Texas Prairies & Lakes

Allen

Small-Town Feel, Big-City Style

Hotel rooms: 800 citywide

Convention facilities: The Allen Event Center is an 188,000-square-foot, multipurpose facil- ity. The Courtyard by Marriott John Q. Ham- mons Conference Center has 17,000 square feet of flexible space.

Attractions: Allen Premium Outlets, The Vil- lage at Allen, Watters Creek at Montgomery Farms, Top Golf Entertainment Center, Gold Class Cinemas, Splitsville

For more information: Karen Cromwell, Tourism Manager phone: (888) 375-9655; e-mail: kcromwell@VisitAllenTexas.com; website: www.VisitAllenTexas.com

the spoRtinG liFe: The Allen Event Center, opened Nov. 2009, is a 6,274- seat multi-purpose arena (maximum capacity: 8,600 people for concerts and special events) that hosts the minor-league hockey team the Allen Americans and the Indoor Football League’s Allen Wranglers.

Belton Meet Belton

Lodging: Award-winning hotels with a central location at the crossroads of Texas, 15 miles from the nearest airport

Convention facilities: More than 200,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space, including Cathedral Oaks Event & Conference Center, the Bell County Expo Center, and the Historic Harris Community Center

Attractions: Bell County Museum, hike and bike trails, two relaxing lakes, historic tours, live entertainment every week, unique down- town shopping and dining

For more information: Belton Area Chamber of Commerce Tourism Department; phone: (254) 939-3551; website: www.beltonchamber.com

wiDe-open spaCes: Belton’s Bell County Expo Center has a number of spaces for exhibits and groups, including the 100,000-square-foot Exhibition Building; the Special Events Room, which can accom- modate from 20 to 250 people; or the As- sembly Hall, with banquet seating for 1,200.

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