The words you are searching are inside this book. To get more targeted content, please make full-text search by clicking here.
Discover the best professional documents and content resources in AnyFlip Document Base.
Search
Published by nanou, 2019-09-17 17:54:05

iDesign - Cities - Houston

iDesign - Cities - Houston

Why Houston?

Quick Facts Key Facts

• Convention Center(s): • Hotels: 426
George R. Brown Convention Center • Total Sleeping Rooms: 54,572
Galveston Island Convention Center • Committable Sleeping Rooms*: 1,200
Pasadena Convention Center & Municipal Fairgrounds • Committable Meeting Rooms*: 115
The Lonestar Convention & Expo Center • Convention Center Space: 3,900,000 Sq. Ft.
• Largest Exhibit Space: 3,900,000 Sq. Ft.
• Hotel at Convention Center? Yes • Largest Ballroom: 639,000 Sq. Ft.
• Average Hotel Room Rate: USD $121
• Sleeping Rooms 1 Mile from Convention Center: 7,200 • Average Daily Meal Cost: USD $59
• Average Weekly Car Rental: USD $236
• Airport(s): George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Ellington
Field, William P. Hobby Airport

• Destination Type(s):
Golf Destination
Smoke-free Restaurants

• Special Event Venues: 269

• Population: 2,296,000

• Restaurants: 315

What’s The Draw?

• Cvent's Houston meeting planning guide provides planners with a wealth of information about meeting space, facilities,
attractions, and all of the Houston meeting planning and event planning information planners need. Great things continue to
happen in Texas' largest city as it rises to meet the challenges of a changing world. Simply put, Houston never stops.
Developments in hotels, restaurants, nightlife, entertainment, attractions, retail, and special event venues pop up at a dizzying
pace, enough to keep any meeting planner busy constantly discovering what's new in H-town.

• It's "back to the future" as Market Square Park, renovated in 2010, is one of the newest pockets of activity in the downtown
historic district. This original town center is two blocks from Allen's Landing, where the city's founders—the entrepreneurial Allen
brothers from New York—landed in 1836, determined to create the city of the future. Making a comeback as a gathering
place for residents and visitors alike, the urban green space was redeveloped as a truly diverse place featuring artwork,
performance stage, plaza, dog run, bike share program, meditation garden, and surrounded by restaurants, bars, shops, the
newly renovated Hotel ICON, and the stylish Crystal Ballroom at the historic Rice Hotel.

• The "super block" in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center draws groups from all over with its stunning "front lawn,"
Discovery Green, a 12-acre urban park with a Gold rating from the LEED Green Building Rating System. The sky's the limit for
special events here just steps from the convention center—fundraisers, festivals, concerts, fun runs, parties, receptions, dinners,
even ice skating in the winter. The park offers restaurants, an amphitheater, picnic areas, a dog run, pond, putting green,
bocce courts, jogging trail, playground, and many beautiful vibrant green spaces—and Wi-Fi.

What’s The Draw?

• North of Discovery Green will be a new 1,175 room Marriott Marquis Convention Center Hotel with 100,000 square feet of
meeting space, scheduled for completion in mid-2016, that will bookend the existing 1,200-room Hilton Americas-Houston. Also
nearby is the BBVA Compass Stadium opened in 2012 and home to the MLS Houston Dynamo. Rounding out the "super block"
will be the $40-million Nau Center for Texas Cultural Heritage tourism center, scheduled for completion by fall 2016 on property
lying between the convention center and Minute Maid Park.

• The Port of Houston Authority has partnered with Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Lines to offer a roster of passenger
cruises from the $108-million Bayport Cruise Terminal opened in 2011. The 100,000-square-foot Bayport terminal features an
exclusive VIP lounge for special events. Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line each plans more than 25 departures during
the cruise season.

Venues

Downtown Aquarium

Embark on an underwater adventure at Houston's
Downtown Aquarium - boasting 500,000 gallons of
observation water tanks filled with more than 200 species of
marine life. Located within the 400 block of Bagby, the
Aquarium offers several amusing rides including an aquatic
carousel, the Diving Bell Ferris Wheel, and Shark Voyage train
ride. Peruse many exhibits including a Rainforest, Shipwreck,
and White Tigers of the Maharaja's Temple. Experience a
hands-on encounter with stingrays, horseshoe crabs, and
other invertebrates at the Discovery Ring exhibit. With a full-
service restaurant, upscale bar, and magnificent ballroom,
the Downtown Aquarium has all of the essential amenities to
accommodate groups of any size.

Venues

Gallery Row

Located at the intersection of Colquitt and Lake Streets,
Gallery Row has served as host to art lovers for more than
two decades. Here, a mesmerizing collection of galleries are
housed door-to-door in a striking, Arquitectonica-designed
postmodern structure. From artists who have been in business
for more than 3 decades to respected local photographers,
up-and-coming sculptors, and nationally exhibited furniture
artist Kelly Gale Amen, there are an abundance of
spectacular works of art awaiting your discovery at Gallery
Row.

Visitors may want to check out a few of the most well-known
dealers first like Hooks-Epstein Gallery; Thom Andriola/New
Gallery; Goldsberry Gallery; respected photo dealers John
Cleary and newcomer Watermark Fine Art Photographs and
Books, McMurtrey Gallery, Moody Gallery; representational
destination Dean Day Gallery; Thornwood Gallery; and
Parkerson Gallery.

