The big spaces of Texas have long given rise to some equally big thinkers—ranging from astronauts to oil barons to philanthropists. Creative minds have drawn inspiration from the southeastern parts of the state, where possibility and promise are still major motivators.
This extends to association meetings as well. No matter the preferred choice of territory, planners will find a way to incorporate something new into the agenda. There are innumerable gateways of discovery in Southeast Texas, an asset that not only opens eyes, but minds.
Houston to galveston: Natural Abundance
If, as the cliché goes, “Everything’s Bigger in Texas,” then Houston outsizes them all. For truly Texas-sized meetings, head to the 1.8-million-square-foot George R. Brown Convention Center, connected to the Hilton Americas-Houston. On the north side of the center, construction is underway on a 1,000-room Marriott Marquis, to be connected via a skybridge. It is expected to open in September 2016 with more than 100,000 square feet of meeting space, including an outdoor events pavilion, as well as a lazy river shaped like Texas.
Other up-and-coming hotels include the Hyatt Regency/Houston Galleria, near the famous shopping mall just west of downtown, scheduled to open this fall with 325 guest rooms and more than 12,000 square feet of meeting space, and the downtown, 225-room Hotel Alessandra, with plans to open in late 2016 with 10,000 square feet of meeting space. A recent newcomer is the JW Marriott/Houston Downtown, located in the Samuel F. Carter Building on Main Street.
Not far from the convention center is the 22,000-seat BBVA Compass Stadium. Other spaces include the Toyota Center, and the 40,963-seat Minute Maid Park.
For science-minded groups, fitting venues include the Hall of Paleontology at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Children’s Museum of Houston or the Downtown Aquarium.
West of downtown Houston, the 37-acre CityCentre attracts groups to the Norris Conference Center and to the Hotel Sorella/CityCentre. Also nearby is the Studio Movie Grill.
South of downtown, the NRG Park (formerly Reliant Park) is another attractive hub for large events. Planners can choose from NRG Stadium, NRG Center, NRG Arena or the NRG Astrodome.
Continuing southeast, on the shores of Clear Lake, the South Shore Harbour Resort & Spa in Seabrook is just over the water from NASA’s Johnson Space Center, which offers group tours. Nearby, the city of Kemah celebrated its 50th year with a Crawfish & Zydeco Festival on the popular Kemah Boardwalk.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport, north of downtown, is in the process of expanding its dining options, thanks to a recently approved, $1.6 billion concessions contract. Eight new offerings are expected to open at the airport in 2016. Nearby, the Hilton/Houston North offers meeting space for up to 1,500. Farther north is The Woodlands, with the Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center and the Woodlands Resort & Conference Center.
Groups looking to get away from Houston’s busy scene might opt for Galveston Island. The city of Galveston has recently hosted the Texas Association of Public Safety Communication Officials (APCO), the Texas National Emergency Number Association (NENA) and the Texas Counseling Association, whose annual School Counselor Conference in February attracted more than 1,900 attendees. “Our attendees love the vast array of dining and entertainment options offered in Galveston,” said Jennifer Taylor, the group’s event planner. “The locals are warm and friendly and so inviting, the beach is beautiful, and the oceanfront hotels and venues are relaxing and pleasing to the eye.”
Mindy Conner Adams of the Texas APCO and Texas NENA 2015 Public Safety Conference, cited other reasons to like the city. “Galveston is safe, for one,” she said. “We have been to other cities, where our members have told us they would not return because they felt unsafe walking back and forth to the convention centers.” She also appreciated the cost. “The Galveston Island Convention Center gave us numerous significant discounts for our conference—so much so that we have booked with them through 2018.”
Event venues in town include the Galveston Island Convention Center at the San Luis Resort and the Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa & Convention Center. Neither is far from the downtown Strand Historic District. Or attendees can roam the area’s 32 miles of beaches.
beaumont: back to nature
Beaumont might be known for its industrial history, but groups can get back to nature at the 23-acre Beaumont Botanical Gardens or enjoy wildlife-watching cruises down the Neches River. Venues in town include the Event Centre and the Beaumont Civic Center. On the southwest side of town, the Ford Park Event Center is home to the Ford Pavilion, the Ford Arena, the Ford Exhibit Hall and the Ford Midway. Nearby, Port Arthur is home to the Robert A. “Bob” Bowers Civic Center.
