Sunny, subtropical weather, balmy beaches, historical sites andin some casesstrolling over the border to Mexico for lunch, make meeting in South Texas a unique adventure, distinct from anything else groups will experience in the Lone Star State. And though these Gulf-area cities are smaller than the major metropolises to the north, in true Texas fashion, they're getting bigger and better every day.
Corpus ChristiWhen Texans head to the beach, chances are they're going to Corpus Christi. With more than 113 miles of Gulf Coast beaches and an average high temperature of 65 degrees in January, it's no wonder that 74 percent of visitors to this enclave by the sea are from Texas.
But Texas' eighth-largest city also hopes to raise its profile as a meetings destination, following a major expansion of the former Bayfront Plaza Convention Center, which became the American Bank Center last fall and now boasts a grand foyer lobby with views of Corpus Christi Baya huge improvement, says Linda Fort, director of destination sales for the Corpus Christi CVB.
"It's probably one of the most spectacular foyer views anywhere," she says. "You can have a reception, breaks or meal functions there, and you're not looking at a busy street with traffic, you're looking out across the bay. It's a wonderful venue for attendees because they're not just in a box."
In addition to the foyer, the renovated facility also includes the new 20,000-square-foot Bayview Ballroom, seven new meeting rooms and a new multipurpose arena to complement the existing Selena Auditorium.
Clustered nearby are downtown convention properties such as the Omni Corpus Christi; the Best Western Marina Grand, which just renovated its Grandview Ballroom; the Ramada Inn Bayfront; the Radisson Hotel Corpus Christi Beach; and the Holiday Inn Emerald Beach, creating "a nicely contained area," Fort says.
Major attractions are within 10 minutes of the area, she adds, referring to sites such as the USS Lexington Aircraft Carrier Museum and the Texas State Aquarium, along with activities that include deep-sea fishing, windsurfing and horseback riding on the beach.
"We have a lot of things for attendees to do in their spare time, which is just as important when you're making arrangements for a meeting, whether you want to come in early or stay later," she says.
Fort joined the CVB in January, and in addition to increasing awareness of Corpus Christi as a year-round meetings destination, she hopes the recent addition of a sports manager will help spur sports tourism, while an ecotourism manager will join the CVB's staff in the near future to encourage visitation to what is known as the nation's "birdiest city," thanks to its variety of bird species.
LaredoIf you head west from the coast you'll also be heading back in time in Laredo, once a Spanish frontier outpost but today a bustling city on the U.S.-Mexico border, just across the Rio Grande from its sister city, Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Visitors can literally park in downtown Laredo and walk to Nuevo Laredo's tourist district, brimming with treasures such as sterling silver, hand-blown glass and Spanish colonial furniture. (Planners should advise delegates that the U.S. State Department is proposing to tighten travel restrictions from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, requiring U.S. citizens to carry passports. Currently, they can return to the U.S. with a birth certificate and/or driver's license.)
Back in Laredo, the city's 250-year history can be traced on a heritage trolley tour or at the Republic of the Rio Grande Museum, while other area activities include birding along nature trails and in state parks, horseback riding, import shopping, and dining on everything from steak and pasta to enchiladas.
Welcoming conventions and meetings in Laredo are the Laredo Civic Center, with 25,000 square feet of exhibit space, and the new Laredo Entertainment Center, which can seat up to 10,000 people and also offers 14 luxury suites and four meeting rooms.
Hotels catering to meetings include the Holiday Inn Laredolocated across from the Civic Centerwhich just added complimentary wireless high-speed Internet access and will remodel its grand ballroom and public areas in the coming year. The 203-room property offers 5,000 square feet of meeting space.
Other choices in Laredo include the 110-room Courtyard by Marriott and the 119-room Hampton Inn Laredo, both of which have small meeting rooms.
McAllen/HarlingenSoutheast of Laredo, meetings are on the move in McAllen, where the current civic centerwhich has an auditorium but no breakout spacewill soon be joined by the new McAllen Convention Center, featuring a 61,400-square-foot exhibit hall, 26,000 square feet of meeting space, 23,800 square feet of prefunction space, and an 850-meal banquet kitchen. Ground broke in January on the project, which is slated for completion in April 2007.
"It's going to open a lot of doors for us," says Nancy Millar, director of the McAllen CVB. "We're going to be able to host conventions of up to 1,000 people, where in the past we've been limited to what our convention hotels could accommodate, which was about 500 tops."
Those convention hotels include the 173-room Holiday Inn Civic Center, with more than 7,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space; Four Points by Sheraton McAllen, with 148 guest rooms and a meeting room that seats up to 300; and the 252-room Embassy Suites, with more than 5,500 square feet of meeting space.
Situated in the geographical center of the Rio Grande Valley, eight miles from the Mexican border, McAllen is another popular birding destination, and is home to eight annual wildlife watching festivals. And if delegates feel like kicking up their heels, McAllen is known as the "Square Dance Capital of the World.