Venues

Mid Town Farmers Market

Founded by Houston Chef Monica Pope, the Midtown
Farmers Market is located in the T'afia restaurant parking lot
on Travis Street. Open every Saturday from 8:00 am to 12:00
pm regardless of weather, this colorful market has become a
Saturday morning Houston staple. Here, the community
congregates weekly to survey food and crafts from local
farmers, chefs, and craftspeople. Fresh vegetables, beautiful
home-grown flowers, artisinal chocolates, organic coffee,
handcrafted breads and pastries, and even meals-to-go are
available for purchase.

Venues

Bar Annie

Looking for a late night bite to eat and a few cocktails? Try
Bar Annie for moderately priced bistro appetizers, salads and
Southwestern style entrees. From buttery guacamole to
steamed mussels and yellowfin tuna, Bar Annie specializes in
simple and fresh. Zebra-print barstools, two-top tables, and
magnificent wood accents create the perfect ambience for
young couples. The bar boasts an extensive list of specialty
cocktails like the RDG margarita, consistent with the lounge's
flirty vibe.

Venues

Continental Club
From alternative rock to the sounds of blues and country, the
Continental Club offers a wide range of live music. Housed in
an old general store dating back to the 1920s, this historic
building still has metal ceilings and its original fixtures. A
backroom with a pool table and its own bar provide a place
for groups to gather and talk away from the volume of the
tunes. During happy hour there is almost always a local band
playing and there is never a cover charge.

Venues

Haak Vineyard & Winery

After more than 25 years of growing grapes and making
wine, local Texans Raymond and Gladys Haak opened this
11,000-square-foot winery, including an 1,800 square foot
cellar where wine is stored and aged in oak barrels. They
offer several tours and tastings. During summer months, tours
are offered Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 6:00
pm, Saturdays from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm, and Sundays from
12:00 pm to 6:00 pm. From November through March, the
Vineyard is open Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to
5:00 pm, Saturdays from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, and Sundays
from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

Venues

Ringside at Sullivans
For live music, it does not get much better than the Ringside
Bar at Sullivan's Steakhouse. Here, live entertainment is
offered seven nights a week. Enjoy a high-end cognac,
single malt scotch, glass of wine, and even a cigar while
being serenaded by the sweet sounds of the baby grand
piano.

Venues

Health Museum

Since opening its doors more than 10 years ago, more than
1.5 million people have visited the Health Museum. This
interactive museum encourages learning and exploration in
the sciences with nature scavenger hunts, real organ
dissections, mini-med schools, family science labs, and
obesity prevention and nutritional awareness exhibits. The
Amazing Body Pavilion invites visitors to observe a colossal
walk-in eyeball, demonstrating how the eye perceives; to
look at vocal chords in action; and, to watch skin morphing
as a result of sun exposure.

The museum operates Monday through Saturday from 9:00
am to 5:00 pm and Sundays from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm. It is
closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Tickets are
approximately $5.

Venues

Holocaust Museum of Houston

Since its opening in March of 2006, the Holocaust Museum of
Houston has been educating the public about the dangers
of hatred in society, changing the lives of visitors from all over
the world. The "Bearing Witness: A Community Remembers"
exhibit tells the stories of Holocaust survivors living in the
Houston metro area through films, artifacts, and text panels.
Visitors are called to reflect on the suffering and fear of
millions of Jews while observing a 1942 World War II railcar,
the type used to carry Jews to and from concentration
camps, and often their places of death.

Two galleries house rotating photography exhibits, making
the devastation of this historic event an undeniable reality for
all eyes. The "Eric Alexander Garden of Hope" honors the
spirits of the 1.5 million children who lost their lives during the
Holocaust. There are also two additional areas that provide
a quiet place for reflection including the Wall of
Remembrance, the Wall of Tears, and the Wall of Hope.
Guided tours are offered at various times throughout the day
on Saturdays and Sundays; tours can be arrange through
Visitor Services. General Admission is free to the public seven
days a week.

Venues

The Children’s Museum

Best for children from birth to age 12, the Children's Museum
of Houston offers 14 exhibits with loads of amusement, all for
under $5. Children can pretend to be architects in the
Building zone, examining the tools used by contractors and
exploring the forces of nature with pulleys and levers;
observe art created by youth from all over the world through
John P. McGovern Kids' Hall's traveling art exhibits; and, even
blow massive bubbles in the Bubble Lab. As the service
provider to more children than any other children's museum
in the United States, it is no wonder that this innovative
museum has become one of Houston's top family attractions.
Operating hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 am
to 5:00 pm and Sundays from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm, excluding
holidays. Visitors should also note that every Thursday night
from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm the museum hosts family night-
admission is free.

Venues

Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens

Named after original owners, Thelma and Charles Mercer,
the Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens are comprised
of 250 acres of East Texas piney woods and over 20 acres of
cultivated gardens. Visitors will enjoy miles of trails scattered
with colorful displays of flowers, herbs, ginger, ferns, tropical
bamboo, and several endangered species collections. The
gardens also offer several picnic areas with tables and grills
ideal for a family cookout or corporate gathering.
During the summer months, the park is open Monday
through Saturday from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm and Sundays from
10:00 am to 7:00 pm. In the winter, the park is open daily from
8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Park entrance is free, but donations are
appreciated.


Click to View FlipBook Version