Attendees loved hearing the special musical guest, country singer Ashley McBryde, during the American Trucking Associations’ Management Conference & Exhibition closing night reception and party at the Austin Convention Center in 2023. Courtesy Photo

With its easy accessibility, business-friendly climate and recent recognition as a MICHELIN Guide destination for its standout culinary offerings, the state of Texas truly has all the ingredients you’re looking for as an event planner. Major cities throughout the Lone Star State, including Dallas and Austin, are ramping up their meetings options for associations of all sizes, with plans for major convention center and airport expansions, as well as the development of new top-tier hotels and creative venues designed to further engage attendees.

Dallas

Dallas, in particular, is upping its game with a planned expansion of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas (KBHCCD). Slated for completion in 2029, the project will bring the total amount of space at KBHCCD to 2.5 million sf. That will include 800,000 sf of exhibit space, 260,000 sf of breakout space and 170,000 sf of ballroom space, in addition to a renovated arena and theater. The city is also considering plans to increase accessibility to the area by linking a future High-Speed Rail (HSR) station with the KBHCCD and the Eddie Bernice Johnson (EBJ) Union Station hub.

“We’re going to be making a major leap into the future in the next three years,” says Visit Dallas President & CEO Craig Davis. “We can double the number of groups that we have capacity for right now. We’re particularly interested in increasing the association business.”

Dallas’ convention business consists of 45% association/nonprofit and 55% corporate, but according to Davis, the current convention center lacks sufficient breakout space for associations.

The KBHCCD overhaul is part of a larger $3.7 billion master plan that will also include the refurbishment of the Dallas Memorial Auditorium and the addition of new hotels and restaurants. Once the project is completed, the WNBA’s Dallas Wings will relocate there from the team’s current home in Arlington, VA. “We’re going to create a 24/7 neighborhood,” Davis says.

He adds that there are already 59 confirmed groups booked into the convention center starting in 2029 and beyond. “It’s been a wonderful surprise that our customers are trusting that we’re going to deliver what we say,” Davis says.

In addition, at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), crews have broken ground on the new Terminal F. The first such structure to be built there since 2005, it will feature 15 gates and a 400,000-sf concourse. The $1.6 billion project — which will also include an expansion of Terminal E and connectivity enhancements to DFW’s Skylink light rail system — is expected to be completed in 2027.

As for hotels, the InterContinental Dallas is slated to open this spring in the city’s Uptown neighborhood. It will feature a rooftop infinity pool and 21,000 sf of meeting and event space. Three other local establishments — the Sheraton Dallas, Dallas Marriott Downtown and JW Marriott Dallas Arts District Hotel — recently teamed up to form the Dallas Downtown Connection, which offers groups access to versatile event and meeting spaces (a combined 292,000 sf with 81 breakout spaces), overflow guestrooms (2,615 total) and a wide range of upscale amenities and services. Other hotel options include the Hilton Dallas Lincoln Centre, which rolled out its corporate meeting package deals for planners in 2024.

Another much anticipated new venue is Netflix House, a retail, dining and entertainment complex located at Galleria Dallas. Set to open in the fall, this 100,000-sf venue will offer interactive experiences based on popular Netflix shows such as Squid Game and Bridgerton.

Fort Worth

The Fort Worth Convention Center is currently undergoing an expansion and renovation. The first phase of the project — which is expected to cost $95 million — will include the addition of a new expanded southeast entrance, more casual networking space, a coffee bar and state-of-the-art F&B facilities. Also, an older underused annex will be demolished, and more loading docks will be added, while the adjacent Commerce Street will be straightened to create a site for a future hotel and additional parking. The city of Fort Worth anticipates that this initial phase of the expansion will encompass 76,794 sf of total space and be completed in 2026.

Phase two of the project is expected to cost $606 million. This will include the demolition of an arena at the north end of the facility, with a new ballroom, exhibit hall and meeting rooms to be constructed in its place. This is all estimated to be completed by 2030.

