Dallas: deep in the heart of Texas.

Dallas - a city deep in the heart and tradition of Texas - consistently ranks among the top destinations in the nation in conventions and meetings. That should come as no surprise, since Dallas offers an array of comfortable, technologically advanced settings for meetings and a diversity of leisure activities for after hours. And since Dallas is home to 80,000 companies - including 9,000 headquarters - the city is well-prepared to handle meetings of any size. It's also well-prepared to bring attendees to town. The Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport is the world's second busiest and is larger than the island of Manhattan.

DARTing Around Town

Though Dallas has long been a favorite place for groups to meet, once there, inter-city transportation has posed a problem in this expanding metropolis. That's rapidly changing, however, thanks to the new Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) light rail system. Now, meeting attendees without transportation aren't confined to only one area of the city. With DART, they can explore the city's fine restaurants, cultural opportunities - and stores.

Shopping centers are a lure for companies and groups that are considering holding meetings in Dallas, says Greg Elam, vice president of communications for the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Dallas is known for its shopping opportunities, and this new [transit] system goes a long way in solving the problems of getting people in downtown to places where they can shop," says Elam.

Entertaining Options

Speaking of shopping, there may be no better place on Earth to shop, play, and eat than along Greenville Avenue, an entertainment district near downtown Dallas known for its popular clubs and restaurants. Deep Ellum is another option for "shoppertainment." This former industrial area is the center for much of Dallas' avant-garde talent. Art galleries and live theater mix with restaurants, retail shops, and nightspots.

And if racing is your thing, get ready for world-class thoroughbred racing. Lone Star Park, about 15 minutes from downtown Dallas, features a one-mile oval dirt track with 8,000 seats to watch the quarter horse races hosted at the park.

Convention Center Connectivity

As for meeting accommodations, the Dallas Convention Center is the first major convention center in the United States to offer wireless Internet service to exhibitors, show managers, and event planners. This system's permanent fiber optic backbone is built into the ceiling and provides limitless range to users. No wiring has to be pulled, no installations made, and the initial set-up takes five minutes.

"Such a wireless system provides a unique opportunity to enhance customer services in Dallas," says Dave Whitney, president and CEO of the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Today, convention and trade show coordinators value Internet access as much as telephone connections and electrical power. By using leading-edge technology at our convention center, the Internet is now easily accessible for all of our exhibit customers."

As for other center improvements, the first phase of the center's renovation is complete. New facilities include meeting rooms, ballrooms, lobby improvements, and an overall refreshing of soft goods like arena seats, carpeting, and ceiling tiles.

Also new at the convention center is the user-friendly escalator and skybridge - a walkway under the overhang of the primary exhibit floor linking the center to DART.

Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau Contact: Dick Martinez 1201 Elm Street, Suite 2000 Dallas, Texas 75270 [phone] http://cityview.com/dallas

The Hyatt Regency - A Landmark to Remember

The most notable landmark on the Dallas skyline celebrated its twentieth anniversary in April. A masterpiece of design and engineering, the 50-story Reunion Tower features three levels at the top of the tower, all encircled by a geodesic dome 118 feet in diameter. Other features include

* the observation level, which offers a 360-degree view of points of interest in the Dallas area;

* Antares Restaurant, a four-star restaurant - named for the brightest star in the Scorpio constellation - that serves acclaimed New American cuisine along with traditional Texas favorites; and

* The Dome cocktail lounge. The restaurant and lounge gently rotate 360 degrees every 55 minutes.

The Hyatt Regency offers 939 guest rooms, including 28 suites - all with Texas-style decor. The facility has available 72,000 square feet of meeting space, which divides into 36 meeting rooms, three ballrooms, and a 27,000- square-foot exhibit hall with prefunction area.

Union Station, a historic Dallas site, is part of the 30-acre downtown development known as Reunion. With a 40-foot ceiling, antique chandeliers, a permanent gazebo, and a spacious balcony with a spectacular view of the Dallas skyline, Union Station's Grand Hall can accommodate up to 700 guests, while the Pullman Room can accommodate 400 guests.

