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The Austin Convention Center expansion will increase rentable space to 620,000 square feet from the old building’s 365,000 square feet. Photo courtesy Austin Convention Center.
Austin is known for pushing boundaries and that includes rethinking the kinds of experiences participants can expect from meetings. As a destination recognized for innovation and reinvention, Austin makes every meeting part of its ongoing evolution. With a brand-new convention center underway and additional gates coming to the city’s Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Austin will soon be upping its own game as a top event destination.
Convention Center Redevelopment and Expansion
The long-anticipated project to reimagine the Austin Convention Center moved into the construction phase in September 2025. Work is expected to be complete by the end of 2028, leaving the center plenty of time to reopen in spring 2029 ahead of SXSW 2029, one of the city’s most notable events. After the expansion is complete, the new center’s rentable space will increase to 620,000 square feet, nearly doubling the former building’s 365,000 square feet of meetings and event space.
The reimagined Austin Convention Center will feature indoor/outdoor and ground-level activation spaces, plus a pedestrian-friendly design. Thanks to ongoing sustainability efforts throughout construction, the new Austin Convention Center is on track to be the world’s first convention center to achieve the zero-carbon certification from the International Living Futures Institute. The initiative’s $17.7 million budget for artworks also marks the largest investment in public art in Austin’s history.
With the temporary closure of the Austin Convention Center, the city’s hotels and venues are coming together as meeting “campuses,” which makes it a cinch for planners to design decentralized events. Embracing a campus-style meeting format allows attendees to experience more of the city than ever. Movement between these non-traditional meeting spaces — whether it’s shuttles or curated walks with planned activities along the route —creates more networking time, fosters participation, and ensures the event experience is seamlessly integrated with the local culture.
CEMA Summit 2025 took advantage of Austin’s campus-style meetings program with events all over the city, like this reception at ACL Live. Photo courtesy Charles Quinn.
Flying High
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is currently undergoing a multiyear expansion to increase its capacity. The airport currently services 85+ domestic and international destinations and serves as a flight attendant base for Delta Air Lines and, soon, a crew base for Southwest Airlines (beginning spring 2026). The project will add 84,500 square feet of space to the airport’s west gates by 2026, making way for three new gates.
Longer term, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport will add a new arrivals and departures hall and a mid-field concourse with more than 20 gates as well as new lounges and concession spaces. This phase of construction is expected to be completed in the early 2030s.
All the Perks
Austin’s culinary scene is second-to-none, with 49 restaurants garnering stars or mentions for a total of 53 recognitions in the 2025 MICHELIN Guide Texas. Meeting and event planners can tap into the scene by reserving space for private dining, securing catering services, or including local chef talent as speakers or for attendee engagement experiences.
There’s also the More Austin Incentive Program, which offers flexible incentives tailored to a group’s specific event needs. This program was created to support event planners in bringing their events to Austin, and possibilities include financial benefits, live music support, dedicated planning assistance, and more. Last but not least, the new Austin Fly-In Incentive program: the city will fly planners in for a site visit so they can experience Austin firsthand.
Learn more at AustinMeetings.org.
