The fast-growing Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex city of Frisco, Texas, is rapidly ascending as a meetings destination, welcoming the sprawling Omni PGA Frisco Resort that joins the existing Omni Frisco Hotel at The Star, site of the world headquarters and practice facility of the storied Dallas Cowboys.
But while major resorts grab the headlines and feed group and leisure demand, Frisco is also emerging as a destination with lots of fun activity options for groups that want to venture out after the day’s meetings wrap.
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Making sure meetings clients’ needs are met is Visit Frisco’s Destination Services team, led by Lisa Bethea, Director of Destination Services.
“Our goal is to ensure that they can use every city resource possible to have a successful meeting,” Bethea said. “We're really trying to understand their vision and goal for hosting the event. Our job is focusing on those assets we have here. You can host an event in a conference room at Careington International where there’s an auto museum on the bottom floor featuring 300 classic cars owned by its owner, or you can go offsite to visit our National Soccer Hall of Fame to experience something that really speaks to the community that you're in, Sports City USA.”
[Podcast: Visit Frisco's Christina Decker on the Major New Meetings Offerings in This Metroplex Gem]
Bethea, a 12-year Visit Frisco veteran, is a point person for planners before, during and after events, not just after the contract is signed.
“Having somebody from the services department connected at the very beginning makes them 86% more likely to book an event with you,” Bethea said. “And it's really because we understand that the meeting is about making sure that you have the correct space, the correct number of rooms, but it's what you can interject from the community that's really going to make it successful.
“They want to talk to us as soon as possible, whether it's about something as simple as making sure that they have the proper transportation vendors to work with or utilizing some of our offsite locations that can really kick up their event a notch,” she added. “We have drumlines that we can add in. We have different cultural aspects that we can add in from Frisco, and then, of course, our community nonprofits. I can add that CSR give-back to a portion of an event. There's really no end to what we can offer.”
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One very handy service offered by Visit Frisco’s Destination Services team is its position on the Special Event Review Committee for the City of Frisco, which translates into a seamless approval process for special events and meetings.
“What that is essentially is a one-and-done for anybody looking to host an event within the city,” Bethea said. “Everybody is represented in that group, whether it's police and fire, we've got our traffic engineers that are located there, planning and zoning. Because we sit on that committee, we can help push those things through, and a lot of times we even take on the task of doing their applications for events and then our city departments will kick in assistance as well, because we realize how profitable it is for the community.”
Top Offsite Venues and Activities in Frisco
Some engaging offsite opportunities in Frisco include the following venues.
National Soccer Hall of Fame
Located in Toyota Stadium, home of FC Dallas, the National Soccer Hall of Fame celebrates the most popular sport on the globe, and also is one of Frisco’s most-in-demand offsite options, accommodating up to 700 guests, with full catering. The Red Star Club can accommodate up to 300 guests and the Gallagher Club can fit up to 700.
The venue also offers two full-service restaurants and bars for additional F&B options. The National Soccer Hall of Fame even offers virtual tours of the Gallagher Club and Red Star Club on its website.
Ford Center at The Star
Located next to Omni Frisco Hotel at The Star, Ford Center is the world headquarters and practice facility of one of the most iconic sports franchises in the world, the Dallas Cowboys.
“People walk into that building and it's almost like you can hear them take that breath and say, ‘Oh, my gosh,’” Bethea said. “And whether they're a Cowboys fan or not, they love what that building offers. It automatically levels up your event from the moment that you start planning.”
The 400,000-square-foot Ford Center facility offers a 15 special event venues that can accommodate groups from 10 to 12,000, including the elegant Grand Atrium (which houses Cowboys’ Super Bowl trophies and rings) to a full-blown celebration on the Dallas Cowboys’ indoor practice field with a 31-by-57-foot Starvision board and two running ribbon boards for fully immersive video displays and signage opportunities.
Museum of the American Railroad
This popular offsite venue is part and parcel of what the destination is all about, as Frisco got its name from the St. Louis–San Francisco Railway—dubbed the Frisco—from 1876 up into the 1980s.
“They have some really unique spaces groups can utilize; everything from a dining car that can fit about 36 people for a VIP event, but they also have a caterer that can kind of serve the meals of that time period,” said Bethea, who added that the museum is raising money to build an events pavilion.
Riders Field
From corporate meetings using its conference space to receptions and whole-field rentals, the home of the AA Texas Rangers-affiliate Frisco RoughRiders offers a variety of venues, including the Founders Club or Teddy’s Tavern for 20 to 150 guests. The ballpark offers AV and catering services for meetings and events as well as group tickets for games.
Also on offer are suite and party deck rentals and even a lazy river.
Frisco Discovery Center
Three museums in one, the Discovery Center has an art gallery and the very popular National Videogame Museum.
“We hosted an event where a group took over our Frisco Discovery Center and did their dinner in between all of those museums and then they were able to flow in and out of each location at their leisure,” Bethea said. “One of them was the National Videogame Museum, which has an ’80s arcade—it's real hard to get people out of that one after they've decided, ‘Hey, I'm going to have my best score ever on Pac-Man!’”
PGA of America Coaching Center
The PGA of America Coaching Center powered by T-Mobile is the PGA of America's signature, state-of-the-art, consumer-facing golf coaching and training facility. It is a 12,000-square-foot, two-story, 10-hitting-bay golf training center that addresses the needs of golf instruction, club fitting and golf fitness. It combines these elements to create a unique, high-touch, high-tech and data-driven experience that serves various visitor groups, from beginning golfers to elite players of all ages and backgrounds.
The individual and group coaching programs at the PGA of America Coaching Center are uniquely tailored to help improve one’s game. Whether someone wants to refine their swing or enhance their putting skills, the PGA of America Golf Professionals are available to provide personalized guidance one-on-one or in a group setting.
Programs such as a Short Game Assessment, Full Swing Training Program, Morning Mom’s Clinic Series and others are customized to meet the unique needs of each golfer and support them at every stage of their golf journey. For businesses interested in creating unforgettable experiences for their teams, the Coaching Center offers a talented and experienced staff of PGA of America Golf Professionals who can create team-building golf outings or corporate golf clinics that are sure to leave a lasting impression.
Strikz Entertainment
Specializing in group bowling outings, this 43,000-square-foot, 32-lane facility features 12 lanes in The Rose Room, a private space available for group rental. A variety of corporate event packages are available that suit price points ranging from $13 to about $50 per guest, with upper-end options including appetizer platters and bar packages.
iFLY
Thrill-seeking groups that want to experience the zero-gravity excitement of skydiving without actually jumping out of a plane can suit up, enter the wind tunnel and dive into private party or full-facility buy-out rentals. iFLY offers teambuilding programs led by certified IBA (International Bodyflight Association) instructors, catering and photo and video services.
Frisco Gun Club
Shooting sports afficionados will enjoy the Frisco Gun Club, which offers 36 25-yard shooting lanes and four 100-yard rifle ranges, along with group event options that include a 100-person meeting room, catering, use of its VIP restaurant, audiovisual, instruction and various range packages.
The Game Show Experience
An exclusive teambuilding and networking opportunity is offered at The Game Show Experience, a downtown Frisco venue where groups can square off for matches such as Drop-O-Rama, The Spin-Off and Survey Showdown. In between the 60-minute sessions, groups can partake in 60-second mini-games. While the facility does not serve food or drinks, groups are encouraged to BYOB both, with the caveat they can’t take them into the game rooms. Each of the three studios can accommodate 16-plus competitors.
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This story is sponsored by Visit Frisco.
