Senior Director, Convention
American Institute of Architects
Washington, D.C.
Describe your event.
We held our annual convention and trade show in San Antonio last May. Attendance totaled 17,500 and our headquarters hotel was the Marriott San Antonio Rivercenter. We also used the convention center and 52 other hotels.
Why did you decide to host the meeting in San Antonio?
Our sites get selected 10 years in advance and are on a rotating regional basis every four years. At that time, San Antonio fit our search criteria. For one thing, its architectural merit interests our members. The tricky thing is that our trade show has grown over those years and we faced a challenge with the city because we have outgrown it, though we were able to find sufficient facilities. It just took some creativity.
What surprised you the most about San Antonio?
The warmth of the community, their efficiency and how well things went for us. We were very pleased.
What did your attendees seem to enjoy the most?
The city is very walkable, and they liked that. They enjoyed looking at the buildings without having to rent cars to get around. The city’s scale pleased them. It was pleasant to be in a midsize city with so much to offer.
Was anybody particularly helpful?
Our liaison people with the CVB were solid from the beginning. They understood our size and needs. For example, a renovation project for the convention center was to begin while we were in town and we asked them to defer that construction. This represented a lot of money and planning, but we didn’t want them demolishing outside while we were there. And the bureau people got our request filled.
What were some of the unique off-site venues that you used?
We really used the entire city, especially the many unique venues San Antonio offers. The host chapter held a VIP opening party at the Southwest School of Art and Craft, which was catered by RK Group, a really wonderful caterer. People arrived via water taxi to that beautiful spot. Then we had restaurant dinners, events in hotels and a fancy ceremony in front of the Alamo. Our host chapter also put on a reception in La Villita for about 1,800 that included lots of music and food with a Texas orientation.
How does San Antonio compare to other cities where you have hosted meetings?
Our previous cities were larger ones—Las Vegas, L.A., Chicago, and San Diego. So to shift to San Antonio gave us a different [perspective]. It doesn’t have the same urban feel, but feels more like a community. It’s more intimate in regards to proportions. You have people walking, whereas in the larger cities, they are in vehicles to get around.
Do you have any advice for other planners who might bring a meeting to San Antonio?
If you can impart the value of San Antonio’s charm to your membership, you will have a successful event.