Some encircle the epicenters of Texas, others embody the state’s pioneering past. They are the Lone Star State’s smaller destinations, and as planners are discovering, these diverse secondary markets are first-rate options in the current economy.
"If you want to make your dollars go further, you can’t go wrong with the Lone Star State," says Julie Chase, marketing chief for the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Division.
Meet the Metroplex
Surrounding Dallas, Fort Worth and economic juggernaut DFW International Airport, the Metroplex’s talented supporting cast members are their own headline acts.
Arlington’s new tagline—"And the crowd goes wild!"—foretells the city’s event future, bound to dazzle with the arrival of the new Cowboys Stadium. Evoking a Spielberg-conceived spaceship, this 80,000-seat retractable-roof colossus comes with 300,000 square feet of flexible space. Major events already lined up include the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, the 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four and the 2011 Super Bowl.
Massive, too, is the Gaylord Texan Hotel and Convention Center, one of Grapevine’s 20-plus meetings hotels. Conventioneers also have Great Wolf Lodge and the flexible Grapevine Convention Center, with the restored Palace and Lancaster theaters and the Grapevine Vintage Railroad serving as evocative off-sites.
In fast-growing Frisco, the upscale Westin Stonebriar is part of a 1,500-room collection, with the state’s second-largest ballroom at the Embassy Suites/Frisco Conference Center. Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas plays here.
With 12 full-service meetings hotels providing more than 200,000 square feet of space and more than 11,000 committable rooms in 75-plus hotels, Irving hosts thousands of meetings annually, with the added dimension of fine dining and unique venues such as the National Scouting Museum.
"We offer first-tier accessibility, accommodations and amenities without big-city distractions," says Diana Pfaff, communications director of the Irving CVB.
Originally a railroad depot, Mesquite’s Texas-flavored charm beckons just 13 miles east of Dallas. Delivering Texas-size value often at one-third the price, Mesquite’s more than 150,000 square feet of space is ideal for gatherings of up to 1,800, says Judy Skowron, director of the Mesquite CVB. Venues range from the versatile Mesquite Convention Center to the Mesquite Arts Center, while the "Rows of Texas" retail, restaurant and rodeo district is a major group draw.
Business-friendly Plano, the "Star in Texas," counts JCPenney and Frito-Lay on its blue-chip corporate roster. Renowned for its annual balloon festival, Plano’s chief currency is in the sprawling Southfork Ranch, filming location of TV’s Dallas and now an event magnet with more than 63,000 square feet of indoor space. Also popular is the full-service Southfork Hotel, along with the Marriott Dallas/Plano at Legacy Town Center and the Plano Centre.
Houston Orbital
For celestial and earthbound escapes alike, Houston’s Gulf Coast neighbors provide a constellation of group- and event-ready departures.
Ninety miles east of Houston and close to Louisiana, Beaumont uniquely combines cowboy and Cajun cultures. Synonymous with the 1901 Lucas gusher that ushered in the Texas petroleum age, Beaumont is all about the "lagniappe," or "a little something extra." That’s shorthand for plenty, as conferees are learning.
"Planners rave about our entertainment options, revitalized museum district and delicious Cajun cuisine," says Stephanie Molina, director of marketing for the Beaumont CVB.
Beaumont’s top resource is the five-venue Ford Park Event Center, the region’s premier convention complex, while the Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown Museum and the Fire Museum of Texas, sporting the world’s tallest fire hydrant, are two of Beaumont’s 19 cultural institutions.
Nearby Port Arthur provides encounters from Jurassic to Janis Joplin, one of several famed local musicians honored at the Museum of the Gulf Coast’s Texas Music Hall of Fame.
Just 25 minutes from downtown "H-Town," Bay Area Houston, with more than 4,000 hotel rooms, features the popular Kemah Boardwalk entertainment complex and Space Center Houston, home of America’s space program and one of the nation’s top attractions. Groups have a universe of team-building and event options, from the infamous "Vomit Comet" to the interactive "Blast-Off" theater.
Save the Alamo, few Texas landmarks stand taller than the San Jacinto Monument, which soars 570 feet above the battlefield where Texas won its independence in 1836; the site includes the USS Texas, the only battleship to serve in both world wars.
Best in the West
Across the vast, eternally ranging Panhandle Plains region, spirited meetings await in a host of Old West frontier towns.
