Inherent in the Texas way is an attitude of can-do and embrace of boundless possibilities.
Earlier this year, CBS Sunday Morning featured Chip and Joanna Gaines, the star Texas couple of HGTV’s hit remodeling show Fixer Upper, whose publishing, retail and hospitality empire includes visitor magnet Magnolia Market, a store located in their home base of Waco. Concluding the interview, Jane Pauley borrowed the famed New York City riff to say, “I’m thinking, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere.”
Apparently a great many people believe they can make it in Texas. According to the latest U.S. Census figures, Texas has five of the biggest 11 population gainers among cities with 50,000 or more people, including top-ranked Georgetown (Austin area), second-ranked New Braunfels (Hill Country) and fourth-ranked Frisco (Metroplex). Add Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio and Houston in the top 10 for expanding major metros, and Texas is the fastest-growing state in the nation.
Sizzling, too, is the Texas meetings market. Surging with billions of dollars of hospitality and venue development, the ever-expanding Lone Star scene is hard to ignore.
Metroplex Magnetism
With over $25 million in new downtown development, Dallas, America’s ninth-largest city, is a leading hub of commerce and innovation and the top visitor destination in Texas.
“Big business is happening in Dallas right now,” said Dallas CVB President and CEO Phillip Jones. “The city is ranked among the nation’s top 10 destinations for meetings and conventions, which provided $1.6 billion in economic impact to Dallas last year.”
In June 2016, the Michelin Green Guide gave the city three stars, its highest rating, denoting “worth a trip.” Dallas earned 120-plus stars overall, with five attractions, including The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza and the Dallas Arts District, individually awarded the coveted three-star distinction. Other accolades include being named HelmsBriscoe’s 2015 Destination Partner of the Year.
Also “worth” exploring is Fort Worth.
“Our meetings market is strong,” said John Cychol, vice president of sales at the Fort Worth CVB. “In 2015, we hosted 397 groups and increased overall show attendance to 619,819, up 29 percent from previous years. This success continues in 2016 with new bookings in the aviation sector, a major market for the city, and re-ups with long-standing clients such as Kenneth Copeland Ministries Southwest Believers’ Convention, which contracts over 9,000 rooms.”
Complementing Dallas Cowboys football at AT&T Stadium and Texas Rangers baseball at Globe Life Park, amateur sports continue a multiyear trend of leading the way in Arlington, enhanced by a higher than usual volume of corporate business across multiple segments.
“As we experience another stellar meetings year in 2016, currently on pace to match our record-breaking 2015, we continue to educate meeting professionals from outside North Texas about Arlington’s assets,” said Jon Hixon, vice president of sales at the Arlington CVB. “We believe that seeing first-hand is the best selling tool in the toolbox.”
Regarding Frisco’s prominence in the Metroplex’s eye-popping population boom, Mayor Maher Maso told the Dallas Morning News last year that, “We just can’t seem to help it.” The city seems equally unstoppable on the investment front. Part of the “$5 Billion Mile” of new developments, the Dallas Cowboys’ new headquarters, Ford Center at The Star, only solidifies Frisco’s place as a major Metroplex player.
“Our meetings and convention business is the strongest it has been since 2010, with a good mix of almost all market segments,” said Frisco CVB Executive Director Marla Roe. “We do really well with corporate meetings during the week, with state associations, faith-based meetings and SMERF groups filling our weekends.”
With 2016 group bookings up around 10 percent over 2015 and expected to grow behind pending business, Frisco’s multiyear bookings are increasing, mostly in the two- to three-year range plus one five-year commitment.
“With our team directly responsible for an average of some 80 group bookings,” Roe said, “we are rolling out our ‘365 Day Site Tour’ program this fall, where qualified planners can pick any day they’d like to come for a site inspection of Frisco.”
Another former sleepy suburb, Plano, continues to boom, powered by its blue-chip corporate base and new arrivals like Toyota, with its $350 million North American headquarters slated for completion by early 2017.
