The central and western regions of Texas are a dream for planners seeking small to midsize metros that are big on culture and affordability. The welcoming communities that make up the area offer reasonable rates on a variety of meeting space, hotels and off-site venues, and each destination holds true to its roots, whether it’s ranching or oil drilling, while offering a variety of attractions to highlight each specialty.
Abilene
Residents of Abilene are incredibly proud of their city and with good reason. The midsize metro (population 115,000) is packed with cultural attractions, starting with Frontier Texas.
"Frontier Texas is a multimedia attraction that depicts the area as it was between 1780 and 1880," says Nanci Liles, executive director of the Abilene CVB. "The place opened in 2004 and is built like a fort. Groups of up to 600 love to meet outside and up to 100 can meet inside."
A few blocks away, visitors will find themselves on Cypress Street, the city’s main artery, also called the Abilene Cultural District.
"Right on Cypress is The Grace Museum, which is actually a collection of three museums under one roof: a children’s museum, fine arts museum and history museum," Liles says. "The building itself is really neat—it is a restored hotel that was opened in 1909."
Just down the street is Cypress Street Station, a "brewing company and restaurant where groups can have private events," she says.
For down-to-business meetings, groups can head over to the Abilene Civic Center, which offers about 13,400 square feet of meeting space, or the Taylor County Expo Center, which sits on 117 acres.
Other meetings-friendly properties include the Hunter Welcome Center (at Abilene Christian University), MCM Elegante Hotel & Suites, Hilton Garden Inn Abilene Hotel and the new La Quinta Inn & Suites.
Wichita Falls
Drive about 150 miles northeast and you will find yourself in Wichita Falls, a scenic community (check out the multitiered waterfalls) with an only-in-Texas history.
"The railroad formed the city, and then we had the oil and gas boom—which is really what we were built on," says Lindsay Greer, director of the Wichita Falls CVB. "We’ve always been a big ranching community as well. I recommend checking out the Texas Ranch Roundup every summer, where ranches compete in traditional ranching activities."
"The Roundup" (as the locals say) takes place at the Multi-Purpose Events Center, or MPEC, the city’s largest meeting venue.
"The MPEC has a lot of flexibility," Greer says. "It has a 58,000-square-foot exhibit hall and a 10,000-seat coliseum next door. You can walk across a pedestrian bridge to the Agricultural Center, which has an arena and a barn."
Located near the MPEC are the city’s two largest meetings hotels: the newly renovated Howard Johnson and the Holiday Inn.
According to Greer, the city primarily attracts government and regional association groups with its affordable prices, ample meeting space and variety of attractions.
"Everyone loves visiting Castaway Cove, which is a fun waterpark," she says. "They also like visiting Wichita Falls Vineyards & Winery, and the two casinos we have close by, Kiowa and Comanche Red River."
Amarillo
In the mood to see a real cowboy? If so, strap on your boots and head to Amarillo, where Tina Teague, senior convention sales manager for the Amarillo Convention & Visitors Council, says cowboys are "everywhere."
Groups can take an interest in cowboy culture a step further with a visit to the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame & Museum, which has several spaces for off-site events.
"Just outside Amarillo, you can also visit the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, which is another great place for groups," Teague says, adding that back in town, the Amarillo Botanical Gardens and Amarillo Museum of Art are also popular spots for groups.
The 340,000-square-foot Amarillo Civic Center and the 1,300-seat Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts are the city’s main convention facilities.
On New Year’s Eve, the city unveiled a Courtyard by Marriott, located within walking distance of the civic center. Other meetings-friendly properties include The Ambassador Hotel and Holiday Inn.
Lubbock
Two hours south of Amarillo is Lubbock, located in an area known for its wine.
"We have fantastic wineries in this region. The grapes grown in West Texas are some of the best in the world," says John Osborne, CEO of Visit Lubbock, highlighting Llano Estacado Winery, Cap-Rock Winery, Pheasant Ridge and McPherson Cellars, all of which offer space for private events.
Lubbock also features a variety of group-friendly cultural venues, such as The National Ranching Heritage Center, the American Windpower Center and the Buddy Holly Center.
"We have fantastic attractions for groups, but we also offer ease of highway access and great meeting spaces," Osborne says.
The Lubbock Memorial Civic Center is the city’s primary group venue, with a 40,000-square-foot, column-free exhibit hall and a 1,400-seat theater, he adds.
In 2009, the city opened the 303-room Overton Hotel & Conference Center, which offers 20,000 square feet of meeting space. Additional group-friendly properties include the Holiday Inn, Radisson and Embassy Suites.
Midland
Midland is a friendly city of more than 110,000 residents and is famously known as the place where George W. Bush spent his childhood years. Visitors can even take a tour of his former house on W. Ohio Avenue.
The city is also known as the center of the Permian Basin, a region where most of the country’s oil comes from. Groups interested in learning more about the city’s oil history can visit the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum, which welcomes groups in a variety of venues—from a boardroom to an auditorium.
Located downtown, The Midland Center is a popular meetings spot with 12,500 square feet of exhibit space.
The Midland County Horseshoe, which is situated on more than 100 acres, is a group-friendly property with cavernous interior meeting space.
On the hotel front, frequented venues include the Hilton, Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, Courtyard by Marriott and Comfort Suites.
Odessa
Odessa may be known as the place that inspired the smash hit Friday Night Lights, but the city has more to stand on than its television fame.
"Odessa is known for its oil industry," says Linda Sweatt, director of the Odessa CVB. "Right now, you can see oil rigs going up everywhere. We are really seeing that industry coming back and our community is doing great. Our hotels are full and business is booming."
The city offers a few great golf courses—including Ratliff Ranch Golf Links and Sunset Country Club—both open to groups. It also has a professional ice hockey team, the Jackalopes, and an indoor football team, the West Texas Roughnecks.
"There are tons of things for visitors to do here in Odessa," Sweatt says. "You can also go to a play at The Globe Theatre of the Great Southwest or see a performance at The Permian Playhouse."
The city’s largest event space is the Ector County Coliseum, followed by hotels such as the MCM Grande, MCM Elegante, Hilton Garden Inn, Holiday Inn and Hampton Inn.
El Paso
Even though El Paso is just over the border from Juarez, Mexico, city officials maintain the Texas location is a welcoming and secure place to visit.
"We are an incredibly safe city—we’ve even been ranked one of the safest cities in the country," says Brooke Underwood, director of convention development for the El Paso CVB.
Stroll down Santa Fe Street and you will undoubtedly agree with her. The city has a great vibe, with highlights such as the El Paso Museum of Art and El Paso Museum of History, not to mention the popular Cafe Central, located just a few blocks away and featuring plenty of space for groups (make sure to try the lobster ravioli).
According to Underwood, there are two main reasons to come to El Paso.
"No. 1 is our value," she says. "You will pay a fraction of the prices in other Texas cities. No. 2 is our weather. It is gorgeous all year-round, and we have a lot of venues you can utilize because of the weather."
One such venue is the new outdoor canopy in front of the convention center.
"We have 133,000 square feet of meeting space in the center, and the new addition of the canopy is great because people can utilize it for outdoor lunches and events," Underwood says.
On the hotel side, groups like to frequent the Doubletree, Wyndham and Camino Real El Paso Texas.
Katie Morell is a frequent contributor to Meetings Focus South.
