The saying, “Everything is bigger in Texas,” stems from the Lone Star State’s enormous geographical size, large-scale industries and its larger-than-life culture. The same rings true for the meeting and events industry in Texas — where the state’s vast selection of venues offer countless options for planners.

Dallas

Any association meeting or event looking for cutting-edge accommodations and experiences can’t go wrong with Dallas. From its vibrant arts and historic districts to its exceptional green spaces, Dallas is an exceptionally business-friendly city. Dallas’ compact downtown allows association event attendees to explore the city’s many attractions via walking or by the streamlined light rail system.

Dallas’ enormous Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center is the ideal location for trade shows and events. The convention center is undergoing a significant expansion that’s expected to open in 2029. Planners will find 1 million sf of exhibit space at the center, with 88 meeting rooms, a 1,750-seat theater, 9,816-seat arena and three ballrooms.

Veronica Williams has had success having events in the Dallas area for many years. She is the Texas Women’s Empowerment Conference (TWEC) Facilities Chair. The nonprofit organization is geared toward helping families from all walks of life reach their fullest potential in the areas of business, education, finances and socio-economic status. Their event is going into its 18th year and the organization has been at the Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center for 14 of those years. “We started our conference at a nearby hotel and had some serious problems the second year, which led us to look at a different property going forward,” Williams says. At the time, she was working in New York and one of her clients was a prince in France.

“We always received a certain level of attention when we arrived at hotels due to his nobility status,” Williams says. “When I went to visit the Dallas/Plano Marriott, they gave me the same level of treatment I was accustomed to receiving when traveling with the prince. We have, at times, had to move to other locations due to remodeling, etc. but for TWEC, nothing compares to the Dallas/ Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center. It is our home.”

Ladies, teens and girls attend TWEC from all over the country. Part of the attraction is the weather and the amount of activities available.

“While our schedule for the conference is jam-packed, our attendees still find time to shop and visit the local businesses and restaurants. Because Dallas is a major hub, it is very easy to fly in and out from anywhere in the U.S.,” Williams says. “Many of our attendees are from the Dallas Fort Worth area, and Plano is just far enough away so that you feel like you’ve gone on vacation and close enough for you to run home if you forgot to turn your oven off. It’s the ideal location for TWEC and we have built a relationship that transcends business.”

Plano

Association planners looking for a relaxed, truly Texas-style experience for attendees should consider Plano, which recently received the “2025 Destination of the Year” title from the Texas Travel Awards. From state-of-the-art meeting spaces to a wealth of hotel options, Plano hosts every type of event — from small, intimate association meetings to major conventions and conferences. Just 20 minutes north of Dallas, Plano is easily accessible on the DART light rail line, allowing attendees to travel throughout the region and explore all the area has to offer. Best of all, Plano offers 450,000 sf of meeting space.

Known for its plethora of walking districts and neighborhoods, Plano boasts the Shops at Legacy, which is within walking distance of many restaurants and various shops, as well as the Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center. Nearby, Legacy West offers an additional mixed-use 225-acre development teeming with shops, restaurants and the Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West hotel. In addition, the Hilton Dallas Plano Granite Park offers flexible event space for meetings and conferences.

This spring, the 86,200 sf Plano Event Center, revealed a drastic courtyard transformation. Meeting planners now have a wealth of additional programmable and rentable space for outdoor events.

For Desirea Stewart, CMP, CHSP, CFMP, account manager at Arrowhead Conventions & Events, a nonprofit conference and event organization, who works with religious organizations in planning their conferences and events, Texas has consistently proven to be one of the best places for events, and specifically Plano. “Among Texas destinations, Plano stands out as a top choice for the ministries I serve,” she says, adding that Texas is “budget-friendly, centrally located and offers an incredible variety of experiences and landscapes.

Stewart has also worked with both the Cambria Hotel Plano Frisco and the Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center in planning events.

“Equally essential to our success are outstanding CVB partners. Marisa Obando with Visit Plano has been an invaluable advocate, not only for her city but also for the ministries we serve. She understands our unique market and consistently walks with us through every step of the planning process,” Stewart says. “Quite simply, we could not do what we do without partners like these. Plano, its hotels and its CVB leadership make it possible for ministries to steward their resources well while creating excellent event experiences.”

Betsy Cabrera, owner of Cabrera Solutions, also has found that Plano is the ideal destination for a recent mid-sized association conference (200 to 400 attendees). The area offers several conference hotels all in walking distance to shops and restaurants for the meals not hosted by the event and for something interesting to do during unscheduled time.

