Austin Convention Center

Neal Kocurek Memorial Austin Convention Center
Convention center seen from northwest corner
Address	500 E Cesar Chavez St Austin, TX 78701
Owner	City of Austin
Built	1989–1992
Opened	July 4, 1992[1]
Renovated	1999, 2002, 2010, 2011
Construction cost	$35 million
Former names	Austin Convention Center (1992–2004)[2]
Classroom-style seating	24 (Austin Suite)
Theatre seating	5,285 (Sport Hall) 3,940 (Grand Ballroom)
Enclosed space
• Total space	881,400 square feet (82,000 m2)
• Exhibit hall floor	247,052 square feet (23,000 m2)
• Breakout/meeting	58,152 square feet (5,400 m2)
• Ballroom	63,928 square feet (5,900 m2)
Parking	2 garages, 1685 total spaces
Bicycle facilities	124 bike racks[3]
Website
Venue Website

The Neal Kocurek Memorial Austin Convention Center is a multi-purpose convention center located in Austin, Texas. The building is the home of the Texas Rollergirls, and was also home to the Austin Toros basketball team, until their move to the Cedar Park Center in nearby Cedar Park in 2010. The facility is also the primary "home base" for the internationally renowned South by Southwest technology, music and film conference/festival, held annually in March.

In 2025, the existing Austin Convention Center is scheduled for demolition to facilitate the construction of a significantly larger replacement facility. This $1.6 billion project aims to double the convention center's size, with an anticipated completion and opening in 2029. Funding for the project will be derived from the convention center's existing revenue streams and a 2% increase in the hotel occupancy tax approved in 2019.^[4][5].

Just prior to its demolition Austin's convention center was the 60th largest in the United States despite Austin, Texas being the eleventh largest city in the United States.^[6] The current convention center's capacity limitations have hindered Austin's ability to host major events, such as the Democratic National Convention,^[7] due to the absence of suitably sized venues. While the expansion is intended to address this issue, it remains uncertain whether the new facility will ultimately provide sufficient capacity for events of that scale.

Construction and operating costs over three decades are expected to be $5.6 billion, while the revenue directly generated by the new convention center, over that same time period, is expected to be $1.6 billion. Assuming those estimates are correct then that means that 80% of the hotel occupancy tax will be tied up through 2058.^[6]