Rising meeting stars of Texas
For decades, the major meeting markets in Texas were easily identified: the big cities of Dallas and Houston.
San Antonio in recent years has developed into a meeting hot spot. But Austin is now coming into its own.
“Austin used to be good for leisure but not so good for meetings because it didn’t have convention space and large hotels. But now those facilities are in place,†said John Keeling, a meeting consultant.
The result: it has evolved into a regional and at times national meeting market.
The convention center opened there in 1981 and an 800-room Hilton headquarters hotel opened four years ago.
The dynamic music market in Austin is helping to promote it for meetings. There are districts with 24-hour live music.
Room nights have gone from one million three years ago to over two million last year.
Another rising Texas star could be Fort Worth, in large part because of the development of the downtown core with art museums, the Historic Stockyards and an expanded convention center.
The Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel and Spa recently opened with 430 rooms. The 600-room Omni Fort Worth Hotel opens next year.
Overall, downtown room inventory has doubled to 2,400 rooms.
Report by David Wilkening
David
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season