Destination: Lubbock

Autumn Rhea Carpenter

Issue:

Fall 2009

There are still tumbleweeds and cotton fields in Lubbock, but today you're more apt to take notice of something else-something you can't see but that's already making a big difference in the economy of this West Texas city. That something is wind.

Texas tops the nation in windenergy production, which the U.S. Department of Energy has deemed to be the fastest growing renewable energy technology based on demand, investment and government support.

West Texas just happens to be the lead generator in wind energy, says Abie Cox, communications director of Visit Lubbock, the city's convention and visitor's bureau, and as the area's hub city, Lubbock is "in the spotlight for education and product meetings."

That certainly proved the case last April, when the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers held their regional Green Technology Conference in Lubbock.

Wind was a central theme of the conference, says Conference Chair Richard Gale, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Texas Tech University, and Lubbock's status as the center of the wind belt made it a logical location.

But Lubbock's appeal isn't limited to the energy industry. It's also a favorite destination in the medical community. "Lubbock has the largest medical facilities between Dallas and Phoenix and hosts many medical meetings and conventions each year," Cox reports.

Hotels
Lubbock boasts more than 4,500 hotel rooms and flexible meeting spaces. One of the newest facilities on the city's block is the Overton Hotel and Conference Center, which opened this summer.

It's the city's only high-rise, full-service hotel, says Hunter Carmichael, the property's general manager, and its offerings are certainly impressive. The 20,000-square-foot conference center offers a columnfree 11,250-square-foot ballroom and exhibit area plus 10 meeting rooms. The 15-story structure has 303 guest rooms, a fitness facility, an outdoor pool, valet parking, complimentary wired and wireless Internet access and views of both the downtown Depot Entertainment District and the Texas Tech campus.

The property itself is just one part of large urban redevelopment project called Overton Park, which is considered to be the largest privately funded redevelopment project in the country. When the area's completed in 2010, it will also include restaurants, specialty retail stores and entertainment venues.

When the IEEE held their conference, they stayed at the Holiday Inn Lubbock-Hotel & Towers, Gale says. The six-story downtown hotel was renovated in 2008 and offers 293 guest rooms plus 72 suites along with 15,000 square feet of meeting space including a 7,000-square-foot conference center.

The Holiday Inn Park Plaza is also popular with groups thanks to its 25,000 square feet of flexible meeting space and 13 meeting rooms, which can host groups from 15 to 1,000. The Radisson Hotel Downtown Lubbock, with 145 guest rooms and 6,465 square feet of meeting and event space, is located just a block from the Lubbock Civic Center and minutes from Texas Tech University.

Venues
For a uniquely Lubbock experience, check out The American Wind Power Center and Museum. This facility offers groups of 20 guests or more a private, hour-long guided tour that includes a lecture on wind energy and a view inside a working wind turbine. And get wind of this: The center can even host meetings and events up to 300 people in its 6,000-square-foot meeting room.

Of course no visit to Lubbock could be complete without mention of the city's native son, bespectacled music legend Buddy Holly. Holding a meeting or event at the Buddy Holly Center is a perfect way to learn more about the man and his music. The center "is a multi-functional facility that offers its guests much more than the standard banquet room experience," says Jessica Camacho, the center's on-site marketing and special events coordinator. "People can enjoy a fun event, while learning how Lubbock impacted the rock ‘n' roll scene."

Located in a former railway depot, the center includes a gallery that showcases artifacts and documents from Holly's life and career, from his Cub Scout uniform and his Gibson and Fender guitars to a pair of his iconic glasses recovered from the site of the tragic plane crash where he lost his life. Tours are available for groups of 20 or more.

But the center's also an impressive place to do business and entertain. The facility can accommodate up to 415 people inside, Camacho says, and the courtyard can hold up to 500 for a standing reception. "Our courtyard is filled with beautiful trees and lit with twinkling lights. The landscaping offers planners a wonderful backdrop for their event," says Camacho.

Just need a whole lot of space? Lubbock's got that, too. The Lubbock Memorial Civic Center (LMCC) caters to 800,000 guests per year with 300,000 square feet of total space, including meeting rooms ranging in size from 702 to 2,100 square feet. There's even a 1,377-seat theater with a hydraulic orchestra pit.

Entertainment
Venues in the entertainment hub of the city, the historic Depot District, are great for energizing your group post-meeting. Here you'll find The Cactus Theater, a 400-seat live performance venue that can actually create productions for a meeting or event. "We recently created a musical for the Texas Cotton Ginners' Association that was about the history of their industry and included comedy and plenty of country music," says Owner Don Caldwell. "It was rockin' and the attendees absolutely loved it. If a meeting planner has a theme in mind, we can handle the rest."

The Depot District is also home to the McPherson Cellars Winery, which is housed in the old Coca- Cola bottling plant. There's wine, of course, along with private group tours. "Our guests learn about our process from the minute our grapes are picked to sealing the bottles," says Susan Sexton, the winery's marketing and event coordinator. "They may also sample from 10 to 12 of our finest wines."

The winery also can accommodate meetings and events in an outdoor courtyard that seats about 40 people or a 2,000-square-foot tasting room. This fall, the winery plans to open an events center, which will host between 250 and 300 people, Sexton says.

From wind to music to wine, Lubbock's got something for every visitor. Plus, Cox points out, the city offers every kind of group "the Texas friendliness and value that meeting planners expect."

Lubbock's Grape Tradition
DID YOU KNOW LUBBOCK IS KNOWN FOR ITS WINE? HERE ARE TWO POPULAR PLACES TO RAISE A GLASS BEFORE OR AFTER AN ON-SITE MEETING.

The Llano Estacado Winery provides free private 30-minute tours to up to 75 people (20-30 people is optimum) seven days a week. "We're the largest and first premium winery in Texas that opened after the Prohibition-Llano Estacado Winery paved the way for winemaking in our state and people can learn much about wine by taking one of our tours," says Dusty Duke, tasting room director.

"Our tours teach guests the history of our wine, as well as the process from grape to bottle, ending with a tasting opportunity."

Also popular for meetings and events is the Cap-Rock Winery. The most commonly used spaces include a 1,520-square-foot tasting room and patio area. The winery's also going high tech, says General Manager Phillip Anderson, with the recent installation of a screen that corresponds to an HD projection video system. Tours are also available to view the production process, and tastings can be arranged of the winery's Palo Duro Canyon White and more.

Get Connected:

Overton Hotel & Conference Center // 806.776.7000 / overtonhotel.com

Holiday Inn Lubbock- Park Plaza // 806.797.3241 / holidayinn.com

Holiday Inn Lubbock-Hotel & Towers // 806.763.1200 / holidayinn.com

Radisson Hotel Lubbock Downtown // 806.747.0171 / radisson.com/lubbocktx

American Wind Power Center and Museum // 806.747.8734 / windmill.com

Buddy Holly Center // 806.775.3560 / buddyhollycenter.org

The Lubbock Memorial Civic Center // 806.775.2242 / http://lmcc.ci.lubbock.tx.us

Depot Entertainment // District / depotdistrict.com

The Cactus Theater // 806.762.3233 / cactustheater.com

McPherson Cellars Winery // 806.687.9463 / mcphersoncellars.com

Llano Estacado Winery // 800.634.3854 / llanowine.com