Major Texas Developments Keep Pace With Tourism Growth

 

Small is not in the Texas vocabulary, and that includes tourism, with 115 million domestic visitors delivering $193.8 billion in economic impact last year.

“That represents a 3.4% increase in direct spending from 2022, illustrating a continued interest in exploration of our state,” said Tim Fennell, director of tourism at Travel Texas, in a recent webinar. “Many communities consider tourism as a primary industry in their area as travelers also helped create 1.3 million jobs in Texas last year.”

Texas also gets business. According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Texas continues to outpace the nation in economic expansion with an annual real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 5% in Q4 2023, leading the U.S. for the sixth consecutive quarter.  

“As the eighth-largest economy in the world and home to the most innovative businesses and globally recognized brands, Texas truly is where the future is building,” stated Texas Governor Greg Abbott in an April 2024 release. “As we continue to invest in education, workforce development and infrastructure, we remain focused on building an even bigger, better Texas for decades to come.”

The bullishness includes continuing expansion of meetings infrastructure. Led by mega-investments in new and expanded convention centers with supporting economic development plans and targeted community initiatives, here are some of the many new reasons to book Texas.

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Master Plans for Dallas

This June saw the official groundbreaking for the new Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas, with Hutchison among the dignitaries in attendance.  

The governing Master Plan for the $3.7 billion project has seven components, starting with construction of a larger, new facility. Following multiple reconfigurations throughout its 65-year history, the existing venue will eventually be demolished but remain open during construction.  

The new 2.5 million-square-foot convention center is destined to dazzle. Projected features include 800,000 square feet of exhibit space, 430,000 square feet of breakout space and a 105,000-square-foot ballroom. Plus, outdoor event terraces, ample activation areas, advanced technology and sustainable and energy-efficient building practices.  

"Right now, we have almost 50 confirmed conventions from 2029 and beyond, and that is sight unseen without a convention center that hasn't been yet designed,” said Visit Dallas CEO Craig Davis in a news report. “We have another 100 that are considering Dallas, so the pent-up demand is very, very striking right now."

More recently, contracted bookings had reached 40 with an estimated $1 billion in impact. 
The venue is the centerpiece of a future-forward economic development plan that includes a walkable entertainment district with hotels, restaurants, entertainment, shops, housing and office space.  

More expansively, the project aims to unite communities and amplify tourism by seamlessly linking the downtown convention district with the adjacent Cedars, South Dallas and Southern Dallas neighborhoods. Transportation solutions include a new Rail District and trolley route. Wi-Fi across the district will enhance digital connectivity. Future components include updating the circa-1957 Dallas Memorial Arena and renovating The Black Academy of Arts and Letters.

“The economic impact of this project is going to be profound,” stated Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson at the groundbreaking. “It’s going to attract a new wave of businesses to our central business district, new entrepreneurs and of course more visitors to an already thriving Dallas economy. This convention center is going to be a beacon that signals that Dallas is a leader in innovation and opportunity.”

Solving the “Downtown Puzzle” in Austin

Community connections are also cornerstones of Austin’s convention future.

As birthplace of the globally prominent annual South by Southwest (SXSW) festival (1987), Austin, a rapidly expanding hub for technology, finance and business, is a big-league event destination with the hosting and hospitality assets to match—except for adequate convention center space.

Following an exhaustive study initiated by former Austin Mayor Steve Adler a decade ago, the city made the dramatic decision to tear down the current Austin Convention Center and build anew.  

Scheduled to commence after SXSW 2025 next March for completion in time for SXSW 2029, the estimated $1.6 billion redevelopment will introduce a larger and more effective new facility on a smaller footprint and transform the surrounding southeast downtown neighborhood into a community-centric destination.  

Aimed at doubling the 376,000 square feet of rentable space currently available, the project will reportedly deliver 360,000 square feet of exhibit space, 184,000 square feet of ballroom or flexible exhibition space and 180,000 square feet of meeting space.

The new design will also resolve the current building’s physical divide of east and west downtown and lack of ground level interaction for residents and visitors, which former Mayor Adler called the “Downtown Puzzle.”

The new building will also integrate with redevelopment of the historic neighboring Palm District, the Waterloo Greenway and Project Connect, the city’s pioneering mass transit expansion initiative, with planned light-rail service to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Trisha Tatro, director of the Austin Convention Center Department offered the following insight on the four years ahead:

“Austin has established itself as a top-tier venue and destination for the meetings industry, a reputation solidified over the years. This ambitious plan is designed to accommodate the growing market demand and hotel capacity required for conferences and groups eager to convene in Austin.

The design phase is progressing smoothly, paving the way for completion of the schematic design by the end of 2024. In preparing for closure in April 2025, our focus will shift toward the demolition and construction phases.  

During closure, we will continue to operate by hosting smaller-scale events at the Palmer Events Center. Collaborating with Visit Austin, local hotels and venues, our sales team will actively book events for 2029 and beyond.