The Hyatt Regency Dallas is a new stop on the DART light rail, which whisks attendees to the Dallas Convention Center and other attractions.

Hyatt Regency Dallas Contact: Nan Stone, Sales Director 300 Reunion Blvd. Dallas, TX 75207-4498 [phone] Web site: www.hyatt.com

Hotel Inter-Continental Debuts

One hundred thousand square feet of meeting space. More than 500 rooms. Four hundred restaurants nearby. What else would you expect from the Hotel Inter-Continental, Dallas' premier convention hotel? Formerly the Grand Kempinski, Hotel Inter-Continental opened its European-style luxury hotel and conference center to the heart of Dallas in November 1997.

"With its strong position as a major travel hub and the resurgence of its economy, Dallas has been a top priority in our North American expansion plans," says Fred G. Pellen, president of Inter-Continental Hotels and Resorts, Americas. "We consider the new Hotel Inter-Continental Dallas, with its strategic location and reputation as a first-class hotel and meeting facility, an excellent choice for our first foray into this important market."

This Dallas property has 528 superbly appointed oversized guest rooms and suites, including sitting areas with writing desks. Thirty-one suites have Jacuzzis and saunas.

The heart of North Dallas, home to the Hotel Inter-Continental, has some of the finest shopping and restaurants in the city. The hotel provides a complimentary shuttle service within a three-mile radius, which includes the Galleria, Prestonwood Mall, Valley View Mall, more than 150 boutiques, and more than 130 restaurants and lounges.

The Hotel Inter-Continental offers more than 100,000 square feet of flexible meeting and banquet facilities, including the Crystal Ballroom with 25,400 square feet and a 20,000- square-foot foyer, the Lalique Ballroom with 4,560 square feet, and three conference rooms with more than 1,100 square feet each.

Attractions close by include Southfork Ranch, one of the most famous ranches in the world. Themed events, receptions, and intimate dinners can be hosted in the mansion made popular by the TV series "Dallas," while the Event and Conference Center can easily accommodate indoor and outdoor groups as large as 5,000 in its 63,000 square-foot conference center and surrounding acres of picnic grounds.

Hotel Inter-Continental Dallas Contact: Ken Krona 15201 Dallas Pkwy. Dallas, TX 75248 [phone] Web site: www.interconti.com

Adam's Mark Completes Expansion Project

Everything's bigger in Texas, and the Adam's Mark-Dallas is no exception. A two-year, $200 million expansion project to be completed this October will turn an already great meetings and conventions hotel into the state's largest, and the ninth largest in the United States.

"With Dallas being the second-largest convention city in the country, this project represents a major undertaking that signifies the rebirth of the city," says Fred Kummer, president and chief executive of St. Louis-based Adam's Mark Hotels & Resorts.

The project involves the redevelopment of the former Southland Center, a converted hotel and office complex. The existing hotel, a former Sheraton, will be connected via skyway to the two renovated office towers across the street.

The Adam's Mark-Dallas will have 1,825 guest rooms in all, each with a generous sitting area with elegant furnishings and a work desk. This adds 1,320 guest rooms to the property. The center tower will have 25 3,000-square-foot suites with 1,800-square-foot parlors and grand pianos. Eighty percent of the rooms will be nonsmoking.

With rich mahogany furnishings with both traditional and contemporary accents, each room has double or queen-sized beds and oversized bathrooms.

To accommodate business travelers, each room will have two phones with dual phone lines, speed dial, voice mail, and modem access.

Upon completion, the Adam's Mark-Dallas will have 230,000 square feet of meeting, banquet, and exhibit space. The three-story hotel will feature 70 meeting rooms, 11 boardrooms and function rooms, a 60,000- square-foot exhibit hall, 1,100 parking spaces, and five ballrooms, including the Lone Star Ballroom measuring 41,000 square feet - another state record-breaker.

