belt Certification & Root Cause Analysis Workshop). These workshops can be purchased at an additional cost and will include a light breakfast and lunch.
- Lodging
- Free transportation and/or parking
When does registration open?
Registration for Process Palooza 2025 is now open.
When does registration close?
Registration is now open and will close when our maximum attendance capacity is reached.
Beyond that point, you will be able to add yourself to a waitlist. If registered attendees choose to cancel their registration, individuals on the waitlist will be notified of an opportunity to register for the event. If you join the waitlist, keep a close eye on your email for any messages from the Process Palooza team leading up to and on the day of Thursday, August 7, 2025.
Agenda
TBD
Stay tuned for information about the Process Palooza 2025 agenda!
Logistics
Where should I stay while attending Process Palooza?
We have some incredible, centrally-located recommendations for lodging that will ensure you rest easy while you're here. Visit our Lodging page to find a list of recommended hotels.
Of particular note: the Sheraton La Jolla is offering Process Palooza attendees special event rates. There are a limited number of rooms available at this special rate, so be sure to book your room as soon as possible! As the discount inventory gets lower, the special event rate will increase in price. Once the discount inventory is sold out, other rooms may still be available at the regular rates.
Enter promo code "UC0" (that's a zero) in the “Corp/Promo Code” area under the “Special Rates” dropdown.
Rate: $/night (plus taxes and fees)
Parking: $/day
How do I get to Process Palooza from where I'm staying?
Visit our Directions & Transportation page for information on the various ways to travel to and from the UC San Diego campus for Process Palooza.
What is the recommendation for parking at Process Palooza?
All Process Palooza attendees are encouraged to carpool, use rideshare services, or explore alternative transportation methods. For those interested in parking, take note of the various options:
- Daily or hourly visitor parking (V spots) via pay stations or the ParkMobile app
- Reciprocal parking for visiting UC faculty and staff
Process Palooza won't be reserving or managing parking, but we'll do our best to provide directional signage from the two recommended lots listed below. In addition to the parking options listed above, more information can be found on the Visit Campus and Get Around Campus pages of the UC San Diego Transportation Services web site.
Gilman Parking Structure*
The Gilman lot is closest to our event at Price Center. Be advised that Gilman fills up quickly and early.
*The Gilman Parking structure Visitor spots have recently changed to 2 hour parking only. If you'd like to find all day parking please visit the South Parking Structure or the Hopkins Parking Structure.
South Parking Structure & Hopkins Parking Stucture
The South Parking Structure and Hopkins Parking Structure should have more availability than Gilman; for better or worse, each parking structure requires a bit of an walk to Price Center.
Is there a map of the Price Center to help me find the session locations?
Yes! Refer to the maps below for Levels 1-4 of the Price Center. There will also be wayfinding signs placed throughout the Price Center to point you in the right direction for session locations.
Level One
- Price Center Theater
- Dirty Birds
Click to view enlarged mapLevel Two
- Red Shoe Room
- Bear Room
- Sun God Lounge
- Green Table Room
- Roosevelt College Room
- Marshall College Room
- Revelle College Room
- Dance Studio
- Price Center Ballroom West A/B
- Price Center Ballroom East
Click to view enlarged mapLevel Three
- Earl Warren College Room
Click to view enlarged mapLevel Four
- The Forum
- Governance Chambers
Click to view enlarged mapCompetition
What is The Great Innovate Competition?
The Great Innovate Competition offers competitors a chance to flex their Lean Six Sigma (LSS) skills and compete for prizes while improving real UC San Diego business processes using LSS.
About the Competition
To register as a competitor you must:
- Be an LSS practitioner
- Commit to attend The Great Innovate Competition
- Come prepared to help name your team!
What to Expect
- A total of 36 competitors will be selected from the competitor pool and placed on teams. You won't know who is on your team until the evening before the competition. And, you won't know what process you'll be challenged to improve until the morning of the event. Note: you may be placed in the backup pool depending on the number of competitors.
- Your team is relying on you to show, by not attending or arriving late you can potentially disqualify your team
- There will be prizes and University-wide recognition for the best process improvement outcomes
How do I compete in The Great Innovate Competition?
Fill out the Competition Interest Form (coming soon!) for a chance to participate in The Great Innovate Competition.
To qualify as a competitor you must:
- Be registered to attend Process Palooza
- Be an LSS practitioner
- Commit to attend The Great Innovate Competition
- Come prepared to help name your team!
If I don't want to compete, can I watch The Great Innovate Competition?
YES! The Great Innovate Competition isn't only for competitors, spectators are not only welcome but encouraged! Stop by and watch process improvement masters at work as they improve real UC San Diego business processes using LSS.
Sponsorship
What does "sponsor" mean in relation to Process Palooza?
100% of Process Palooza is funded by the generosity of of "sponsors" - organizations wishing to support our continuous improvement movement and eager to connect with a diverse audience of change-makers from all industries.
We offer a number of different sponsorship opportunities, with numerous monetary commitment levels. Each sponsorship opportunity comes with its own set of benefits. We are committed to maximizing sponsor engagement before, during and after the event. Process Palooza 2025 will be in-person only, ensuring the optimal interactive experience for both sponsors and attendees.
Visit our Sponsorship page to learn more about sponsoring Process Palooza 2025, explore the various sponsorship opportunities and get in touch with us if you're interested in becoming a sponsor.
Can my company sponsor Process Palooza?
YES! We appreciate our sponsors who help make Process Palooza an affordable experience. Our community unites around a shared passion for business excellence, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement. Visit the Sponsorship page to find information on the Process Palooza 2025 sponsorship opportunities.
Misc.
I lost/found something in the Price Center, is there a Lost & Found?
Yes!
Lost and found items in Price Center or Student Center can be turned in and claimed at either the Event Services & Reservations Desk or Open Desk, both located in Price Center.
The Event Services & Reservations Desk is located on Level 3 of Price Center. Open Desk is located just off Library Walk on Level 2 of the Price Center. A Price Center map is available here.
All lost and found items turned into University Centers are logged into the campus-wide system. Through the system, if your item has been found, the University Centers staff will be able to help you locate where the item is held currently.
Submitting a claim is the fastest and easiest way to find out if your item has been found, or create a ticket in case the item is found at a later date. Claims submitted through the online portal will search both University Centers and Gilman Service Center Lost & Found databases.
All found items held by University Centers are turned over to UC San Diego’s primary Lost & Found location, Gilman Service Center, every Thursday.