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Norris Celebrates 20 Years in 2010

David Norris — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:00:00 GMT

Norris News

NORRIS CELEBRATES 20 YEARS IN 2010

NEW VENUE - HOUSTON/CLEAR LAKE

NORRIS - AROUND THE STATE UPDATE

Norris Celebrates 20 Years in 2010

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Norris Conference Centers, which was founded in 1990 in Austin, Texas.

Since then, our business has grown tremendously—from our initial two-room meeting facility in Austin to five facilities in four cities. Our second facility opened in Houston at Westchase in 1996; San Antonio followed in the fall of 2005, Fort Worth in November 2008, and Houston at CityCentre in May 2009 (see article Five and Fabulous Plus One). We are also very excited to announce the opening of a third Houston location at Clear Lake in early 2011 to better serve the south Houston market (see article New Venue in Houston/Clear Lake).

“From our humble beginnings, we are proud that we now are a significant part of the meetings and events industry in Central Texas,” said Dave Norris, President, Norris Conference Centers. We have definitely become a preferred venue for meeting and event professionals.

Over the years, we have morphed from hosting only day meetings with the introduction of our Red Oak Ballrooms in all of our venues since 2001, with the except of our Houston/Westchase facility. This stratgic move has enabled us to extend our client services in hosting not only our base day meetings, but also high end social events. Annually, Norris hosts over 5,500 meetings, numerous trade shows and hundreds of social events, including holiday parties and wedding receptions.

Touting our ergonomic chairs, Norris’ first advertising campaign began, “You can’t keep your mind awake if your butt’s asleep.” We still believe that today. And think we have not only proved it, but gone beyond it, by the fact that so many of our clients are repeat customers. With our comfortable ergonomic chairs, delicious catering, superior customer service, and beautiful venues, we are able to service clients like no other meeting facility, keeping minds alert, butts awake, stomachs satisfied, and hearts happy.

“We extend our appreciation to all of our clients who have supported us for the past 20 years. We pledge our commitment to continuing to work hard to service them even better in the years to come,” said Norris.

"Our Service Will Exceed Your Expections"

Norris Conference Centers

Austin
512-451-5011

Houston/Westchase
713-780-9300

San Antonio
210-738-0040

Fort Worth
817-289-2400

Houston/CityCentre
713-590-0950

www.norriscenters.com

New Venue in Houston/Clear Lake

Norris Conference Centers is excited to announce the development of a new facility in the Houston/Clear Lake area at Nassau Bay. The new center, expected to open in early 2011, will be similar in design to Norris’ successful Houston/CityCentre facility (see article Five and Fabulous Plus One), with state-of-the-art meeting rooms for day meetings and conferences along with a stylish Red Oak Ballroom for social events.

The facility is part of the Nassau Bay Town Square project, which includes retail stores and office space, and is conveniently located next to City Hall and the Hotel Marriott. It is surrounded by the environs of Baytown, Clear Lake, Pasadena, and Houston, and expects to draw business from these areas and more.

“We look forward to becoming a part of the Clear Lake area business community and the opportunity to serve a new segment of our home Houston area market,” said Dave Norris, President, Norris Conference Centers.

For more information on this venue and/or to start booking an event for 2011, please contact Linda Hampton, Vice President, Norris Conference Centers, at (713) 780-9387.

Five and Fabulous Plus One

Norris Conference Centers is the premier meeting venue for Central Texas boasting five locations with a sixth location set to open in Houston at Clear Lake in 2010/11 (See article New Venue in Houston/Clear Lake). At all our facilities, 2009 was a great year for us, seeing many changes and upgrades that have helped us serve our clients better, with a greater emphasis on customer service and style.

With 20 years of serving the event planning community, Norris’ Austin facility had a great year in 2009, welcoming numerous new clients and expanding relationships with existing ones.

“Our newly re-modeled and completed venue, combined with our outstanding team, make for a space that can’t be beat for versatility, customer service, and professionalism. We’re looking forward to a fantastic 2010!” said Chris Clymer, General Manager, Austin.

The Houston/Westchase venue continues to serve clients seeking to hold day and evening meetings. The venue got a new look in 2009, with new chocolate-brown accented walls to accentuate the space. One client recently called the service at Westchase, “Top notch!”

“We are looking forward to serving our repeat clients and gaining new ones in 2010 with our usual impeccable service, at a venue which gives the customer exactly what they need to hold a great meeting at a competitive price,” said Michelle Page, General Manager, Houston/Westchase.

