The Best Places to Host Your Next Convention in Dallas

As a Dallas event photographer, I spend a lot of time in hotels. The funny thing is, most of this time is usually at hotels that are around an easy 30 minute drive from my house. of course, I travel across the country as well to take care of my clients, but as Dallas is my home turf, I am all over the place around here. As a Dallas convention photographer, I’ve had the opportunity to photograph in some of the best locations for DFW conventions.

What is the best place to hold a conference in the DFW area? Let’s take a peek at some of my favorites:

The Omni Hotel Dallas/Dallas Convention Center

The Dallas Convention Center, also known as the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention center, is one of the premier venues to have a large convention or conference at in the Dallas area. Located right in downtown Dallas with great nearby access to entertainment venues, it is a wonderful place to hold your next convention. I think my favorite part of the center is the hotel it is attached to.

The Omni Hotel Dallas is one of the best hotels in Dallas, and not only has great food, but impeccable service. For years I have photographed events of all sizes (conferences, trade shows, conventions, special events, awards ceremonies) as a conference photographer, Omni Hotel Dallas, and I am always greeted warmly by the staff. I have seen time and time again how they will do whatever it takes to make sure those that are staying at the hotel or using their meeting rooms have the best experience possible. They have three fantastic restaurants inside the hotel, and recently added four more on the property, so there are plenty of great options for dining.

The Fort Worth Convention Center/The Omni Hotel Fort Worth

If you are wanting your next gathering in a city with a very Texas flavor, the Fort Worth Convention Center is the perfect place to go. Fort Worth is a big city with small town charm, and with access to places like the Stockyards, where you can watch a cattle drive go down every day and give your attendees the full Texas experience. I love capturing moments of Fort Worth event photography where people have their new cowboy hats on, or are having a blast line dancing at Billy Bob's Texas - The World's Largest Honky Tonk. They have kept a lot of the historical buildings downtown while providing modern areas such as Sundance Square, and the entire downtown is a lively place both during the day and at night. The Convention Center is located right next to the lovely Fort Worth Water Gardens, and has a fantastic Omni Hotel there that serves as the convention center hotel.

The Gaylord Texas Resort and Conference Center

As they say, everything is bigger in Texas, and I think that The Gaylord aims to prove that beyond any shadow of a doubt. From the moment you turn onto the property, you can tell that everything is done on a massive scale. You drive in through a perfectly manicured landscape, yet all the while can see the main part of the resort emerging up through the trees. Then, on your left is the convention center. With multiple levels, over 1,500 rooms for guests to stay in, and with what seems like the ability to expand rooms indefinitely, The Gaylord is a place that has the ability to accommodate large conventions in DFW. I have captured Dallas convention photography here with thousands in attendance, and have also seen all sorts of configurations for awards dinners and conferences both large and small. 

The convention center is also connected directly to the resort, so you can move back and forth with relative ease. The interior of the resort is a great glass atrium that gives you the feeling of being outside, if the outside never had adverse weather and stayed in the mid 70’s temperature range. There are restaurants for multiple tastes, and I have to say I love their Old Hickory Steakhouse. It has great ambiance for me to photograph when I cover events there, and the food is excellent.

The DFW area is a great place to hold your next conference or convention, and make sure to check out these properties for a great experience!