Our aim is to unveil a modern, versatile venue that exceeds industry standards, enhances Austin's appeal as a premier destination for conventions, exhibitions and cultural events, and becomes a cornerstone of our community by fostering greater connectivity and enriching experiences for visitors and residents alike.”

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Gearing Up for Expansion  

This July, the Houston City Council authorized the Houston First Corporation, which manages the George R. Brown Convention Center (GRB), to acquire nearby land for a possible major expansion of the 37-year-old facility.

The move follows passage last year of a Texas Senate bill which authorized local government corporations to receive a portion of the hotel occupancy taxes collected within a three-mile radius of the convention center for up to 30 years.  

Estimated at $1.8 billion, some of those proceeds are likely, if not certain, to fund a wholesale makeover of the 1.8-million-square-foot GRB, which was last renovated in 2016. According to the City Council agenda, the subject two-block land parcel, located between the GRB and Toyota Center, would be developed as a new building with exhibition and ballroom space, and parking.

While Houston First has yet to release details of the proposed project, local news reports point to groundbreaking in 2025, with first-phase completion by 2028 in time for Houston’s hosting of the Republican National Convention.  

[Related: Hurricane Beryl Pounds Texas: Everything You Need to Know and What It Means for Meetings]

Elsewhere, more expansions are in the works, including:

• South Padre Island (see Gulf Gatherings) is preparing to double the size of its convention center.  
• San Antonio has an expansionary eye on the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, following passage in the Texas Legislature of another bill that would provide major funding to grow the facility and renovate the Alamodome. Additional plans include a new 15,000-square-foot ballroom and eight meeting rooms. Completed last year, phase one of the new adjacent Civic Park, part of the continuing redevelopment of the former 1968 World’s Fair (HemisFair) site, introduced a new 15,000-capacity event lawn.  
• Opened in February 2024, the new Arlington Convention Center offers 216,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, with skybridge connections to the brand-new 888-room Loews Arlington Hotel and existing 200-room Live! by Loews hotel.
• The Fort Worth Convention Center is underway with a $95 million first-phase expansion, targeting completion by 2026, that includes new dining facilities, four new loading docks and street realignment for a possible future hotel. Completed projects include an estimated $900,000 Wi-Fi upgrade. Phase two, timelines pending, may include 97,000 square feet of exhibit space, 48,000 square feet of meeting space and a 50,000-square-foot ballroom.

[Related: Arlington, Texas – CAN DO!]

New Hotels and Attractions in Texas You Should Know About

• 2026 is also the target date for the $200 million expansion of the 618-room Omni Fort Worth Hotel, adding 400 rooms and 50,000 square feet of new meeting space.  

• The same year sees the anticipated opening of the 200-room Monarch San Antonio on the edge of Civic Park. Celebrating its centennial this year, San Antonio-based developer the Zachry Corporation, whose CEO and President David Zachry’s grandfather helped build the iconic Palacio Del Rio across the street in 1968, broke ground on the curving building last year. Renderings reveal gorgeous interiors, with planned features including 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space and rooftop restaurant and bar. Named for the Monarch butterfly that migrates through the San Antonio region each winter, the hotel marks the debut of Curio Collection by Hilton in the city.
• Constructed from shipping containers, Hotel Herringbone opened this April in downtown Waco with 21 Art Deco-inspired rooms and 30,000-plus square feet of space for food and beverage, music, art, events and retail, with live music every night of the year planned for the outdoor Plaza space.
• Scheduled for March 2025, the National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington honors the recipients of the United States' highest award for military valor in action. The striking 25,000-square-foot building will house exhibition galleries, an education center and conference and event space. An interactive database will present the names of all Medal recipients since inception in 1861.
• Built in 1894 to house the draft horses of the Pearl Brewery, the reimagined Stable Hall debuted in January 2024 as the latest star of San Antonio’s music scene. Featuring an oversized stage, dance floor, six bars and mezzanine-level, the 1,000-capacity event-capable landmark on the thriving Pearl campus features touring artists and regional musicians, with a focus on the sounds of San Antonio.

Major Hospitality Milestones and Anniversaries

• This July, Laredo celebrated the 20th anniversary of its annual Laredo International Sister Cities Festival at the event-capable multi-purpose Sames Arena. In May 2025, the vibrant border city celebrates the 270th anniversary of its founding in 1755.  
• Immersed in a vast forestland 28 miles north of downtown Houston, The Woodlands opened in 1974 as a master-planned community way ahead of its time. Home to premier group resources including The Westin at The Woodlands and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion concert venue, along with corporate headquarters, restaurants, lakes and vast green spaces, the destination turns 50 this year.  
• Austin City Limits, the landmark PBS show and the longest-running music series in television history, celebrates its 50th season this year. Willie Nelson, now 91, performed on the pilot episode and is among the parade of stars who have graced the legendary ACL stage. Other brands include the annual ACL Music Festival in Austin’s Zilker Park, event-capable ACL Live at The Moody Theater and ACL Radio.
• Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District marks 50 years as the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive in 2024. Watching real Texas cowhands drive a herd of Texas longhorns down Easy Exchange Avenue is a must-see.

Read more meeting and event news in Texas.