Expo Expansion Press Release

Groundbreaking Ceremony Marks Start of Expo Expansion

Bryan, TX – Since the Brazos County Expo first opened its doors in October 2007, it has proven to be a versatile venue for local, state and national events. Located on over 150 acres in the heart of the Brazos Valley, the Expo currently boasts three venues including an Exhibit Hall, Arena and Pavilion. However,with expansion currently in progress, that’s all about to change.

On December 10, 2009, the Expo hosted a groundbreaking ceremony to kickoff construction of their $12 million expansion project. Nearly doubling incapacity, the expansion includes a 14,000 square-foot addition to the Exhibit Hall with ballrooms, breakout meeting rooms, office space and storage, a second70,000 square-foot covered Arena, a second 60,000 square-foot covered Pavilion,a covered warm-up Arena, a new outdoor warm-up Arena, additional RV and parking spaces and covered walkways to connect the facilities.

Tom Quarles, Brazos County Director of Special Event Facilities, has been instrumental in making the expansion a reality for the Expo. Quarles brings to his position more than 20 years of event management experience with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, including assisting with the planning and construction of the 1.4 million square-foot Reliant Center.

“We’ve seen great success in our first two years of operation,” said Quarles. “It is because of this success and growth that we are ready to move onto our next phase. Our expansion will help attract the larger state and national shows to the Expo that we have not been able to accommodate with our current facilities.”

As the Expo continues to book larger events, the economic impact it has on the Brazos Valley community is greatly increased. In fact, the potential economic impact of the expanded Expo is $34.5 million, while the current impact is $13 million.

The Expo already has over 70 events booked for 2010, including 25 out-of-county events. “Our event calendar is filling up fast,” said Quarles. “We are very excited to see what the future holds for the Expo.” Construction is expected to be completed fall 2010.

Book your next event at the Expo. Call (979)823-3976 for more information. Watch an online video tour and check out our calendar of events at BrazosCountyExpo.com.

Summary of the Project

Current Facilities

• 50,000square-foot Exhibit Hall
• 70,000square-foot covered Arena
• 60,000square-foot covered Pavilion
• Outdoor warm-up Arena
• 32 RV spaces with utilities
• 1,425 parking spaces

Phase Two Expansion – Expected completion is Fall 2010

• 14,000square-foot addition to existing Exhibit Hall including ballrooms, breakout meeting rooms, additional office space and storage
• Covered walkway connecting the Exhibit Hall to the existing Arena
• Second covered,70,000 square-foot Arena
• Second covered,60,000 square-foot Pavilion
• Covered warm-up Arena
• Additional RV Spaces with utilities
• Additional parking spaces to support expansion
• Covered walkway connecting the new Pavilion and new Arena to the existing Arena

Cost

• Approximately $12million
• Completely funded by a 2% hotel/motel tax specifically dedicated to be spent at the Brazos County Expo
• No ad valorem tax burden on citizens of Brazos County

Why Expansion is Needed

• To attract larger, state and national events.
• Have received interest from state and national shows that we are not large enough to accommodate with our current facilities.
• To create a greater economic impact on the community.
• Doubling the size of the Expo will nearly triple its economic impact. This level of impact is possible because larger capacity will allow the County to recruit state and national events that bring a significantly greater number of visitors and overnight stays. (*Avalanche Consulting,Inc. Economic Impact Analysis)

Economic Impact Analysis, prepared by Avalanche Consulting, Inc., Austin, TX, June 2008

• The total annual economic impact of the current Expo facilities is around $13 million. 340 jobs and $6.4 million in wages result from current Expo activities.
• The total potential annual economic impact of the expanded Expo is $34.5 million. 874jobs and $16.8 million in wages will result.
• As a result of expanded facilities, the number of out of county visitors related to the Expo will potentially increase annually from 32,300 (62,090 visitor days) to 61,800(133,200 visitor days).
• The expanded Expo will produce a probable economic impact on Brazos County annually that is $21.5 million greater than the present impact.

Event stats

• Since the Expo opened in October, 2007, we have hosted a total of 226 events, 47 of those being out-of-county events.*
• The Expo currently has 74 events scheduled for 2010, 25 are out-of-county events.*
• Out-of-county event means more than 30% of the attendees do not reside in Brazos County

Architect – Jim Singleton Architects

Construction Company – Collier Construction