While facing the challenges of the economy, some destinations along the Gulf of Mexico are also still struggling to get tourism back to where it was before the string of early 21st century hurricanes hit the region. At the same time, there is plenty of optimism along the 1,800-mile coast.
In the past year, new construction has elevated destinations in the meetings and conventions market. Those able to handle larger and more groups because of new or expanded convention venues include Biloxi, Miss.; the Alabama Gulf Coast; and Punta Gorda, Fla.
New hotels are boosting options throughout the region, especially in the small and/or affordable meetings market. At the same time, new attractions are appearing on the scene.
Many cities have benefited, CVBs will tell you, from their reliance on state associations, SMERF and government business—sources of business that are reliable even in uncertain times.
TEXAS
Houston/Bay Area
Downtown Houston continued its rejuvenation last year, while the Bay Area recovered from the ravages of Hurricane Ike in September 2008.
The 12-acre Discovery Green park opened in 2008, fronting the George R. Brown Convention Center and providing new event space. Later in the year, Houston Pavilions, a four-block entertainment district, debuted nearby.
"Clients are impressed with our improved downtown convention package," says Greg Ortale, president and CEO of the Greater Houston CVB. "New restaurants, bars and shops are still opening in Houston Pavilions and a major revitalization effort is going on in Market Square, the historic district of downtown, which will bring additional dining and nightlife."
Although Houston’s 2009 convention numbers are expected to be down over the year before, Ortale says "we are pacing much better for future bookings than we were a year ago."
Last year, the CVB began focusing on the reunions market, placed a larger focus on international meetings and launched a hotel meetings incentive program in which 30 hotels are offering a $5 donation per actualized room night to the charity of the group’s choice.
Encompassing seven cities, civic centers, more than 4,000 guest rooms and 17 marinas, the Bay Area was squarely in Hurricane Ike’s path in 2008. However, its two major meetings hotels, South Shore Harbor & Conference Center and Hilton Houston NASA Clear Lake, never closed.
"It was a difficult year, but Bay Area Houston could not be in better shape," says Pam Summers, Bay Area Houston CVB president. "Hotels are open and upgraded. Dinner cruise and charter boats are running. Kemah Boardwalk is completely restored and better than ever."
Seven new hotels, including a full-service Holiday Inn in Webster, opened in the Bay Area last year, with two more scheduled to come online later this year.
"With new hotels, the region is becoming even better for meetings, especially for smaller groups with limited budgets," Summers says.
Galveston
Just two miles wide and ringed with 32 miles of beaches, Galveston Island was easy prey for Ike.
But by late November 2008, the city had welcomed its first post-Ike cruise ship and major convention, and the Galveston Island CVB was blitzing Texas cities, spreading the word that the city was open for business.
"We’ve come a long way. We’re an island that has had a facelift," says RoShelle Gaskins, CVB public relations manager.
Last November, the city successfully hosted its largest convention ever—a Science Teacher Association of Texas conference drawing 6,000 attendees. It utilized 13 hotels and both convention centers: the 140,000-square-foot Galveston Island Convention Center at the San Luis Resort, and Moody Gardens Hotel & Convention Center, which has 100,000 square feet of meetings and convention space.
Moody Gardens' Rainforest Pyramid closed in October for a $25 million multiphase enhancement project. After reopening this summer for the tourist season, it will close again this fall, with a grand opening slated for spring 2011.
South Padre Island
In July 2008, Hurricane Dolly slammed ashore at South Padre Island, forcing the temporary closure of hotels and the convention center.
"Other than the challenges of a smaller number of available hotel rooms, 2009 here was similar to the rest of the nation—challenged by the economy. But 2010 is shaping up to be better," says Dan Quandt, South Padre Island CVB executive director.
South Padre Island Convention Center, the primary venue with 45,000 square feet of space, reopened in October 2008, completing its renovations last summer. According to Quandt, the city is moving ahead with plans for its expansion.
A restored Sheraton South Padre Island Beach, with 8,500 square feet of meeting space, reopened last May. Still closed is the Bahia Mar Resort & Conference Center, which hopes to reopen by March 2011.