San Antonio: Riverside Delights
Big changes are afoot in historic San Antonio, namely at its 630,000-square-foot Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, which is undergoing a $325 million expansion and improvement project. More than 280,000 square feet of exhibit space is expected to be added, as well as a new 54,000-square-foot ballroom. Completion is scheduled for early next year. HemisFair Park, just behind the center, has outdoor spaces for up to 15,000.
Last November, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages held its 2014 Annual Convention & World Languages Expo at the convention center, an event that attracted 6,500 people. The group’s headquarters hotel was the Grand Hyatt/San Antonio, but it also utilized the San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk, the Hilton Palacio Del Rio, Hotel Contessa, the Westin/Riverwalk San Antonio, the Menger Hotel and the Hyatt Regency/San Antonio Riverwalk.
“This is one of our top three cities for attendance,” said Julia Richardson, director of conventions and marketing at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. “Besides being a great location, our international attendees were able to get to San Antonio with no problem. Everyone loves the River Walk, with all the restaurants, and food costs are low, which means a lot to teachers who are on limited budgets.” Richardson went on to praise the convention center in particular: “Attendees enjoyed the ease of getting around the convention center, and being able to take breaks between sessions and go outside in the nice weather.”
Elsewhere downtown, large venues include the Institute of Texan Cultures, the Buckhorn Saloon & Museum, the Sunset Station and the Alamodome, which is expected to begin a $41 million renovation in the coming months.
In late 2013, the former San Antonio Library was transformed into the Briscoe Western Art Museum which offers the Jack Guenther Pavilion and the McNutt Courtyard & Sculpture Garden. Nearby, the former Municipal Auditorium recently re-emerged as the $203 million Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, with a 1,759-seat hall and an outdoor plaza for up to 1,000. Other event venues include the San Antonio Botanical Garden and the Witte Museum. West of the city, in Westover Hills, SeaWorld/San Antonio has special-event space.
In hotel news, the 146-room Hotel Emma is scheduled to open in October at the Pearl Brewery. And on the northwest side of town, near both the University of Texas/San Antonio and Six Flags Fiesta Texas, is the recently renovated La Cantera Resort. In the northeastern suburb of Live Oak, construction is expected to begin on the Hilton Garden Inn & Live Oak Conference Center this summer. Plans include 139 guest rooms and 14,000 square feet of event space.
Corpus Christi, Laredo & the Rio Grande Valley: adventure awaits
The Great Texas Coastal Birding Trails of southeastern Texas attract a plethora of feathered friends, and the region’s recreation options and meeting venues draw almost as many groups.
Visitors may love Corpus Christi for North Padre Island’s laid-back landscape, but when it’s time to get to work, the American Bank Center Convention Center stands ready with space for up to 5,000. Other picks for off-site events include the Art Museum of South Texas, the Corpus Christi Museum of Science & History, the Old Concrete Street Amphitheater and the Texas State Aquarium.
Port Aransas, 30 miles from Corpus Christi on Mustang Island, makes for a perfectly laid-back destination for small groups such as the International Crane Foundation. Guests can enjoy bird-watching, deep-sea fishing, cruises and dolphin-spotting trips. For meetings, the Sandcastle Condominiums & Conference Center can host groups of up to 300.
Fun-loving groups will find adventure in Laredo, about 140 miles west of Corpus Christi. Three major meeting options include the Laredo Energy Arena, the Civic Center and Texas A&M International University.
Natural attractions are abundant for those meeting in McAllen, roughly 140 miles to the southeast. Venues include the 1930s estate Quinta Mazatlan and the McAllen Convention Center with 25,725 square feet of meeting space. Farther east, in San Benito, is Casa Los Ebanos.
Right on the border, Brownsville hosts its largest events at the Brownsville Events Center and the Jacob Brown Memorial Center. To the east, on South Padre Island, the South Padre Island Convention Centre has 45,000 square feet of space, and the gulf shores beckon with 34 miles of sand and sea.
