The 142nd National Rifle Association Annual Meetings & Exhibits saw record attendance numbers from May 3-5, according to officials. Attendance at the George R. Brown Convention Center (GRB) was pegged at 86,228, a figure that eclipsed last year’s record of 73,740 attendees in St. Louis.
Boasting nearly 1.2 million square feet of exhibition, meeting and registration space, the convention center ranks among the 10 largest facilities in the United States.
“The GRB has been one of the easiest buildings to do business with,” said Jeff Poole, NRA show manager. “The staff listens to one’s needs and executes them flawlessly.”
The success of the NRA show at the convention center comes on the heels of the successful Liquefied Natural Gas convention (LNG17) held in mid-April.
“The NRA told us they had never felt so welcome in a city,” said Luther Villagomez, chief operating officer of conventions, Houston First Corporation. The corporation manages over 10 city-owned buildings, outdoor properties and parking facilities, including George R. Brown Convention Center.
“Due to their size and scope, LNG and NRA were vitally important to us,” said Ullrich. “When big shows go off without a hitch – and these two did – the good word gets out there in the meeting planner community. We are fully confident in our ability to accommodate big shows, and these two proved it.”
George R. Brown Convention Center could host more big back-to-back conferences in the future when more downtown hotel rooms come on line, said Ullrich. Presently, Houston First is working with RIDA Development Corporation on a 1,000-room Marriott Marquis that will break ground next year.