Near the convention center, the long-awaited $6.5 million South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center held a September grand opening. A new 150-room Hilton Garden Inn, which will offer more than 7,000 square feet of meeting space, is scheduled to open in June.
Corpus Christi
Hurricane Dolly avoided Texas’ largest waterfront city, where the top venue is the American Bank Center, which has 75,000 square feet of exhibit space and an adjacent 10,000-seat arena.
"Corpus Christi had a blockbuster summer. Major attractions and hotels all saw occupancy and attendance soar," says Keith Arnold, CEO of the Corpus Christi CVB, which recently opened an office in Austin.
"It made sense. Eighty percent of our meetings and conventions business is generated by state associations and government agencies headquartered in Austin," Arnold says, adding that the CVB has a new meetings incentive.
"If you book your convention or meeting, you get a free beach party right on our urban beach downtown," he says.
Beaumont/Port Arthur
While Ike caused water damage to areas of Beaumont, it did not affect its historic downtown and few hotels closed.
The city, which has 3,000 guest rooms, offers two primary venues: Ford Park Event Center, which has a 48,000-square-foot exhibit hall and a 9,000-seat arena, and downtown’s Beaumont Civic Center Complex, which features 42,000 square feet of exhibit space.
New hotels opened last year: a Red Roof Inn in August, a Holiday Inn Express in October and a Homewood Suites in December. Early last year, a new meeting facility debuted, the 9,000-square-foot Compro Event Center.
In nearby Port Arthur, the city’s number of hotel rooms has more than doubled to over 1,400 in the past few years. New properties include a La Quinta and Holiday Inn Express, while a Best Western is set to open later this year.
LOUISIANA
Lake Charles
An hour east of Beaumont lies Lake Charles, marketing with the tag "Are You Game?"—a reference to its hunting and fishing, amateur sports market and casino gaming.
"Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana fared much better than most of the country in 2009. In 2010, we are charging ahead and working the SMERF markets in states within driving distance, and to bring in
additional sports business," says Shelley Johnson, executive director of the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana CVB.
In addition to its downtown civic center, which has 62,000 square feet of rentable space, its largest meetings hotel, Pinnacle Entertainment’s L’Auberge du Lac Hotel & Casino, has 28,000 square feet of meeting space and 1,000 rooms. Another casino resort, the 400-room Isle of Capri, has 14,500 square feet of meeting space.
In October, Pinnacle began foundation work on the $300 million Sugarcane Bay casino resort adjacent to L’Auberge. Expected to open in 2011, it will add 400 rooms to the area’s inventory of 4,000.
New Orleans
According to the New Orleans CVB, visitor numbers for 2009 were on par or slightly ahead of 2008’s 7.6 million (which compares with a record-breaking, pre-Katrina 2004 total of 10.1 million).
The Big Easy saw its largest convention in 20 years in July when more than 37,000 arrived for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It began 2009 with planner exposure when PCMA brought more than 3,000 meetings professionals to town.
Last summer, the Morial Convention Center, which has 1.1 million square feet of exhibit space, added new event space, the adjacent 26-acre Festival Park.
Also last year, the CVB and convention center extended "Extraordinary Experiences," a meetings incentive program valid during certain months through 2013 that offers free inclusions.
Closed since Katrina, the former Fairmont reopened last July as a Waldorf-Astoria Collection hotel following a $145 million restoration. It reverted to its name from 1923 to 1965: The Roosevelt.
Still a casualty of Katrina, the 1,184-room Hyatt Regency next to the Superdome remains shuttered.
In a latest phase of a $300 million expansion, the National World War II Museum unveiled a 250-seat 4-D theater, an entertainment facility and a restaurant.
MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi Gulf Coast
The big news along the Gulf Coast’s 26 miles of beaches is the renovation and expansion of Biloxi’s Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center.
Last July, the National Governors Association meeting was the first to use the expanded facility, which grew from 180,000 square feet of usable space to 400,000 square feet. Renovations were completed in the fall.
"It will be great for the coast. It will allow us to bid on larger pieces of business and, in turn, fill up our hotel inventory," says Crystal Johnson, sales director for the Mississippi Gulf Coast CVB, which added sales staff and is now focusing more on national accounts and SMERF business.
