Lone Star Surprise

Grapevine Vintage Railroad

Texans like things big. Big bankrolls, big buildings and big hair. And with three of the nation’s 10 biggest cities, it’s easy for a meeting planner to be overwhelmed.

Houston, Dallas and San Antonio are enticing, but the state’s many other locales host unforgettable gatherings too. Some, like Lubbock, stand out by offering Western heritage and religious-themed sites in the midst of the High Plains. Others, like Frisco and neighboring Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs, amaze visitors with a concentration of attractions in hidden corners of a sprawling metropolitan area. And some, like Beaumont, offer a slice of little-known Texas, just 90 minutes from Houston. Taken together, these cities let planners provide their members an unexpected Texas experience with minimal hassles and a lower expense.

Meeting in a second-tier city doesn’t mean anything’s second class, says David DuBois, president and CEO of the Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The term’s related to size, not quality of offerings,” he says. “I’ll put our downtown against any city of any size as far as safety, walkability and energy.”

Fort Worth meetings often play up the city’s unique blend of cowboys and culture. Not only does it run twice-daily cattle drives in the Stockyards District, but it’s also home to some of the best museums in the country, including the Kimbell, which includes works by El Greco, Rubens, Rembrandt, Goya, Monet, Cézanne, Picasso, Matisse and Mondrian. By contrast, at the nearby Cowgirl Hall of Fame, you can ride a mechanical bronco and see it superimposed on a black-and-white Western movie.

Patti Kriss, meeting manager for Texas Baptists, says her members enjoy the city’s western flair, and she loves the convenience. “The convention and visitors bureau staff goes above and beyond,” she says. “They’ll never tell you no. They’ll find a way to make it work.” She appreciates lanyards and name badges, and for larger meetings, a staffed information desk at registration with visitor guides, maps and coupons. Kriss says she and her members prefer Texas’ smaller cities because they’re less expensive and not as overwhelming to visitors. “The whole downtown area of Fort Worth is very customer friendly, with free trolley rides and parking on the street is free. You never find that in big cities.”

But Fort Worth, with a population of nearly 700,000, is still a big player. Several smaller locales find their niche by appealing to groups without the budget or interest in a busy-city gathering. Lewisville, a community of 100,000, about 30 miles north of downtown Dallas, tells groups it offers the best of both worlds.

“We’re close to everything, but we’re not in the middle of everything,” says James Kunke, director of the Lewisville Convention and Visitors Bureau. Hotel and restaurant rates are lower than the tab visitors will find just down the highway. At the end of the year, the city will open a rail station that will connect to Dallas’ expanding light rail line. Kunke says visitors will love being able to sample the city’s offerings without the grind of traffic and the hassles and expense of parking.

Lewisville, which opened a 17,000-sq.-ft. convention center in 2008, has plenty to offer on its own. It’s home to 30,000-acre Lewisville Lake, which offers memorable venues for meals and meetings. The Chamonix II is the largest inland sailing catamaran in the state, holding up to 100 guests.

Frisco Rough Riders Minor League Baseball

Another Texas tradition is sports. And while there are big-league, big-dollar games in the major cities, Frisco, located about 25 miles north of downtown Dallas, offers similar excitement in a low-hassle suburban setting. Dr Pepper Ballpark is home to a minor league affiliate of baseball’s Texas Rangers, while Dr Pepper Arena is the practice facility for the NHL Dallas Stars, and home to a junior hockey team. Nearby, Pizza Hut Park hosts professional soccer. All have meeting and event facilities.

In recent years, nearby Plano has come into its own too. As the home to Fortune 500 companies, the North Texas city is a business destination, and its convention center can host meetings for up to 5,000 people. Its historic downtown, re-energized by Dallas’ light rail line, boasts restaurants, theaters and galleries. But for an only-in-Texas experience, one has to venture to Southfork Ranch Event and Conference Center, where the Ewing clan schemed and dealed during the “Dallas” television show. Even a generation later, fans still come to pay homage to J.R. Ewing.

But that’s just North Texas. For a taste of the mythic Lone Star state, one must head west.

Lubbock makes its mark with music heritage and memorable attractions. The city’s most harmonious stop, the Buddy Holly Center, is a big hit with anyone who can hum the tune to “Peggy Sue.” The museum, which can be rented for meetings and events, is located in the lively Depot District, which centers on a renovated rail station. Home to Texas Tech University, Lubbock is a vibrant college town and many restaurants and shops.

Texas Windmill Center

Carolyn Hearn, who helps plan the annual convention for the Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas, says one of her favorite venues is the surprising American Wind Power Center, a museum devoted to windmills. But it’s also a great place for a banquet or reception. “There are four garage doors that you can open up and they lead to terrace. There are windmills all over the place, and if you’re really, really lucky you’ll get a fabulous west Texas sunset.” She also has had memorable events at the alumni pavilion on the Texas Tech campus. “It’s luxuriously rustic. It too can be opened where the nice breeze blows through, and there’s a fireplace in the middle.”

In Amarillo, visitors also find cowboys, ranches and wide-open horizons. “We don’t have to put it on. That’s who we are,” said Eric Miller, spokesman for the city’s convention and visitor council. “There are ranches around in every direction. That’s still what we do for a living.”

Groups love the city’s Western-themed events like cowboy breakfasts served outdoors from a chuckwagon, or a visit to Palo Duro Canyon, home to “Texas,” an outdoor drama every summer. Yet visitors are also surprised by the facilities, including a 340,000-sq.-ft. civic center.

Kriss of Texas Baptists says Amarillo is one of her favorite cities in the state because the convention bureau is so accommodating. With big meetings, “Typically, they will provide the convention center free of charge, and also help with shuttle service expenses.”

A different perspective is available in Beaumont, a city that’s located closer to Florida than Amarillo. “We’re 100 percent Texas, but we have a little bit of that Cajun influence, a bit of the Old South,” says Dean Conwell, executive director of the Beaumont Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We don’t take ourselves that seriously but when we have guests come to town, we go all out.”

The southeast Texas city is near the Louisiana border, which made the city attractive to members of the Missionary Baptist General Convention of Texas, which has met in Beaumont several times.

“You will pick up some of the Cajun flavor,” says the Rev. James C. Franklin, who serves on the convention board. The meeting brings around 2,000 attendees, and the convention bureau is invaluable with planning, he says. The staff has identified hotels to accommodate the big group and helped negotiate rates. “They make sure they’re treating us right.”

Franklin says church members appreciate the hospitality and are eager to return for a meeting in 2011. “If someone invites you to the house and you treat them right, you want to come again. They know they’re going to have good fellowship.”

— Larry Bleiberg

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