The San Antonio location, proud to be in its fifth year of business, also made some major improvements last year, including enhancements to the audio & visual systems in both ballrooms.

“We are excited about the new friends and clients we met last year, and our entire staff is optimistic and fired up about the tremendous opportunities in 2010,” said Barry Gilliland, General Manager, San Antonio. A recent client noted that "every time we needed something, they were there to help. I am so grateful to say the word ‘no’ is not in their vocabulary.”

Our Fort Worth facility celebrated its one-year anniversary in October with a successful open house and the return of the Lone Star Film Society’s Lone Star International Film Festival in November.

“Over the past year, we have made some great friends in the Sundance Square neighborhood. We hope to continue to integrate and grow in downtown Fort Worth over the coming years,” said Blake Crane, General Manager, Fort Worth.

Houston/CityCentre, our newest facility, is growing by leaps and bounds and has already hosted hundreds of day meetings and social events for its ever-increasing clientele. The facility was able to showcase its decor at an open house in November with a fully decked-out ballroom, complete with luxurious flower arrangements, festive lighting, and a decadent dessert buffet.

“We are extremely proud of our great new facility at CityCentre and have established some very strong relationships in a short time. I am very fortunate that we have a tremendous team in place,” said Darin Kelley, General Manager, Houston/CityCentre.

Norris Conference Centers | 9990 Richmond Ave | Houston, TX 77042 | US

12-Feb-10 10:00 AM

Green Planning: Events and Meetings

David Norris — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:00:00 GMT

The following presentation is a great guide to sustainable/green meeting planning.

Green Planning: Events and Meetings Part I

Green Planning: Events and Meetings Part II

Green Planning: Events and Meetings Part III

9-Nov-09 9:00 AM

Conference Call

David Norris — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 20:00:00 GMT

4-Aug-09 3:00 PM

A Houston Hook-Up: Norris Conference Centers & New Boutique Hotel Brand

David Norris — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:00:00 GMT

CityCentre Houston, an innovative mixed-use development in Houston, Texas that features high-end, unique retail, gourmet dining and entertainment venues now boasts a conference center hooked up to a new boutique hotel. Norris Conference Centers – Houston/CityCentre, which opened in mid-May, a 30,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility that will service the meeting and event needs of Hotel Sorella.

The 244-room, luxury Hotel Sorella, scheduled to open in mid-to-late Summer, will serve as the flagship for the Sorella brand, a new hospitality concept from Valencia Group. Hotel highlights include dramatic, residential-style guestrooms with dark hardwoods floors; a European-style bar featuring a central fireplace, active seating and starlit ceiling; Café Rosé and Bistro Alex; and rooftop pool, spa and health club. The Norris Conference Centers – Houston/CityCentre is attached to the Hotel Sorella via an enclosed sky bridge. "The Hotel Sorella brand was conceived to work within the framework of a mixed-use environment, and the relationship with Norris Conference Centers is one of several amenities that will create dynamic experiences for guests and meeting planners who will have the best of everything in one place, but not under the confines of one roof," said Ryan Gullion, General Manager, Hotel Sorella.

"The premier CityCentre site and partnership with Hotel Sorella was a unique opportunity for us to take our nearly 20 years of experience in the meetings, events and corporate training industry to create a one-of-a-kind flagship venue," said David Norris, President/Founder, Norris Conference Centers.

A regional chain of stand-alone conference centers that started in 1990, the Texas-based Norris Conference Centers owns and manages a cluster of meeting venues in the Lone Star State, including Norris Conference Centers - Austin, Norris Conference Centers - Houston/Westchase, Norris Conference Centers - San Antonio and Norris Conference Centers - Fort Worth. According to David Norris, while each of his conference centers has close relationships with specific hotels, the CityCentre location is "our first connected partner. The sky-bridge is a very short walk, and meeting attendees exit straight out of the hotel on the second level. The décor is the same. The whole experience is very seamless."

The Norris Conference Centers – Houston/CityCentre features an expansive foyer and pre-function space as well as three state-of-the-art meeting space: the 3,000-square-foot Pecan, 1,700-square-foot Live Oak and 5,000-square foot Magnolia, all including ergonomic seating, full spectrum lighting, soundproofing and individual thermostats. However, the highlight of the Norris Conference – Houston/CityCentre is sure to be the Red Oak Ballroom, one of the more well known facets of the Norris Conference Centers. Approximately 7,700 square feet, the exquisitely appointed Red Oak Ballroom is a distinctive space within every Norris Conference Center. This Texas-renowned event setting is divisible into two smaller function rooms and will support seated lunches and dinners up to 500 guests. In addition, variety of catering options is available for Norris/Sorella meeting attendees.