The 195-room Four Points By Sheraton Biloxi Beach Boulevard opens March 18. With a 6,459-square-foot ballroom, it will be near the region’s largest meetings hotel, the 1,740-room Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, which has 50,000 square feet of meeting space.
While Harrah’s proposed $700 million Margaritaville Casino & Resort, where work halted in 2008, is still on hold, construction efforts are now pouring into attractions damaged by Katrina.
At Beauvoir, the Jefferson Davis Home, which reopened in June 2008 following a $4 million restoration, work began in December on a new $10.5 million Jefferson Davis Presidential Library. The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art is building the Ohr Campus, slated for an early 2011 completion; the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum also plans to open a new museum in 2011.
ALABAMA
Mobile
Mobile, 60 miles from Biloxi, has undergone a downtown waterfront renaissance in the area around the 317,000-square-foot Mobile Convention Center.
In 2007, the historic restored Battle House Hotel, a Renaissance property, reopened with 238 rooms and 28,000 square feet of meeting space as part of a 39-story tower complex, and the 375-room Riverview Plaza headquarters hotel, which has 44,000 square feet of meeting space, was reflagged a Renaissance hotel following a $64 million renovation.
The Mobile Bay CVB is promoting the "Easy Walk Meetings Package," encompassing seven hotels with a total of 1,312 rooms within walking distance of the convention center.
"The Battle House has been a wonderful addition to the hotel inventory. Sports and multicultural business has been strong for Mobile, and 2009 was a good year and 2010 looks promising," says David Randel, the CVB’s vice president of sales.
Ground was broken last April on GulfQuest, the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico. Expected to open in spring 2011, the 90,000-square-foot facility will be part of Mobile Landing, a development that also includes the convention center, cruise terminal and a riverside park.
Alabama Gulf Coast
Southeast of Mobile, Alabama’s Gulf Coast covers 30 miles of beach, and has more than 16,000 accommodation units and the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.
The Conference Center at The Wharf opened last March along the Intracoastal Waterway in Orange Beach. The facility is part of The Wharf, which includes more than 15 restaurants, a marina, golf and condos.
With 18,600 square feet of space, it can seat 1,600 for banquets or accommodate a 100-booth exhibition.
"The conference center adds an exciting element for the meetings market," says Beth Gendler, sales director for the Alabama Gulf Coast CVB. "We continue to focus on the regional association market as we are such a drive market. We believe this continues to play a significant role in our success. We are also focusing on regional corporate business,"
Additional gathering facilities arrived last June with the opening of Phoenix West, a condo hotel with 9,000 square feet of meeting space. Slated for a spring 2011 opening, a Hampton Inn & Suites under construction will add 5,000 square feet of meeting space.
FLORIDA
Pensacola Bay
Pensacola came off more than a year full of events celebrating its 450th anniversary, including a visit from the king and queen of Spain.
"The tourism industry performed extremely well considering the challenges," says Ed Schroeder, vice president of tourism for the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce."With more meeting facilities opening, we are branding Pensacola Beach as a conference campus."
Hotel Indigo opens in March with 3,000 square feet of meeting space, and a new Holiday Inn opens in May 2011 with another 10,000 square feet of meeting space.
Less than a mile from downtown’s primary event facility, the Pensacola Civic Center, the historic Saenger Theatre reopened in February 2009 following a $15 million renovation that added more event space.
Emerald Coast/Beaches of South Walton
Moving east are the 24 miles of beaches of Okaloosa County and the resort areas of Destin, Fort Walton Beach and Okaloosa Island.
The 6-year-old Emerald Coast Conference Center on Okaloosa Island has 35,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space. A dozen nearby hotels also offer meeting space.
According to Darrel Jones, CEO of the Emerald Coast CVB, conference center business was up 12 percent during the first three quarters of 2009 over the same period the year before.
"We are still one of the best value destinations, with everything a meeting planner would want," he says. "We were able to hold all of our groups, plus add a few concerts."
Construction on a full-service Hilton across from the conference center, slated to start in February, is now on hold.
Farther East are the 26 miles of the Beaches of South Walton with 15 beach communities. Meetings-equipped properties include the 2,400-acre, 1,000-room Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort, which has 65,000 square feet of meeting space, and the 600-room Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort, which offers 32,000 square feet.
