SITE Texas Roadshow Recap

They say everything’s bigger in Texas and they may be right!?

Last week, I had the privilege of visiting the great state of Texas to attend the Site Texas Chapter Roadshow.

SITE Texas is a chapter of the larger umbrella organization, SITE Global. SITE is an acrostic for the Society of Incentive Travel Excellence and supports the growth of both meeting and event planners and the hoteliers that serve them. The leaders and members of SITE Texas cracked the code on how to facilitate a series of events that were beneficial to all that attended. The smiles, welcomes, and warm displays of hospitality were bigger in Texas!?

The roadshow kicked off on Tuesday afternoon in Houston, Texas at the iconic Omni Houston Hotel .

After being welcomed by members of the SITE Texas Board and visiting the registration desk, participants took part in an educational hour where my new friends, Kenny and Conner Ann Waterman with Allfly delivered an outstanding presentation on Artificial Intelligence. The existential question of whether AI was a friend or a foe to not only the world at large, but to both the meetings & events and hospitality industries was the theme of the hour. They did an outstanding job of helping us understand 1) What AI is, 2) How AI can be used to the benefit of both planners and hoteliers, and 3) Some potential pitfalls or dangers to look out for. Their presentation was so engaging and timely and I am better for having listened and learned from these two professionals from AllFly . If you want to learn more, you can check it out for yourself here: Episode 61: SITE Texas Keynote “Is AI a Friend or Foe?”

Following the presentation, the hoteliers and suppliers had the opportunity to meet with the planners, understand their needs, and present their destination as an option for their future meetings. Planners were given a “Roadshow Passport.” Inside the passport, planners found the logos of all the suppliers participating. A new pair of REVO sunglasses awaited the planners that met with a minimum of fifteen suppliers; a nice motivation to mingle! The event concluded with some key suppliers drawing names of planners for prizes like a “Two Night’s Stay, Breakfast for two, and a Couples Massage” at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa or a vacation to one of the beautiful Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts in Alberta, Canada.?

After we said goodbye to the planners in Houston, the suppliers hopped on a bus and headed to Austin where we would repeat the process described above.?

A bus . . . I have to admit, I wasn’t fired up about this part of the process, but I soon found out that this was no ordinary bus; this was a Vonlane Bus! Imagine a bus that is filled with comfy Lazy-Boy recliners, a Boss-Lady driver with Aviators, and your own private attendant, Norma, that is one of the sweetest people you’ve ever met! Vonlane describes itself as a “Private Jet on Wheels” and it fits every bit of this description. I have to admit that there is a part of me that likes to be in control on the road, but after a long day I gladly relinquished my desire to drive the bus to the professionals. If you are a planner needing to get your attendees from point A to point B, I can’t recommend Vonlane and their crew enough!?

We arrived in Austin, the capital of Texas and home of the University of Texas. We had the pleasure of staying at the beautiful Hotel Viata. When you pass through the front doors you’re greeted by a glorious, large painting of a Texas Longhorn Bull. Exposed beams run parallel on the ceiling and large windows allow just the right amount of natural light to illuminate the fine neo-western furnishings.

On Wednesday evening, there was a great turnout of planners in Austin and it was great getting to meet a whole host of new planners and make new friends in one of the coolest cities on the planet!?

On Thursday morning we were back on the bus and on our way to the Omni PGA Hotel in Frisco, Texas, located just outside of Dallas. Once again, we were greeted by the lovely folks of SITE Texas and the leaders of the host hotel. This hotel was stellar! The fitness center was world-class and the décor was 100% Texas!?

As an extrovert (99.9%) this trip was completely energizing. New places, new people, new things that were outside of myself made me feel alive! The sights, sounds, and people of Texas have a new place in my heart and I am leaving wanting to come back and experience more!?

A huge thank you to SITE Texas and all the partners that made this event a great success! I can’t wait to see my new friends at other industry events across the country and I can’t wait to see some of these folks when they visit Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort& Spa.