MEETING & EVENT Planner Guide
INTERSATE INTERSATE INTERSATE TEXAS WACO HAS THE MOST CENTRAL CONVENTION SITE The Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau is committed to helping make your Waco event a great success, from booking your event through the event itself. Our mission is to market Waco as a destination for conventions and events of all kinds. If your event requires Waco hotel rooms, let us go to work for you. We work with all facilities in town and are knowledgeable about what facility is best suited to your needs. Our services are FREE, and we can save you time and money. We offer local expertise, contacts, and an automated hotel rate quote system. WHY CHOOSE WACO FOR YOUR EVENT? Waco is located within a 3-hour drive of 80% of the population of Texas. Waco is located just 90 miles from Dallas/Ft. Worth and Austin. We specialize in hosting groups that rely on a strong Texas attendence. 4,000 hotel rooms in the market. 1,000 committable hotel rooms. Dedicated and experienced convention sales and service staff. Ft.Worth 35 San Antonio 35W Austin Dallas 35E INTERSATE 35 6 Houston The Waco Convention Center is a great place for large group training. Its proximity to the Waco Hilton as well as other nearby hotels made our stay very accessible. A team of true professionals! -Kevin Harrington HOT Cooperative Special Ed Training
Waco CONVENTION CENTER FOR LARGE EVENTS Chisholm Hall wacocc.com The Waco Convention Center hosts conventions ranging from 300 to 3,000 attendees. It is owned by the City of Waco. The Center is across the street from Indian Spring Park, the 1870 Suspension Bridge and the Brazos River. Attendees can walk across Franklin Ave. to enjoy many diverse restaurants and food trucks, as well as boutique shopping. Just six blocks away, attendees can enjoy Magnolia Market (owned by Chip & Joanna Gaines), which includes shopping, a bakery, food trucks, and FREE lawn games. HIGHLIGHTS AND FEATURES: Located 6 blocks from I-35 in downtown Waco. 144,000 sq. ft. total footprint. Chisholm Hall - 32,976 sq. ft. exhibit hall, seats 1,472 at banquet rounds and 2,600 theater style. McLennan Hall - 15,000 sq. ft. hall, seats 680 at banquet rounds and 1,200 theater style. Brazos Ballroom - 0ur signature 13,818 sq. ft. ballroom with a stunning view of the 1870 Suspension Bridge, bamboo hardwood floors, and built-in A/V. Seats 624 at banquet rounds or 1,170 theater style. 15 breakout rooms on the lower level, ranging from a board room seating 28, up to a room seating 208 at banquet rounds. FREE wireless internet (password protected). In-house bar services. In-house and preferred catering services. 900+ FREE parking spaces located on-street and in two adjacent parking lots. 250 hotel rooms located adjacent to the Waco Convention Center. The Hilton Waco (196 rooms) is connected by a covered walkway. Courtyard by Marriott (153 rooms) is directly across the street.
