There’s just something in the ecosystem here that sparks innovation,” says Steve Genovesi, Executive VP, Visit Austin. While he was referring to the synergies between the University of Texas at Austin, start-up launches and South by Southwest, the same could be said of the city—and the state of Texas as a whole.
Austin is not just the home of the state seat of government, the University of Texas at Austin and some legendary music venues; it’s also a magnet for innovative meetings and events, says Genovesi.
Part of the allure is the city’s wealth of offsite event venues throughout the entire city, all walkable from the downtown area. One of the most-sought-after innovative venues is the Austin City Limits, Live at the Moody Theater, a LEED-certified, state-of-the-art live music, performance and private event venue that can accommodate up to 2,700. “Austin’s live music venues just add to the creativity of the whole event,” says Genovesi. Another favorite of groups is The Speakeasy on Congress Avenue, a turnkey venue with bowling lanes, pool tables and ready-to-go staging that can accommodate up to 1,500.
Groups also are using more traditional spaces, such as the Palmer Event Center, in creative ways, Genovesi says. The center features a flexible floor plan with 125,000 gross sf. Its two column-free exhibit halls provide 70,000 sf of space, and its covered outdoor canopies offer an additional 50,000 sf.
The city’s crown jewel of convention space, the Austin Convention Center, is undergoing a $1.6 billion expansion and redevelopment that will nearly double the center’s current 376,000 sf of rentable space. The building closure, demolition and construction will begin in 2025, with the new facility opening in 2029.
There are more hotel options on the horizon as well, such as the 251-room 1 Hotel, under construction now in the Rainey Street District and scheduled to open in 2026. The Graduate Austin, slated for completion in 2027, will include 194 guest rooms, meeting and event space, a ground-floor cafe and a rooftop deck.
Even the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is being expanded to handle increasing demand. Construction on the expansion of the Barbara Jordon Terminal on the west end will add 84,500 gross sf over three levels.
“As the seventh largest city in the country, San Antonio is a destination that blends our storied past, rich heritage and colorful history with a forward-looking dynamism,” says Mario Bass, Visit San Antonio Executive VP and Chief Strategy Officer. Among the benefits of meeting in San Antonio are the scenic Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, the San Antonio River Walk, award-winning cuisine and walkability.
“We continue to evolve, for example innovatively mining our city’s overall economic industries to enhance our convention business as in the case of InCyber San Antonio, meeting here next year. [We're] known as Cybercity USA, home to the second largest cybersecurity community in the country,” he adds.
Among the cool venues in town is Boeing Center at Tech Port, a $70 million, 130,000-sf facility that offers live shows, Esports & gaming, tech innovations, private meetings and events, educational opportunities and local eats. Another is the Tobin Center, home to the multipurpose H-E-B Performance Hall seating 1,746, the flexible 232-seat Carlos Alvarez Studio Theater and the outdoor Will Naylor Smith River Walk Plaza.
A recent opening is Civic Park. Home of the 1968 World’s Fair and adjacent to the Convention Center, Civic Park includes five acres of public parkland, a five-pooled water feature, and a great lawn area accommodating up to 15,000. Pullman Market at Pearl also recently opened and features 40,000 sf of full-service restaurants, artisan butcher and fishmonger concepts, and unique teambuilding classes.
Just eight miles from downtown, the San Antonio International Airport is undergoing a major $2.5 billion expansion.—Sue Pelletieraustintexas.org/meeting-professionals; visitsanantonio.com/meeting-professionals