Palmer Events Center - Austin, Texas
The Palmer Events Center (PEC) is a multipurpose venue nestled next to Butler Park, Auditorium Shores, and Lady Bird Lake with a gorgeous view of downtown Austin. Located within a 3-mile radius of 11,000 hotel guest rooms, the venue features flexible floor plans with 125,000 gross square feet. Its two column-free exhibit halls provide 70,000 square feet of space, the building’s covered outdoor canopies offer an additional 50,000 square feet, and there are 5,000 square feet of meeting and reception space on the second level.
Located at 900 Barton Springs Road, the Palmer Events Center has hosted nearly 4 million people for 1,200-plus events since opening. With an adjacent 4-story, 1,200-space parking garage, the Palmer Events Center is (GBAC) STAR™ certified for cleaning and is LEED® Gold-certified for energy efficiency. There is complimentary Wi-Fi and wireless internet access throughout.
Location
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900 Barton Springs Road. The Palmer Events Center is located in downtown Austin, Texas, and is easily accessible from Barton Springs Road or Riverside Drive by car or other transportation options.
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One of the best views of downtown is from the Palmer Events Center. With outdoor spaces and a second-floor balcony, the Austin skyline and surrounding parks provide a stunning view and an ideal place for special occasions, receptions and VIP parties.
Parking at the Palmer Events Center
The Palmer Events Center has an adjacent 4-story, 1,200-space parking garage with accessible and alternative transportation parking options. You can catch the CapMetro 30 Barton Creek Square bus route before getting off at the Palmer Events Center and Long Center stop. You can also secure a bicycle at musical note and bat-shaped bicycle racks.
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Palmer Events Center Garage (900 Barton Springs Road): A 4-story, 1,200-space garage is located next to the facility, with entrances on Barton Springs Road and Riverside Drive. The Riverside Drive entrance is often an easier and underutilized route.
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Alternative fuel vehicle parking: Austin Energy has nine charging stations to power up your electric vehicles, as well as bike-share docking stations, in the Palmer Events Center parking garage.
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If needed, overflow parking is located at the One Texas Center Parking Garage at the southeast corner of Barton Springs Road and South 1st Street.
About the Venue
The Palmer Events Center’s design resembles a “Pavilion in the Park,” and the gently asymmetrical sloping roof forms a generous wrap-around porch, creating additional outdoor event space.
- The building has 125,000 gross square feet of space
- Exhibit Halls: Two connected column-free contiguous exhibit halls with 70,000 square feet of space that can accommodate 357 exhibit booths that are 10’ X 10’. Exhibit Hall 1 is 45,000 square feet and Exhibit Hall 2 is 25,000 square feet.
- Outdoor Canopy: 50,000 square feet of outdoor canopy space available
- Meeting Space: With five meeting rooms, you can have from 1,000 to 5,000 square feet of space configured for classroom, theater or reception activity
- History: The history of the site dates to 1940 when the City of Austin purchased an airplane hangar on the south shores of Town Lake. The hanger was then converted to an all-purpose City Coliseum that opened in 1949. In 1959, Palmer Auditorium, known as the Municipal Auditorium, opened. In 1981, the City of Austin rededicated the auditorium to be named the Lester E. Palmer Auditorium in honor of his service as an Austin Council Member and as the Mayor of Austin (1961-67). A 1998 bond election led to the Town Lake Park development, the building of the current Palmer Events Center, which opened in 2002, and the parking garage.
Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR Accreditation
The Palmer Events Center has achieved Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC) STAR™ accreditation, the gold standard for prepared facilities. Under the guidance of GBAC, a Division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, the Palmer Events Center has implemented the most stringent protocols for cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention for the facility. To achieve GBAC STAR™ accreditation, the Palmer Events Center demonstrates compliance with the program’s 20 core elements, which range from standard operating procedures and risk assessment strategies to personal protective equipment and emergency preparedness and response measures.
Green Building Gold Certification
The Palmer Events Center has a Gold Certification rating by the U.S. Green Building Councils – Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) under Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance. The building’s green activities achieved positive outcomes for energy performance, efficient energy operations, water use reduction, responsible materials selection and waste management, and enhanced indoor environmental quality.
- Issued by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED designations are given to buildings that excel in environmental efficiency and resource conservation
- One hundred percent of all the electrical power is supplied by Austin Energy’s GreenChoice program, generated by wind turbines
- Fifty percent of all waste generated at the Palmer Events Center is diverted from landfills through the building’s comprehensive recycling, reuse and composting program.
High Tech Features
With Austin being a hotbed for startups and advanced technology, the Palmer Events Center provides state-of-the-art convention technology to visitors. The gigabit-rated facility offers:
- Complimentary high-density Wi-Fi, customizable to fit your needs
- Redundant high-speed Internet access (capable of bursting to 10 Gbps bandwidth)
- Single-mode fiber connections throughout the facility
- The in-house technology team can help create customized solutions and is available for support
- 24-hour network monitoring
- Free digital signage for way-finding and client messaging
- Distributed antenna systems from major carriers ensure cellphone coverage throughout the facility.
Catering, Food & Beverage Service
Austin Convention Center Catering, the Palmer Events Center’s food and beverage management division, is an exclusive service offering premier food and beverage preparation. The staff’s creativity is based on inspiration from its Southwest environment and culinary traditions. The catering team works with more than 30 area vendors to procure local ingredients as a basis for popular items such as street-style tacos, smoked meats and Tex-Mex dishes.
Security
The Austin Convention Center Department, the operator of the Palmer Events Center, employs its own exclusive 24-hour security team. The cadre of dedicated uniformed security officers is highly experienced and trained to know the nuances of the Palmer Events Center building, property and the immediate downtown area. The security team’s leadership includes former City of Austin Police officers with more than 100 years of combined experience. The Security Division utilizes a strategic security approach that includes both physical and electronic mechanisms that will be visible during your event.
Nearby Attractions – Visit Austin!
- Daytime Attractions: The iconic Stevie Ray Vaughan Statue, Texas State Capitol Complex, Texas Governor’s Mansion, University of Texas, LBJ Presidential Library, more than 20 museums including the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, Umlauf Sculpture Gardens, and the Zilker Botanical Gardens, dozens of art galleries including The Blanton Museum of Art, Lake Austin, Lake Travis, Barton Springs, and hike and bike trails along Lady Bird Lake.
- Nighttime Activities: In a city where the music never stops, live music plays at more than 250 venues on any given night. The largest concentration of venues is found downtown in the Warehouse District, Rainey Street, and Sixth Street, a six-block stretch of bars and restaurants.
- Plan a trip: Visit Austin! Are you looking for a one-stop-shop to plan your unique trip while in Austin? So much to do, so much to choose from! Click here.