In nearby Harlingen, trade shows are hosted at the Harlingen Municipal Auditorium, home to a 13,000-square-foot exhibit hall. Meanwhile, small groups can gather at the 108-room Courtyard by Marriott, offering 1,100 square feet of meeting space, or the 70-room Hampton Inn and Suites, which has a meeting room and business center.
"We do very well with groups of 150 to 200," says Terri Bortness, program manager for the Harlingen Chamber CVB. "They can hub and spoke from here to South Padre Island, which is about 40 miles away, or Mexico, which is about 25 miles away."
South Padre IslandEast of Harlingen, it's back to the beach in South Padre Island, a 35-mile barrier island with a five-mile tip that is a tropical oasis of resorts, recreation and waterside relaxation. In addition to windsurfing, kite-boarding and other water sports, visitors to South Padre Island enjoy golf, horseback riding, fishing, and taking the plunge at the 15-acre Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark, featuring body-boarding, a wave pool, five beaches, and a variety of rides along the "Transportainment" river system.
Although it may be fun in the sun, when it's time to come indoors groups will find a variety of comfortable meeting spaces in South Padre Island. The area's premier facility is the South Padre Island Convention Centre, overlooking Laguna Madre Bay on the island's north end and offering 45,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space.
A number of island resorts also welcome meetings and conventions, including the 192-room Radisson Resort South Padre Island, with 10,000 square feet of function space; the 147-room La Quinta Inn and Suites, with meeting space for up to 350; and the Sheraton South Padre Island, which just completed a property-wide renovation that included all 250 guest rooms and 8,500 square feet of indoor function space.
Renovations are under way at the 240-room Bahia Mar Resort & Conference Center, home to 9,450 square feet of meeting space; while the 227-room Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort is adding a poolside outdoor movie screen for "dive-in" movies this summer. The resort also offers 6,600 square feet of meeting space.
BrownsvilleNew hotels under construction and a major convention center on the horizon promise to put this southernmost Texas city on the meetings map.
In addition to a 98-room Hampton Inn & Suites due to open in June, a Staybridge Suites is slated to debut later this year, along with a new Courtyard by Marriott in November. Also set to open is a La Frontera Inn, while a La Quinta Inn and Suites recently joined Brownsville's hotel lineup.
But the biggest development news in Brownsville is yet to come. Still in the planning stages is a new Brownsville Convention Center and Exhibit Hall, a project being undertaken by the University of Texas, which purchased an old mall totaling roughly 650,000 square feet but hasn't secured funding to complete the project, says Mike Gonzalez, president and CEO of the Brownsville CVB.
"They've got plans in the works for exhibit and trade show space on two floors. The building's there; it's just a matter of getting it done," Gonzalez says. "The Brownsville Economic Development Council has moved into beautiful offices there. The Mexican Consulate has moved there. And they want us to move there, but I said, 'As soon as you build that trade show space, I'll move.'"
Gonzalez says the new facility would allow the city to host trade shows from both the U.S. and Mexico, particularly Monterreyone of Mexico's largest industrial citieswhich is two-and-a-half hours away.
Even without the new venue, Brownsville is an ideal locale for groups of 100 to 300 people, Gonzalez says, pointing to the city's proximity to Mexicowithin walking distance of Matamorosalong with attractions such as the Gladys Porter Zoo, historic sites that include the Palo Alto Battlefield, seven golf courses, and nearby beaches.
"We're a bicultural, binational destination, different from anywhere in the United States," Gonzalez says. "We'll go out of our way to provide spouse trips into Mexico and fully guided shopping trips."
Besides the new hotels and proposed convention center, meetings here are served by the Brownsville Events Center, with a 15,530-square-foot main ballroom and landscaped waterfront grounds for outdoor functions. Hotels with meeting space include the 142-room Four Points by Sheraton, offering six meeting rooms, a business center and wireless Internet service throughout the property.
Planners can look forward to a major expansion at Brownsville/South Padre Island International Airport, where a master plan includes extending the runway and expanding the terminal.
"It will be the longest runway between San Antonio and Monterrey," says Michael Jones, the airport's director of business development. "The new terminal will have more of a Tex-Mex feel, and it will house more airlines," he adds.
Jones says the runway extension will be completed by late 2007 or early 2008, with the terminal expansion to follow.
For More InfoBrownsville CVB 956.546.3721 www.brownsville.org
Corpus Christi CVB 361.881.1888 www.corpuschristicvb.com
Harlingen Chamber CVB 956.423.5440 www.harlingen.com
Laredo CVB 956.795.2200 www.visitlaredo.com
McAllen CVB 956.682.2871 www.mcallencvb.com
South Padre Island CVB 956.761.3005 www.sopadre.com