IRVING CONVENTION CENTER AT LAS COLINAS CONTINUES BEN CARPENTER'S VISION FOR LAS COLINAS

Contact: Diana Pfaff
972-252-7476 or 1-800-247-8464
dpfaff@irvingtexas.com


IRVING, TEXAS --With its distinctive architectural design and flexible, function space aimed at high-end business users, the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas is poised to spark a new energy into the upscale Las Colinas Urban Center.  

Situated on a 40-acre tract near State Highway 114 and Northwest Highway, the $133 million convention center will give visitors more reasons to come to Irving and strengthen the city's appeal as a high-end business destination. The 275,000 square-foot multi-purpose facility includes a 50,000 square-foot, column-free exhibit hall, 20,000 square-feet of breakout meeting space and a 20,000 square-foot ballroom. 

The city's project team sought to reflect the vision begun by Ben Carpenter when he first started developing Las Colinas.  In a two-page memorandum to employees dated June 1, 1974, and known simply as "The Memo," Carpenter laid out his vision that every project in Las Colinas must have class, "reflect quality and be recognized as having exceptional merit. ... We are not building to meet an existing market; we are creating a new market and establishing new standards." 

Just as Carpenter asked his colleagues to ask themselves whether each project in Las Colinas had "that special touch of class," the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas carefully reflects the high-standards for quality and design put forth by the legendary developer more than three decades ago.   

"The convention center is something that will certainly enhance the future of not only the Urban Center and Las Colinas, but Irving as a whole," said Rick Bidne, president of the Las Colinas Association.  

Bidne says the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas will serve as a key anchor for the area, providing the visibility necessary to the success of the adjacent entertainment complex.  

"The Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas fills a void for drawing visitors to the community in terms of groups who need more space for their events, and provides a much needed place for community events that we haven't had, including large civic events," Bidne said.  

"This building truly has an architectural and artistic uniqueness that will make it stand out," Bidne said. "This is not, in any form or fashion, the typical, industrial-style convention center seen in so many places." 

Carter Holston, a general manager for NEC Corporation of America and chairman of the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce, said the convention center will meet a demand for high  quality space. 

"Irving's new convention center will be a quality facility that will be put to good use by local businesses," Holston said. "Whether for training purposes, exhibitions or annual shareholders' meetings, Las Colinas businesses will have another first class option nearby to host their events."

Maura Gast, executive director of the Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau says the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, and its adjacent entertainment project will be the catalyst for new development in the Urban Center.  

"It's going to drive the market and help us recruit new business to Irving that wants to be near the convention center," Gast said. 

Irving is home to more than 8,000 businesses, including the global headquarters of four Fortune 500 companies and the presence of more than 30 more.

Gast said the center would help the city to attract new companies that want to relocate to Irving in addition to attracting meeting groups and weekend business for the area's hotels and entertainment venues.  

The Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas' versatility will enable Irving to keep meetings business - such as annual meetings and employee training sessions -- that currently goes to venues in other cities and provide a flexible space for corporations that call Irving their home, Gast said.  

"Companies like Irving-based ExxonMobil could have their annual shareholders meetings in Irving rather than having to go outside the city," she said.  

According to Irving Mayor Herbert Gears, this convention center shows the city's commitment with several other development projects pending in the Las Colinas Urban Center. "It sends an important message that the city is invested in the Urban Center.   

"With its flexible design and iconic architecture, the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas will help us market Irving and Las Colinas better," Gears said. "It's going to bring a lot of additional energy into the Urban Center."
 
Dr. Carlton Turner, chairman of the Irving Convention and Visitors Bureau's Board of Directors, said the project would create a "new focal point" for Irving.  

"This isn't just going to be a box, it's going to be a magnet to draw people to Irving," Turner said.  "This will be a revenue engine. It will enhance Irving and give the city more recognition."  


About Irving, Texas
Located immediately adjacent to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and in between Dallas and Fort Worth, Irving, Texas, (www.irvingtexas.com) boasts more than 75 hotels and more than 11,000 rooms.  Las Colinas is a 12,000-acre master-planned community within the city of Irving, and is known worldwide for its quality and uniqueness. The area has a total taxable base of more than $7 billion and is home to 8,000+ companies, 30 Fortune 500 companies, plus the world headquarters of four. In the next three years, the area will see more than $4 billion in hotel, retail, entertainment, office, residential and meeting facility development.


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