Fortune 500 headquarters
DFW has 24 Fortune 500 companies, the fourth-largest group of any U.S. metro. McKesson in Irving leads the list. These teams book sales kickoffs, town halls and holiday parties for thousands of employees.
480+ corporate events · 5 years
Corporate Event Planner in Dallas
Hire a corporate event planner in Dallas who books the room anywhere in DFW, runs the program and brings its own racing and flight simulators, VR and AI photo booths.
Corporate event venues in Dallas and Fort Worth
DFW has several centers, and the right venue depends on where your people work. Here is what to know about the main ones.
Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, downtown Dallas
The city is rebuilding it, and routes to the halls change as the work moves. Ask which entrance and dock your show uses.
Hilton Anatole, Stemmons Corridor
About 600,000 sq ft of event space with nine ballrooms and 79 meeting rooms. The Trinity Exhibit Hall alone is 75,900 sq ft, and about 260,000 sq ft of the total is outdoors, including a sculpture park.
Gaylord Texan, Grapevine
A resort with about 490,000 sq ft of meeting and exhibit space. The Longhorn Exhibition Hall is 179,520 sq ft, big enough for a sales kickoff with a full expo next to the general session.
Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas
A 50,000 sq ft exhibit hall with no columns and a floor rated for 350 lbs per sq ft, so heavy stations are no problem for the floor. It sits among the headquarters of Las Colinas.
Fort Worth Convention Center
Its ballroom is 28,160 sq ft. The first renovation phase finished in December 2025, and a $606 million second phase is replacing the 1968 arena.
Dallas trade show calendar
Dallas Market Center runs its big markets twice a year, and the State Fair takes over Fair Park in the fall. Plan your booth and crew around these weeks.
Setup rules and permits in Dallas
The convention center and the city each have their own rules. This is what we check before the truck leaves.
Labor at the convention center.
Teamsters handle freight at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, and the Painters and Allied Trades union does booth installation. Your staff may use tools to set up their own display, but hand carry goes without a cart or a dolly.
Power by the center's electricians.
Only the center's electricians lay cords and plug in equipment. Your own cords must be 12 gauge flat cords.
Office events over 50 guests.
If your building's certificate of occupancy doesn't allow assembly use and you expect more than 50 people, Dallas Fire-Rescue wants a Temporary Assembly Permit. Apply at least 45 days ahead.
Tents.
An outdoor tent of 700 sq ft or more without sides, or 400 sq ft with sides, needs a fire marshal tent permit, with plans in 45 days before move-in.
Street events.
The Office of Special Events wants applications 30 days before set-up with no street closures, 60 days with a static closure and 120 days for a parade or a race.
Insurance documents
We send insurance documents to your venue on request.
Corporate events across DFW
- Downtown Dallas has the convention center and the hotels around it. The Stemmons Corridor, northwest of downtown, has the Hilton Anatole and Dallas Market Center.
- Irving and Las Colinas hold 8 of the region's Fortune 500 headquarters. Plano is next for big employers, with AT&T moving its headquarters there from downtown Dallas.
- Grapevine and the Gaylord Texan work for a corporate retreat in Dallas with rooms, a ballroom and an exhibit hall under one roof. Fort Worth, at the west end of the metro, suits a team with offices on both sides of the metro.
DFW has five main event areas, and each has its own crowd.
Planning across Texas? See corporate events in Austin and corporate events in Houston.
Dallas industries and the events they book
DFW is a headquarters town. Here is what each sector books. Match the activity to the crowd: a leaderboard for a sales floor, a flight simulator for an aviation crowd, VR sports for a family day.
Airlines
American Airlines and Southwest Airlines are both based here. A flight simulator fits their crew events and family days.
Tech and telecom
AT&T and Texas Instruments plan product launches and engineering offsites, where a racing tournament gives teams a fair contest.
Financial services
Charles Schwab is based in DFW too. Finance teams host client receptions and employee appreciation days.
Corporate events in Dallas we plan
Book the whole event or just the part you need. Each section links to the page with details.
Photo booth rental in Dallas
AI photo booths with your branded looks and 360 video booths for a buyer party in market week or a holiday party at the Anatole, run by a specialist. See photo booth rental in Dallas.
Team building activities in Dallas, Texas
Simulator tournaments, VR sports and hosted games for headquarters teams in Las Colinas, Plano or downtown, held indoors through the August heat. For activities by group size, see our Dallas team building ideas.
AV rental in Dallas
Speakers, microphones, screens and LED walls for a town hall at an Irving or Plano headquarters or a Gaylord Texan ballroom, set up by our technicians. See AV rental.
Destination management (DMC) in Dallas
A DMC in Dallas for groups flying in to DFW for a sales kickoff in Grapevine: hotels, transfers, dinners and the program. See destination management.
Event staffing in Dallas
Operators, hosts and brand ambassadors for a showroom in market week or a booth in Halls A to C. See event staffing.
Experiential marketing agency in Dallas
Brand activations for buyers at Dallas Market Center or fall crowds around the State Fair, built around a station people line up for. See experiential marketing.
Interactive rentals
Racing, flight and surf simulators, VR and arcade games: corporate entertainment in Dallas that we own and staff, including a flight simulator for airline family days. Browse all interactive rentals.
For a hybrid headquarters town hall with regional offices joining online, we plan the program, the sound and the online feed. See event production.
Questions about corporate events in Dallas
Is the Dallas convention center open during construction?
Yes. Halls A, B and C stay open while the other halls come down.
Can our staff set up our own booth at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center?
Yes, with tools, for your own display. Freight still goes through the Teamsters, and only the center's electricians plug in equipment.
Do we need a permit for an office party with 60 people in Dallas?
Maybe. If your building's certificate of occupancy doesn't allow assembly use, Dallas Fire-Rescue wants a Temporary Assembly Permit for more than 50 people. Apply at least 45 days ahead.
When is hail season in Dallas, and should we avoid outdoor dates?
Hail and storms run from March to June, with the peak in April and May. In late April 2026 storms brought softball-size hail and six tornadoes to North Texas. For a spring outdoor event, book a covered space or a room you can move into.
How hot does Dallas get for a summer event?
The average August high is about 97°F, and Dallas sees about 11 days of 100°F or more that month. Plan summer events indoors or after sunset.
Which weeks are hardest to book in Dallas?
The January and June market weeks at Dallas Market Center, and the State Fair from late September through mid-October. Hotels near the Stemmons Corridor and Fair Park fill first.
What drives the cost of a corporate event in Dallas?
Every event gets a custom quote. In Dallas it depends on the venue's freight and power orders and travel, plus stations, hours and staff. We have two bases, Los Angeles and Orlando (office and warehouse at 310 N Orange Ave), and work across the U.S. See how we quote.
Planning an event in DFW?
Send the date and the venue or city. We'll check availability and the venue's rules right away.
Tell us about your Dallas event
Send the event type, the date, the venue or city in DFW, the guest count and your budget. We'll reply right away. Or call +1 213 912 1010
