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Visit Dallas’ Craig Davis Talks Downtown, Homelessness

By Charles Grand - Senior Assistant Editor

Feb 6, 2024

On the latest episode of  The Dallas Express Podcast , host Sarah Zubiate-Bennett spoke with Craig Davis, CEO of Visit Dallas, about some of the things that stand to make an impact in Downtown Dallas.

Visit Dallas, a non-profit booster for the city, has been hard at work trying to build up Dallas’ profile to make it a world-class destination city for tourism and conventions. It was identified by The Dallas Express  as one of the most influential community organizations of 2023.

A key topic of discussion on the podcast was the redesign of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, which is slated to break ground this year.

“What that means is we’re finally going to be able to attract the type of clientele in the medical, financial, and pharmaceutical worlds that couldn’t touch us before because we simply couldn’t accommodate them. So we’re going to get a high-end customer opportunity for conventions downtown that we’ve never had before,” Davis said. “And along with a new convention center, we’re going to get a brand new neighborhood at the convention center. So the prospects are very, very positive for us to create something brand new for Dallas.”

Bennett raised some of the issues Downtown Dallas has historically faced and continues to grapple with, including the concentration of people experiencing homelessness. She cited a recent study conducted in January that found that many of the homeless were congregating near City Hall Plaza, which is just a short walk from the convention center.

“I’m not going to pretend that that’s not a question that we get asked by our customers. And so from our standpoint, the way that we look at this is that we would love a measure of control, [so] that we can keep our homeless population safe. Out of our convention center, people walk to their hotels, they walk to restaurants. … While you can argue quite rightfully that that’s the situation in every single big city and most small cities, the way that we kind of sell against other cities is we talk about how much less you find actually in Dallas compared to our competitor cities,” Davis said.

Surveys have shown that Dallas residents are dissatisfied with the City’s response to the issues of homelessness, vagrancy , and panhandling. Zubiaete-Bennett referenced the “one-stop-shop” homeless services model utilized by Haven for Hope in San Antonio, noting that she has been advocating for such a model to be brought to Dallas.

Crime has also been a serious issue in Downtown Dallas, which has seen high levels of motor vehicle theft amid the ongoing officer shortage at the Dallas Police Department.

Davis and Zubiate-Bennett also discussed the implications of Texas legalizing gambling as well as Visit Dallas’ rebranding efforts. Check out the full episode on  The Dallas Express website or on YouTube.

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VisitDallas names Craig Davis as new president & CEO

Dec 4, 2019 at 2:53 pm | 0

Craig Davis

Officials with VisitDallas announced today (Wednesday, Dec. 4), that current VisitPITTSBURGH President and CEO Craig Dallas has been chosen as the new president and CEO of the Dallas organization. His first day with VisitDallas will be Jan. 6.

Joyce Williams, chair of the VisitDallas Board of Directors, said that Davis “stood out among many highly qualified applicants for his strong leadership abilities and extensive destination, hotel and hospitality experience. He has an impeccable reputation in the industry and we’re thrilled to bring his expertise to Dallas.”

Davis has worked in the hospitality industry for more than 30 years and began his tenure at VisitPITTSBURGH in 2000 as executive director of convention sales. He was promoted to vice president of sales and marketing in 2007 and to tpresident and CEO in March 2012.

Davis has racked up executive experience at hotels in Toronto, Chicago and Pittsburgh, and while at VisitPITTSBURGH, he was responsible for overseeing the convention sales and marketing efforts for the new David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the first Gold and Platinum LEED-certified convention center in the world. Today, he serves as the Chair of Destinations International, a professional organization representing destination organizations and convention and visitor bureaus worldwide.

“Dallas is an amazing city, and the VisitDallas team is regarded very well nationally,” Davis said. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be joining the team of the No. 5 convention city in the nation, the only Texas city in the Top 10 and the No. 1 visitor destination in the state.

“Dallas is a city on the move, and I’m honored to be a part of its future.”

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Craig davis tapped as new leader of visitdallas.

A new leader will soon take the helm at VisitDallas, the city’s convention and visitors bureau responsible for attracting tourism, meetings and conventions to the Texas destination. On Jan. 6, 2020, Craig Davis, the current president and CEO of VisitPITTSBURGH, will become the Dallas CVB’s new president and CEO. 

Davis will replace VisitDallas Interim President and CEO Sam Coats, who assumed leadership of the agency in May after former President and CEO Phillip Jones stepped down. Jones left his position following a controversy stirred up by a January audit that questioned the ROI of the CVB’s marketing efforts, as well as his salary. 

“I’ve been honored to serve as Interim President and CEO these past few months, but now I’m pleased to be handing the reins over to Craig’s very capable hands,” Coats said.  

