MORE OF EVERYTHING NORTH TEXAS. The explosive growth of North Texas is paying off for planners and groups seeking new venues and activities.

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NORTH TEXAS MORE OF EVERYTHING The explosive growth of North Texas is paying off for planners and groups seeking new venues and activities. BY JASON HENSEL Maybe it s the weather.

1 NORTH TEXAS MORE OF EVERYTHING The explosive growth of North Texas is paying off for planners and groups seeking new venues and activities. BY JASON HENSEL Maybe it s the weather. Maybe it s the no state income tax. Maybe it s the hundreds of shareable bicycles. Whatever it is, people are moving to North Texas en masse. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area added more than 100,000 people between 2015 and 2016, making it one of the largest numeric-gaining areas for that year. This growth is welcome by meeting and event planners throughout North Texas, because it means more event spaces, more attractions and more things for groups to do. With growth comes more competition for the planner s business, says Patty Phelps (MPI Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter), vice president of sales and partner of ACCESS TEXAS. Competition breeds creativity, thinking beyond limits and incredible service at hotels and with DMCs. Let s go through a few North Texas cities to see what s new and on the horizon. ARLINGTON Arlington, nestled between Dallas and Fort Worth, is where the National Football League s Dallas Cowboys and Major League Baseball s Texas Rangers play. AT&T Sta- dium and Globe Life Park each offer event space for groups. It s also home to other group activities such as Six Flags Over Texas, an amusement park that will open the new Harley Quinn Spinsanity ride in spring 2018, the Six Flags Hurricane Harbor waterpark and the International Bowling Museum. Arlington s US$250 million entertainment development, Texas Live!, is beginning to take shape and is expected to open in It will be anchored by a new ballpark (with a roof!) for the Texas Rangers. Plans are in place, too, for a Live! By Loews hotel to open in The hotel, along with the convention 50 THE MEETING PROFESSIONAL MARCH 2018

It creates a more dynamic destination in Texas Live! Not only can fans come early and stay late, but they can stay over. We certainly hope to capture visiting teams when they come to town.

2 SUNDANCE SQUARE - FORT WORTH CVB Deep Ellum is home to everything from tattoo shops to hip dining to comedy clubs and bars. center annex, offers the city the potential to greatly increase its convention and tourism business, Blake Cordish, vice president of developer The Cordish Companies, said in a statement. It creates a more dynamic destination in Texas Live! Not only can fans come early and stay late, but they can stay over. We certainly hope to capture visiting teams when they come to town. We hope to be a great compliment for attractions such as Six Flags and sports fans and entertainment fans. Restaurants planned for the entertainment district include Lockhart Smokehouse, Revolver Brewery and a restaurant from the Mayor of Flavortown, Chef Guy Fieri. Opening in August 2018, the 136-room Aloft Arlington Entertainment District will offer 580 square feet of meeting space. Groups get free Wi-Fi and can use 50-inch, lat-panel plasma TVs in the meeting rooms. The hotel will be across the highway from Six Flags Over Texas and Globe Life Park. DALLAS Dallas offers more than 77,000 guest rooms across a wide variety of hotel properties. In 2017, there were plans to open 17 new hotels, with some of the biggest developments happening downtown and in Deep Ellum, an entertainment district. Deep Ellum has come back as the cool area of town, Phelps says. The music scene has come back in droves with The Bomb Factory and Trees featuring top artists of every genre as well as old-time favorites, and the famous Pecan Lodge (barbecue) has helped revive the foodie atmosphere. Deep Ellum is a great location for planners seeking to entertain groups. Three streets wide and stretching from Good-Latimer to Main Street, this walkable district is home to everything from tattoo shops to hip dining to comedy clubs and bars. A few PEROT MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE MPIWEB.ORG 51

Other Dallas areas to consider for groups are Trinity Groves, which offers several restaurants under one roof, and Bishop Arts in Oak Cliff.