"We're talking about fantastic space," says Paul Upchurch, general manager. "Each ballroom has its own full production kitchen, which shows our commitment to having the finest food product available for convention guests. Much of the space was designed by meeting planners," he adds. "We put together a team of planners who work with small, medium, and large groups, and they all put their thoughts into the design. Large groups will get great space, and smaller groups that want to use just one or two floors will find their space private and easy to use."

With its grand views of Dallas and its surroundings, the MaJestic Boardrooms on the 37th floor let attendees do business, Dallas-style. The hotel also features 75 individual breakout rooms. In addition, the on-site health club offers new indoor and outdoor heated pools and Jacuzzis, cardiovascular stations, customized weight-training equipment, and health-conscious cuisine.

The Downtown Dallas Arts and Financial District, which encompasses the Dallas Museum of Art, Meyerson Symphony Center, and Majestic Theater, is within walking distance and is also a stop on the DART Light Rail system.

Visitors also enjoy skyway access to the Americas Atrium Mall, which boasts an ice skating rink, food court, and an array of retail shops.

Adam's Mark-Dallas 400 North Olive St. Dallas, TX 75201 [phone] Web site: www.adamsmark.com

Wyndham Anatole: City Within a City

A city within in a city: That's how the gigantic Wyndham Anatole Hotel in Dallas is often described. Yet just because it's big, don't think that you and your group will be lost in the shuffle. The Wyndham Anatole strives to cater to your group's every need.

Situated on 45 acres near downtown Dallas, the hotel is only two miles north of the downtown Dallas business district and close to the Dallas Apparel Mart, the World Trade Center, the Infomart, Market Hall, Furniture Mart, and the Design District's Design Center and Decorative Center. Transportation is available to and from the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, which is only 25 minutes away, and Love Field, only 10 minutes away.

Built in 1979, the Atria I and II have 900 guest rooms. The Tower offers an additional 720 guest rooms for a total of 1,620 rooms on property Garden Hospitality suites, designed for impressive yet efficient entertaining for up to 75 people, overlook the Anatole's beautifully landscaped gardens. Grand Presidential suites occupy an entire penthouse corner of the Tower or Atrium - the perfect accommodations to pamper CEOs.

New Conference Center Opens

The long-awaited Trinity Conference Center opened in March. This state-of-the-art facility features more than 140,000 square feet of flexible exhibit and multipurpose function space, bringing the total square footage offered by the Anatole to more than 300,000. The Trinity Exhibit Hall has 73,000 square feet of exhibit space; the 45,000-square-foot multipurpose room is a smart setting for large dinners or general sessions, and the lobby/pre-function area adds 9,450 square feet to the total.

Wyndham One is a specialized, onsite meeting planning department for groups with fewer than 100 attendees.

Plenty to Do On site During Off Hours

Once you arrive, you'll find there's no need to leave the property during your event. Twelve restaurants and lounges, three swimming pools, an array of boutiques and specialty shops, and a private park are but a few of the onsite amenities.

Work away stress at the Verandah Club, a $12 million world-class health and fitness facility that features six outdoor tennis courts, six racquetball courts, two squash courts, a full-size indoor basketball court, an outdoor recreational swimming pool with a swim-up bar, an indoor lap pool, three whirlpools, an indoor jogging track, two croquet courts, and an aerobics studio and boxing gym.

The seven-acre Anatole Park offers a quiet respite for the busy traveler and a lovely setting for jogging or walking. Guests can enjoy the gardens, the sculptures, the fish pond, or play a game of croquet.

Feast at any one of the spectacular restaurants at the Anatole. The Socio Grill, an indoor/outdoor grill, specializes in heart-healthy gourmet entrees and snacks, while the Nana Grill on the 27th floor serves upscale American cuisine in a relaxed setting. In true Texas fashion, La Esquina serves up authentic Tex-Mex cuisine.

Wyndham Anatole Hotel 2201 Stemmons Freeway Dallas, TX 75207 [phone] Web site: www.travelweb.com