Davis has worked in the hospitality industry for more than three decades, including hotel executive experience in Toronto, Chicago and Pittsburgh. He began his tenure at VisitPITTSBURGH in 2000 as executive director of convention sales, was promoted to vice president of sales and marketing in 2007, and to president and CEO in March 2012.

“Craig stood out among many highly qualified applicants for his strong leadership abilities and extensive destination, hotel and hospitality experience,” explained VisitDallas Board of Directors Incoming Chair Joyce Williams, who along with Outgoing Chair Mark Woelffer led a special selection committee that selected Davis for the leadership role. 

She added, “He has an impeccable reputation in the industry and we’re thrilled to bring his expertise to Dallas.”

While at VisitPITTSBURGH, Davis was responsible for overseeing the convention sales and marketing efforts for David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the first Gold and Platinum LEED-certified convention center in the world. He currently serves as the chair of Destinations International, which represents destination organizations and convention and visitor bureaus across the globe.  

 “Dallas is an amazing city and the VisitDallas team is regarded very well nationally,” Davis said. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be joining the team of the No. 5 convention city in the nation, the only Texas city in the Top 10, and the No. 1 visitor destination in the state. Dallas is a city on the move, and I’m honored to be a part of its future.”

Born in St. Catharines, Ontario, Davis became a U.S. citizen in 2001. He will reside in Dallas. 

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‘Comeback city’: Dallas tourism industry celebrates convention center expansion, recovery

Visitdallas ceo craig davis described the industry as ‘embarking on a rapid comeback’ from the pandemic..

By Dom DiFurio

5:07 PM on May 19, 2022 CDT

The South Oak Cliff High School marching band’s bass drums reverberated through Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center on Thursday morning, literally knocking dust from the overhead lights.

It was the first time VisitDallas , the city’s nonprofit tourism bureau, has held its annual meeting in person since 2019. Public health regulations and an abundance of caution have kept previous meetings virtual and optimism about the future tempered.

But no longer.

At the convention center, hundreds of business leaders listened to hopeful speakers preach about resilience. Summer 2022 could mark the beginning of a more prosperous period for hotels, restaurants and other businesses that cater to tourists.

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VisitDallas CEO Craig Davis said the industry is “embarking on a rapid comeback from the pandemic.” U.S. Travel Association president and CEO Roger Dow called Texas “the comeback state” and Dallas “the comeback city.”

Businesses in the tourism and hospitality industry have been the hardest hit of the pandemic era. In Dallas, group bookings at hotels plummeted and convention center clients canceled events en masse, resulting in a more than $1 billion loss, according to VisitDallas.

The economic toll for the industry overall was more pronounced than 9/11 and the 2008 financial crisis combined, the tourism bureau said.

Restoring tourist spending in Dallas is essential to the city’s growth plans in the near future. It recently approved a $2 billion plan to expand the convention center that will be paid for through hotel taxes, and Dallas aspires to lure the FIFA World Cup to town in 2026 .

Speaking at the meeting, the convention center’s namesake, Kay Bailey Hutchison, praised city officials for passing the expansion plan.

“The historic investment in this convention center is an investment in Dallas,” she said.

In the last two years, Dallas area hotel, restaurant and event companies have weathered not just unfavorable public health regulations but also a statewide power grid failure , inflation and a labor market that’s been turned on its head for the foreseeable future.

Leisure travel is returning, and the U.S. is bracing for a very busy summer travel season . But in the eyes of the industry’s biggest advocate, hurdles remain.

During the event’s keynote speech, Dow said a patchwork of public health standards, pre-flight COVID-19 testing rules and wait times for travel visas are still hampering the travel and tourism industry. Slow-to-recover conference and business travel are also pain points.

“If you look at it in Texas and Florida, we’re so different than the rest of the United States for travel and tourism and how they handled the pandemic,” Dow said. “You compare that to California or New York, it’s a night-and-day difference.”

Dow drew laughter when he criticized the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, describing the agency as “a little bit schizophrenic.”

The U.S. still requires a negative COVID test for international travelers coming here.

“How can you sit there and go to a Mavericks game or go to the Byron Nelson and see 20,000 people screaming and yelling and obviously not wearing masks and say ‘Oh, but when you get on a plane it’s dangerous’? No, it’s not,” Dow said. “So hopefully that doesn’t come back. The CDC is a little bit schizophrenic. You never know what’s gonna happen with them.”

The Dallas Mavericks dropped mask requirements at their games at American Airlines Center in March as the omicron wave of COVID-19 subsided.

Dow also encouraged the travel business leaders at the meeting to find new ways to appeal to a younger generation of workers.

“Our industry has almost 75% of all the jobs that can’t be filled,” Dow said, adding that a lot of those workers have left the workforce entirely.

“We’ve got to think more creatively. We’ve got to think differently. We’ve got to think about part-time [work] and the gig economy,” he urged. “We’ve got to think about how we can bring people back to work.”

