Resilient against the recession, the leading Lone Star cities continue to enhance their group appeal with bigger and bolder infrastructure and services while ably satisfying a planner’s checklist of top priorities: value, choice, accessibility and attendance-boosting assets.
Dallas “In the eight years I’ve headed the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau, the city has been fortunate to boast more than $15 billion in uninterrupted development despite the national economic climate,” says Phillip Jones, president and CEO of the Dallas CVB. “Everything is coming together to position Dallas as a national leader for business and innovation.”
Visiting planners can expect to do a “Dallas Double Take,” according to Jones.
“From new and upgraded hotels to master projects like the Dallas Arts District and the new Santiago Calatrava bridge, it’s not the same Dallas they knew from recent years,” Jones says.
Continuing investment is paying handsome dividends for Big D, with standout properties like the 1,120-room AAA Four Diamond Hyatt Regency Dallas and 70,000-plus local hotel rooms. Of 2012 citywide bookings to date, 70 percent are new to Dallas, from groups that have re-classified Dallas as a viable citywide option.
“We are on track for a record-breaking year for citywide conference sales for future years, most of which is new business,” Jones says.
Projects due for completion this year include an upgrade to the Dallas Convention Center and new attractions that include Klyde Warren Park, bridging Uptown and downtown and providing event, concert and pedestrian space.
This fall, the CVB’s new branding campaign and website will spotlight the “new Dallas.”
“The mayor of Dallas and the Dallas CVB both want the city to be top of mind for convention and leisure travel and recognized as a top-five destination nationwide,” Jones says. “With our current momentum, it’s definitely an achievable goal.”
Fort Worth With a population of more than 750,000 and recently voted one of “America’s Most Livable Communities” by acclaimed national non-profit Partners for Livable Communities, Fort Worth’s unprecedented growth is adding a greater diversity of choices for planners and vibrant new energy for delegates.
“From superior convention facilities and fine accommodations to delicious dining options and great entertainment and attractions, everything you need for a meeting is here,” says David DuBois, president and CEO of the Fort Worth CVB, who recently left the bureau to lead the International Association of Exhibitions and Events.
The unique draw of “The City of Cowboys and Culture” remains its three closely connected but distinct primary districts: the park-like setting of the Cultural District, home to five world-class museums; the preserved Western heritage of the Stockyards National Historic District; and Sundance Square, anchoring one of the nation’s most walkable and safe downtowns.
Signifying the city’s runaway growth, the new West 7th District is the latest visitor zone. Nestled between downtown, the Cultural District and Trinity Park, this urban oasis features a luxury bowling alley, movie tavern, chic boutiques and an array of restaurants.
South of downtown, the off-beat Near Southside neighborhood is another up-and-comer. Lined with restaurants, music venues and art galleries, this historic district features Firestone and Robertson Distilling Co., the only artisanal bourbon distillery in North Texas, and farm-to-table cuisine at nationally acclaimed Ellerbe Fine Foods.
Fort Worth is also expanding its event appeal with investments such as the newly opened, $32 million multipurpose equestrian facility at the historic Will Rogers Memorial Center.
Houston Reflecting national trends, Houston’s main recessionary impact has been reduced timeframes for planner commitments, with requests for significant discounting.
“The long-term consequence will be soft markets because rates can never be raised as quickly as they are cut,” notes Greg Ortale, president and CEO of the Greater Houston CVB. “Markets are improving, but it will be some time before hotel rates are above 2008 levels.”
Competitive hotel rates are among Houston’s calling cards, though, and with its diversified economy reliably attracting trade show customers and delegates, the group outlook is bright indeed.
“Our business is recovering and 2013 looks even stronger,” Ortale says. “With the exception of 2014, our present focal point, all future years are pacing very well.”
Major developments ahead include a second convention headquarters hotel, mirroring the 1,200-room Hilton Americas-Houston. The project is destined for the opposite side of the convention center, and its developer will be selected this fall. Meanwhile, in 2015, Hobby Airport will become Houston’s second international airport with the introduction of Southwest Airlines’ service to Mexico and South America.
Planners can look forward to special celebratory pricing ahead, as the convention center turns 25 this year, followed by the fifth anniversary of the “My Houston” celebrity-based campaign and 50th anniversary of the CVB in 2013.
Ortale is bullish on the future.
“With an improved hotel inventory both downtown and at Reliant Park, we expect Houston to become an unquestioned top 10 convention and visitor destination and top five U.S. international meeting destination in the next five years,” he says.
San Antonio Led by its wunderkind mayor, 37-year-old Julian Castro, America’s seventh-largest metro boasts one of the nation’s most resilient economies, fortified by tourism and meetings.
“San Antonio is a top leisure destination that offers affordable value for planners and attendees,” says Casandra Matej, executive director of the San Antonio CVB. “Coupled with our reputation for excellent service and our ever-growing inventory, this has allowed us to secure repeat conventions and focus on association business to weather the downturn.”
With some 43,000 rooms area-wide, including 13,700 downtown and 6,500 within walking distance of the convention center, standout meetings properties include Hotel Contessa, an urban oasis on the River Walk, Grand Hyatt San Antonio and Omni La Mansion Del Rio San Antonio. Modeled after the legendary King Ranch, Westin La Cantera Hill Country Resort features grotto-style pools, handsome meeting space and the award-winning Francesca’s Sunset restaurant.
Nearby, Eilan Hotel Resort & Spa is a dramatic new arrival. Quickly earning Leading Hotels of the World status, the $500 million property features 26,000 square feet of meeting space along with a destination spa and restaurant.
Currently undergoing a $358.3 million project to lengthen its signature River Walk from three to 15 miles, the largest ever ecosystem restoration in an urban area, the city is also expanding the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center (HBGCC). Fresh off $40 million in renovations, the center, hosting 300-plus events each year, will undergo its fourth expansion between 2013 and 2016.
“Our city leaders support meetings and conventions and are paving the way for future growth,” Matej says. “We want to set an industry standard with new state-of-the-art space at HBGCC and continue to provide an unforgettable convention experience.”
Austin The Austin CVB’s new branding campaign says it all: “What You Hear Is True.” From the growing buzz among planners and travelers here and abroad to the Formula 1 engines soon to roar around its new Circuit of the Americas race track, Austin’s appeal has gone positively symphonic.
Bolstered by its high-tech economy, the “Live Music Capital of the World” has it all—and is adding more.
The technologically advanced Austin Convention Center is the first convention center in Texas and the second in the country to achieve LEED Gold Certification for Existing Buildings, making it a prime destination for green meetings.
With a rich artistic and cultural mix, Austin also has a hot culinary scene. Chef Paul Qui, of Japanese dining temples Uchi + Uchiko, won the 2012 James Beard award for Best Chef in the Southwest, following his recent Top Chef win on Bravo. Already boasting some 2,000 food trailers, the CVB’s new mobile visitor center, a remodeled 1970s Airstream trailer with rock ’n’ roll interiors, will anchor marquee events and serve as a VIP lounge for media, musicians and meeting professionals.
Getting to Austin is easier than ever, with Austin-Bergstrom International Airport landing six new nonstop routes, coveted service from Washington, D.C., included. Leading all major Texas markets in hotel occupancy, Austin is adding properties such as the 1012-room JW Marriott Austin, slated to open in February 2015.
“With the addition of the JW Marriot Austin, we are booking more medical, high-tech, education and scientific meetings,” says Steve Genovesi, the Austin CVB’s senior vice president of sales. “We are also seeing an increase in sports business through the Austin Sports Commission. With additional hotel inventory planned, Austin will continue to elevate itself as a first-tier convention and meeting destination—the word is out.”