3 GLOBE LIFE PARK - JIM COWSERT popular locations and restaurants for groups include the Dallas Comedy House, Deep Ellum Brewing Co. and the recently opened Harlowe MXM, which offers a large restaurant downstairs and a rooftop bar. Other Dallas areas to consider for groups are Trinity Groves, which offers several restaurants under one roof, and Bishop Arts in Oak Cliff. Bishop Arts is a culinary treasure with all chef-inspired restaurants, Phelps says. The stores are all individually owned with a very gypsy vibe. Downtown Dallas The Statler Hotel was once a favorite of ilm stars, musicians and politicians from its opening in 1956 to its closing in After three years of renovations, the famed hotel reopened in 2017 featuring 159 guest rooms and 17,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including an 11,500-square-foot ballroom. Its downtown location offers guests easy access to the Main Street Garden Park and Deep Ellum. A new hotel for planners booking smaller groups to consider is Marriott s AC Hotel Dallas Downtown, which is one mile from the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. Located one block away from Main Street, with its many restaurants and retail outlets, this boutique hotel offers 1,371 square feet of event space, four meeting rooms, 128 guest rooms and two restaurants. Just outside of downtown in the South Side on Lamar area is the new 237-room Lorenzo Hotel. This modern (some would say funky or quirky or artsy) property offers planners a 3,040-square-foot ballroom and a 448-square-foot meeting room. Groups can also use Toast, the hotel s 1,440-square-foot banquet space on the 12th loor. The Lorenzo is close to the convention center, as well as popular entertainment spaces such as the Alamo Drafthouse and Gilley s Dallas. FRISCO Frisco, a half-hour by car north of downtown Dallas, is a city growing in popularity for families and planners. It s home to Dr Pepper Ballpark, Toyota Stadium and Dr Pepper Arena (all available for group rental). The city offers 2,300 guest rooms and the third-largest ballroom in Texas (the Embassy Suites by Hilton Dallas Frisco Hotel Convention Center & Spa). If you like the NFL s Dallas Cowboys, then the Omni Frisco Hotel is for you. Connected to The Star, the Cowboys new headquarters and practice facility that can also play host to 52 THE MEETING PROFESSIONAL MARCH 2018

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field Airport are each approximately a half-hour away from the hotel by car.

4 events, the hotel offers 300 guest rooms and 24,000 square feet of event space. There s also an elevated pool deck that can play host to events for up to 300 people, along with the Lobby Bar and the Neighborhood Services restaurant. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field Airport are each approximately a half-hour away from the hotel by car. The 295-room Hyatt Regency Stonebriar will open in 2019 and offer 50,000 square feet of meeting space and connection to the Stonebriar Centre mall. The 110-room Hotel Indigo Frisco opened across the street from the Frisco Convention Center in November It offers two meeting rooms for a combined 1,086 square feet. FORT WORTH When groups say they want to experience cowboy culture, herd them toward Fort Worth, home of the world-famous stockyards, with its cattle drives, rodeos and honky tonks. There s another side to the city, though, with world-class museums (Modern Art Museum, Kimbell Art Museum, Amon Carter Museum of American Art), entertainment districts (Sundance Square, Panther Island, West 7th, Near Southside) and festivals OMNI FRISCO HOTEL - FRISCO CVB Competition breeds creativity, thinking beyond limits and incredible service at hotels and with DMCs. MPIWEB.ORG 53

MODERN ART MUSEUM - FORT WORTH CVB Want to experience cowboy culture? Herd guests toward Fort Worth, home of the world-famous stockyards, with its cattle drives, rodeos and honky tonks.

5 MODERN ART MUSEUM - FORT WORTH CVB Want to experience cowboy culture? Herd guests toward Fort Worth, home of the world-famous stockyards, with its cattle drives, rodeos and honky tonks. (Fortress Festival, Main Street Fort Worth Arts Festival, Lone Star Film Festival). The Dickies Arena will be located on the Will Rogers Memorial Center campus when it opens in November The arena will be able to accommodate conventions, events, meetings and receptions. It will have a 28,915-square-foot event loor, 86,932 square feet of meeting space inside the main arena and six loading dock bays. The Exhibit Arena will accommodate x 10 exhibit booths, and a 10,450-square-foot pavilion can be enclosed for events. There will be 86,865 square feet of exhibit space surrounding the pavilion. From Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co. comes the largest whiskey distillery west of the Mississippi. Whiskey Ranch is located southeast of downtown Fort Worth on 112 acres of the former Glen Garden Country Club. You can play golf on its 18-hole course, and the venue can play host to up to 300 guests in its event space, with plenty of room for outdoor events as well. GRAPEVINE Groups often love to visit Grapevine for its wineries and festivals. Last year the city council approved a $325 million development deal called Silver Lake Crossings that includes hotels, a multifamily housing complex and an of ice building. It will be located approximately two miles from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. This 27-mile, nine-station TEXRail line will run from downtown Fort Worth through Grapevine and into Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport when it opens in late There are plans to include a boutique hotel in 2019, as well as an outdoor plaza at the Grapevine station. Outlaw Cider Co. opened Grapevine s 54 THE MEETING PROFESSIONAL MARCH 2018

irst cidery in 2017. The Cider House is in downtown Grapevine and available for group rental.