With this expansion, the amount of meeting space at the convention center will increase by about 50,000 sf, while 40,000 sf of ballroom space will be added. There will also be construction of a multifunctional arena with capacity of 13,000, including a 55,000-sf events plaza. That added space will enable the center to host two large associations at the same time.

Not far from the convention center, the Sundance Square entertainment district features a number of dining options, theaters and rooftop bars, as well as shops and galleries.

There’s also the new Le Meridien hotel in downtown Fort Worth — which opened last fall and features 188 rooms and 5,000 sf of meeting space — as well as Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall, an entertainment venue in the city’s Stockyards National Historic District offering meeting space for up to 250 people. And while Fort Worth is the perfect place to host an event, the city’s cultural offerings are a huge draw as well.

“The city has deep roots in Texas spirit and Western heritage, and a thriving urban setting with world-class museums, top-rated hotels and restaurants, and venues that host some of the biggest sporting and music events in the nation,” says Amy Brown, senior vice president of sales and services for Visit Fort Worth.

Lindsay Barber, CMP, is director of communications and meetings for the National Agricultural Aviation Association, which held its Ag Aviation Expo at the Fort Worth Convention Center and Omni Fort Worth last year. They drew 1,812 attendees and 165 exhibitors — marking the event’s largest attendance in the past two decades.

“Fort Worth was selected due to [the] ease of getting to/from DFW and the size of the city. Our membership and convention attendees like to be the big fish in the small pond, and the city helped with that feeling,” Barber says. “Many attendees requested a Texas convention in the past, due to the proximity of many of our members, and we were finally able to make it work.” She adds that many attendees used TEXRail to get from the airport to Fort Worth.

She also praises the Fort Worth Convention Center team. “We are a unique show in that we exhibit aircraft and helicopters on our tradeshow floor, and [the team] really came through when we had a few challenges,” Barber says.

According to Barber, feedback from event attendees was glowing as well. “They enjoyed the ease of getting from their hotels to the convention center, as well as to the restaurants, bars and various entertainment districts, such as the Sundance Square and the Stockyards.” She adds that one particularly popular experience was a networking event at Billy Bob’s — known as “The World’s Largest Honky Tonk” — which included a line dancing lesson and an authentic Texas BBQ lunch.

Arlington

With the opening of the new Arlington Convention Center in February 2024, the city is clearly focused on meetings and events. The venue offers 266,000 sf of flexible convention and meeting space, including its 51,224-sf Crystal Ballroom, which is the largest in the metro Dallas area. The facility is also attached to the 888-room Loews Arlington Hotel — which opened last February as well — and the 300-room Live! By Loews.

“We’ve had good success with the new convention center and the new Loews,” says Brent DeRaad, president and CEO of the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Associations are looking at Arlington, where previously they were not.”

The Arlington Convention Center is just across the street from Globe Life Field, which is the home of the Texas Rangers baseball team and also can be used to host events. “We had a group take some batting practice on the field at Globe Life … which was a lot of fun,” DeRaad says.

Arlington is also home to the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, which offers 22 flexible meeting spaces. And Texas Live! is another popular entertainment complex, featuring 200,000 sf of space and 10 venues with the flexibility to handle events for up to 10,000 people. “For a lot of evening events, groups rent out restaurants and meeting spaces within Texas Live! and then instead of having to get on a bus, they can walk back across the street to their hotel,” DeRaad says.

Irving

Home to the Las Colinas business district, the city of Irving features venues such as the Irving Convention Center and the Toyota Music Factory entertainment complex, which recently launched a $9 million renovation. According to Visit Irving, this significant investment has revitalized the venue, creating a dynamic and inclusive gathering space.

In addition, what was once a Four Seasons Resort in Irving was recently transformed and remade into the new Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, Las Colinas. “[It] is a highly anticipated addition to the brand,” says Jamie Kerr, vice president and global brand leader for Ritz-Carlton. “The property presents a wonderful opportunity to savor Texas’ natural landscape while indulging in luxurious accommodations, all while maintaining access to the city.”

