Dallas, TX

The adage everything is bigger in Texas is becoming even more profound for the meetings industry. It is looking to get a bigger bite of the West, and not unsurprisingly, Texas has unique event and meeting venues in large supply. Cities across the Lone Star State are expanding airports, and convention centers are introducing top-tier hotels, new fine dining establishments and other amenities. This culturally rich destination has invested in everything from new museums to renovated historic sites.

Dallas

The Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, already a meetings powerhouse, is stacking the deck with new-builds and added capacity. At the heart of the region’s expected growth is Dallas’ new Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, which is slated for a 2029 debut.

The new-build convention center will have 800,000 sf of exhibit space, 260,000 sf of meeting rooms and 430,000 sf of breakout space doubling the current breakout space capacity, according to Craig Davis, CEO of Visit Dallas. The convention center will connect with the Omni Dallas Hotel.

“For the new convention center, we’re really making a huge push toward financial as well as medical meetings because right now our facility doesn’t have enough breakout space to be able to handle that,” says Davis. “But suffice it to say that, with this new facility, we’re looking for a range of new industries to accommodate and new conventions to compete for things that we couldn’t accommodate before just due to our lack of size.”

Dallas is seeing robust numbers in the meeting space, making the new convention center even more vital to the city, Davis says. “Meetings have led the way for us ever since the bounce back from COVID. Meetings have been our main growth channel, but business travel is returning. Talking specifically about meeting trends, we’re up substantially from our previous high point.”

The plan to redevelop land adjacent to the convention center is taking shape. Called Newpark Dallas, it includes new high-rise residential and commercial buildings including a hotel with 245 rooms and 15,000 sf of meeting space.

For those needing a lot of rooms for an upcoming event in Dallas, there are many places available, including Hilton Anatole. It invested more than $30 million in renovations to guestrooms and its atrium last year. Other developments in Dallas include a venture with American Airlines and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in restarting development plans for a sixth terminal as part of $4 billion in planned improvements at one of the world’s busiest airports. A new Terminal F will be completed by 2027, which will add 15 gates by 2027, equaling 31 in total, and increased airport capacity.

In the Fort Worth Stock Yards National Historic District, there is a cattle drive twice a day.

Fort Worth

Neighboring Fort Worth, the 11th largest city in the U.S., is home to the historic western Stockyards Historic District, including cattle drives, honky tonks and Mule Alley filled with restaurants and shops. The city’s about 35-block Sundance Square entertainment district is another draw for attendees. Sundance Square is also home to the Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel, which features 504 guestrooms, 53,000 sf of event space and its Toro Toro Pan-Latin Steakhouse.

Fort Worth is opening the National Juneteenth Museum in 2026. The $70 million museum will feature works that highlight the institution of slavery and historic moments that led to its abolishment.

Aside from its cultural highlights, the city offers improved access with the TEXRail 27-mile commuter rail line connecting DFW International Airport and downtown Fort Worth.

Arlington

A key destination in the Metroplex, Arlington is also expanding its meeting options, including the opening last year of the 888-room Loews Arlington Hotel. The hotel is situated between AT&T Stadium, home to the Dallas Cowboys, and the World Champion Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Field and offers 266,000 sf of combined indoor and outdoor event space. An additional 35,000 sf of space is easily accessible at neighboring Live! by Loews – Arlington, connected via Sky Bridge. One of the hotel’s highlights for meetings is the expansive event lawn and the largest ballroom in Arlington, at 51,000 sf.

“This new addition drastically expands our footprint and enables us to pursue and attract groups, conventions, meetings and events that we never were remotely large enough to do,” says Chad Enloe, senior vice president of sales at the Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau. “That is a major development that we’ve been waiting for quite some time. It sits right in the middle of what we call the entertainment district in Arlington, which is essentially a campus.” Across the street is Texas Live! — Arlington’s entertainment district, which is filled with an assortment of restaurants and bars.

Irving

Other cities that are part of the metroplex are boosting their meetings offerings, including Irving. One of its main group properties, Las Colinas Resort, recently switched flags to a Ritz-Carlton. The 431-room resort underwent a $55 million property-wide transformation to its guestrooms and villas, as well as its 84,000 sf of meeting and event space. The hotel update will activate the Resort Pool area and refresh the 15,000-sf spa.

Also, the Wyndham DFW Airport Hotel, formerly the DFW Airport and Conference Center, offers 300 guest rooms; seven event rooms; and 18,000 sf of space. The property can accommodate a conference of up to 1,000 conference attendees or a banquet of up to 600 guests.

IHG’s Hotel Indigo Las Colinas opened last summerwith more than 150 guestrooms. It can accommodate up to 300 people within its meeting spaces.