Expected to boost tourism to the area is the new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, which opens in May. Southwest Airlines, the first carrier to announce service at the airport, plans to launch daily round-trip flights from Nashville, Baltimore/Washington, Houston and Orlando starting May 23.
Panama City Beach
With 21,000 hotel rooms and condo units, 160,000 square feet of meeting space and four conference resorts. Panama City will directly benefit from the new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport,
according to Dan Rowe, president and CEO of the Panama City Beach CVB.
"Travelers can look forward to better service and more competitive fares as Panama City Beach becomes easily accessible from major domestic and international markets," he says. According to Rowe, Panama City Beach experienced a 2.7 percent increase in lodging tax revenue for the year ending Sept. 30.
Tampa Bay
Tampa’s downtown riverfront revitalization includes new cultural attractions.
Providing new event space, the 60,000-square-foot Tampa Bay History Museum opened in January 2009; the 66,000-square-foot Tampa Museum of Art opens Feb. 6; and the 53,000-square-foot Glazer Children’s Museum opens this fall.
They are along the 2.2-mile Riverwalk. A multiyear project slated for completion in 2011, it will link the 650,000-square-foot waterfront Tampa Convention Center, which has 2,100 rooms in five brand-name hotels within a four-block radius; the Florida Aquarium; the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center; the cruise terminal; and parks.
"We are struggling, as is everyone. In that regard, we have fared rather well. We are still behind pace, but the good news is summer—traditionally our most difficult time period to fill—is looking strong," says Alex Kaptzan, convention sales director for Tampa Bay & Company, Tampa’s CVB.
In the St. Petersburg-Clearwater area, the new 250-suite Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa opened in December with 12,000 square feet of indoor function space.
Punta Gorda/Charlotte Harbor
Devastated by Hurricane Charley in 2004, Punta Gorda’s downtown waterfront has undergone a renaissance.
A tented facility replaced the old damaged coliseum for awhile, but was replaced by the new Charlotte Harbor Event and Conference Center, which celebrated its grand opening in January 2009. It offers 43,000 square feet of space, including a 19,500-square-foot multipurpose hall.
Nearby, a 106-room Four Points By Sheraton with 1,000 square feet of meeting space opened last May on the site of the damaged Holiday Inn, and the 63-room boutique Wyvern opened in November 2008.
"The first year went very well for the center," says Sean Doherty, sales and sports marketing manager for the Charlotte Harbor Visitor & Convention Bureau. "Historic downtown provides attendees a scenic waterfront within walking distance of hotels, restaurants, shops, art galleries and entertainment. New attractions include the Muscle Car City Museum, which can be used as a special event venue, and the Harbor Lady Dinner Cruise."
Also last year, following a $46 million renovation. the Charlotte Sports Park became the spring training ground for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Fort Myers
Lee County VCB markets The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel, an area with more than 39,000 guest rooms, 256,000 square feet of meeting space and such resorts as the Hyatt Coconut Point Resort & Spa, Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa and South Seas Island Resort.
The VCB launched a meetings credit incentive program for new bookings that is in effect through 2012.
Downtown Fort Myers’ first new hotel in more than 20 years, the 62-room Hotel Indigo Fort Myers–Historic River District opened last March near the Harborside Event Center.
In November, the Resort at Marina Village opened in Cape Coral, offering 10,000 square feet of indoor meeting space; a Hyatt Place, which has over 2,000 square feet of meeting space, opened at the Forum, a mixed-use complex.
Naples
With 30 miles of beach, the communities of Naples, Marco Island, Everglades City, Immokalee and Ave Maria are promoted by the Greater Naples, Marco Island and Everglades CVB.
The newly expanded Naples Botanical Garden reopened in November, featuring 90-acres of restored natural Florida habitats and new event spaces. Opening this fall is the 30,000-square-foot Children’s Museum of Naples.
The city’s newest resort hotel, the 85-room Hotel at Naples Bay Resort, opened in 2008 as part of the 20-acre Naples Bay Resort managed by Benchmark Hospitality International.
—Tony Bartlett has been writing for travel industry publications for over 20 years.