Another new property, Hotel Indigo Irving Las Colinas, opened recently with 150 guestrooms and more than 5,400 sf of flexible indoor/outdoor event space, as well as KLEO — an indoor/outdoor dining destination, bar and pool garden.

Frisco

North of Dallas is the city of Frisco, which is home to The Star — a 91-acre campus that serves as the location of the Dallas Cowboys’ world headquarters and practice facility. Here, visitors have access to novel meeting spaces and VIP experiences that provide unique opportunities to connect with America’s Team. Also located within The Star are the Omni Frisco Hotel and the Ford Center, which boasts more than 510,000 sf of space for events.

Frisco also recently welcomed the HALL Park Hotel, Autograph Collection — with its 224 rooms, including 60 suites, and nearly 10,000 sf of outdoor event space — and the six-acre Kaleidoscope Park, which opened last year in the Hall Park area.

In addition, the Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa, which opened in 2023, features 500 rooms, including 10 exclusive four-bedroom modern Texas ranch house villas. The hotel also has two championship golf courses and offers more than 127,000 sf of indoor/outdoor space for meetings and events.

For visitors in search of a good local brew, Rollertown Beerworks recently broke ground on a new brewery that will also serve as an entertainment hub, featuring a brew house, tap room, beer garden rooftop deck and more.

Grapevine

With its prime location in North Texas — midway between Dallas and Fort Worth — Grapevine is known for its historic downtown Main Street and its wine tasting tours. It’s also home to Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW), but all this is only part of what makes Grapevine such a popular place for events and meetings.

Visitors to the city will soon be able to stay at the renovated Grand Hyatt DFW, which is undergoing a multimillion-dollar upgrade in 2025 for all 298 guestrooms and suites. Meanwhile, the Grapevine CVB is also planning to build a new events center at the Grapevine Golf Course this spring. The venue will feature 4,750 sf of indoor meeting space and a 5,575-sf pavilion for receptions of up to 350 people. In addition, the Old Hickory Steakhouse at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center was renovated and expanded in 2023.

For groups seeking a fun offsite venue, the Meow Wolf Grapevine is an immersive art-and-entertainment experience that can be rented out for private events hosting more than 300 people. Meow Wolf also recently opened the Matt King Mystery Center, a multipurpose space that can be booked for private events with up to 70 guests.

ACTE chose to host its CareerTech VISION 2024 event in San Antonio because of the city’s convenient meetings infrastructure. Courtesy Photo

San Antonio

A clear indicator of the city’s development and expansion, the San Antonio International Airport is undergoing a $2.5 billion expansion to further support expected growth.

Hotel development is thriving, with over 20 properties currently in the pipeline, according to Visit San Antonio. In addition, the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa completed a $50 million renovation of its guestrooms and meeting spaces, and in 2024, the city celebrated the launch of the InterContinental San Antonio Riverwalk, the Kimpton Santo Hotel and the Plaza San Antonio Hotel & Spa. As a result of these openings, there are now more than 4,000 guestrooms within one block of the Henry B. González Convention Center, with a total of 15,000 rooms in downtown San Antonio.

Glenda K. Paxton, CMP, is senior director of strategic events at the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE). She says her organization chose to host its ACTE CareerTech VISION 2024 in San Antonio because of the city’s convenient meetings infrastructure — they were able to host the entire conference at a single facility (the González Convention Center) — and the number of walkable hotel rooms in the downtown area. Attendees stayed at hotels including the Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk and JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa.

“Our attendees loved the River Walk and the lights. The hotel rates, venues and easy trip in from the airport all helped make our event a success,” Paxton says. Offsite events were held at a variety of locations, including the Devil’s River Whiskey Distillery, SeaLife, Café Ole, Paesano’s and Fort Sam Houston, where attendees were taken on a tour.

The city also features an array of unique and versatile venues, including The Espee, a transformed historic train station at St. Paul Square, and Pullman Market at Pearl, which includes 40,000 sf of space that features restaurants as well as team-building experiences including wine-tasting, pizza-making classes and more. Another great option for events is Civic Park. Part of the Hemisfair District redevelopment, it features a great lawn with space to host gatherings for up to 15,000 people.

