Are you attending PCMA Convening Leaders, the convention industry’s annual conference scheduled for January 12-15 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston?
Last year, PCMA Convening Leaders attracted a record attendance of more than 4,200 industry professionals in San Diego in January 2024, with another 700 participating online, according to PCMA President and CEO Sherrif Karamat.
What are the best places to eat, drink, shop, sightsee, run and more near the convention center and headquarters hotels? TSNN has the scoop. We asked the Visit Houston team for recommendations, and here’s what Houston First Corp. marketing director Holly Clapham and public relations director Jennie Bui-McCoy shared.
Where to dine: From casual Tex-Mex fare to MICHELIN-star restaurants, downtown Houston offers a wide range of dining options for convention attendees and exhibitors. Here are several nearby restaurants to consider:
- Nancy’s Hustle is a MICHELIN 2024 recognized restaurant with a cool, casual vibe inside.
- Street to Kitchen is a 2023 James Beard winner for Best Chef: Texas and also a 2024 Michelin Recognized Restaurant.
- Tiny Champions offers pizza and pasta dishes.
- HUYNH is a Houston staple and reflects the strong Vietnamese community that resides in the city. In fact, Houston has the largest Vietnamese population outside of California, Bui-McCoy said.
- There are several Mexican and Tex-Mex options, including Irma’s, El Tiempo or Ninfa’s on Navigation.
Where to enjoy a cocktail: Besides the hotel lobby bars at headquarters, where are the best places to have a drink? Here are seven options:
- JULEP is a short Uber ride away and not far from the POST Houston development. Mixologist Alba Huerta was nominated by James Beard for “Best Bar Program.”
- Xochi is located inside the Marriott Marquis Hotel on the convention campus.
- If you’re in the mood for wine, there’s ROOTS, a self-serve wine bar, or Neighbors, also a wine bar.
- RESERVE 101 offers the largest selection of whiskeys in the state, with more than 1,000 varieties, Bui-McCoy said.
- At the Four Seasons Hotel there is a speakeasy called BANDISTA, or the lobby bar, known as BAYOU AND BOTTLE, which has a fantastic selection of cocktails and bourbon.
What to do: A short Uber ride will take you to the Buffalo Bayou Cistern, which offers sound baths and a rotating art program in its rooms. Twenty-minute guided tours are available Wednesday through Sunday. A visit to the cistern will make you think you’re in Turkey, because it’s an underground water system that has been repurposed, Bui-McCoy said.
Enjoy some of the best aerial views of downtown Houston while strolling through the state’s largest urban park and rooftop garden at POST HOUSTON, recommended by Bui-McCoy. Located in the former Barbara Jordan Post Office Building, the venue offers a global food hall and visitors can experience one of the most complex black box museums within its HTX Art Club.
Discover Meow Wolf, one of five immersive art installations in the United States. The venue is located down the street from the state’s oldest craft brewery, Saint Arnold Brewing Company, which also offers great food, craft beer, and some of the best views in downtown Houston. The beer garden offers covered seating and/or indoor seating.
Where to run: Directly across from the Hilton Americas on the east end of downtown is Discovery Green, which has a jogging path. Located on the west end of downtown, Buffalo Bayou Park offers beautiful views of the city skyline and bayou. Memorial Park includes the Eastern Glades or Memorial Park Running Complex. Looking for more? Read 14 beautiful places to run in Houston.
Where to shop: Just a short Uber ride from the convention area, attendees can find several shopping options, including Rice Village, open since 1938 and offering a variety of local and popular retailers and cafes; The Houston Galleria, the state’s largest indoor mall, and River Oaks District, a luxury mixed-use complex housing brands such as Dior, Versace and Hermes, as well as a number of fine dining options.
How to get around: In addition to taxis and ride-sharing apps, “visitors now have an additional way to get around Downtown Houston and EaDo, sorting to East Downtown,” according to an article on X from Houston First. METRO Houston and Evolve Houston have teamed up to bring this free, on-demand shuttle service to downtown and nearby neighborhoods. Try this all-electric microtransit shuttle available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visitors can easily track shuttles, view service maps and check operating hours via the recommended Ride Circuit app. Clapham.
Want to know more? Visit Houston has compiled this online resource for PCMA 2025 attendees.
Main image: View of the Houston skyline from Allen’s Landing Snow Glow on the Bayou in December 2024. Credit: Houston First Corporation