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Sand and sea air naturally boost everyone’s enthusiasm for a meeting or conference, but beach destinations often come with a higher price tag. Thankfully, there are still destinations like South Padre Island, offering affordability in an oceanside setting.
South Padre stretches 34 miles along the Texas coast, 30 miles from Brownsville, flanked by the Gulf and Laguna Madre Bay. Almost always, blue water is in view, whether from the convention center, a resort, a restaurant or a tourist attraction.
Purpose and Pleasure
The island easily blends purpose with pleasure. The 40,000 square feet of meeting space at the South Padre Island Convention Center includes not only a 22,500-square-foot exhibit hall, but the Sunset Terrace, which overlooks the bay. Among the island’s 1,200 hotel rooms are three waterfront properties within a half mile of the convention center: the 200-suite Courtyard by Marriott, with 15,000 square feet of meeting space; its neighbor, the 156-room Hilton Garden Inn, with 9,000 square feet of meeting space; and the 147-room Sand Rose Resort, with a 3,500-square-foot ballroom.
Five miles south, larger resorts also offer waterfront views: the Margaritaville Beach Resort, the Holiday Inn Resort and the Isla Grand, with 400 cabana rooms, 65 condos and 10,000 square feet of meeting space.
Linking everything along the island’s five miles of development is a free shuttle that allows visitors to get around without a car.
Meeting planners will definitely want to incorporate the seaside into off-site events and activities. As with all elements of meeting planning, Visit South Padre Island is there to help.
“Whether it’s choosing a conference site, arranging a tour of our Sea Turtle Center or planning a bayside dinner, we are here to advise and assist,” said Mayra Nunez, sales and services manager.
After Hours Fun
The possibilities are engaging and imaginative and make the most of the island’s environs. A sandcastle artist can teach the art of constructing fanciful structures with sand. Groups can explore the Gulf and bay aboard the Southern Wave Catamaran, known for sunset sails, or take a dolphin watch cruise.
Two nonprofits, just north of the convention center, provide an understanding of the island’s natural life. Groups can tour the Groups can tour Sea Turtle Inc. or kick off with a keynote in its 350-seat bayside, open-air amphitheater or a reception among its sea turtle tanks. At the South Padre Island Birding, Nature Center and Alligator Sanctuary, planners can schedule bird watching tours or guided explorations of the alligator sanctuary.
It’s also easy to end a day by the shore in this special destination, with bayside dining establishments that welcome groups, like the Sea Ranch Restaurant, overlooking the marina and serving fresh catch for 34 years, or Henrietta’s Bayfront, with new twists on old favorites like a chili lime shrimp cocktail, enjoyed on a dockside patio with fireworks over the water every Friday night.
Getting There
Attendees choose among three airports: Brownsville South Padre Island (45 minutes), Valley International (60 minutes) or McAllen International (90 minutes).
For more information:
Visit South Padre Island
Mayra Nunez
Sales and Services Manager
956-761-8389
