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ON THE SPOT Beaumont, Texas, is home to the world's third largest fire hydrant, a 24-foot, Dalmatian-spot- ted hydrant. Marking the entrance to the Fire Museum of Texas, the hydrant was built at Disneyland
in California and was originally used as a publicity prop for the
re-release of Disney's 101 Dalmatians. www.allacrosstexas. com/attractions/ worlds-largest-fire- hydrant.htm
San Marcos, Texas
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S.P.O.R.T.S. 2012
They say everything is bigger in Texas, and perhaps nowhere is that more evident than the state's love of all things sports. The Lone Star State boasts two NFL teams, two MLB teams, three NBA teams, and an NHL team, as well as numerous prominent college and university teams. Texas enjoys more than 200 days of sunshine on average every year. "The variety of geographic regions, exciting big cities and charming towns enables event planners to choose Texas over and over and have a different experience each time," said Brad Smyth, director of tourism for the Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism.
What's Going On… Dallas
The "Big D" is home to five professional sports teams, proving it values sports. "The Dallas community recognizes the impor- tance of all sporting events for the local economy," said Monica Paul, vice presi- dent of sports marketing for the Dallas Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). "Visitors are welcomed with the highest level of service and hospitality, no matter
the size of the event." Hotel rooms: 7,500 downtown; 30,000 citywide
Hotel tax: 13 percent American Airlines Center: American
Airlines Center welcomes more than 2.6 million visitors a year. Boasting 840,000
46 July 2012
square feet, the center is consistently ranked in the top 10 arenas in the world by
Billboard Magazine and Pollstar. Contact: Dallas CVB, www.visit dallassports.com.
Beaumont
Located in southeast Texas, Beaumont hosts a diverse range of sporting events. Everyone in Beaumont is committed to making sure events are a success, said Stephanie Molina, director of marketing for the Beaumont CVB. "Once, before a tournament, we hired a helicopter to land on a ball field in order to quickly dry and
disperse water after a rain shower." Hotel rooms: 3,500+
Hotel tax: 15 percent Fields & facilities: 24 softball fields, 48 tennis courts, 46 soccer fields and a
natatorium. Convention center: Ford Park
Event Center has 48,000 square feet of exhibit space, 11,000 square feet of pre-function lobby space, and combined with the arena, it offers approximately 95,000 square feet of
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contiguous floor space. Contact: Beaumont CVB, www.beaumontcvb.com.
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Wichita Falls Wichita Falls, in north Texas, is home to the annual Hotter 'N Hell Hundred, the
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San Marcos CVB
Beaumont CVB