“Sidewalks are well lit with piped-in music so walking at night feels safe and comfortable. While the area is easy to get to from the large international airports, there isn’t the traffic and congestion of being in a downtown urban setting,” Cabrera says. “We love it as a conference setting because it’s urban without being congested. It’s clean and safe without being isolated.”

The Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa offers 127,000 sf of total event space, as well as 500 guestrooms and suites and 10 private ranch houses.

Frisco

Thanks to over 440,000 sf of flexible meeting and event space, Frisco has become a favorite among meeting planners looking for a “small town experience, with big city amenities.”

Located just north of Dallas, Frisco offers many different venues from which to choose. Frisco’s Comerica Center is the ideal arena-style venue and is a quick walk to the Frisco Convention Center. The 400,000 sf Ford Center at The Star also boasts over 15 flexible event spaces, which can accommodate groups up to 12,000 attendees.

Thriving Mule Alley in Fort Worth has plenty of restaurants, shops, entertainment and more, as well as an anchor hotel with 40,000 sf of meeting and event space.

Fort Worth

With its much-celebrated walkable downtown, Fort Worth has proven to be an urban oasis with entertainment throughout. In addition to shopping and entertainment, Fort Worth’s venue offerings has helped boost the area’s demand as a meeting and conventions hub for many associations.

Dickies Arena, located in the city’s cultural district amid the Will Rogers Memorial Center Campus offers high-quality entertainment options including sporting events, concerts and various events that attendees can enjoy. From a meeting perspective, Dickies Arena accommodates conventions, exhibit events, business meetings and private events of all sizes.

The Fort Worth Convention Center is undergoing significant renovations, with a phased completion by 2030. The renovations will provide more modern conventions facilities to enhance the meeting and convention experience in Fort Worth.

Perfect for large gatherings, Grapevine’s 125-acre Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center provides 490,000 sf of flexible meeting space, 1,814 guestrooms and 127 suites.

Grapevine

Playing host to the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and its thousands of daily flights, Grapevine is another ideal place for associations to host meetings and events. Centrally located between Dallas and Fort Worth, Grapevine is not only easy to get to, but its Southern hospitality and charming atmosphere help attendees feel immediately welcome. Grapevine’s ample hotel selection has over 1 million sf of meeting space, throughout its vibrant historic district – offering plenty of room for association events of all sizes.

In addition, the venues range from world-class resorts to renovated function space, to upscale hotels — offering an array of amenities that will match an association’s specific event needs.

When it comes time to relax, Grapevine’s historic Main Street boasts vintage buildings bustling with locally owned boutiques, chef-inspired restaurants and winery tasting rooms.

There are more than 20 hotels to choose from and Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, Hyatt Regency DFW, Hilton DFW Lakes and Great Wolf Lodge all recently underwent or are undergoing multi-million-dollar renovations.

There are endless options for teambuilding and networking outside the meeting space, too. Internationally known Meow Wolf at Grapevine Mills offers a 29,000-sf immersive, interactive, psychedelic art wonderland that expands the mind and fuels imaginations.

For those who love the great outdoors, association meeting attendees can enjoy a chartered boat excursion on Lake Grapevine, hold a classic movie showing at the Historic Palace Theatre or plan a ride on the Grapevine Vintage Railroad with its authentic 1920s-era coaches. There also are other fun venues for offsite, such as Chicken N Pickle to enjoy some pickleball, shuffleboard, corn hole, ping pong and other games.

Arlington

Not far from DFW International Airport, Arlington offers a full-scale convention campus. The Arlington Convention Center features 266,000 sf of flexible space, including the city’s largest ballroom and a 27,000 sf event lawn, accommodating everything from intimate association board meetings to conventions for more than 5,000 attendees. The convention center is connected by skybridge to the 888-room Loews Arlington Hotel as well as the Live! By Loews, which offers 300 more rooms.

The city has plenty of options when it comes to meeting spaces and accommodations. For something out-of-the-box, sports fans will love the AT&T Stadium or Globe Life Field.

The city provides world-class experiences but with a small-town feel. They have plenty of international cuisine, walkable districts, specialty shops and entertainment options.

San Antonio

For meetings, conventions, conferences and other association gatherings, San Antonio offers some of the area’s best options for events. The renovated Henry B. González Convention Center (HBGCC) is the heart of San Antonio’s walkable downtown area. The convention center features 514,000 sf of exhibit space, along with an 86,500 sf column-free multipurpose space, 70 meeting and event spaces, and the largest ballroom in Texas. The HBGCC is also within walking distance of the renowned River Walk and numerous historic attractions in the heart of San Antonio.

Getting to San Antonio has also never been easier. The San Antonio airport, which is a mere eight miles from downtown, offers quick and convenient access for attendees. The walkability of the compact city is also favored by attendees as they can explore the city far beyond the convention center and central business district. Attendees can now check out the city’s new Pullman Market, which offers 40,000 sf of eateries and other artisanal experiences.

