Waiting Through The Ages
April 8, 2026
Have we as a culture really changed that much in 100 years? Have we really advanced as a society? Has technology really had the great impact we think it has?
Have we as a culture really changed that much in 100 years? Have we really advanced as a society? Has technology really had the great impact we think it has?
Las Vegas briefs this month track two forces moving in opposite directions: big-show volume inside the halls and softer demand signals outside them. April’s calendar
San Antonio International Airport
Airport Code: SAT
Location: 9800 Airport Blvd, San Antonio, Texas
Overlooking the scenic San Antonio River Walk, the Henry B. González Convention Center (HBGCC) (900 E. Market Street) stands as a centerpiece of the city’s vibrant downtown and one of Texas’s premier event venues. Built as the San Antonio Convention Center in 1968 for Hemisfair ‘68, its name was changed in 1977 to honor Congressman Henry B. González, a respected civic leader who championed the city’s development.
“I’ll play it and tell you what it is later.” Miles Davis mutters these words into the microphone at the beginning of “If I Were A Bell” and I have never found a clearer explanation of what jazz is. It is what it is. That’s jazz. If you look at the sheet music, there are a few markings for key changes and modes, a little phrase the musicians wanted to remember, and not much else.
Opening in 1957 as the Dallas Memorial Auditorium, the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center (KBHCC) (650 S. Griffin Street) has gone through multiple expansions and a few name changes throughout the decades. Renamed the Dallas Convention Center in the 70s, the center’s final name came in 2013, in honor of former U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.
In today’s events, audiences rarely remember a specific slide or a particular sentence from a presentation. What tends to remain is the experience surrounding that moment: the atmosphere in the room, the visual energy of the stage, the rhythm created by light and sound, and the way the environment supports the story being told.
In keeping with Texas’ expansion and redevelopment of convention centers (see our Dallas CC Spotlight) Austin is revamping the Austin Convention Center (500 E. Cesar Chavez Street), but in a typically Texas big way: the old Austin Convention Center was demolished to make way for an entirely new venue due to open in September of 2029 (just in time for South By Southwest). The project’s named Unconventional ATX and plans to create a bigger, newer convention center with the latest in tech, amenities, and more.
Laying in the heart of downtown Houston, George R. Brown Convention Center (GRB) (1001 Avenida de las Americas) was named after Houston entrepreneur, philanthropist, and civic leader, George R. Brown. The Texas Eastern Transmission Company (of which Brown was an investor) donated over half the real estate needed to build the center, which opened in September of 1987. It replaced the old Albert Thomas Convention Center.
William P. Hobby Airport
Airport Code: HOU
Location: 7800 Airport Blvd, Houston, Texas
It’s a dangerous world out there. That would ring true at almost any point in history — but it feels especially relevant in March 2026. Natural disaster risks are driving up insurance costs. Criminals are targeting popular resort destinations. Armed conflict has shuttered major global travel hubs. And the events industry, by its very nature, puts groups of people together in places that can be every bit as vulnerable as they are beautiful.
Last fall, we ran an experiment inside Club Ichi that scared a lot of people (that was the point).
We called it Brains Behind the Bots, a live event built as part of an AI Hackathon. The premise was simple: what happens if we let AI help build an event from the ground up, in real time, with professionals watching every decision, mistake, and course correction?
