Facility Tours
Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012
1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Register for exclusive back-of-house facility tours geared toward the interests of facility professionals.
Space is limited—tour registration is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please select two options on your registration form in case a tour sells out. Pricing is from US$12 to US$15 per person, per tour.
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
Tour Maximum: 75 participants (US$12 per person)
Comfortable and closed-toe walking shoes recommended; tour requires walking up and down stairs. Conference badge required.
Go behind the scenes of a 1.3 million sq. ft. facility that welcomes more than 600,000 guests a year. The complex includes 630,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, including 440,000 sq. ft. of contiguous exhibit hall space, three ballrooms and the 2,317-seat Lila Cockrell Theatre. Learn about the Honeywell EBI integrated control system that ties together HVAC, security, lighting, life safety systems and critical point monitoring.
The Pearl
Tour Maximum: 20 participants (US$12 per person)
Comfortable and closed-toe walking shoes recommended. Conference badge required.
Pearl is a unique 22-acre mixed-use development, featuring carefully restored historic structures alongside innovative contemporary buildings. Sustainability features include the largest private solar array in the state of Texas. The property has four restaurants, seven retailers, the Aveda Institute, the Synergy Studio and the third campus of the world-renowned Culinary Institute of America. The Pearl Studio is the Full Goods building, a more contemporary space featuring a lighting installation made from repurposed industrial beer filters. Learn about the rich history of the brewery, as well as the mixed-use development that is breaking ground in design and sustainability.
Rackspace Corporate Headquarters (The Castle)
Tour Maximum: 50 participants (US$12 per person)
Comfortable and closed-toe walking shoes required; tour requires walking up and down stairs. Driver's license or state ID required. No cameras.
This San Antonio-based company has been recognized by "Bloomberg BusinessWeek" as a Top 100 Performing Technology Company and was featured on "Fortune's" list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. Rackspace's conversion of a vacant shopping mall into a progressive headquarters building, nicknamed "The Castle," earned LEED Gold certification in 2010, demonstrating the company's continued commitment to sustainability through its Greenspace Initiative. Overall, more than 1,900 tons of concrete, metal, wood and other materials were recycled during the demolition and build-out. Tether ball courts, pool tables, arcade games, ping pong tables, a fitness facility and a park reflect the spirit of the Rackspace culture. Recycling bins for paper, plastic and aluminum are placed throughout the facility; and the company provides reusable items, such as coffee mugs and cups, in the break areas. Discover how and why this innovative workplace attracts the best and brightest talent.
USAA Corporate Headquarters
Tour Maximum: 72 participants (US$12 per person)
Comfortable and closed-toe walking shoes required; tour requires walking up and down stairs. Driver's license or state ID required. No cameras.
USAA is a reciprocal inter-insurance agency serving the military and their families. The 290 acre USAA Home Office campus sees approximately 17,000 people on site at any given time, with more than 14,000 employees on site each day, as well as more than 3,000 support/contractor staff. The McDermott building is more than five million sq. ft. and includes offices, call centers, operations areas, five cafeterias, two grab-and-go eateries, five kitchens, shopping/vendor areas, fitness/sports centers, multipurpose facilities and video conference rooms. The grounds area includes volleyball courts, softball fields, football/multipurpose field, jogging trails, five lakes, two large pavilions and five small pavilions.
The Alamo
Tour Maximum: 50 participants (US$15 per person)
Comfortable and closed-toe walking shoes required; tour will walk to/from the Alamo. Conference badge required. No cameras.
This will be a guided tour of the battle and audio tour of the history of the Alamo. This is not a behind-the-scenes tour.
Originally named Misión San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo served as home to missionaries and their Indian converts for nearly 70 years. Construction began on the present site in 1724. In the early 1800s, the Spanish military stationed a cavalry unit at the former mission. The Alamo was home to both Revolutionaries and Royalists during Mexico's 10-year struggle for independence. San Antonio and the Alamo played a critical role in the Texas Revolution. People worldwide remember the Alamo as a heroic struggle against impossible odds—a place where men made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.