Situated on the Interstate 40 corridor, Amarillo, the area’s largest city, is ideally suited for regional meetings. A local summertime treat is the musical Texas!, presented at the outdoor amphitheater in nearby Canyon, while Route 66 buffs get their kicks at the Big Texan Steak Ranch and the famed Cadillac Ranch. Amarillo’s superior cultural scene includes the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts and the renowned Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. The Amarillo Civic Center offers nearly 400,000 square feet of space, while the 200-room Ambassador Hotel is part of a concentrated 2,000-room collection.
Known as the "Friendly Frontier," Abilene’s event venues include the Grace Museum, the Paramount Theater, the 12th Armored Division Memorial Museum and the enthralling Frontier Texas!, where holographic guides escort visitors through Texas history.
With hotel inventory up 36 percent, says Nanci Liles, director of the Abilene CVB, "there are greater opportunities for booking multiple events, board meetings and reunions."
Like a guitar-strumming cowboy riding into the sunset, Lubbock, birthplace of Buddy Holly and home to his eponymous multivenue center, easily fulfills its "the Texas you’ve always dreamed of" tag. With Old West attractions like the National Ranching Heritage Center setting the stage, Lubbock’s pioneering meetings show includes more than 4,500 hotel rooms, several sizeable multipurpose venues, including the 300,000-square-foot Memorial Civic Center and the 15,000-seat United Spirit Arena, and its lively Depot Entertainment District.
Farther south, Odessa, of Friday Night Lights football fame, offers an eclectic meetings mix that includes choice off-site venues such as a replica of Shakespeare’s famed Globe Theater in London. The city is also home to the Presidential Museum and Leadership Library. Its main group venue is the Ector County Coliseum & Exhibition Center.
The variety continues in nearby Midland, with the American Airpower Heritage Museum and the Museum of the Southwest on its group-ready roster. In heritage-rich Wichita Falls, the city’s diversity ranges from Fortune 500 companies to a thriving arts and festival scene drawing more than 1 million visitors annually.
"Social, religious and government groups from Texas and the surrounding region are our most frequent guests," says Mary Haskins of the Wichita Falls CVB, highlighting the Wichita Falls Multi-Purpose Events Center and conference hotel collection among many meetings assets.
The Hills Are Alive
Deep in the heart of Texas, verdantly linking Austin with San Antonio, lies the inviting paradise of Hill Country. A dreamscape of lakes, Texas oaks, ravines and enchanted rocks, this lush area drew waves of European immigrants in the 19th century, with German arrivals especially leaving a distinct and lasting imprint on Texan culture. Of the region’s surviving Germanic settlements, Boerne, Fredericksburg and New Braunfels best define the area’s wine and wildflowers appeal.
Founded along the Comal and Guadalupe rivers in 1845, New Braunfels’ waterways today draw tubing and rafting enthusiasts, along with a flood of visitors to the 65-acre Schlitterbahn Waterpark. For "instant meetings, just add water," touts the New Braunfels Convention Center. In the city’s historic Gruene district, Gruene Hall is the oldest continuously operating dance hall in Texas, a musical shrine often drawing big-name performers.
Established in 1849 by German utopians, Boerne remains an antiquers dream, and its meetings-ready venues include the 100-acre Cibolo Nature Center, the 5,000-square-foot Historic Ye Kendall Inn and the 15,000- square-foot Boerne Convention & Community Center.
Settled in 1846, still strongly German-influenced and awash in wildflower and herb farms, Fredericksburg’s abundant assets continue to boost its profile among international visitors and conference planners alike.
"While we traditionally appeal to the SMERF-market base, we are now seeing a rise in association business," says Mary Ann McClain, communications manager of the Fredericksburg CVB.
Nine wineries along Highway 209 mark the heart of Hill Country’s prodigious wine region, and its more than 70 restaurants include the event-capable Cabernet Grill and the Fredericksburg Brewing Company. In addition to the illustrious National Museum of the Pacific War, Fredericksburg’s unique venues include the conference-capable, 50-room Hangar Hotel.
Hill Country’s bounty also includes San Marcos, which is a center of outdoor attractions that features the 238-room Embassy Suites San Marcos Hotel, Spa & Conference Center, and just above Austin, the city of Round Rock. Home to Dell Computer and promoted as the Sports Capital of Texas, Round Rock’s meeting venues include the United Heritage Center at Dell Diamond and the Allen R. Baca Center.
Rio Grande Rendezvous
Founded in 1755 on the north bank of the Rio Grande, historic Laredo’s proximity to Mexico makes it one of Texas’ most culturally rich centers. Specializing in smaller meetings, the city’s main venues include the Civic Center complex and the Laredo Entertainment Center. Sports are a major play here, along with renowned celebrations like the annual International Sister Cities Festival.
