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Axios
4 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Beyoncé's Houston Cowboy Carter tour stop brings $50M boost
Beyoncé didn't just bring the Texan flair to NRG Stadium — she brought a multimillion-dollar boost to Houston. Stunning stat: Queen Bey's June 28–29 Cowboy Carter Tour stop spurred more than $50 million in local spending, according to an analysis by Houston First Corporation. Houston was the only Texas stop on the tour, drawing fans from across the state — and as far as Mexico and the U.K. — to enjoy her hometown performance. What they're saying: "Beyoncé's concert stop here is the latest example of how major entertainment events of this caliber can be huge economic drivers for our city," said Michael Heckman, president and CEO of Houston First. "This type of mega-event is something we love to see because it not only generates buzz and excitement across town, it truly delivers for our economy." By the numbers: Hotel occupancy surged across the city compared to the same weekend last year — and so did revenue per available room and average daily rates. Hotels near NRG Stadium hit 79% occupancy, up from 61% last year. Downtown hotels reached 72%, up from 53%, and Uptown hit 78%, up from 58%. Plus, OpenTable reported a 43% increase in Houston-area reservations over the three-day stretch compared to the same period last year.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Houston officials face community concerns over George R. Brown Convention Center expansion
Houston - City officials, transportation agencies, and community members gathered Monday evening to discuss the planned expansion of the George R. Brown Convention Center, a project that has raised concerns among East End residents over connectivity and long-term impacts. What we know The meeting, attended by Houston City Council Members Mario Castillo, Joaquin Martinez, Julian Ramirez, and Willie Davis, as well as U.S. Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia and Houston First President Michael Heckman, provided an update on the project's scope and funding. Council Member Martinez acknowledged being caught off guard by recent developments in the project and credited Lindsay Williams, president of the Eastwood Civic Association, for bringing it to his attention. "We want to make sure we're looking at this at a higher level," Martinez said. "There are frustrations, but what are we doing to make sure this works the best for everyone, as well?" Many residents expressed frustration that the East End often feels like an afterthought in city development plans. The area has long battled significant train delays, and community members are concerned that the expansion will further hinder connectivity. Heckman addressed the frustrations, admitting that outreach efforts could have been handled better. "We won't do everything right. I can take responsibility that we should've done things a little bit sooner," he said. "I will take ownership of that. The buck stops with me." The project is being funded through a $2 billion allocation from the State Hotel Occupancy Tax over the next 30 years—money that officials emphasized is not coming from general funds or local taxes. The funding was secured in 2023 after former State Senator John Whitmire helped push the revitalization plan through the Texas Legislature. A key feature of the expansion is a proposed green space designed to open downtown to the East End, an area that currently lacks direct pedestrian-friendly access to the convention center. However, residents voiced skepticism when shown plans for Polk Street, which is intended to provide a connection between EaDo and downtown. Heckman acknowledged concerns about the lengthy timeline, noting that the project is expected to be completed alongside the I-45 expansion in 2038. "It is a long time. But that is what the highway project will take," he said. "I've heard the frustrations that go back decades with this community… Houston First will spend a considerably large amount of money to bring connectivity to the East End." However, a representative from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) distributed a map showing proposed connections between East Downtown and Downtown that appeared to contradict Houston First's plans for Polk Street. The discrepancy sparked further frustration among attendees. Additionally, a representative from METRO mentioned that access to the George R. Brown Convention Center will be impacted by the current plans, though specifics were not immediately provided. Another major hurdle is funding for the proposed cap park, which is considered essential for ensuring connectivity between downtown and the East End. Officials confirmed that financing for that portion of the project has not yet been secured. As the project moves forward, city leaders pledged to work more closely with the community to address concerns and refine the plans. "The feedback from the community is very we're very bullish on what we believe is a very big vision for Houston," said Heckman. "We're constantly asked, what's the next big thing for Houston?" The World Cup is coming to Houston in 2026, and the Republican National Convention is set for 2028 - two major events that could benefit from a newly-renovated and expanded convention center. "We're not against an expansion of GRB," said Kyle Rogers with People for Polk. "They need to put together a mobility study for the East End. They need to improve their transparency, and the City of Houston needs to break up the GRC process." Public comment ends on this project April 3. The Source FOX 26's Sherman Desselle a community meeting regarding the George R. Brown Convention Center expansion plan.