7 irst cidery in The Cider House is in downtown Grapevine and available for group rental. GET TO KNOW SHERRY DELAGARZA SHERRY DELAGARZA, CMP, CMM, is the southwest region and FSO meeting planner for Ernst & Young LLP and has been in the meeting and event industry for more than 20 years. She s also the immediate past president of the MPI Dallas/Fort Worth Chapter, where she served four terms on its board of directors from and two terms as its vice president of leadership from In 2007, she was awarded the chapter s Planner of the Year award, and in 2012 she was awarded the chapter s Spirit Award. She s also passionate about mentorship, and in 2015 was awarded the chapter s Mentor of the Year award. Getting Started in the Industry: I answered an ad in the newspaper for an office manager to organize a startup office. I got the job and went to work for a member-based international association. The executive director and I were the first full-time staff and remained the only staff for about three years. During that time, the executive director provided me the opportunity to assist with some of the planning of the annual conference my first taste of event planning. I was hooked. Within two years, I was promoted to event planner and concentrated completely on conference planning, so we hired another person to take over the office manager position. I was then promoted to conference manager. It became an obsession! What Drives Her: Foremost, the people. I have met so many incredible people who have been mentors and influenced my growth professionally and personally. They genuinely wanted to see me flourish. Second, there is never a dull day. This is an industry of challenges and changes, and every day provides an opportunity to learn something new. I ve held positions in several member-based associations as a third-party meeting planner and now as a corporate planner. With each position, I ve grown and learned different facets of the industry, acquired additional mentors and strengthened my knowledge and skills as a meeting professional. Mentorship: I am passionate about giving back to the industry and paying forward what JEFF LOY my mentors have provided to me. If I can do one thing to help someone else gain knowledge and thrive in the industry, then I ve succeeded in growing the industry itself. I usually end up learning just as much from the mentee as I provide as their mentor! Being a mentor is highly rewarding. To aide in someone else s growth and accomplish their chosen career path is akin to watching a child take their first step, then walk, then run. I m currently watching a mentee who was brand new to the industry and needed to learn as much as possible in a short time. She has become an integral part of our MPI chapter, now also serving on the board of directors. Growth Opportunities: The biggest area of growth I see is to educate the general population on the full impact of the hospitality and meeting industry on local, national and global economies. There are so many people who are an important piece of the industry that the general public doesn t realize from the security guard at a concert to the shipping clerk making sure event materials are delivered on time. The industry isn t just a hotel, restaurant or conference center. It s the behind-the-scenes individuals who make the industry tick. Without meetings and events, these individuals wouldn t be able to support their families, afford to attend college, etc. A Significant Accomplishment: Becoming a member and getting involved in MPI. Through the people I ve met, who have been my mentors and mentees, the education and the networking, I ve gained the knowledge, confidence and network of people to call on when I need help with a solution. I know I would not be where I am in my career, and personal life, if I had remained a member on paper. And if someone had told me 20 years ago that I would serve as president of a 600-plus member chapter, I would have laughed at them. I have not only gained knowledge, friends and contacts, I have gained confidence, especially in the fact that I have about 599 members who are behind me holding me up to make sure I don t fall. IRVING Located close to Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Irving offers more than 12,000 guest rooms across more than 75 hotels. For large-scale events, planners should consider the 275,000-square-foot Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas. The 250,000-square-foot Toyota Music Factory development features an 8,000-capacity amphitheater, a 50,000-square-foot event plaza and more than 20 dining options. The 152-room Texican Court will open adjacent to the Irving Convention Center in fall It will feature 3,000 square feet of meeting and event space PLANO Plano is just a hair north of Dallas and is home to Toyota s new headquarters, as well as other large-scale companies such as Capital One, Cinemark, Frito-Lay and Nokia. These large companies often bring in groups, making Plano an ideal location for meetings and events. The 304-room Renaissance Dallas at Plano Legacy West opened in summer It features more than 26,000 square feet of meeting and event space, 17 meeting rooms, an Asian fusion restaurant and an outdoor pool deck. The hotel is approximately 20 miles from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Dallas Love Field Airport. The three-story, 55,000-square-foot food and entertainment venue Legacy Hall is modeled after European food halls. It offers 20 food stalls with everything from burgers to tacos to yakitori. The second level is the main seating area and can accommodate up to 250 people. The third loor houses the Unlawful Assembly Brewery & Tap Room, where tours and tastings are available for private events. Opening in spring 2018, The Box Garden will be located on the ground level, and it s built out of reclaimed shipping containers. The courtyard will play host to more than 1,500 people and feature multiple themed bars, as well as a 600-square-foot stage with an LED screen. 56 THE MEETING PROFESSIONAL MARCH 2018

A R L I N G T O N // T E X A S 1 THE CORDISH COMPANIES + TEXAS RANGERS TEXAS LIVE! 1

A R L I N G T O N // T E X A S 1 THE CORDISH COMPANIES + TEXAS RANGERS TEXAS LIVE! 1 ARLINGTON // TEXAS TEXAS LIVE! 1 THE CAPITAL OF SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT $4 BILLION MASTERPLAN 4 THE CORDISH COMPANIES + TEXAS RANGERS TEXAS LIVE! 5 WORLD-CLASS DINING & ENTERTAINMENT $1.25 BILLION FIRST