EXTRACO EVENTS CENTER www.extracoeventscenter.com The Extraco Events Center, home of the Heart O Texas Fair & Rodeo, hosts over 225 events annually, with an attendance of 420,000. It is owned by McLennan County and operated by the Heart O Texas Fair Inc. HIGHLIGHTS AND FEATURES: 6,000 seat climate controlled Coliseum, expandable to 9,000 with seats on the arena floor. 24,000 sq. ft. Extraco Exhibits Building. 14,000 sq. ft. Extraco Creative Arts Building. Extraco Show Pavilion: - Indoor climate controlled 125 x 250 arena with seating for 800. - An attached 125 x 280 covered arena. - 710 horse stalls, RV Parking hookups, full catering and concession services. McLANE STADIUM / BAYLOR CLUB www.mclanestadium.com / www.clubcorp.com/clubs/baylor-club 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 McLane Stadium is owned by Baylor University and the City of Waco, and the facility is managed by SMG. It opened in 2014. The stadium features the Baylor Club, a dining and event space located on the stadium s west side, operated by ClubCorp. The Baylor Club ballroom offers floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the field and panoramic views of the Brazos River and Waco. McLANE STADIUM Capacity of 45,140 spectators, expandable to 55,000. High-definition LED video board (5,029 sq. ft.) behind the south end zone. Located on the Brazos River, the stadium is accessible by boat and has an adjacent dock and cove. BAYLOR CLUB Ballroom, Level 200 - featuring 40 ceilings, views of downtown; accommodates 400 banquet style, 500 for a reception. Suite Lounge, Level 400 with 30 floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking downtown; seats 250 banquet or 350 reception style. North Lounge, Level 400. Capacity of 80 banquet style, or 110 reception. Baylor Club President s Suite, the premier space at McLane Stadium. Features an outdoor balcony and gorgeous views of the football field, Baylor s campus, and Downtown Waco. Capacity for 80 banquet or 150 for a reception. There are also two Private Suites (30 banquet each) and a Press Lounge (110 banquet). 102 101 138 103 137 136 104 135 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 134 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 133 The Heart O Texas Fair & Rodeo, is host to almost 200,000 attendees over 10 days 132 131 130 Events Center Home of the Heart O Texas Fair & Rodeo 129 128 127 126 125 124 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 116 123 117 118 119 120 121 122
Complimentary SERVICES FROM THE WACO CVB YOUR OWN DEDICATED CONVENTION SALES & SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TO ASSIST YOU FROM START TO FINISH. Automated hotel rate quotes. Written bid proposals with the full details you need to plan your event. Assistance with booking any facility in town. Assistance with finding local vendors, including caterers, florists, transportation, and decorators. FREE customized page on our website, listing your event s hotel rates. Waco site inspections for you and your board or committee. Special ACTIVITIES FOR GROUPS OR SPOUSES LOOKING FOR A NEW AND UNIQUE ACTIVITY? WACO HAS IT! Guided group tours of the Waco area from your choice of local tour companies. Scenic boat tours of the Brazos River. Helicopter tours. A golf tournament at an area golf course. An exciting team building exercise such as kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, canoeing, or mountain biking. A banquet at a unique local venue such as the Suspension Bridge, a historic theatre, or an area museum. Shopping at the world-famous Magnolia Market complex. MORE TOUR IDEAS ARE AVAILABLE AT wacoheartoftexas.com/things-to-do/tours
Area Hawaiian Falls ATTRACTIONS FOR EVERYBODY! Mayborn Museum MAGNOLIA MARKET Owned by Chip and Joanna Gaines, this destination shopping market is visited by over 1 million visitors each year. In addition to the Magnolia Market gifts and home goods store, visitors can enjoy food trucks, gardens and shaded picnic areas, outdoor lawn activities, a garden store, and Silos Baking Co. Ride the FREE trolley! CAMERON PARK ZOO A 52-acre, award-winning natural habitat zoo located within Cameron Park. The Zoo showcases over 1,700 animals representing 300 species. Rentable areas for outdoor offsite events. TEXAS RANGER HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM