Spotlight On: Brent DeRaad, President & CEO, Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau
August 2024 — In an interview with Invest:, Brent DeRaad, president and CEO of the Arlington Convention & Visitors Bureau, highlighted the impact of the new Arlington Convention Center in attracting larger meetings and increasing visitor numbers. He also discussed preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, emphasizing the strategic collaborations with local governments to ensure successful events.
What strategies have been the most effective in driving visitor growth to reach 15.1 million last year, and how will you exceed that in the future?
Our goal is to reach 20 million visitors sooner rather than later. Probably the biggest component will be increasing the number of meetings we bring into Arlington. We were really excited to open the Arlington Convention Center this year. It’s attached to the new Loews Arlington Hotel, which has almost 900 rooms. The meeting space associated with the Convention Center is about 266,000 square feet. We’re seeing the ability to book far more and larger meetings in the new Convention Center. While leisure visitors will continue to come for Cowboys and Rangers games and Six Flags, the biggest change for us will be making Arlington much more of a meeting destination in the years to come.
How is the CVB promoting the region as a convention and meeting place?
We’ve really beefed up our meeting sales team over the past couple of years. We feel good about the team we have in place. They’re aggressive in getting out to trade shows, calling on customers, and bringing customers into Arlington. Once we get customers here, Arlington really sells itself. The Arlington Convention Center is just steps away from the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium, the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Field, Texas Live!, which is a 200,000-square-foot entertainment complex, and everything else in the Arlington Entertainment District.
How is the CVB preparing for the FIFA World Cup in 2026 and what impact do you anticipate?
We just hosted the Major League Baseball All-Star Game and All-Star Week activities. Early estimates show about $86 million in direct spending and 35,000 out-of-state visitors. It was a nice test as we get ready for the FIFA World Cup in the summer of 2026. We will have nine matches in 31 days. It will be a monumental challenge to move people in and out of Arlington effectively and ensure plenty of activities while they’re here. It’ll be hot in the middle of summer, and we learned a lot from MLB about shading and hydration. Those will be crucial to keep people comfortable. We’re also focusing on providing basic services. We know we can handle 90,000–95,000 people in and out of AT&T Stadium; we do it several times each year. The biggest variable is how many people will be outside the stadium during these matches. If the matches are at night, it’ll be easier to keep people cool. We’re working with the North Central Texas Council of Governments on transportation planning and the city of Arlington is working with FIFA on security and logistics to ensure a wonderful experience for everyone during the matches.
What is the impact of esports on Arlington, and what makes the city an attractive destination for these events?
Esports is something that, a decade ago, we wouldn’t have imagined would take off the way it has. Our Esports Stadium Arlington hosts some of the top gaming competitions in the world. It’s been a great venue, showcasing cutting-edge technology and attracting significant interest to Arlington. We plan to continue investing in esports technology and bringing these events to our city. It’s a different customer base for us, but it complements our other professional sports activities nicely.
What strategies do you have in place to promote tourism during off-season?
Attracting visitors in January and February is our biggest opportunity. We are creating events and promotions to bring in more visitors during those months. Otherwise, our main goal is to keep things moving forward consistently. For instance, recently we had Morgan Wallen, Anime Fest, and a Texas Rangers event all happening simultaneously. It was fascinating to see three different events with diverse audiences occurring at once. Concerts have been huge for us, and we’ll continue to work with the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Cowboys to bring in more. Additionally, we aim to attract large meetings, which are vital for our future. The unique mix of activities we offer requires careful coordination to manage transportation, public safety, and provide a great experience for all visitors.
How does the CVB collaborate with local government bodies, neighboring cities, and other regional partners to enhance the services provided to visitors?
The FIFA World Cup will be the ultimate test of our collaboration. There are watch parties planned in several North Texas cities outside Arlington, which will help manage the crowds. Our main concern is handling thousands of people outside the stadium while accommodating 100,000 inside. We can get everyone with a ticket into Arlington and the stadium, but managing the periphery is more challenging. We’re seeing cities like Fort Worth, Frisco, and Dallas step up to host visitors for the FIFA World Cup. This collaboration is crucial, and we have strong relationships with our neighboring cities. We’ll need to continue this teamwork as the event approaches.
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What are your top priorities and key initiatives for the CVB for the next three years?
As we look ahead, one of our top priorities is investing more in our Arlington Sports Commission. They do an excellent job bringing in youth and amateur sports events, which we see as a significant growth opportunity. Our goal is to increase the number of sports-related room nights generated by these activities. The Arlington Sports Commission isn’t directly involved with the Dallas Cowboys or the Texas Rangers, but focuses on other events and activities, sometimes using those venues. For example, we’ve hosted youth club basketball tournaments, soccer and baseball events, and even brought All Elite Wrestling to Esports Stadium Arlington. These events complement what we already offer and present great opportunities for growth.
Balancing leisure travel with increased meetings and business travel is essential. So, our focus will be on both the sports and meetings sectors, dedicating our time, effort, and resources to these areas in the coming years.
What is your outlook for Arlington, and what events are you targeting to host in the coming years?
We’re excited about the future and the growing number of visitors coming into Arlington. We’re also thrilled about developments at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, such as the possible addition of another terminal, and the continued expansion at Love Field with Southwest Airlines. Being centrally located in the United States with excellent air service makes this metroplex an attractive destination.
We’re very optimistic about upcoming events. In addition to the FIFA World Cup, we have the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four in 2030. We’re also partnering with the Cotton Bowl to submit a bid for the 2029 College Football Playoff National Championship game at AT&T Stadium. These are some of the significant initiatives we’re focused on for the future.
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