Texas Border Business
McAllen, TX – As the new fiscal year begins, the McAllen Convention Center and Performing Arts Center has redefined itself as the entertainment capital of South Texas. Hosting over 500 events over the last year (ranging from festivals, Broadway touring series to national/local conventions). The Convention Center facilities’ versatile purpose has become a destination attraction to the City Of McAllen that has generated $39.7 million in visitors spend and an economic impact of $38.9 million on the Hidalgo County economy. The Convention Center District welcomed over 616,406 visitors (out of town and local) just this past fiscal year.
“McAllen has created a place where people connect at world-class events, conventions, and festivals,” said Yajaira Flores, Director of Facilities. “Our new vision conveys that feeling into a cohesive sense of place that’s exciting, welcoming, and brimming with unexpected ways to delight.
The Convention Center facilities’ new vision also comes to a partnership with award-winning culinary service provider Spectra. Spectra, an industry leader in food services & hospitality, which November 18 assumed management of food and beverage operations at the McAllen Convention Center facilities.
The new Spectra dining experience is the first step of a campus-wide reimagining of the social space encompassing the McAllen Convention Center, the McAllen Performing Arts Center, Oval Park, the Center’s Festival Grounds, Veteran’s War Memorial of Texas, hotels, and the area’s walkable grounds. The reimagining will embrace the area’s overall sense of place by weaving indoor and outdoor guest experiences together with walkable green spaces, outdoor restrooms, seasonal theming, new technology services, website and more.
The first taste of what’s to come will happen at the McAllen Convention Center’s November 25, 2019 press conference detailing their partnership with Spectra and how it fits into the reimagining roadmap.
“Our reimagination embraces the natural sense of place that grew from the connections guests create throughout the campus,” said Yajaira J. Flores, City of McAllen Convention Facilities Director. ”It takes an innovator like Spectra to craft a signature dining experience that communicates that shared sense of place.”
Guests to the press conference will also be the first to Taste the Difference; a City of McAllen marketing campaign introducing Spectra’s signature offerings to guests. On-site tastings will serve as a delicious introduction to the new culinary options. The Taste the Difference press conference is November 25 at the McAllen Convention Center’s main ballroom at 12:00 pm.
About McAllen Convention Center Located in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley, the McAllen Convention Center is the preferred venue in the Region for gatherings. Our flexibility can accommodate virtually any event, from small intimate meetings to large conventions, weddings, tradeshows, sporting events, and concerts with over 174,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. Follow the McAllen Convention Center on Facebook and Instagram.
About McAllen Performing Arts Center The McAllen Performing Arts Center presents a wide variety of nationally and internationally recognized productions of music, dance and theater to the people of South Texas. The City of McAllen is committed to enhancing the arts and cultural experience by delivering the most advanced performing arts center in South Texas by bringing a broader variety of entertainment and live performance that has never been possible before in the Rio Grande Valley. Follow MPAC on Facebook and Instagram.
About Spectra Spectra is an industry leader in hosting and entertainment, collaborating with clients to create memorable experiences for millions of visitors every year. Spectra’s unmatched blend of integrated services delivers incremental value for clients through several primary areas of expertise: Venue Management, Food Services & Hospitality, and Partnerships. Learn more at SpectraExperiences.com. Follow Spectra on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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