With $1.6 billion in expansion plans moving ahead, the Austin Convention Center will close for the 40-month construction period after the South by Southwest event in March. But what does this mean for annual events that take place at the center and for incoming conferences that want to book the space?
Three area hotels have banded together to offset the loss of room revenue while supporting planners who want to bring big events to the city. The Red River Collections joins Fairmont Austin, Hilton Austin, and Hotel Van Zandt in a joint effort to provide a group-booking experience among the three hotels connected by Red River Street downtown. Teams at each hotel will coordinate to arrange guest rooms, meeting space, and food and beverage options that spread large groups across all three properties.
Through the coalition, planners will have access to 2,168 rooms, over 245,000 square feet of meeting space, multiple on-site bars and restaurants, live music events, three rooftop pools, customizable chef-led catering options, and a full-service spa. Attendees might attend a daytime event in the 31,125-square-foot ballroom at the Fairmont Austin, enjoy live music while dining at Hotel Van Zandt’s on-site restaurant Geraldine,
and enjoy a morning swim above their room at Hilton Austin.
The partnership is aimed at reducing the losses anticipated during the nearly four-year-long Austin Convention Center closing. At least one major convention, The Running Event, has already announced its permanent relocation to San Antonio. South by Southwest will remain in Austin, but beginning in 2026, a decentralized conference will spread to locations around downtown, including public spaces and hotel meeting rooms. The Austin Convention Center redevelopment is expected to double its rentable space and be completed in 2029.