Adjacent to the convention center, the new Civic Park boasts five acres of parkland, water features and an expansive lawn area — ideal for gatherings of up to 15,000 attendees.

Laredo

Head to Laredo to experience a real blend of cultures, culinary influences and languages. Attendees can enjoy nature or explore the local history in between meetings and events in this small city originally founded in 1755 on the banks of the Rio Grande. Back in the spring, the city held a meeting to discuss the plans for a new convention center, estimated to cost more than $12 million. Laredo is also home to the Sames Auto Arena, a 178,000-sf facility that offers 32,000 sf of contiguous open floor space and can seat 10,000 people. There are several other options for events, including the Uni-Trade Stadium, with a capacity of 6,000, which can also convert its club level into a space for events for up to 450 people. Planners will find more than 4,000 hotel rooms to accommodate attendees in Laredo.

El Paso’s Judson F. Williams Convention Center is located just minutes from the airport and across the street from hotels such as Hotel Paso Del Norte, Autograph Collection, and The Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park.

El Paso

When association planners consider El Paso, one of the biggest advantages is its Judson F. Williams Convention Center (commonly referred to as the El Paso Convention Center). This downtown facility provides approximately 133,100 sf of usable meeting space, including 80,000 sf of column-free exhibit space. With 17 breakout rooms and three large halls, the center is ideal for large-scale conferences, trade shows and symposiums. Its location in the heart of downtown places it within walking distance of a variety of hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues — simplifying logistics for attendees and planners alike.

In addition to the convention center, El Paso features some striking large-scale venues that can augment or anchor an event. The Abraham Chavez Theatre, for instance, seats around 2,500 people and provides a dramatic, performance-hall ambiance. For more traditional meeting or gala spaces, the Hotel Paso del Norte, Autograph Collection offers over 32,000 sf of event space spread across 17 event rooms, including a grand ballroom that can accommodate up to 765 guests.

For associations that prefer an in-house hotel/meeting package, the Marriott El Paso downtown hotel features 16 event rooms and a Grand Ballroom that can hold up to 1,200 guests. Also, the DoubleTree by Hilton El Paso Downtown has its Franklin Ballroom on the 17th floor, offering skyline views and space for up to 300 guests — great for smaller banquets, breakouts or executive meetings.

Together, these venues give planners tremendous flexibility: from large exhibit halls to elegant ballrooms and unique performance theaters. Pair that physical capacity with El Paso’s cultural character, walkable urban core and competitive costs, and it’s clear why the city is increasingly attractive for association events of all sizes.

The new Austin Convention Center, known as Unconventional ATX, will nearly double the meeting and event space to 620,000 total sf. It will also be the world’s first zero-carbon-certified convention center and highlight culture and art.

Austin

Austin stands out as a premier destination for association meetings thanks to its combination of modern infrastructure, vibrant culture and unmatched attendee appeal. The city offers more than 50,000 hotel rooms, including over 15,000 rooms in the walkable downtown core.

At the heart of the city’s meeting ecosystem is the Austin Convention Center. The previous building has been demolished in order to make way for a brand new facility, which is slated to open in 2029. The $1.6 billion redevelopment project will lead to the facility nearly doubling its rentable event space, growing from about 365,000 to 620,000 sf. The facility will aim to be the world’s first zero-carbon-certified convention center, incorporating open-air plazas, pedestrian-friendly streets and an expanded public green space. In addition, it will feature modern, flexible event areas, including ballrooms, breakout rooms and exhibit halls.

Nearby, the Palmer Events Center adds roughly 70,000 sf of highly flexible exhibit and meeting space in addition to 50,000 sf of outdoor space.

Austin also shines with its impressive convention-hotel offerings. The Fairmont Austin, connected directly to the convention center, features 1,048 guestrooms and more than 140,000 sf of meeting and event space. The JW Marriott Austin adds 1,012 guestrooms and over 115,000 sf of space, while the Hilton Austin, adjacent to the convention center, provides another 800 rooms and 80,000 sf of meeting facilities. Together, these properties create an ultra-convenient, walkable convention district with robust capacity.

Austin’s character is a major draw for associations. Known as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” the city gives planners endless opportunities to infuse events with local flavor — from live-music receptions and outdoor gatherings along Lady Bird Lake to creative culinary experiences featuring the city’s celebrated food scene.

From major convention hubs to small-town gems, Texas offers unmatched variety, accessibility and value for association events. With its unique blend of modern amenities and authentic local culture, the state ensures planners can deliver standout experiences every time. AC&F