Why here?
Big Tex (pictured), welcomes all to the Dallas Metroplex, a multi-city district that is home to many new and improved group venues. Among highlights: Four restaurants have opened at the Omni Dallas, a new hotel is coming to Fort Worth's Sundance Square and Irving has a new music museum.
NEARBY NEWS
• Coming in 2017 is the 304-room Renaissance at Legacy West in Plano. Part of the Legacy West mixed-use complex, the hotel will have 26,000 square feet of meeting space, a pool deck with a bar, a fitness center and a restaurant.
• The 220-room Pearl on the Peninsula Hotel & Conference Center will open in Flower Mound in 2017 with 32,000 square feet of meeting space.
WHO SHOT J.R.?
See where the deed "happened" at Southfork Ranch, home to the Ewing family of TV's Dallas. Special events for groups of up to 2,000 and team-building fun are on the menu, as well as trail rides.
PITCH THIS
Tucked throughout Globe Life Park, home of baseball's Texas Rangers, are event spaces of all sizes. For large groups, both the Jack Daniel's Club and the Hall of Fame hold up to 1,000 people for a reception.
DALLAS
Local Update
• The 1,001-room Omni Dallas now offers the Pegasus Lawn as complimentary event space for in-house groups. Overlooking the lawn are four new restaurants, built on top of a new 350-space garage: Herrera's, a Tex-Mex eatery; Little Katana, serving sushi; Coal Vines pizzeria; and Biergarten on Lamar, dishing up German fare. The property also offers the farm-to-table Texas Spice, the Owners Box bar and Bob's Steak & Chop House. The hotel has 110,000 square feet of meeting space.
• The 1,606-room Hilton Anatole Hotel is building a $15 million resort-style pool complex, to be completed in May. The area will offer a leisure pool, a zero-entry family pool, a lazy river, luxury cabanas and more. The project also will create two new event lawns, each able to host up to 200 people, joining the hotel's existing park space, which can hold events of up to 3,000. The property offers a total of 349,000 square feet of event space.
• A $9 million renovation of the 218 guest rooms, the Club Lounge and the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, has been completed. The property offers 19,000 square feet of meeting space, a 12,000-square-foot spa and the signature Fearing's Restaurant.
• The 410-room Adolphus Hotel in Dallas has completed a $1 million upgrade to its 24,000 square feet of meeting space. Extensive work was done to the Grand and Century ballrooms, prefunction space, restrooms, business center and more, while preserving the history of the luxury Rockbridge Portfolio property, which opened in 1912.
Meeting Hotels: About 30,000 hotel rooms can be found within Dallas proper. The headquarters hotel for the Dallas Convention Center is the 1,001-room Omni Dallas. Other meeting properties include the 1,606-room Hilton Anatole Hotel and 1,120-room Hyatt Regency Dallas.
To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit mcvenues.com.
Convention Center: Dallas Convention Center; exhibit space, approximately 1,018,942 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 88; (877) 684-7322
Airport Transit: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, about 20 miles from the heart of downtown Dallas. Transfer cost by taxi, $45; by airport shuttle, $18; by DART, $2.50
Love Field, approximately six miles from the downtown area. Transfer by taxi, $18; by shuttle, $19
Taxes: Room tax, 7%; sales tax, 6%; Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District, 2%; total tax on hotel rooms, 15%
Group Venue: Looking to add a CSR element to your event? Call Ultimate Ventures. Among the company's offerings are a food-bank activity for up to 300 participants, "Rocking for Literacy" for up to 230, and more, with a variety of charities served. (972) 732-8433
Contact: Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, (214) 571-1000
fresh news from Frisco
Just north of Dallas, this outskirt town soon will be home to the new
Ford Center at The Star, aka Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters. The 91-acre complex will include a 12,000-seat event center, which also will serve as practice facilities for the football team.
Being built for the mixed-use development is the 300-room Omni Frisco Hotel, which will feature 24,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 13,000-square-foot ballroom. A rooftop pool deck, several dining outlets and retail space will be on-site. The hotel opens in early 2017.
