DALLAS, TX — Visit Dallas recently announced that the Dallas City Council has approved plans for a new 2.5 million-sq.-ft. convention center located adjacent to the 2021 F&D Prime Site Award-winning Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas. The new center will feature 800,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space and 400,000 sq. ft. of breakout space, including a 100,000-sq.-ft. ballroom. Construction on the $2 billion center is expected to begin in 2024 with completion in 2028.
“This news is a game-changer for Dallas and will put our city on the map as the preeminent large-city convention and meeting destination in the nation,” said Craig Davis, Visit Dallas President & CEO. “The center will be the anchor for a lively new Convention Center District that will excite convention-goers and revitalize southern Downtown Dallas, making it a place for locals to enjoy alongside our convention attendees.”
The surrounding Convention Center District will feature dining, retail, lodging, and entertainment options, and connect Downtown Dallas with neighboring entertainment districts including Cedars and the planned Rail District. The convention center itself will feature large, elevated ballrooms with outdoor event terraces affording views of the Trinity River and Downtown Dallas (rendering below).“This new building and surrounding development are exactly what our customers need and have been asking for,” said D. Bradley Kent, Visit Dallas SVP and Chief Sales Officer. “Dallas is already a great meetings and conventions destination, with the accessibility of two major airports, affordable labor, and an outstanding hotel product. The new center and Convention Center District will enhance Dallas’ competitive position and put us on par with other destinations that have already invested in their buildings.”
The center is expected to nearly double annual attendance and associated revenue for the city, according to Visit Dallas.
“The expansion of the convention center will give us the opportunity to consider Dallas as a destination for our future annual meetings,” said Jennifer Krsanac, CMP, Director of Meeting Services for the North American Spine Society. “Without the new expansion, the [existing] convention center did not provide our meeting ample space and adequate flow for our meeting attendees. I am excited to follow this project and its positive impact on the city of Dallas and the future of the meeting industry.”
To learn more about what Dallas currently offers meeting groups, explore Visit Dallas’ planner site by clicking here.
