Dallas, TX  Event Planning

Key Highlights

Hotels 320
Total Sleeping Rooms 72,975
Committable Sleeping Rooms* 44,824
Committable Meeting Rooms* 96
Largest Exhibit Space 1,018,942 Sq. Ft.
Largest Ballroom 45,000 Sq. Ft.
Average Hotel Room Rate USD $113
Average Daily Meal Cost USD $71
Average Weekly Car Rental USD $354
*Maximum for a single hotel

Dallas, TX Meeting Planning Overview

Welcome to Cvent’s Dallas meeting planning guide – a city guide for Dallas meeting planning professionals. In addition to being one of the top leisure travel destinations in Texas, Dallas is also one of the foremost convention cities in the nation. That comes as no surprise, seeing as how the vibrant city offers an ever-evolving stream of great Dallas meeting hotels, flexible event spaces and cultural institutions. In fact, visitors can expect to see over $12 billion invested in development to what already exists in this vibrant city. Blending historic charm with modern amenities, Dallas has clearly mastered the concept of updated Southern hospitality.

Leading the way in large-scale meeting facilities is the Dallas Convention Center, one of the largest in the nation, making it an enticing facility for planners looking for a place for large-scale Dallas meeting planning needs. Redefining form and function, the convention center uses clean lines and original artwork throughout its two million square feet of space, which includes a 200,000-square-foot column-free exhibit hall and 1,740-person theater. Welcoming everything from Texas-sized events as well as intimate meetings, the center's professional staff provides everything from catering services to concierge hospitality.

Late 2011, the city of Dallas debuted the center's headquarters hotel. Connected to the Dallas Convention Center by skybridge, the Omni Dallas Hotel has 1,001 guest rooms and incorporates more than 110,000 square feet of meeting and event space. Included among its 39 meeting rooms are the Dallas and Trinity ballrooms, comprising 32,000 and 15,000 square feet, respectively. Event planners can take advantage of the Omni Dallas, or use meeting space at the city's more than 300 hotels. From the luxury boutique Hotel Zaza in Uptown to the well-equipped Renaissance Dallas, hotels in the city are all-in-one options for both accommodations and meeting space.

For an event out of the ordinary, Dallas' special event facilities offer versatile space, world-class service and authentic Texas flair. Host a grand gala of up to 350 attendees at the historic Belo Mansion & Pavilion, or treat guests to a night of honky tonk, bull riding and Texas barbecue at Gilley's Dallas. Or, be a part of a favorite Texas pastime at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Here, social events, tradeshows and conferences can take advantage of state-of-the-art technology, catering services and event spaces that include the Cowboys Locker Room and Owner's Club.

No matter the facility, guests find that hopping from the hotel in the morning to the convention center during the day to the restaurant for post-meeting cocktails is easy in Dallas. Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) covers 45 miles of light rail lines and 120 bus routes – including convention center service – making it a convenient and reliable option for out-of-town guests. Arriving in the city itself is a breeze as well, thanks to its central location fewer than four hours by air from the East or West coasts. Plus, the DFW International Airport – ranked one of the best airports in North America for customer service – serves 36 international destinations with non-stop flights.

Numerous industries thrive in Dallas, including petroleum, computer technology, telecommunications, banking and transportation. The Dallas-Fort Worth area boasts one of the largest concentrations of headquarters in the county, including over 10 Fortune 500 companies in the city itself. AT&T, Comerica Bank, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, 7-Eleven, Neiman Marcus, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fossil and RadioShack are among the companies based in the region. Also a center for higher education, Dallas is home to 38 colleges, including the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas Baptist University, and University of North Texas at Dallas.

About Dallas, TX / Additional Info

With about 1.3 million residents, Dallas is the 3rd largest city in Texas and the main economic hub of the 12-county Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area. First founded by Europeans around a crossing at the Trinity River, Dallas remained under Spanish rule until 1821, and later under Mexican rule until the formation of the Republic of Texas in 1836. Nine years later, the city was voluntarily annexed by the United States, at which point it began its rise to economic prominence thanks to cotton, grain, and, of course, oil.

Today, the city is a unique blend of natural beauty, rich history and industrious spirit. Defined by rolling prairie flatland and an abundance of creeks and rivers, Dallas' 385 square miles are also marked by several towering skyscrapers. In fact, several buildings reach over 700 feet in height, including the Renaissance Tower, the JPMorgan Chase Tower and Fountain Place. At 560 feet, the Reunion Tower remains an iconic landmark on the Dallas skyline and is now home to the new Five Sixty restaurant by Wolfgang Puck.

Among these feats of construction await a host of engaging attractions. The Dallas Arts District is one of the largest urban arts districts in the United States, home to notable Dallas event venues such as the Nasher Sculpture Center, the Crow Collection of Asian Art and the brand-new AT&T Performing Arts Center. Also in the district, the Dallas Museum of Art is known as one of the most innovative art institutions in the country. Here, guests can browse over 23,000 works of art and participate in one of the museum's 2,000 activities and programs.

Dallas is also a great city to enjoy art of a different form: fashion. This Texas city is an expert in shopping; in fact, it has more shopping centers per capita than any other city in the country. It is also home to the 2nd shopping center ever built in the United States, Highland Park Village, and two major Texas malls, the Dallas Galleria and NorthPark Center. In addition to shopping high-end retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom at these malls, guests can also enjoy a host of restaurants, movie theaters and entertainment options.

If shopping isn't the sport of choice, Dallas guests can easily find other ways to stay active in the city. Over 61 miles of biking and jogging trails crisscross Fair Park, host of the 1936 Texas Centennial Exposition. This 260-acre recreational haven also features over 250 sports fields, 60 swimming pools, nearly 260 picnic areas, six 18-hole golf courses and even the popular Dallas Zoo. Visitors can also leave the athletics to the professional and catch a game at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium, the largest dome stadium in the world.

Dallas comes alive after dark with a wealth of live music attractions, restaurants, bars and comedy clubs. Enjoy cocktails nearly as smooth as the jazz music performed nightly by musicians at Sambuca restaurant in the Deep Ellum neighborhood. Or, sit back for a night of laughs at Backdoor Comedy, voted one of the best comedy clubs in Dallas. For a more laidback night on the town, visitors can enjoy dinner at one of many top-notch restaurants such as Fearing's, Abacus and Bob's Steak & Chop House, where the porterhouse steak weigh in at an impressive 28 ounces. From its steaks to its stadiums to its shopping, Dallas truly shows guests how to "Live Large. Think Big."

 
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