Austin & The Hill Country: City Escapes and Hideouts
Perched at the edge of low limestone hills, Austin is the type of place that’s proud of its independent spirit. That indie ethos draws visitors from all over, whether it’s bands and fans in town for the annual South by Southwest convention and festival or the groups coming in the rest of the year for their own association event. Recent guests, for example, have included the American College of Chest Physicians, the National League of Cities and the Texas Library Association.
“The city of Austin is on the cutting edge,” said Janice Pauline, conferences and meetings director for the National League of Cities, whose annual Congress of Cities & Exposition was held at the Austin Convention Center with almost 4,000 attendees. “It’s an innovative city that has a great energy about it. We had a great event, and the city went all out to ensure it was a wonderful success.”
The gold LEED–certified convention center is within walking distance of 6,000 hotel rooms. At the University of Texas, the AT&T Executive Education & Conference Center has event space, which includes a 300-seat amphitheater and an 800-seat divisible ballroom. Also on campus are the Bass Concert Hall and the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library & Museum. Near the Capitol Building, the Bullock Texas State History Museum offers a rotunda for receptions of up to 1,200 and two theaters, which can seat up to 200 and 400, respectively.
The city has cultural venues for events, too, including Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater and Stubb’s. The Zach Theatre complex has event spaces, including People’s Plaza & Bobbi Pavilion, Topfer Theatre and the Nowlin Rehearsal Studio. Nearby is the Long Center for the Performing Arts, which offers the Michael & Susan Dell Hall.
And meeting planners, start your engines. The Circuit of The Americas, south of downtown, welcomes groups with its track, which can hold up to 120,000. Smaller spaces include luxury suites, a 40,000-square-foot conference/media center and a 5,240-seat stage.
Like most cities in Texas, Austin just keeps on getting bigger, especially when it comes to its hotel scene. There are currently 8,300 hotel rooms downtown, but by 2017, that number’s expected to hit 11,000. A notable new face (one that booked 512,000 room nights through 2021 before even opening its doors) is the JW Marriott, which opened in February just blocks from the convention center.
Set to make debuts this summer are the Westin/Austin Downtown, with 16 meeting rooms; the Hotel Van Zandt, a Kimpton property in the Rainey Street Historic District whose plans include 12,000 square feet of meeting space; and the South Congress Hotel, with 4,700 square feet of function space.
In 2016, a dual-branded Hotel Indigo and Holiday Inn Express is expected to open, as are two Starwood Aloft and Element properties and the Archer/Austin. The Hotel Zaza, the Fairmont/Austin and the Proper Austin Hotel are expected to open in 2017. Recently renovated spaces include the Radisson and Renaissance hotels, and the Hotel San Jose, which launched a new “convertible meeting room.”
West of town, in Bee Cave, the 195-room Sonesta/Bee Cave-Austin plans to open this summer with 10,000 square feet of event space, with the Hotel Granduca to follow later this year.
To the north, in Cedar Park, the Cedar Park Center can seat up to 8,000. Nearby, the greater Round Rock area welcomes groups with six golf courses.
In Brenham, 90 miles east of Austin, meeting spaces include an amphitheater, an auditorium and the Washington County Fairgrounds, which offers a half-dozen venues including an arena and the Commercial Exhibits Building.
Known for its wineries, Fredericksburg is 80 miles west of the capital and groups can meet at Torre di Pietra. Or, in Stonewall, Becker Vineyards and the Fredericksburg Brewing Company offer event space. Need more room? The Hangar Hotel & Airport Conference Center has 9,800 square feet of space or the Gillespie County Fairgrounds has acres of indoor and outdoor venues. And to the southwest, in Kerrville, is the Inn of the Hills Hotel & Conference Center.
Taking It All In
In Southeast Texas, the skyscrapers are high and the convention centers huge, but there’s more to this region than expansive urban hubs. For a memorable meeting, take some time to ditch the ballrooms and watch the sun set over the Texas Hill Country or the scenery pass by while rafting the Rio Grande. That’s called making the most of your visit.