HOUSTON – Texas Senate Bill 1057 is now law, a game changer for Houston, according to Michael Heckman, President and CEO at Houston First Corporation, the city’s official destination marketing organization. This new legislation will provide approximately $2 billion in funding for the city to transform and reimagine the George R. Brown Convention Center and the surrounding Houston convention district.
“The funding will ensure that Houston remains a Tier One convention and major event destination for decades to come and will drive billions of dollars in incremental economic impact for Houston in the years ahead,” said Heckman. “The opportunities for the future are endless. I and my colleagues at Houston First Corporation are extremely energized about this project and the exciting months and years ahead.”
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Houston has been in the spotlight as a gathering spot for conventions and trade shows. It was announced that it will host PCMA’s Convening Leaders conference, one the nation’s top gathering of meeting, convention and trade show professionals in 2025.
The group’s flagship education and networking event, will be held January 12-15, 2025, at the George R. Brown Convention Center, the 25th anniversary of the conference. “The business events industry plays a critical role in bringing people together that drives economic growth and social good for individuals, organizations, and communities,” said PCMA President and CEO Sherrif Karamat.
The George R. Brown Convention Center held Trade Show Executive’s Gold 100-ranked Cattle Industry Annual Convention & NCBA Trade Show and the Fastest 50-ranked TAA ONE Conference & Expo in 2022.
“We look forward to hosting the premier gathering of meetings professionals in the country when Convening Leaders comes to Houston in 2025,” said Heckman. “Not only is Houston a great destination enjoyed by millions of visitors annually, but our George R. Brown Convention Center campus is the perfect place for event professionals to collaborate and be inspired while also enjoying the world-class culinary and cultural offerings of the nation’s most diverse city.” Trade show attendees will have many new hotels awaiting them. Houston’s hotel inventory continues to expand, with more than 20 new properties coming online in the last three years and dozens more on the horizon. The Houston convention district market has added just over 2,700 rooms across 22 different properties since the beginning of 2021.
Reach Michael Heckman at mheckman@houstonfirst.com; Sherrif Karamat at skaramat@pcma.org
Photo courtesy of Houston First Corporation
