DALLAS (1080 KRLD) - The Dallas City Council is scheduled to vote this afternoon on a plan to privatize the operation of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.
The City Manager proposed hiring a private company last year as a way to increase revenue and bookings.
The facility will still be owned by the City.
The deal up for a vote at this afternoon's City Council meeting includes a five-year management contract with two five-year extension options. The city put the contract out for bids last year and a company called Spectra was the winner. That same company was approved last year to take over management of Fair Park.
Spectra already operates convention centers for dozens of cities around the country, and executives say they would bring that experience and a network of national contacts to Dallas.
"We're going to implement our marketing and sales programs. We're going to start with a clean slate in how we go to market...with one message in trying to drive newfound revenue and newfound relationships into the convention center," said Peter Zingoni, Vice President of Business Development and Client Relations for Spectra.