“Every number we track for the City of Plano market continues to be up over last year, including meetings and events,” said Visit Plano Executive Director Mark Thompson, adding that “the future looks like much of the same.”
Home to 30 Fortune 500 companies, Irving is also charting upwards.
“Our group market has remained very positive and strong across all segments, with our bread-and-butter corporate business staying exceptionally strong,” said Irving CVB Executive Director Maura Gast. “While anticipating a slight dip this fall in line with past federal election cycles, we have no doubts that activity will bounce back quickly. With the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas averaging 300-plus events annually, we know that we will continue to exceed performance expectations when the Irving Music Factory opens in summer 2017, followed by the Westin headquarters hotel in late 2018.”
Grapevine is enjoying a robust tourism trade.
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“The city welcomes more than 20 million meetings and leisure guests annually,” said Brady Closson, director of sales at the Grapevine CVB. “Our premier accommodations, outstanding family-friendly attractions, distinct dining, shopping options and additional amenities make Grapevine a perennially sought-after destination for meetings and conventions.”
Reflecting the Metroplex’s diversity, Mesquite has become “a superb destination for dog shows,” according to Mesquite CVB Executive Director Judy Skowron. “With the Mesquite Convention Center and Exhibit Hall next door to Mesquite Arena, we are uniquely positioned to host all aspects of competition.”
Happening Houston
Ahead of hosting next year’s Super Bowl and NCAA Men’s Final Four, Houston is in major upgrade mode—including an unprecedented expansion of its hospitality sector.
“New hotel construction, including the 1,000-room Marriott Marquis convention center hotel, is allowing us to go after and land bigger pieces of business,” said Mike Waterman, president of Visit Houston. “Our clients are also attracted to the roughly $250 million in renovations that are transforming the convention district into a hub for dining, entertainment and art. Having booked a record 732,967 room nights tied to future conventions last year, representing a 29 percent increase over 2014, I’m more confident than ever that our unique, attractive offering meets the needs of our clients.”
Surging San Antonio
With the $325 million transformation of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center now complete and other landmark investments underway, Alamo City continues to flourish.
“Our meetings market has remained strong in 2016, with large conventions seeing high attendance levels,” said San Antonio CVB Executive Director Casandra Matej, who credits the city’s diverse group business with “allowing us to avoid negative impacts of a slowdown in one particular area.”
Along with the marketing of the convention center, this healthy group mix “supports a strong 2017 and 2018 outlook,” Matej said. “With good availability, 2019 and 2020 present many opportunities for conventions and meetings searching for a host city.”
Active Austin
The latest projections show Austin’s downtown hotel inventory jumping from 8,568 rooms this year to 10,642 by 2018, with a citywide increase from 34,813 to 37,028 rooms in the same time period. As Steve Genovesi, senior vice president of sales for the Austin CVB, explained, this growth bodes well for increased group bookings.
“With the new inventory coming online, meeting planners now feel that our hotel package mix is much more attractive,” Genovesi said. “Having a second convention-style hotel, the Fairmont Austin, close on the horizon helps even more, enabling Austin to attract more citywide business and pursue larger groups we haven’t had access to in the past.”
Gulf Greats
With meetings representing nearly $36 million of its $1.1 billion tourism industry, Galveston Island continues to leverage its beachfront meeting spaces, affordable F&B, unique off-site venues and budget-friendly incentives to attract group business.
“Texas state associations remain our largest sector, with good growth in the sports, religious and tour and travel markets,” said Galveston Island CVB Director Meg Winchester. “Recent wins include the Texas Society of Architects citywide convention for 2019, returning for the first time since 1999.”
Trend-wise, the bureau continues to embrace social media.
“We maintain our education and support for these channels with all of our meeting planners,” Winchester explained. “Our new full-time social media manager has established tools to help planners marketing their meetings and creating special connections with Galveston.”
Drawing mostly SMERF groups plus a growing number of state associations, Beaumont is focused on planner partnerships.