Dedicated to the oldest law enforcement agency in Texas. Knox Center seats up to 500 banquet and has fabulous views of the Brazos River and McLane Stadium. TEXAS SPORTS HALL OF FAME Nolan Ryan exhibit, Southwest Conference memorabilia, and banquet space. DR PEPPER MUSEUM & FREE ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885 and is one year older than Coke. Offers rentable areas. Check out the new Emerson Holt-Ted Getterman Gallery in the new wing! MAYBORN MUSEUM COMPLEX Includes natural history, historic village, and interactive learning rooms. WACO MAMMOTH NATIONAL MONUMENT Dig shelter featuring fossils of 6 Columbian mammoths and several other Ice Age animals.to date, 23 Mammoths have been discovered in this area. HOMESTEAD HERITAGE TRADITIONAL CRAFTS VILLAGE Shopping, top-rated café, and FREE self-guided tours. 1870 SUSPENSION BRIDGE The oldest in Texas. WINERIES/ VINEYARDS Waco Winery, Valley Mills Vineyards, Kissing Tree Vineyards. BALCONES DISTILLING Maker of award winning whiskys. Tours available through their website. Texas Ranger Hall of Fame & Museum Waco Hippodrome was built in 1914 Homestead Craft Village
Easy Ride the FREE Downtown Trolley ACCESS AROUND THE AREA Waco Regional Airport is serviced by American Airlines, flying to and from from D/FW airport. Waco is located on I-35, 90 miles from Austin and Dallas/Fort Worth. Highway 84 allows access from West Texas and Northeast Texas. Partner HOTELS WITH ROOM BLOCKS Waco Regional Airport Highway 6 is the fastest route from Houston (about a 3 hour drive). In town, Waco is serviced by Yellow Cab, Uber and Lyft. Motorcoaches are available for rental through Echo Transportation. 1,000 Rooms for Groups These hotels actively participate in providing room blocks for conventions and events. We can obtain automated rate quotes for your group through our software system at no charge to you. CANDLEWOOD SUITES 99 rooms 700 S New Rd. 254.662.0520 COMFORT SUITES NORTH 94 rooms 810 I-35 North 254.799.7272 COMFORT SUITES SOUTH 74 rooms 2700 LaSalle Ave. 254.537.0413 COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT 153 rooms 101 Washington Ave. 254.752.8686 HAMPTON INN & SUITES WACO SOUTH 124 rooms 2501 Marketplace Dr. 254.662.9500 HOME2 SUITES BY HILTON 105 rooms 2500 Bagby Ave. 254.752.4400 HOMEWOOD SUITES BY HILTON 88 rooms 5620 Legend Lake Pkwy. 254.644.4663 HOTEL INDIGO 111 rooms 211 Clay Ave. 254.754.7000 QUALITY INN & SUITES NORTH 56 rooms 1508 IH-35 S. 254.799.9989 QUALITY INN AND SUITES SOUTH 71 rooms 2410 S. New Rd. 254.296.0550 HILTON GARDEN INN (Opening 2018) 111 rooms 5800 Legend Lake Parkway HILTON WACO UNIVERSITY PARKS 195 rooms 113 S. University Parks Dr. 254.754.8484 HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS & SUITES WACO SOUTH 111 rooms 5701 Legend Lake Pkwy. 254.732.1028 HOLIDAY INN WACO NORTHWEST 122 rooms 1801 Development Blvd. 254.799.9997 RESIDENCE INN 78 rooms 501 University Parks Dr. 254.714.1386 SLEEP INN & SUITES 66 rooms 209 Enterprise Blvd. 254.420.3200 TOWNEPLACE SUITES 93 rooms 5621 Legend Lake Pkwy. 254.420.3000 The staff works with us to make our convention better. In essence, we consider them part of the team that makes our event work so smoothly. -Aron Hodge Texas Clogging Council
Our group has been to many different places over the past 38 years. We work best when we are in partnership with a facility. The Waco CVB staff goes above and beyond to make this partnership work. -Bryan Bunselmeyer TAPPS Contact OUR STAFF WITH ANY QUESTIONS WACO CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU P.O. Box 2570 Waco, TX 76702-2570 Rhonda Sullivan, CMP Director of Sales Office: 254.750.5814 rhondas@wacotx.gov Sandra Lane, CMP Sales & Service Office: 254.750.5815 sandral@wacotx.gov April Synder Senior Administrative Assistant Office: 254.750.5827 aprils@wacotx.gov Jason Elliott Sales & Service Office: 254.750.5726 jasone@wacotx.gov OFFICE LOCATION: Waco Convention Center 100 Washington Avenue Waco, TX 76701 Toll Free: 800.321.9226 Main Office: 254.750.5810 Fax: 254.750.5801 Website: wacocc.com Mandy Spikes Conventions Sales & Service Manager Office: 254.750.5805 mandys@wacotx.gov Caelie Carolina Aguilar Sales & Service Office: 254.750.5804 carolinaa@wacotx.gov Melinda Adams Sales & Service Office: 254.750.5828 melindaa@wacotx.gov If you don t know who to call, contact Mandy!