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Houston First Corporation manages more than 10 City-owned buildings and plazas and underground and surface parking for nearly 7,000 vehicles. These facilities include the Hilton Americas-Houston hotel, the George R. Brown Convention Center, Jones Hall, Wortham Theater Center, Houston Center for the Arts, Talento Bilingue de Houston, Jones Plaza, Miller Outdoor Theatre and other smaller venues.
Houston First represents the consolidation of the City of Houston Convention & Entertainment Facilities Department and the Houston Convention Center Hotel Corporation. The local-government corporation went into effect on July 1, 2011.
Houston First is responsible for the day-to-day maintenance and operation of these properties, producing conventions, trade shows and theatrical performances. Houston First also handles licensing of the George R. Brown Convention Center, Wortham Center and Jones Hall to private groups who provide convention and entertainment services that enrich the lives of Houstonians.
The George R. Brown Convention Center opened in 1987 and was expanded in 2003 to host events of increased dimension. With more than 1 million sq. ft. of exhibition, meeting and registration space, the GRB ranks as one of the 10 largest convention centers in the nation. In the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2011, the GRB was the site of 244 conventions and other large-scale meetings.
Across the street is the 1,200-room Hilton Americas-Houston, which is connected to the convention center via doubledeck pedestrian skybridge, and the 12-acre Discovery Green Park. The combined facilities enable Houston to compete for the nation's most lucrative conventions.
In the Theater District, Houston First has agreements with Houston Grand Opera and Houston Ballet at Wortham Center and Society for the Performing Arts and Houston Symphony at Jones Hall. These tenants enjoy "resident company" rights that include priority booking privileges, concession agreements and office space leased at a reduced rental rate.
The local-government corporation also manages Jones Plaza, Ray C. Fish Plaza, the Bush Monument, the Sabine Promenade and Sesquicentennial Park properties adjacent to Wortham Center, as well as Root Square, which is adjacent to Toyota Center.
Houston First administers a contract with the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, or GHCVB. The GHCVB promotes tourism and convention business and receives a substantial amount of its operating money through its contract.
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Houston First
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