For an offsite event, Rayleigh Underground, located within the Toyota Music Factory, offers an amphitheater.

Plano

Plano is joining in on the Metroplex upgrades. The city’s convention center, Plano Event Center, underwent a $3.2 million courtyard renovation to significantly expand its outdoor event options.

“Meeting planners today are searching for unique settings for break-out sessions, receptions and other special events; the renovated courtyard provides those amenities in a manner never offered before at Plano Event Center and gives a competitive edge over other comparable venues,” says Mark W. Thompson, Visit Plano director.

The new Fowling Warehouse DFW is another option for meetings as well as teambuilding. Groups of up to 1,700 people can try fowling, which merges football with bowling. The venue’s VIP Room includes six private lanes, a private 30-foot bar with luminescent lounge seating areas.

Meeting hotels include the Hilton Dallas/Plano Granite Park Hotel with 30,000 sf of flexible meeting space; Dallas/Plano Marriott at Legacy Town Center with 32,000 sf of meeting space; and the Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West with more than 25,000 sf of flexible meeting space.

The Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa has two golf simulation experiences as well as two 18-hole championship courses.

Frisco

Golf enthusiasts will like PGA Frisco, home of the PGA of America, which features a two world-class 10 hole championship golf courses, a 10-hole short course and a 2-acre putting course, in addition to an entertainment district with an outdoor area for concerts and events, restaurants and shopping. The Coaching Center is open for group activities.

It is also home to the Omni Frisco PGA Resort & Spa with its 127,000 sf of meeting space.

Frisco’s HALL Park underwent a $7 billion redevelopment plan that led to Frisco’s first Marriott Autograph Collection Hotels property and an art-focused park.

Grapevine

In Grapevine, the Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center recently completed a multi-million-dollar room renovation. The Gaylord Texan Resort is also undergoing renovations to be unveiled next year. Another property that underwent renovations is the Great Wolf Lodge, which refreshed their meeting space.

For offsite experiences, interactive art installation Meow Wolf Grapevine, the fourth permanent installation of the Meow Wolf Universe, has prime meeting space for groups interested in a unique experience.

As for interesting dining experiences, there is a European-style food hall, called Harvest Hall, inside the Grapevine Main Station with event space, live entertainment and indoor/ outdoor seating for 500 people. It features eight chef-inspired kitchens offering global cuisine.

Houston

Other regions of Texas are also seeing growth, including new developments in Houston.

The Allen development brought new retail businesses and residents to the city. The Thompson Hotel there includes 172 rooms, 17,000 sf of meeting and event space, a one-acre pool deck and full-service spa.

North of Houston, The Woodlands Resort Curio Collection by Hilton is celebrated its 50th anniversary by undergoing a $26-million property enhancement project. In addition to guestroom renovations, The Woodlands Resort significantly refreshed its expansive meeting and event spaces, which combine for a total of approximately 75,000 sf.

Get a unique view of San Antonio River Walk on board a Go Rio River Cruise.

San Antonio

San Antonio is investing in its heritage as well as its future. One of the main projects is The Alamo Plan, which aims to restore The Alamo, the most visited site in Texas, through several stages. One of the new venues is the upcoming Alamo Visitor Center and Museum, which will be housed in the historic Crockett and Woolworth buildings and will provide about 32,000 sf of exhibit space. The visitor center and museum, slated for a 2027 opening, will be able to host group dinners and offer a terrace overlooking the city.

Lesley Travis, event senior director at the CE Group, which works with planners to put on events in San Antonio, has used The Alamo as an offsite venue taking advantage of a variety of the site’s spaces. “Utilizing multiple spaces is what we thrive at,” she says. “A good size group at this time is in the 100 to 200 range but will grow once the museum and visitor center open.”

The company’s expertise with historic sites like The Alamo can help planners. “Some people have in their own minds how they would want to utilize The Alamo as a backdrop and as a location for an event, but with our knowledge of having worked at The Alamo and being here in the city, we already know what’s pretty doable and makes it a little bit more seamless,” she adds.

“Using a historic site is one of the challenges. There are certain permissions like decibel parameters you have to abide by, especially because of the historical buildings, which impacts the type of music you have and within the proximity of where those stages and musical acts are,” says Travis.

Another site under recent redevelopment is Hemisfair, the site of the 1968 World’s Fair. Hemisfair Park Area Redevelopment Corporation (HPARC) and the Hemisfair Conservancy are working together to create an urban district with residences, local businesses, unique programming and three parks — Yanaguana Garden, Civic Park and Tower Park.

Civic Park can accommodate outdoor events up to 15,000 people. The Monarch San Antonio, a Curio Collection by Hilton hotel with 200 rooms is also in the works in the Hemisfair District.