One of the handful of new conference centers (or meeting venue of any category) opening in in the current slow economy, David Norris is optimistic about the market position of his new Houston location. "In 2000, we opened Norris Conference Centers – Austin, which had a high profile with technology companies. Then we had the dot-com bust. We learned to diversify our marketing to other types of associations and industries. With The Norris Conference Centers – Houston/CityCentre we are already diversified because the type of clientele interested in Hotel Sorrel will add to our market."

In addition, the more symbiotic relationship with this lodging provider could likewise enhance the appeal of The Norris Conference Centers – Houston/CityCentre. "Obviously, we have hotel partners. But, this is the first one where the meeting space appears as an extension of the hotel and that is in our favor," said David Norris.

19-May-09 12:00 PM

Norris Conference Centers opens in CityCentre

David Norris — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:00:00 GMT

Norris Conference Centers has opened in CityCentre — the 1.8 million-square-foot mixed-use development that replaced the old Town & Country Mall.

The 30,000-square-foot conference center operation offers eight meeting rooms that range in size from 1,700 square feet to 7,700 square feet. Each sound-proofed room has ergonomic seating, individual room thermostats and full spectrum lighting.

The business, which also offers menu and beverage service, is one of five Norris Conference Center locations in central Texas.

Norris is the latest business to debut in the CityCentre project in West Houston at the southeast corner of Interstate 10 and Beltway 8. The $500 million venture is under development by Houston-based Midway Cos.

Office space, stores, restaurants, residential units and a hotel are in various stages at CityCentre.

8-May-09 2:00 PM

Avoiding the 4 a.m. “OMG” Moments

David Norris — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:00:00 GMT

By: Linda Hampton, CMP

Let’s face it; as event planners, we have all had these moments. Your eyes pop open, you glance at the clock, its four a.m. and your all of a sudden worried that you’ve forgotten to: sign the contract for your event next week, confirm the speaker, book the flights, order the name badges, or some other neurotic / paranoid detail.

For those that are diligent, you might even get out of bed and check your files or your computer. However, if you are like me, you will convince yourself that by simply writing a note in the glow of your alarm clock, you can stop worrying and go back to sleep. Of course, if you’re again, like me, you will just lie there obsessing on this and all the other details you might have forgotten.

I’m not saying that structure and diligence will prevent all of these “OMG” moments from happening, but applying adequate structure and being disciplined to implement it on a consistent basis, can assist. With 20 plus years of experience in event planning, I have created a simple checklist to assist in confirming that all the details necessary to execute a successful event have been addressed. The obvious objective is to keep details that I can control under control, then those last minute surprises, which there always are, will be easier to deal with. Over the years, I have proven to myself, that this structure would help ensure no detail is overlooked and as with most structures, I’ve found that the old KISS rule (keep it simple silly) was the best approach.

The checklist I started with has been modified and updated frequently. Keeping your structure evergreen is critical as times and responsibilities change. For example, ten years ago, I would not have been responsible for making sure participants with food allergies were accommodated. However, I now have an area on my checklist to ensure I have made arrangements for sharing the ingredients of menu items, so guests with food allergies are well informed.

More recently, I have added new items for consideration regarding “green meetings” allowing me to be more environmentally conscious of my meeting choices. This includes areas such as selecting a venue that recycles materials to taking into consideration the “carbon footprint” associated with an event and making modifications to be more environmentally friendly, where possible.

As either a seasoned event planner or a beginner, there are a variety of resources available to assist you in creating your own checklists from publications to seminars. Resources available at sgmp.org may offer information and some may event offer basic checklists for you to copy and begin using today. If you would like copies of checklists I’ve created to assist in event planning, don’t hesitate to contact me.

As you know, the hard part is making sure you follow the structure. Even after planning thousands of events, remind yourself daily that your last successful event is only that. Your future success is based on your ability to discipline yourself again and again to follow the steps and not assume you now have enough experience to wing it.

So next time your eyes pop open at 4am, smile to yourself, knowing you have all the details covered and roll over for a few more hours of well deserved rest.

Biography:

Linda Hampton, CMP - is part owner of Norris Conference Centers, which began in Austin Texas in 1990.

Linda has a BS in education from Baylor, an MBA from Texas State University and a Masters in Leadership Development from UT- Austin.

