ILEA Discussion Panel: Austin Convention Center Expansion and Redevelopment
On April 9, the International Live Events Association (ILEA) Austin chapter hosted a discussion on the upcoming Austin Convention Center closure here, at SKYBOX on 6th. Discussions included the plans for the Convention Center’s reconstruction and redevelopment as well as the impacts it will have on the events industry.
In past years, the City of Austin has grown into a top-ten preferred convention destination. However, the existing Convention Center does not have sufficient space and therefore cannot accommodate the growth in event demands. Thus, beginning in March of 2025, the Austin Convention Center will be undergoing a 4-year closure. The City plans to redevelop and expand the existing center to deliver a larger, more efficient facility on a smaller footprint. While the center will not be increasing their footprint, it will however be increasing in height to accommodate the growing demands.
Additionally, the city is hoping to make the center a more active and community-friendly event space. As of now, the center creates a barrier between the east and west with no ground-level interaction for the local community and visitors. Their plan will remove this barrier and enhance upon the culturally rich Palm District.
According to the ACC, the completed expansion project is estimated to “generate an additional $285 million in yearly economic impact within the local community, provide nearly $13 million in additional annual tax revenue to the city, and support over 1,600 additional jobs.”
But how will the ACC closure affect the events industry? ILEA Austin hosted panelists including a City of Austin Representative, a Convention Center Representative and individuals from a hotel and DMC to talk through plans and strategies leading up to 2025. We learned that creative collaboration will serve the industry well, as off-site conference events will likely need to spread out across Austin during this time.
According to ACC, themselves along with their partners will provide assistance and offer clients and event planners the option to move events to other Austin venues and/or move to another date.
It is important to recognize how local businesses may be affected with this closure, along with the associated shift in the event industry landscape. While there is still much planning and preparation to do before the convention center's closing, this initial talk with ILEA was extremely helpful to event industry professionals in the Austin area. We look forward to more updates and information from the Austin Convention Center as we usher in new and unprecedented times in the industry.