Axios
17-03-2025
- Business
- Axios
Advocates decry planned Polk Street closure 6 years earlier than expected
Community members are fighting a proposal to close a portion of Polk Street in downtown Houston as soon as next month to make way for a $2 billion expansion of the convention district. Why it matters: The closure would leave drivers, bus riders and cyclists in the lurch with no clear detour between downtown and neighborhoods to the east, advocates say. Critics who live in the East End say city leaders and Houston First, the city's tourism agency, sprung the proposed closure on them earlier than they had anticipated the thoroughfare would be severed by the North Houston Highway Improvement Project, slated for 2031. Catch up quick: Earlier this year, Houston First formally asked the city to close Polk Street between Avenida de las Americas and Hamilton Street just south of the George R. Brown Convention Center. The closure would make way for the first phase of a planned expansion of the convention district that city leaders announced this month. The proposed closure also includes parts of Jackson, Chenevert and Hamilton streets, according to city emails shared with Axios. Houston First leaders say, if Polk is closed, they plan to start construction on the first phase of the project next month. Driving the news: People For Polk, an advocacy group formed by East End residents who oppose the closure, is hosting a community forum with Houston First leadership and City Council member Joaquin Martinez at 6:30pm Monday at the E. B. Cape Learning & Development Center. The group is hoping the city's Joint Referral Committee — a group tasked with reviewing requests for city street abandonments — will deny the application or force Houston First to revise its plans. The other side: Houston First calls the street closure a crucial step in expanding the convention center and ultimately keeping the Bayou City competitive as a host for global events. "World-class cities have to have a strong downtown, a thriving downtown," Michael Heckman, president and CEO of the tourism corporation, told the Houston Chronicle. "We look at this as a renaissance for downtown, not simply a convention product." Mayor John Whitmire also supports the project for its eventual economic and tourism benefits. The intrigue: Houston First has justified the closure in part because the Texas Department of Transportation plans to permanently close an adjacent stretch of Polk for the upcoming but unrelated highway improvement project. But that's six years away, TxDOT spokesperson Danny Perez tells Axios. What they're saying: Amy Erickson, a People For Polk organizer, said the group is concerned about the timing of the street closure and lack of adequate detours. "We're talking about a whole generation of people who won't be able to access (downtown or the East End) on bike or by foot," Erickson tells Axios. "That's alarming." "The public is hungry to engage about this." What happened: The public was only notified about the proposal in early February when the city erected signs along Polk Street offering a phone number to call to leave feedback. Records obtained by People For Polk and reviewed by Axios show the project received 40 comments that city staff categorized as "negative" and zero "positive" comments in the first 20 days of the official public comment period, which ends April 3. Friction point: The city has not made Houston First's application or map of the proposed closure public. When asked for a map or application showing how much of the corridor Houston First wants to be abandoned, the city referred Axios to file an open records request. City staff have until March 28 to respond to Axios with the records or ask the Texas Attorney General to allow them to be withheld. What's next: Once the public comment period ends, the Joint Referral Committee will confer with Houston First on the application before sending the proposal to the City Council.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Houston First Hit New Convention Sales Record in '24
Other segments of the visitor economy, from hotel performance to air passenger traffic, achieved new benchmarks HOUSTON, February 26, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New convention bookings, meetings hosted, hotel revenue, visitors to the city, air passengers—2024 was a record-setting year for Houston's hospitality sector across multiple metrics, illustrating the growing strength of the region's fourth-largest employment sector. Preliminary projections show that more than 54 million people visited the City of Houston last year, a roughly 6% increase over 2023 and nearly 10% over 2019. That record visitation figure is based on estimates analyzed by Houston First Corporation, the region's destination marketing organization. Regionwide visitation is expected to post similar percentage gains when final figures are released this spring. "Last year's record visitor numbers demonstrate Houston is heading in the right direction," said Houston Mayor John Whitmire. "These efforts to promote Houston and