LANNING OR ATTENDING A meeting in Austin has never been difficult, but doing so now has become as easy as it can get, thanks to new technology tools. Recently, the Austin Convention & Visi-
tors Bureau became the first U.S. CVB to introduce an interactive web application intended to streamline the meeting-plan- ning process. Dubbed the “Five-Minute Meeting Planner,” this time-saving app al- lows planners to comparison-shop among area hotels, service providers, and vendors to find those that best accommodate their group. To use the program, planners sim- ply enter the answers to five key questions: meeting dates, room nights necessary on peak, required meeting space and off-site facilities, and preferred neighborhood. The Five-Minute Meeting Planner quickly returns custom search results that fit the group’s requirements. Users can then chart the returned listings and compare them side by side, or map the venues to find, say, the distance from a preferred hotel to an off-site reception. The CVB has also launched a mobile application that serves as an interactive site itinerary and destination management tool for planners, attendees, and clients considering Austin as a meeting or event venue. Aptly named The Austin iTinerary, the application invites users to download their site-visit or group schedule, track appointments, contact venue representa- tives, view maps, and add comments to each item for future reference. Additionally, the CVB’s mobile website,
available on smart phones at www .austintexas.org, welcomes visitors to browse hotel, restaurant, and attraction
26 convene at a glance
Hotel rooms: 30,000 citywide; 6,000 downtown
Convention facilities: The Austin Con- vention Center has 246,000 square feet of column-free exhibit space. Across the street, the Hilton Austin serves as the city’s convention-center HQ hotel, and provides 60,000 square feet of flexible function space. The Palmer Events Center, on the shore of Lady Bird Lake, has 131,000 square feet of exhibit space.
Attractions: Arthouse at the Jones Center, Blanton Museum of Art, Lady Bird Lake and Hike & Bike Trail, Texas Capitol, Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, Sixth Street Entertainment District, shopping and dining on South Congress, Antone’s (Austin’s home of the blues), Stubb’s Bar-B-Q, Whole Foods Market World HQ, Waterloo Records, and world- class “trailer cuisine”
For more information: Austin Conven- tion & Visitors Bureau; Rob Hampton, Vice President of Sales; phone: (512) 583-7269; e-mail: rhampton@austintexas.org; website: www.austintexas.org
wiDe-open spaces: The Austin Convention Center offers 246,000 square feet of column- free exhibit space, as well as an expansive Wi-Fi network.
listings and discover discounts by joining the Austin Insiders Club. Users can also click to purchase Austin music, check a calendar of events, and link directly to the bureau’s booking engine to make accom- modation and tour reservations. The site provides instant contact information and a link to download the Austin iPhone app. Meanwhile, as techie and non-techie
users alike will learn, there’s always some- thing happening in Austin, and now is no exception. The city is abuzz with activity as new hotels, attractions, restaurants, and much more enliven the Live Music Capital of the World®. This month marks the opening of the 251-room W Hotel, boasting distinct Austin branding and 10,500 square feet of event space. Four lounge areas feature music and tech themes, with turn- tables and vintage Apple equipment. The hotel has a spa that integrates total relax- ation with holistic herbal treatments. Also onsite is a modern live-music venue that doubles as a studio for “Austin City Limits,” TV’s longest-running music program. This month also saw the reopening of
the hills aRe aliVe: Austin is known as The Live Music Capital of the World®
.
the Arthouse at the Jones Center, after a $6-million renovation expanded it to 21,000 square feet. The center now has three galleries, two studios, a screening/ community room, and a rooftop space with a large cinema screen.