May 26, 2003 - FORT WORTH, Texas--City and convention officials have swung wide the doors to the two-phase, $75 million expansion and renovation of the Fort Worth Convention Center, and there are 17 shows queued up through 2012. 

The Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers, the National Association of Postmasters of the United States, the United Methodist Church and the Texas Municipal League are among the groups that have commitments with the expanded center. 

Fort Worth officials say several of those shows wouldn't be on the calendar if it weren't for the expansion, and there are more to be had as negotiations continue for additional events. 

The Fort Worth center nearly doubled its exhibit space through the two expansions and significantly increased its meeting and event space. But it remains smaller than some of the state's leading convention locales, including centers in Austin, Dallas and San Antonio, as well as the Wyndham Anatole Hotel in Dallas and the Gaylord Opryland Texas Resort & Convention Center under construction in Grapevine. 

Fort Worth convention officials are saying that the expansion alone won't keep Cowtown competitive on the meeting and convention scene. 

"The fact of the matter is, without the expansion, a number of those major bookings would not have taken place," said Doug Harman, president and chief executive of the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Almost all of those same bookings, however, have concerns that the hotel package matches the convention center." 

Harman said several groups have committed to come to Fort Worth but left an opening for reconsideration if a hotel doesn't come on line before they are scheduled to hold their shows. 

"It's an excellent space," he said. "The next thing people always ask about is what is the availability, quality and quantity of hotels. The city announced a plan, and they gave us a date when the additional 600 rooms would be done. We are now in a situation where we are not able to sell it to the clients. The plan has been taken off the shelf." 

Last year, the city was on its way to building a convention center hotel and was negotiating with Hilton Hotel Corp. to operate it. But by October, downtown hoteliers led a group of residents against the city-financed plan and began a petition drive to put the issue before voters. When enough signatures were secured to force a vote, the city took plans for its $160 million hotel project off the table in December and put together a panel to review the project. 

The expansion of the convention center, which the city cut the ribbon on more than a week ago, pushes the center to more than a quarter-million square feet of exhibit space. There is a 30,000-square-foot ballroom, 41 meeting rooms with more than 58,000 square feet of space and a 13,500-seat arena. 

When Fort Worth finished the first phase of its expansion in April 2002, it was a welcome change for the Texas Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. The group, which has met several times in Fort Worth, had to spread its meetings and special events among the center and several downtown hotels. But at the group's December 2002 meeting, it could keep activities under one roof for the first time in years. 

"Our members would much rather be in one location as opposed to being in the convention center, then going to the hotels," said Lisa Fall, director of conventions and meetings for the alliance. "We have around 3,000 attendees that come, and we have several breakouts. There's just a lot of activity going on. We would much rather use one facility. We're looking to go back to Fort Worth." 

Fall said it might be nice to have a convention center hotel, but she said it had no effect on her decision to book meetings in the city. Yet meeting officials view the hotel as an advantage and say Fort Worth needs all the advantages it can get in an increasingly competitive convention market. 

Locally, the Opryland convention center is on the horizon in Grapevine. Dallas has finished its convention center expansion, which pushes that property over 1 million square feet of exhibit space. Dallas hotels such as the Wyndham Anatole and Adam's Mark have exhibit and meeting space to rival the Fort Worth center. 

Then there are competitive pressures outside the area. Austin has completed a convention center expansion and will have an adjoining hotel open by January. Houston is expanding its convention center, and it will have an adjoining convention center hotel. There are also more cities going after a shrinking pool of convention and meeting business. 

"As the economy has gotten more difficult, so has there been a huge increase in competitive efforts of jurisdictions," Harman said. 

"There may be a particular association or group who might get three or four or five proposals or bids. They're getting 30 or 40 or 50." 

Kelly Shulz, manager of communications for Meeting Planners International, said changing technology demands that convention centers constantly upgrade and expand to accommodate their clients. 

On top of that, however, surveys of their members reveal that an adjacent or attached convention center hotel is a desired amenity. A recent survey showed that 94 percent of those coordinating a large or medium meeting said an adjacent convention center hotel was essential or very important. 

"A host hotel makes it all the more convenient for planners and attendees," said Marsha Flanagan, senior vice president of professional development and strategic events. "Fort Worth probably could have brought in some larger-sized conventions than they could without a hotel there." 

One of those is the Texas Medical Association. The group's annual Texmed draws 3,800 to 4,200 attendees and exhibitors. On a peak night, they need 800 hotel rooms, and that's one of the reasons they prefer to go somewhere with a convention center hotel. 

That preference is reflected in the Texmed schedule. In 2004, the group will be in Austin, and in 2005 it will meet at Opryland in Grapevine. 

Kim Koschemann, director of conference management with the Texas Medical Association, said Austin wasn't a consideration until it got the convention center hotel. She said a convention center hotel makes it easier to keep track of delegates and get people onto the trade show floor. Also, multiple hotels lead to the added expense of shuttle service. 

"We had to do that in San Antonio, and it was horrible," Koschemann said. "Our attendance at meetings was down. You can't get people on the exhibit floor, and the exhibitors get mad and say they won't come back. It's hard to keep a handle on your meeting." 

She said if Fort Worth had a convention center hotel, it would get consideration from her group. 

The Texas Library Association said the same thing. The group draws 8,000 people and needs as many as 2,600 rooms on a peak night. There is a banquet for 2,100, a 2,000-person general session and a requirement for 250,000 square feet of exhibit space. 

These are all things the Fort Worth Convention Center can handle. But the city cannot give the association enough rooms, said Patricia Smith, the group's executive director. 

"Fort Worth desperately needs more quality hotel rooms in the downtown area," she said. "Our attendees and exhibitors love coming to Fort Worth, a friendly city with fabulous museums and entertainment opportunities as well as a thriving downtown area. 

We're eager to book Fort Worth for another convention as soon as a new hotel is built. 

"For many years, we were limited to a three-city rotation of Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. Because of the recent expansion of the Austin Convention Center and the construction of an 800-room hotel that is connected to the convention center, we have just contracted with Austin for our 2005 conference." 

Herb Biddle, president and chief executive of Fort Worth-based Nations Best Sports, wants to make Fort Worth the permanent home for its sporting goods markets. It has been having the markets here for 45 years. He said expanding the convention center has helped the event stay in its hometown. Now the hotels need to keep pace. 

"As we grow, the infrastructure that supports the convention center has to grow and change as well," Biddle said. "It's not up to standards in other cities with whom we compete. In exit interviews, the first thing we hear is, 'Gee, we can't stay downtown because we can't find a decent place to stay.' There are nice hotel rooms, but there aren't enough. The inventory needs to be upgraded significantly." 

CONVENTION CENTER CONTRACTS SET 

Several groups have signed multiyear contracts to hold their meetings at the revamped Fort Worth Convention Center, while others have earmarked specific years for events. 

-- Premier Designs: Multiple-year contract 

-- Nations Best Sports: Multiple-year contract 

-- Army Aviation Association of America: 2003 

-- Society of Automotive Engineers: 2003 

-- Daughters of the Nile, Supreme Temple: 2003 

-- Texas High School Coaches Assn.: 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 

-- Southwest Veterinary Symposium: 2003, 2007, 2009 

-- Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers: 20004 

-- Unitarian Universalist Assn.: 2005 

-- National Emergency Number Assn.: 2006 

-- National Assn. of Postmasters of the United States: 2006 

-- Christian Church (Disciples of Christ): 2007 

-- World Airline Entertainment: 2008 

-- United Methodist Church: 2008 

-- American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: 2008 

-- Texas Municipal League: 2009 

-- General Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star: 2012 

SOURCE: Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau 

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