Council Member Toni Lawrence, right, and C&E director Dawn Ullrich cut the ribbon to open the new Explore Houston visitors center at the George R. Brown Convention Center on June 10. PHOTO BY JAMES DEAN

Council Member Toni Lawrence, right, and C&E director Dawn Ullrich tour the new Explore Houston visitors center at the George R. Brown Convention Center after it opened on June 10. PHOTO BY JAMES DEAN

HOUSTON, Texas – Terrific Houston merchandise, dinner reservations, airline ticket information and even concert tickets will be at the fingertips of convention delegates when a visitor and information center officially opens at the newly expanded George R. Brown Convention Center (GRBCC) on June 10.

Dubbed Explore Houston!, the 3,000 square foot visitors center will serve as a source of information about the many destinations, entertainment sites and restaurants, in and around Houston. It is located on the second floor of the GRBCC, near the skybridge that connects the convention center to the Hilton Americas-Houston hotel.

“We are very excited about opening Explore Houston!” said GRBCC director Dawn Ullrich. “The new center serves as a reinforcement to the Houston Visitors Center located at City Hall and will focus on conventioneers and their needs and interests. Our joint efforts will ensure we are reaching all audiences with a strong, positive Houston message.”

Services include lunch or dinner reservations to restaurants throughout Houston, a TicketMaster outlet to purchase tickets to any event in the TicketMaster inventory and a kiosk for airline ticket services. The center will also showcase works from area artists including those in the areas of photography, sculpture, music, painting and more. Hours of operation will be flexible to serve delegates during the hours of various conventions and shows and to encourage guests of the Hilton Americas-Houston to visit.

Explore Houston! is located in a high-traffic area of the building. The architecture and design reflect the city’s role in space exploration as well as the rich art, culture and entertainment environment found in Houston. Also located on the second level is a Starbucks Coffee outlet, with a full-service business center located one level above.

“This facility has so much to offer besides meeting space, and Explore Houston! will allow us to showcase the Brown and highlight the city as well,” said Luther Villagomez, general manager of the GRBCC. “This is a great addition to the building and I think it will be a hit with those who plan to attend the John Hancock All-Star Fan Festival here in the building during the Major-League Baseball All-Star Game festivities in July.”

The GRBCC recently completed a $165 million expansion that nearly doubled the size of the downtown facility. At 1.85 million gross square feet, the GRBCC now ranks among the 10 largest convention centers in America. The building features 1.2 million square feet of exhibition, meeting and registration space and grew from four exhibit halls to seven and 43 meetings rooms to 117. For more information, please call 1-800-427-4697 or visit
www.houstonconventionctr.com.