Lone Star State Just Gets Bigger, Better

If tradeshow activity in Texas has been hurting because of some of the latest possible factors – say, the ailing economy or even the swine flu – it has yet to show it.

With continued room-building efforts to accommodate the ever-growing popularity of the state’s key tradeshow destination cities, Roy Benear, senior vice president of the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau said it best, “The state of Texas, overall, we’re not doing too bad.”

The big news out of Dallas so far this year is the approval of a convention center hotel, bringing an end to a hard-fought battle. Phillip Jones, president and CEO of the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, indicated that all signs point to go.

The city approved the sale of revenue bonds June 19, and, according to Jones, the game plan is to have a groundbreaking in September. With the construction projected to last 28 months, Dallas should have a new convention center hotel no later than early 2012.

Another big development in Dallas will be the opening weekend in October for the Dallas Center for the Performing Arts, which will be the largest urban arts district in the country and will include an opera house, theater, symphony center and more. According to Jones, the venues of the arts district are available for private events.

San Antonio has been busy expanding the San Antonio River Walk, one of the city’s main attractions. The first phase of the extension ended in May, adding nearly two miles of museums, hotels and restaurants to the northern reach. According to Ronnie Price, the assistant director of the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau, when everything is complete in 2014, the River Walk will be the longest linear park in the United States, with a total reach of 13 miles.

The focus in San Antonio’s Hill Country is the opening of the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, expected to open in January. The new property will add 1,002 rooms to the area and offer 140,000 square feet of meeting space.

The entire city stands behind San Antonio’s promise to deliver exceptional service to visitors and meeting professionals alike, even in tough financial times. For meetings that will bring in 200 rooms or more in the next 24 months, the CVB will fly out meeting planners for a site visit to experience the city firsthand.

“It’s not until you get here and can experience San Antonio … that (you will) fall in love with San Antonio,” Price said. “We know that’s something that’s crucial for (planners who) don’t have the opportunity to get out here. We’re going to fly you in.”

Houston, the host of the seventh annual Tradeshow Week Fastest 50 this November, has a growing list of renovated properties, with the Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa, Hotel Derek, St. Regis Houston and the Hyatt Regency Houston all revealing renovated guest rooms. The Hyatt also revamped its 64,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. New to the downtown area is the entertainment district, Houston Pavilions, which opened in October.

Austin continues to build its reputation as a city worth checking out. As show managers look to scale back on costs, without sacrificing destination appeal, the cool factor of The Live Music Capital of the World might give show managers a reason to give the city major consideration.

“Austin truly is at the height of popularity, not just in the meetings side, but also the leisure side,” Benear said. “There is just an energy about the city. It is a vibrant downtown area with a thriving music scene.”

Currently under construction in the area is the W Hotel Austin, which will add 280 rooms to the downtown district. Benear also mentioned that the convention center is looking at a number of updates, mostly to freshen up existing space.

Benear said Austin’s edge is in its uniqueness. “The legacy destinations… people have been there, done that,” he added.