Prior to her career with Norris, Linda spent a number of years planning and hosting numerous events during her employment with the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. Linda also spent three years as the Show Director - for the Austin Boat Show.

With over 20 years of event planning & hosting experience, combined with “lessons learned” while hosting over 30,000 meetings and conferences and an additional 3,000 plus social events at Norris facilities, Linda has a wealth of industry knowledge.

This experience, along with the combined experience and insight of the staff at Norris Conference Centers, has been consolidated into "The Complete Resource Guide for the Professional Meeting and Event Planner" - which is full of practical tools such as checklists, recommendations and a glossary of terms to assist both the experienced and novice planner when coordinating an event. To inquire about copies of “The Complete Resource Guide” and/or information regarding speaking engagements please contact Linda Hampton at 713-780-9387 or l.hampton@norriscenters.com

29-Sep-08 10:00 AM

Norris News

David Norris — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Norris News

HO HO - OH NO

Event Planning Is A SNAP

Norris - Around The State Update

Planning A Company Holiday Party?

December may seem like a long time away, but historically, most properties begin booking holiday celebrations in early January; and by mid July, a number of venues are already booked. The Red Oak Ballrooms, with locations in Austin, San Antonio and Fort Worth are no different and they are booking fast for corporate holiday
celebrations. With limited weekend dates between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, coupled with economic concerns, here are a few suggestions you might consider:

Host a weeknight gathering:

Venues may provide lower rates on Tuesday – Thursday evening events vs. Friday and Saturday parties.

Host a company luncheon:

Consider a special workday luncheon, that won’t require additional expenses for families needing babysitters. It’s a great way to celebrate – especially on a Friday.

Host a Saturday afternoon family celebration:

Make it a family friendly celebration by inviting employees and their families to a mid day luncheon – consider a visit from Santa, making it fun for all.

For more ideas and booking information, please contact us at www.norriscenters.com or phone the venue in your city:

Red Oak Ballroom – Austin 512-451-3700
Red Oak Ballroom – San Antonio 210-731-0645
Red Oak Ballroom – Fort Worth 817-349-6405

“Complete Meeting Guide” & Presentation Update:

Since being introduced in late fall 2007 – over 2,000 copies of the “Complete Resource Guide for the Professional Meeting & Event Planner” have been distributed. Most recently, we presented at the SGMP (Society Of Governmental Meeting Professionals) Annual Education Conference. The seminar drew in 87 attendees in Dallas, and 128 guides were dispersed. Over the past months, many organizations have requested private presentations for their experienced, as well as their new meeting planners. They recognize the value of effective event planning and the benefits identify industry trends and tips to save money and ensure successful/productive events.

Now in its second revision, the "Complete Meeting Guide" offers insight into event planning such as suggestions on:

Tips on selecting an event appropriate venue

Worksheets to assist in budgeting for an event
Recommendations on food service
Hints on ways to control meal expenses
And much more…..

Upgrades in the newest version include current topics such as how to host "green meetings," and the hiring of musical talent.

To schedule a private “Complete Meeting Guide” presentation, call or email Linda Hampton. Linda has over 20 years of event experience and is ready to share her knowledge with your team. She can be reached at 713-780-9387 or email her at l.hampton@norriscenters.com

Remember, all who attend the presentation, which can range from a three-hour seminar to a 45-minute overview, receive a complimentary copy of the guide.

Norris Conference Centers – Austin
Our team in Austin is excited about their move into their newly remodeled facility, located in the same great location, with the same great access and free parking. We are anticipating a busy fall with a number of our key clients rushing in to book both their day meetings and holiday celebrations. Call now to ensure your dates.

Norris Conference Centers – Houston
As we continue to finalize plans for our second Norris Center in Houston, we are excited about our working relationship with Hotel Sorella, which is part of the Hotel Valencia family of boutique hotels. We are currently booking events at the Norris Conference Centers - CityCentre for early spring of 2009.

Norris Conference Centers – San Antonio
San Antonio is now well established in the SA market – and road construction around the property has been completed. With new exit ramps open from Loop 410 and IH-10, our clients are finding that access to our facility
is much improved. This venue continues to be a great location for small trade shows, special corporate and personal celebrations and corporate day meetings.

Norris Conference Centers – Fort Worth
As prior emails and press releases have indicated, our Fort Worth project is well under construction with target move in scheduled for September. Our day meeting calendar is already filling up and we are currently working with a number of companies interested in holiday celebrations. We encourage you to give us a call so we can host your next event.

29-Sep-08 10:00 AM