The theme of this year’s Visit Fort Worth annual meeting was “All Together Now,” and the organization emphasized that by putting together a band of top-notch instrumental players and vocalists from around the city, dubbed the Panther City All-Stars. They sounded like they had been playing together for years.
The band ran through several choruses of “Funkytown” to end the meeting, which saw the convention and visitors bureau showcase the $3.4 billion impact of tourism in 2023, up from $3.1 billion in 2022.
Bob Jameson, president and CEO of Visit Fort Worth, said the city drew 11.4 million visitors in 2023, up from 10.9 million in 2022.
Jameson also asked for voters’ support in May to help fund the second phase of the Fort Worth Convention Center expansion. Proposition Awould provide funding for the project through a 2% increase in the hotel occupancy tax.
On Feb. 13, the Fort Worth City Council voted to put the 2% hotel occupancy tax on the May 4 ballot. The 2% increase is projected to generate $10 million per year, which would be used to support revenue bonds for the Fort Worth Convention Center renovation.
“We may be the 13th largest city, but we do not have a top 25 convention center,” he said. “If we want to attract business, we need our front door for economic development to keep up with the times.”
Visit Fort Worth also announced that the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic, presented by Jockey Outdoors, would return to Fort Worth in 2025.
The 2021 event was held in Fort Worth, and Lake Ray Roberts attracted 147,197 fans, the second-largest crowd ever for a Bassmaster Classic.
The 2025 Bassmaster Classic will utilize both the Dickies Arena and the Fort Worth Convention Center.
Visit Fort Worth also announced the return of the Texas FFA Annual Convention in 2026. It will add an estimated $19 million to the Fort Worth economy and impact more than 30 hotels across the city, according to the organization.
Visit Fort Worth also debuted a new seriesof 17 short films that spotlight local entrepreneurs, artists, chefs and community leaders. The one-minute video profiles were produced by 19 Fort Worth filmmakers.
The event saw Dickies Arena honored with the Hospitality Award. Among its many accolades, in November 2023, the venue topped Billboard magazine’syear-end rankings for venues with a seating capacity of 10,001 to 15,000.
The Hospitality Award honors a person, company or organization that has made significant contributions to the city’s travel, tourism and hospitality industry.
Ed Bass, the chairman of Trail Drive Management Corp. and the business leader who championed the new arena, accepted the award. He said he wanted to thank those who had envisioned a new arena for years before it came to fruition.
“One, Bob Watt, who ran the stock show through a whole period of envisioning what a new facility would be,” he said. “Our executive committee of the stock show who saw the vision and really helped instill it in the city.”
Bass noted that Dickies Arena has a seating capacity of 14,000. He said bands that typically play for 18,000 to 20,000 people are wanting to book the smaller venue because they hear what a great place it is to play.
Bass also thanked the voters of Fort Worth, who in November 2014 approved the $540 million multipurpose area with 89% of the vote. The city’s portion of the arena was capped at $225 million, with private investment picking up the rest of the tab.
“I was really disappointed we didn’t get 90%,” he joked.
The Beyond Award was presented to Maria Herrera, event coordinator for the Fort Worth Convention Center. The award is presented each year to someone who works on the front lines of hotels, restaurants and attractions in the hospitality industry.
The event’s keynote speaker was Rohit Bhargava, the founder of the Non-Obvious Company, who provides insights into marketing, trends and customer engagement.
Bhargava pointed to Dick Fosbury, the Olympic athlete who first began making a high jump backward in 1968 and set several world records.
Fosbury, he noted, wasn’t the most gifted athlete.
“He showed up that morning in mismatched shoes,” he said.
Bhargava wanted to know how Fosbury saw the opportunity that others didn’t see.
“I thought to myself, ‘What kind of person sees what everyone else has done and thinks, “I’m gonna run up to that thing and jump over backwards,”’” he said. “My second thought was, ‘How do I think? How do I be a person who sees what no one else sees?’”
Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policyhere.At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policyhere.
This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.