Dom DiFurio . Dom is a staff writer covering business news and consumer-focused companies in North Texas. His work has also been published in The Washington Post, USA Today, ESPN Magazine and others, and has been recognized by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing, the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors and Columbia University.

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Craig Davis Named President and CEO of VisitDallas

Craig Davis, President and CEO at VisitPITTSBURGH, welcomes PCMA Convening Leaders 2019 delegates to his city. Davis is leaving Pittsburgh to become president and CEO of VisitDallas beginning Jan. 6. (Jacob Slaton Photography)

Craig Davis, CDME, currently president and CEO of VisitPITTSBURGH, is leaving the post to become CEO and president of VisitDallas. He will start his new job Jan. 6.

Davis will replace VisitDallas Interim President and CEO Sam Coats, who assumed leadership of the agency in May after former President and CEO Phillip Jones stepped down.

Davis has worked in the hospitality industry for more than three decades, including in executive positions at hotels in Toronto, Chicago, and Pittsburgh. He began his tenure at VisitPITTSBURGH in 2000 as executive director of convention sales and was promoted to vice president of sales and marketing in 2007 before becoming president and CEO in March 2012.

While at VisitPITTSBURGH, Davis was responsible for overseeing the convention sales and marketing efforts for the new David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the first Gold and Platinum LEED-certified convention center in the world.

In a statement Wednesday, Joyce Williams, chair of the VisitDallas Board of Directors, said Davis “stood out among many highly qualified applicants for his strong leadership abilities and extensive destination, hotel, and hospitality experience.” She added: “He has an impeccable reputation in the industry and we’re thrilled to bring his expertise to Dallas.”

Davis currently serves as the chair of Destinations International’s Board of Directors.

“Dallas is an amazing city and the VisitDallas team is regarded very well nationally,” Davis said in a statement. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be joining the team of the No. 5 convention city in the nation, the only Texas city in the Top 10, and the No. 1 visitor destination in the state. Dallas is a city on the move, and I’m honored to be a part of its future.”

Born in St. Catharines, Ontario, Davis became a U.S. citizen in 2001. He leaves VisitPITTSBURGH effective Dec. 31.

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The Last Word: Visit Dallas’ Craig Davis On City’s Renovated Convention Center Getting 41 Bookings—Years Before Completion

Rendering of the roof terrace of the redesigned Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center [Image: Visit Dallas]

“We’re very, very optimistic with the ability to be able to close a lot more business.”

Craig Davis President and CEO Visit Dallas .…on Dallas’ redeveloped Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center already snagging 41 bookings years before the redevelopment is scheduled for completion, via Dallas Morning News.

Dallas’ Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center is poised for a mega-makeover via a redevelopment that’s been estimated to cost from nearly $2 billion to $3.5 billion, including adjacent sites. When completed, the expanded convention center will offer 170,000 square feet of ballroom space, 260,000 square feet of meeting rooms, and 800,000 square feet of exhibit space. Not to mention a new deck park over I-30 and attractions like a sprawling roof terrace with jaw-dropping views, 

But exhibitors aren’t cooling their heels waiting for construction to be completed. They’re already snapping up dates—with 41 events already booked for 2029 and later, after the redevelopment is scheduled to be completed.

Rendering of the main entrance to the redesigned Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center [Image: Visit Dallas]

That’s according to Davis , who told city council members at a Monday economic development committee meeting that 96 other event bookings are on the table as well, the Dallas Morning News’ Everton Bailey Jr. reported.

According to the DMN, Dallas convention and event services director Rosa Fleming said part of the redevelopment’s footprint has been shifted northward a bit over the former Dallas Morning News property, to accommodate future I-30 widening and railway projects. (You can see a map of that revamping in the DMN piece ).

Rendering of the exhibit hall concourse at the redesigned Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center [Image: Visit Dallas]

Jennifer Scripps , CEO of Downtown Dallas Inc., said the renovated convention center “will elevate us as a sort of destination compared to all our competitors,” according to WFAA’s Cole Sullivan. “No other project in downtown Dallas has the promise to revitalize our southwest quadrant of all of downtown.”

In 2022, Dallas voters approved a master plan to redevelop the convention center along with $300 million in renovations and repairs to the  Cotton Bowl and several iconic buildings across Fair Park, to be paid for via a 2% increase to the city’s hotel occupancy tax over 30 years to pay for bonds for the two projects.

More Looks at What’s Coming

Aerial rendering of the redesigned Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center, including deck park over I-30 [Image: Visit Dallas]

Rendering of the central atrium at the redesigned Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center [Image: Visit Dallas]

Rendering of the redesigned Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center at Lamar Street [Image: Visit Dallas]

Rendering of meeting rooms at the redesigned Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center [Image: Visit Dallas]

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