Meeting planners have a lot of options when it comes to choosing a city to host their next event. Yet, it’s not surprising that time and time again they choose Waco. This unforgettable meeting destination is equipped with everything planners need for a successful meeting, convention, or special event. Read on for the reasons why meeting planners fall in love with Waco.
Many of Waco’s most popular meeting venues are located right in the heart of the city. Attendees can literally walk outside their event space and venture on foot to cultural attractions, restaurants, breweries, shops, and hotels. Whether they’re exploring the iconic Waco Suspension Bridge in the River District, browsing shops in the Silo District, or enjoying the art scene in the Downtown Cultural District, there’s an adventure for everyone! Park your car and leave it at the hotel – everything you need is within easy walking distance.
Waco boasts a wide range of meeting spaces for every occasion. Whether you’re planning a meeting for 10 or 1,000, Waco offers comfortable venues for a range of tastes and budgets. From larger venues like the Waco Convention Center or Extraco Events Center to intimate meeting spaces like the Waco Hippodrome Theatre or a hotel ballroom, you’ll find that “just right” space here. Waco TPID member hotels have more than 3,000 rooms to accommodate your attendees and most have meeting spaces available on their premises.
At the center of it all, Waco is convenient to get to from every major metropolitan area in Texas. That’s over 18 million people within a three-hour radius. Meeting in the middle reduces the travel time for attendees. Have attendees traveling from further distances? Waco offers convenient nonstop service to and from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW). Once here, the airport is only 10 minutes from downtown. Most major attractions are within a 5-minute drive from downtown.
Waco’s food scene is as diverse as it is delicious to satisfy every attendee’s palette. From local restaurants featuring farm-to-table ingredients to swank lounge menus, casual pub bites, and ethnic cuisines, meeting planners will find every style of food and flavor. Downtown is also home to a distillery and several breweries, so attendees can find a perfectly made drink or craft brew after the day’s meetings.
Waco’s cozy “small town” feel is the perfect backdrop for team-building activities, giving meeting attendees the feeling that they’re on an intimate retreat together. The vibrant and unintimidating city has every team-building activity you can imagine to appeal to all personality types. Adventure seekers rave about wave surfing, axe throwing, and horseback riding. Others get excited for art classes, escape room challenges, food and winery tours, and kayaking the Brazos River.
Meeting and event planners, filmmakers, sports planners, and other large groups love Waco Tourism Public Improvement District (TPID) incentive programs. Waco TPID offers a reimbursement per consumed hotel room for new business brought to Waco. The combination of more affordable hotel rates plus an additional bonus through the reimbursement program is a win-win for meeting planner budgets.