“With today’s limited budgets and fewer staff, smart meeting planners are tapping into a valuable partner resource by reaching out directly to their local CVB,” said Freddie Willard, director of sales for the Beaumont CVB. “With our group business steadily growing and an even greater increase in planners approaching us first before the meeting facility, word of our services is being heard loud and clear!”
Wondrous West/Central Texas
This July, the Midland City Council approved plans for a new $42.8 million facility to replace the aging Midland Convention Center. Construction is slated to begin in January 2017 on the 29,000-square-foot venue, for a projected June 2018 opening.
“Affordable accommodations and meeting space, combined with customer service excellence, makes Midland an attractive group destination, as we continue to invest in facilities that will improve our quality of place and attract more groups to the community,” said Brad Barnett, Visit Midland’s executive vice president of tourism and facilities.
In neighboring Odessa, a planned new 78,000-square-foot convention center with a 200-room hotel “has our spirits soaring high,” reported Odessa CVB Director Lawanna Lambert. “Targeting a late 2019 opening, the new facility means exciting new possibilities for groups.”
The bureau is also launching a new user-friendly website this fall.
In affordable, sunny El Paso, “the 2016 convention calendar has been the strongest since pre-recession days, with an equally healthy future forecast,” said Brooke Underwood, Destination El Paso’s director of convention development. “With recent significant investments in athletic and aquatic facilities, plus parks, look for El Paso to emerge on the sports marketing scene with a fierce portfolio of venues!”
With a new downtown convention hotel opening in June 2017, plus other new hotels and downtown restaurants and clubs, and “an aggressive infrastructure investment plan being considered by the Amarillo City Council,” Dan Quandt, vice president of the Amarillo Convention and Visitors Council, said that “Amarillo will have an entirely new look next year.”
With recent additions that include the Arbor Hotel & Conference Center, Lubbock is enhancing its broad-based group appeal.
“Our lodging market has never been stronger,” noted Amy Zientek, director of sales for Visit Lubbock, “and with renovations complete on the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, the city is looking forward to breaking ground on the Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences soon.”
Abilene’s evolving appeal includes the official state designation last year as the “Storybook Capital of Texas.” With Santa Claus and The Cat in the Hat among 17 outdoor and six indoor sculptures, the city’s revitalized downtown boasts the nation’s largest public collection of storybook characters.
“Abilene is big on culture and affordability, both served with Texas-size hospitality,” said Abilene CVB Executive Director Nanci Liles. “With our central location, customized personal service and Storybook Capital of Texas allure, it is no coincidence that Abilene hosts over 300 meetings and events a year.”
Attracting mostly state associations, Wichita Falls is in repositioning mode.
“Due to the current nature of our full-service hotel industry, we are refocusing our strategy on smaller group associations that we can accommodate in our limited-service properties,” said Wichita Falls CVB Director Lindsay Greer. “However, we are most excited about just winning a bid to host the 2017 Living Proof with Beth Moore event.”
Southern Stars
Continuing its hot streak of hosting major associations, with the Texas Water Utilities Association and South Texas Press Association among 2017 bookings, the forecast is favorable for Laredo.
“We have also seen growth in group business coming to study our living lab of international commerce and cross-border trade,” said Laredo CVB Executive Director Blasita Lopez. “As the nation’s largest inland port and third-largest U.S. Customs District, more tour operators are selling Laredo as a training ground to logistics professionals and career-minded college students.”
McAllen’s convention business continues to grow alongside the city.
“Our developing Convention Center District features 500 new hotel rooms, a new state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center, and an array of shopping, dining and entertainment options all within walking distance,” said McAllen CVB Vice President Nancy Millar. “Ranked No. 1 for Quality of Life in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report this year and Safest City in Texas by Smartasset.com last year, McAllen will lean on its accolades moving forward, while continuing to offer its hallmark first-class amenities and award-winning hospitality.”
Offering 34 miles of seashore and the state’s widest beaches, South Padre Island hosts a diverse set of groups.
“Boasting a significant share of Texas state association business, plus competitive sporting events, we have experienced an uptick in overall groups over the last 18 months,” said Michael Flores, business development director for the City of South Padre Island CVB.