Other new hotels in the city include the Kimpton Santo Hotel with 347 rooms, which opened last year. It is part new-build and part adaptive reuse of an 1850s-original schoolhouse. The hotel has more than 13,000 sf of meeting space and a 5,000-sf ballroom.

Another property combining historic elements with modern amenities is the 253-room Plaza San Antonio Hotel & Spa with an onsite garden oasis bar, pool and spa.

The Westin Riverwalk, San Antonio, reopened following renovations not long ago. It is a quick walk from San Antonio River or the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, and less than half a mile from The Alamo and the Market Square. It has 26,000 sf in meeting space, including conference space.

Outside San Antonio, Texas Hill Country is dotted with heritage towns, scenic drives and luxury resorts like the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, which offers a new level of luxury. Situated among 600 acres, and influenced by the region’s heritage and the rich culture of San Antonio, the 1,002-room resort offers TPC San Antonio, a 36-hole PGA TOUR golf facility, Lantana Spa, a 26,000-sf spa, and several restaurant and lounge options.

There were recent renovations to meeting spaces, as well as the Nelson Wolff Exhibit Ballroom, spanning 40,080 sf. Two ballrooms, the 40,500-sf Grand Oaks Ballroom, 21,120-sf Cibolo Canyon Ballroom, and 20,000 sf of space covering 19 breakout rooms were also refreshed.

Texas Farm Bureau Insurance held its annual meeting at the resort with about 400 attendees. Venues used included ballrooms, restaurants, the golf course and the spa.

The resort “stands out as one of the best event venue options in the state,” says Karl Ellis, vice president, marketing at Texas Farm Bureau Insurance. “It’s hard to beat the beautiful Texas Hill Country. When arriving at the resort, our team feels as if we’ve escaped to a retreat away from the rush of everyday life. The staff is always top notch and provides personalized, attentive service resulting in a successful and stress-free event.”

Austin is a top spot for planners with its vibrant art scene and large amount of meeting and offsite venues.

Austin

While Austin is known for its mega festivals such as South by Southwest [SXSW], the city also lures people in with its buzzing music and arts scene and range of meeting and offsite venues.

Steve Genovesi, executive vice president of Visit Austin, says, “Many clients have gotten away from only focusing on the hotel programming when making their decision on which destination will host their event. We’re seeing more and more clients interested in the identity of the host city itself, such as utilizing unique off-site experiences as part of elevating their programming. This is what Austin does best. You can easily be inspired by incorporating a music venue, a dine-around, an attraction such as our food trucks, murals, outdoor fitness and wellness activities at our downtown lake, or the Circuit of the Americas track for race car and carting experience.”

Austin is now focusing on redevelopment of the Austin Convention Center. Following the total demolition of the building, a new building is expected to be completed by early 2029 on the existing land, according to Genovesi, who says, “Expansion is much needed. The new convention center promises to be ultra-modern, innovative and will accommodate larger and more groups.”

Austin is well equipped with many hotel options, including the Hilton Austin, which is across from the Austin Convention Center. It offers a wide range of spaces, from expansive ballrooms to the Bat Cave private dining room that seats 30.

Another popular option is the Fairmont Austin, which offers 1,048 guestrooms and more than 140,000 sf of meeting space.

For more intimate gatherings, the 246-room Hyatt Centric Congress Avenue Austin offers a 225-sf Recording Lounge. The citizenM Austin, which opened last year, offers 344 rooms, a rooftop pool and bar, as well as 2,560 sf of flexible event space.

The Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin has more than 76,000 sf of meeting and event space available.

There are a host of other venues for groups throughout Austin. “Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theatre is a one-of-a-kind venue for evening and daytime events,” Genovesi says. The adjacent W Austin hotel underwent a $40 million renovation.

North of Austin in Hill Country, the Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa has over 76,000 sf of flexible conference rooms and ballrooms. The property has 16 meeting rooms and two ballrooms that can accommodate up to 1,050 people for large events. Outdoor spaces provide room to roam across 4,000 wooded acres and dozens of smaller conference rooms, which serve as breakout spaces for smaller meetings. Venues include the 5,556-sf Hill Country Pavilion, with windows to create an open-air space, and the Rock House, which is an outdoor venue three miles from the resort. Meeting attendees can tee off at any of the resort’s four award-winning golf courses, take downtime at the Mokara Spa, or enjoy team-building excursions, like food tours, wine tastings and live music performances in Austin and beyond.

Planners should take note: if you are planning an event in Texas, the best time is late October through November or March through late May, to avoid Texas’ hottest and coldest temperatures and the heaviest rainfall. I&FMM