The Austin Convention Center is undergoing a massive $1.6 billion transformation. Courtesy Rendering

Austin

One of the most significant expansion projects being undertaken in Texas is that of the Austin Convention Center. Starting this April, the venue will be closed for four years as the $1.6 billion redevelopment is completed. While Austin is the 11th-largest city in the U.S., it currently has the 59th largest convention center, but the new facility will offer nearly double the rentable space currently available, positioning Austin to compete for the next tier of convention business.

“With its closure, we have several strategies in place, including a focus on smaller groups within our hotels and offsite venues,” says Steve Genovesi, executive vice president of Visit Austin. “The number of group inquiries we receive is still extremely high, so we believe we can work toward mitigating the loss [of] the convention center … as much as possible.”

Many Austin hotels are working on hosting “mini-wide” or “campus-style” events for groups that have the flexibility to use two to three hotels or venues in close proximity of each other. These include the W Hotel with the Austin City Limits Theater, and the JW Marriott and Austin Marriott.

The Fairmont, Hilton Austin and Hotel Van Zandt are collaborating as part of the Red River Collection. “With the upcoming renovation of the convention center, the Red River Collection’s capabilities are more crucial than ever,” says Joe Bolash, general manager of the Hilton Austin. “This initiative will help retain events that might otherwise relocate due to the temporary closure.” He adds that they have received inquiries for as far out as December 2028.

Meanwhile, the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is one of the fastest-growing airport in North America. “The airport is already well underway with its expansion project which, when complete, will double the number of gates,” Genovesi says. “Both Southwest and Delta have made Austin a focus and are continuing to add several new routes.”

Matthew Wales, CAE, CMP, vice president of event services for American Trucking Associations in Washington, D.C., says Austin is a preferred destination for the ATA Management Conference & Exhibition (MCE), which was held in Austin in 2023 for some 3,000 industry attendees.

“Given our event took place in between the ACL Music Festival and the F1 race, I was impressed with how our partners within the city not only prioritized our event, but ensured our attendees’ experiences were both positive and enjoyable,” Wales says.

The MCE was primarily held between the convention center and the Austin Marriott Downtown, with a welcome reception that was hosted at the Hilton Austin and tapped in to Austin’s live-music spirit. “The event included everything from guitar displays and record walls to local artists playing throughout the evening,” Wales says.

Cowboy culture prevailed at MCE’s closing event at the convention center, with neon cowboys, leather-crafting stations and live music. “Overall, the feedback from our attendees was extremely positive — so much so that we couldn’t wait to be the first national association to commit to hosting MCE at the new Austin Convention Center. We can’t wait to be there in 2030,” Wales says.

El Paso

At the far western tip of Texas, El Paso attracts groups with its Tex-Mex cuisine, a wide variety of hotels and the El Paso Convention Center, with the El Paso International Airport providing easy access.

Among the city’s historic hotels is the 1930s-era Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park, which includes 130 rooms and a rooftop bar with mountain views. There’s also a new agave tasting room — with over 800 unique tequilas, mezcals and more — which can be booked for private events for up to 14 attendees.

Halfway between Dallas and El Paso, in downtown Midland, there are plans for an Omni Midland Hotel, which will include approximately 15,000 sf of meeting space, a 7,000-sf ballroom, 135 guestrooms, a spa and a rooftop pool.

Laredo

Another vibrant border city is Laredo. Situated along the Rio Grande, it serves as one of the busiest land ports in the U.S., offering a strong blend of Mexican and Texan influences, which includes its historic San Agustín Plaza.

Laredo has over 4,000 hotel rooms and convention facilities such as the Sames Auto Arena, which attracts a variety of meetings and events.

When it comes to hosting association meetings, Texas combines convenience and unique cultural experiences, ensuring that every attendee enjoys a memorable and productive event. | AC&F |