Successful Meetings - March 2008 - (Page 58)

Meeting Sites ESSENTIAL TOOL BOX Convention Center: George R. Brown Convention Center, 862,000 sf of dedicated meeting space, including 31,590-sf ballroom, 3,600-seat amphitheater, 6,000seat arena, and four 2,880-sf balconies, with 117 meeting rooms accommodating 36,000 theater-style in largest. For complete listings, visit Facility Quick Search at www.mimegasite.com Average Daily Business Travel Costs*: Hotel $154.84 F&B $84.05 Car Rental $108.04 For More Information: Greater Houston CVB www.visithoustontexas.com *Business Travel News 2007 Corporate Travel Index Houston FRESH from hosting the MPI Professional Education Conference, which introduced thousands of meeting planners to the city, Houston is talking about another convention center hotel and introducing a new “global image campaign” involving Beyonce (left), Yao Ming, and many more. By Terri Hardin RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE HOME TEAM Thanks to MPI-PEC, Successful Meetings had two venue observers in Houston: SM editor-in-chief Vince Alonzo and MeetingNews editor-in-chief Elizabeth West. “There’s a hip multilevel lounge, called the Grove, just across the street from the convention center that has a rooftop lounge that features 45 different types of high end tequila and can accommodate receptions of up the 300,” says Alonzo. He was also impressed with The East Club at Reliant Stadium: “It’s pretty incredible; it literally takes up all the corporate boxes on one side of the field and has lots of conversation pits, and a huge bar, and dozens of HD flatscreen TVs, as well as a Jumbotron-sized screen behind the bar.” West enjoyed Mama Ninfa’s, a Mexican restaurant that can accommodate approximately groups of 150. For welcome gifts, Lindsey Brown of Greater Houston CVB recommends these local prod- Bayou Place ucts: “goodies from The Chocolate Bar; Goode Company BBQ Sauce; iPods with local tours already loaded on; Katz coffee; or a six-pack of Saint Arnold beer.” News Flash! Talk of turning the Reliant Astrodome into a 1,300-room convention hotel may have replaced talk of razing the 43-year-old structure, and a new convention center hotel has also been proposed in downtown, near the George R. Brown Convention Center and the Hilton - Americas. Meanwhile, the $122 million, 12-acre Discovery Green project will debut downtown in Apr, featuring a two-acre “great lawn,” an amphitheater, a putting green, and more. The $170 million Coming in the fall: mixed-use Houston Pavilions is Houston Pavilions expected to open downtown in the fall. Famous Houstonians will be in your face, thanks to a“global image campaign” (VisitMyHouston.com) which leads with Beyonce Knowles and Yao Ming, and rounds out with former President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara. The Crowne Plaza Houston West completed a $4.4 million renovation that upgraded 32 club-floor guest rooms and 9,000 sf of meeting space, and added two deluxe suites and a twobedroom presidential suite. The Hyatt Regency Houston has embarked on a $35 million revitalization that is expected to be completed by late Oct. The Renaissance Houston was awarded the Energy Star designation by the Environmental Protection Agency. In Dec, the Woodlands Resort & Conference Center announced it would embark on a comprehensive, $50 million renovation and expansion, to be completed in late 2009. MARCH 2008 SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS 58 http://www.mimegasite.com http://www.visithoustontexas.com http://VisitMyHouston.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Successful Meetings - March 2008

Successful Meetings - March 2008 Contents Editor's Note Suppliers On the Record Research Associations Planner's Spotlight Management Matters Mouth for Sale Meetings Law Pre-Event Pre-Event Tools of the Trade On Site Quick Tip Critical Conditions A Family Affair Conference Centers We Love CSM of the Year Places & Spaces Luxury Las Vegas New York CIty Houston New Orleans Quebec Bahamas Oahu & Big Island Florida Keys Gurus

Successful Meetings - March 2008

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