Texas

Another Man's Treasure in Downtown Austin 

These Texas venues offer the chance to experience productive meetings and reinvigorating team-building.

Getting back to the land. For those living in an urban landscape, the notion can conjure thoughts of wide-open spaces or familyowned farms and ranches. Thankfully for Texas planners, transporting your guests to the quiet and splendor of the outdoors can be just a short drive away. 

For guests wanting to get back to the land, these four venues provide opportunities for planners to get out into the Texas Hill Country, or bring the country to them by transporting sustainable, locally sourced food to an urban event. 

PRESERVING A PIECE OF HISTORY

Judy Payne bridges GameStop’s generational divide with meetings.

If you think you're familiar with what Frisco has to off er, you probably need a refresher. The staff at the Frisco Convention & Visitors Bureau say the city is undergoing “constant growth.” 

“We feel like every month there’s a new project,” says Marla Roe, executive director of the Frisco Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We encourage people to check back in often, because there’s always something new coming up.”

The Hyatt Regency Austin, located on the shores of Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin, recently celebrated its 35th anniversary. The property opened its doors in 1982 and was the first downtown hotel located south of the river. The hotel continues to provide modern and upscale accommodations for travelers and underwent a recent $70 million renovation, says Michael Murphy, general manager of Hyatt Regency Austin.

With strong demand for hotel and meeting space, venues across the state are opening, renovating or rethinking their off erings for groups and events. The following options are new or newly renovated venues for meetings and events in 2017. 

The Hotel Contessa and Briscoe Western Art Museum

If you're an avid food network fan, you’ve probably noticed a steady increase in the number and types of cooking competitions over the last few years. Cooking is not only cool, it’s competitive and allows amateur chefs a chance to make it big. 

And while the rest of us may not be destined for a spot on TV shows such as “Top Chef” or “Chopped,” preparing great food is defi nitely fun. For planners, off ering groups the chance to participate in culinary events adds a creative and educational component to meetings. And it’s catching on in a big way. 

If part of your role as a meeting planner is to book incentive trips, one—or all—of the three main islands that comprise the U.S. Virgin Islands should be on your list. Each island has its own personality, whether your client’s top performers are relishing a quiet getaway or an adventure-rich paradise. 

The island of St. Thomas is home to hundreds of shops and restaurants that regularly welcome passengers who disembark the cruise ships that anchor in the island’s bay.

This historic Texas ranch turned luxury resort delivers much more than campfires and cookouts.