Everything’s big in Texas, including meetings and events. And this larger-than-life state offers plenty of opportunities for SMERF groups, from reliving the days of the Wild West to enjoying the sights, sounds and tastes of some of the nation’s largest metropolitan centers. With 267,000 square miles of options, Texas gives groups a chance to conduct big business – and have big fun.
Austin
Known as the Live Music Capital of the World, Austin is where big-city meets laid-back, and SMERF groups appreciate Austin’s affordability and variety. “It’s easy to get here on Southwest or JetBlue airlines, and hotels offer value dates that groups can book and save on cost,” says Beth Krauss, Media Relations Manager for the Austin CVB. “In addition, most attractions run $10 or less, and it just so happens that barbecue and Tex-Mex – two of the cuisines we do best – often go for around $8 a plate.”
For meeting groups, Austin has 5,500 downtown hotel rooms and nearly 26,000 rooms citywide. The Austin Convention Center offers 900,000 square feet of high-tech, highly desirable meeting space right in the heart of the city’s walkable downtown. This district is a cinch to navigate, and it’s easy to get from the Convention Center to the entertainment along Second Street, Sixth Street and the Warehouse District.
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Dallas
It’s not called “the Big D” for nothing. Everything in Dallas is big and, according to the locals, better. “Dallas has the best in shopping, dining and the arts,” says Veleisa Patton, Public Relations Specialist at the Dallas CVB. In fact, the city has the largest urban arts district in the United States, as well as the West End Historic District, which includes shopping, dining and the Dallas Aquarium.
Local hotels offer meeting space for groups ranging from 50 to 5,000, and for larger groups the Dallas Convention Center spans more than 1 million square feet of meeting and exhibition space. This fall, the Aloft Hotel will open in downtown Dallas, and the Dallas City Council recently approved a developer agreement with Matthews Southwest and a hotel operator agreement with Omni Hotels. “[This] represents a huge step toward building a 1,000-room, four-star attached convention center hotel,” adds Patton.
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Fort Worth
A neighbor to Dallas but a unique destination in its own right, Fort Worth is currently offering “The Fort Worth Meal Deal,” which is a good opportunity for SMERF groups. “The Fort Worth CVB is offering to share the cost of a meal function for any group that’s new to Fort Worth and holds a meeting on or before June 30, 2010,” says David DuBois, CMP, CAE, President and CEO of the Fort Worth CVB. “This program allows meeting planners to save money while still having a high-quality function.”
The city has recently doubled the number of hotel rooms available in its downtown inventory, and a variety of meeting facilities are also available, including the Fort Worth Convention Center, Will Rogers Memorial Complex, Stockyards Station and Texas Motor Speedway.
The “City of Cowboys and Culture” also has numerous attractions to choose from. “Fort Worth’s three districts – Sundance Square, the Stockyards National Historic District and the Cultural District – offer a wide variety of entertainment, attractions and dining options,” DuBois says.
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Houston
Dollars go further in Houston, where hotels, transportation, attractions and dining are “extremely affordable and high quality,” says Pam Benson, National Account Executive for the Greater Houston CVB. In addition, 11 local museums are free, a one-way ticket on light rail is only $1.25 and a Houston CityPass is the least expensive of all city passes. Launched last year, the CityPass program “has been perfect for SMERF groups,” Benson says. The discount ticket booklet includes admission to the top attractions in the city – places like Space Center Houston, Downtown Aquarium and the Houston Museum of Natural Science – and now groups can visit them all at a 50% discount.
Most smaller meetings and events opt for the city’s large chain hotels such as the Hyatt, Hilton or Marriott. And there’s the George R. Brown Convention Center and Reliant Park if you require larger meeting space. “Some of the large religious groups use sports facilities and large churches, and we have many options for them,” Benson says.
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San Antonio
A city rich with diversity, San Antonio offers everything from historic venues to theme parks to Hill Country resorts to the lush banks of the famous River Walk, says Sara Gruber, Communications Manager for the San Antonio CVB, adding, “San Antonio meets the needs of SMERF’s diverse constituency.”
With 37,000 hotel rooms citywide, there are a number of options for planners. The city also offers a diverse selection of meeting venues, from Pearl Brewery, an old stable turned dynamic events facility, to Sunset Station, a century-old train depot, to the 600,000-square-foot Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center located on the banks of the San Antonio River Walk. For after-meeting enjoyment, Gruber says groups can choose from over 40 golf courses, team-building activities at area dude ranches, SeaWorld San Antonio and Six Flags Fiesta Texas. And don’t forget the Alamo, one of the city’s five colonial Spanish missions and a world-famous historic site. For restaurants and entertainment, the River Walk rules.
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