attract conventions and tourists benefit all Houstonians by generating spending and commerce, which ultimately creates jobs in our community. The exceptional work Houston First is doing is driving economic development, which is one of my top priorities as Mayor, growing our economy to create opportunity for all." Meetings and events booked by the Houston First team and held in 2024 represented approximately 740,000 room nights, surpassing the previous record of 733,000 room nights set in 2019. During the year, the HFC Sales team booked 759 future meetings last year representing nearly 862,000 room nights, far surpassing the previous record set in 2019 and a 25% increase over the 2023 total. Houston First President and CEO Michael Heckman said the organization has been steadily building momentum in recent years—momentum that is now being realized in ever more impactful results. "Our strategies are laser focused on our mission to drive business for the hospitality sector and do our part to elevate the broader Houston economy. These numbers are proof of those efforts," Heckman said. "Across all departments, our team performed exceptionally in 2024 and now as we embark on major new projects in 2025, we're well positioned to capitalize on that performance." Houston hotels ended the year with healthy growth across major indicators. More than 25 million hotel room nights were booked during the year, up 8.2% from 2023. Occupancy market-wide rose 7.7% year-over-year while average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR)—both key measures of hotel performance—rose 6.8% and 15%, respectively. Overall revenue reached a new record in 2024, up 15.5% over the previous record set in 2023. Meanwhile, Houston's two passenger airports experienced record traffic in 2024. More than 63 million people traveled through George Bush Intercontinental and Hobby airports year, an increase of nearly 5% over the same period a year ago. Traffic through Bush alone rose 4.9% year over year while Hobby experienced a 5.1% surge in passengers. Summer holiday weekends as well as Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday travel helped bolster overall volume. Employment in the leisure and hospitality sector currently sits at just under 362,600 jobs, up 1.5% compared with a year ago. The broad sector that includes hotels, restaurants and the arts is Houston's fourth-largest industry by employment, accounting for more than 1-in-10 jobs in the region. A forecast from the Greater Houston Partnership estimates leisure and hospitality will add another 7,600 jobs in 2025. Houston First Board Chair Jay Zeidman said Houston's evolution as a destination over the last decade has been remarkable. "Each year we welcome more and more visitors from around the world to experience our dynamic culture, major events, and unmatched hospitality," Zeidman said. "This city continues to shine as a premier destination for convention, business, and leisure travelers." Marketing Efforts and What's Ahead Promoting Houston across the U.S. and around the world requires robust marketing and public relations efforts. Houston First hosted 114 journalists who helped generate 715 stories on the destination in 2024—a 60% increase over 2023. The website generated more than 5.9 million visits, up 12%. Houston First is also working with digital influencers to help generate content on the destination—35 influencers from the U.S. and Mexico hosted in 2024 reached an audience of more than 50 million. Houston began 2025 by hosting PCMA Convening Leaders' 25th annual conference at the George R. Brown Convention Center in mid-January. Nearly 4,000 meeting planners and industry leaders attended the conference, the premier event for the global meetings and conventions sector. Houston First hopes to generate $200 million in new business as a result of hosting the event. And in December, IAEE Expo! Expo! will bring 2,000 global exhibitions professionals to town. Several new hotels are slated to come online across the market this year as well as new cultural and arts centers. With continued growth anticipated in the local economy and a healthy convention and special events calendar, 2025 looks to be another great year for the hotel and broader hospitality sector. About Houston First Corporation Houston First Corporation (HFC) is a local government corporation and the destination marketing organization for the country's fourth largest city. In addition to serving as operator for the George R. Brown Convention Center and some of Houston's most prominent art, entertainment, and event venues, HFC is focused on promoting the city's vibrancy and rich tapestry of culture. By harnessing the city's collective energy, ambition, and creativity, including its diverse culinary scene, world-renowned performing arts, medical and space innovation, and elite filming locations, HFC is solidifying Houston as a premier national and global destination. For the latest news and info regarding HFC, visit View source version on Contacts Jennie Bui-MccoyPublic Relations 713-853-8313 Sign in to access your portfolio