Also going up in town is a 250-room Langham Hotels & Resorts property opening in early 2018. Gathering spaces will include two 2,906-square-foot presidential suites, an event lawn and a rooftop pool deck, among the approximately 25,000 square feet of event space. Plans also call for a full-service Chuan Spa.
For fans of that other kind of football, coming in 2017 is the National Soccer Hall of Fame Museum, to be attached to the city's Toyota Stadium, a 20,500-seat outdoor facility.
FORT WORTH
Local Update
• The Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau has launched a new microsite for meeting planners.
• Plans are in the works for a new $450 million, 14,000-seat arena and sports facility at the Will Rogers Memorial Center Complex in the Cultural District. The facility, scheduled to open sometime in 2019, will host the annual Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, plus concerts, sporting events and more.
• Coming to Sundance Square is a 165-room Marriott Autograph Signature hotel, taking over the historic 1930 art-deco Sinclair Building. The property, opening late this year, will have a basement restaurant and a rooftop bar.
Meeting Hotels: The largest meeting properties in town include the 614-room Omni Fort Worth Hotel, 504-room Renaissance Worthington Hotel, 431-room Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel and Spa, 294-room Hilton Fort Worth and 156-suite Embassy Suites Fort Worth-Downtown.
To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit mcvenues.com.
Convention Center: Fort Worth Convention Center; exhibit space, approximately 253,226 square feet; number of meeting rooms, 41; (817) 392-6338
Airport Transit: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, about 17 miles from the downtown district. Transfer cost by taxi, about $48; by shuttle, $17; by Trinity Railway Express, $2.50
Taxes: Room tax, 15%; sales tax, 8.25%; total tax on hotel rooms, 15%
Group Venue: Italian delicacies are menu highlights at Piola Restaurant and Garden, although a bit of local flavor has found its way into such dishes as the tequila-infused honey chipotle quail, served over poblano risotto. The venue hosts groups of up to 74 for dinner inside and 90 outside. (817) 989-0007
Contact: Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau, (817) 336-8791 or (800) 433-5747
VENICE IN TEXAS
Help your group unwind at the end of the day with a
sunset gondola cruise on Lake Carolyn and the Mandalay canals in Irving. While the six- and 12-person gondolas are out on the water, host a small cocktail party at launch spots such as the Omni Mandalay, La Cima Club and the Avocado Restaurant.
IRVING
Local Update
• The Westin Hotels & Resorts brand has been selected for the proposed 350-room headquarters hotel at the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas. The property will have 16,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 10,000-square-foot ballroom. The development agreement between Garfield Public/Private and the city was on the docket in January; the hope is that ground will be broken by the end of the year or early 2017.
• Opening in 2017 is the Music Factory, an entertainment complex that will feature a 50,000-square-foot plaza with a stage, and 250,000 square feet of entertainment, retail and restaurant space, including a movie theater, a comedy club and more than 20 restaurants.
Meeting Hotels: More than 12,000 guest rooms are in town. Options include the 431-room Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas, 410-room Omni Mandalay and 361-room Dallas Marriott Hotel-Las Colinas.
To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit mcvenues.com.
Convention Center: Irving Convention Center; exhibit space, 48,576 square feet; meeting rooms, 15; (866) 313-6490
Airport Transit: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, about 20 miles from the heart of downtown Dallas. Transfer cost by taxi, $33; by airport shuttle, $18
Taxes: Room tax, 9%; sales tax, 6%; total tax on hotel rooms, 15%
Group Venue: Music fans will enjoy a special event at the Texas Musicians Museum, which opened last July in the historical Heritage Crossing District. On exhibit is rare memorabilia from such legends as Buddy Holly, Janis Joplin, Willie Nelson and Beyoncé (who was born and raised in Houston). Group events for up to 650 are welcome. (972) 259-4444
Contact: Irving Convention & Visitors Bureau, (866) 433-2980