Austin Convention Center Voted Smart Meetings 2020 ‘Smart Stars’ Award Winner by Peers

Austin Convention Center Department

June 2, 2020

AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin Convention Center was named a 2020 Smart Stars Award winner for Best Convention Center, by Smart Meetings. Voted by meeting professionals, the downtown six city block facility in Austin, Texas was recognized as one of the seven best convention centers in the nation.

“Holistically our team has set the bar extremely high in meeting the demands of clientele, so when other industry leaders recognize our efforts, its very honorable,” said Trisha Tatro, Interim Director, Austin Convention Center Department. “This rating by our peers is a direct reflection of the professionalism and hard work of our team and staff.”

This is the fifth consecutive year that the Austin Convention Center has been recognized as a Best Convention Center by Smart Meetings, through the vote of their professionals. This is the nineth year that the publication has issued the Smart Stars Awards. The industry magazine reaches over 65,000 meeting planners monthly and publishes daily updates on the latest in industry trends, corporate event planning and emerging technology, as well as personality profiles on industry leaders and updates on the best venues and destinations.

The Austin Convention Center has a Gold Certification rating by the U.S. Green Building Councils – Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) under Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance. One hundred percent of all the electrical power is supplied by Austin Energy’s GreenChoice program, generated by wind turbines. Fifty percent of all waste generated at the Austin Convention Center is diverted from landfills through the building’s comprehensive recycling, reuse, and composting program.

Facts about the Austin Convention Center:

• Neighbors 11,000 downtown hotel rooms
• Five exhibit halls, two ballrooms, 54 meeting rooms, and show offices
• Seven ballrooms, ranging in sizes from cozy and intimate to one of the largest in Texas at 40,510 square feet
• State-of-the-art audiovisual technology on a gigabit-rated network
• Free Wi-Fi, over 20,000 wireless devices can connect simultaneously
• In-house technology staff provides 24-hour support and customization monitoring.

The Austin Convention Center Department is comprised of 290 full-time staff members and is an enterprise department for the City of Austin. Over 10 million people have attended 6,000+ events, including over 900 conventions, since it opened in 1992. More information about the Austin Convention Center and the Palmer Events Center can be accessed at www.austinconventioncenter.com.