Extraco Events Center - More Than Just The Heart of Texas Fair & Rodeo

by Melinda Adams, CMP, Senior Division Manager – Marketing and Sponsorships, Extraco Events Center

The Extraco Events Center (EEC) is often associated with the Heart O’ Texas Fair & Rodeo, but in reality, that’s only one of hundreds of events hosted at the facility. It boasts three separate, very large and diverse event venues that allow for three or more events to be hosted simultaneously.

In 2017, McLennan County voters approved the establishment of a venue tax to fund a $34 million redevelopment and expansion of the EEC. At the time, EEC hosted approximately 125 events annually and generated approximately $47 million in economic impact to the area. Today, it has expanded and hosts more than 300 events annually generating an estimated impact of over $60 million.

The Extraco Coliseum has one of the largest indoor arenas in Central Texas. This facility typically hosts rodeo, equine, and motorsport events, as well as tradeshows and concerts that draw attendees from across Central Texas. The air conditioned, multipurpose facility contains a seating capacity of over 6,000 with a 38,750 square-foot arena floor. Events have the option to utilize the dirt arena or a concrete floor. As many as 9,000 people can be accommodated when seats are placed inside the arena.

Recently, the Extraco Coliseum has served as the host venue for a variety of events, including:

Cody Johnson Concert

• (over 6,000 Attendees)

  First in Texas Robotics Competition

• (3 days • 1,500 Attendees)

  Monster Truck Show

• (2 days • 2,400 Attendees)

  Circus

• (3 days • 4,400 Attendees)

  Congreso – Texas Baptists Hispanic Conference

• (4 days • 1,600 Attendees)

  Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools, Cheer and Dance Competition

• (3 days • 2,000 Attendees)

The Extraco Show Pavilion

is typically utilized for equine and livestock events, and draws contestants from all over Texas to compete in horse shows and/or other livestock events. This facility includes an indoor airconditioned 125 foot by 250 foot arena, two small warm-up arenas, and an attached 125 foot by 280 foot covered arena. The Show Pavilion contains more than 450 horse stalls, and an additional 260 stalls inside the adjacent Stall Barn.

The Extraco Show Pavilion serves as the host venue for many diverse events, including:

• Heart O’ Texas Invitational Career Development Livestock Contest (3,500 Attendees)

• Elite Barrel Race/Women’s Pro Rodeo Association World Finals (6 days • 2,000 Attendees)

• Golden Buckle Barrel Race (Based in Italy • 5 days • 1,000 Attendees)

• Texas Amateur Quarter Horse Show - Texas Festival (6 days • 1,000 Attendees)

• Blue Ribbon Hunter Jumper Horse Show (10 days • 800 Attendees)

• Waco Cutting Horse Futurity Show (10 days • 1,500 Attendees)

• Brangus Cattle Junior National Show (6 days • 1,000 Attendees)

• Paint the Future Paint Horse Show (4 days • 750 Attendees)

The BASE at Extraco Events Center is a conference-style facility that can be used as one large room with over 50,000 square feet of space, or the room can be divided into 5 smaller rooms via air walls. This facility is used for meetings, tradeshows, tournament sporting events, gala/dinner events, as well as other corporate and education events. The BASE is available for rent.

The BASE at Extraco served as the host venue for many events including:

• Cen-Texas Volleyball Tournament (2 days • 2,500 Attendees)

• 3 Step Sports Basketball Tournament (2 days • 1,500 Attendees)

• MidTex Farm & Ranch Show (2 days • 1,500 Attendees)

• Managing Asphalt and Paving Conference and Tradeshow (3 days • 400 Attendees)

• Jiu Jitsu National Championship (3 days • 300 Attendees)

• Texas Ranger Reunion Convention (3 days • 315 Attendees)

• Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Dance Competition (2 days • 1,500 Attendees)

• Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools Art Competition (2 days • 1,000 Attendees)

Due to the wide array of events hosted at the Extraco Events Center, the facility has several existing partnerships with area hotels, local restaurants, and other various contractors and service providers. The Heart O’ Texas Fair and Rodeo is the largest annual event at the complex and utilizes all three facilities. Correspondingly, the HOT fair has the greatest economic impact. The 11-day long event attracts over 500 hotel room nights and creates over 400 contract labor jobs, including parking attendants, ticket takers, ticket cashiers, ushers, t-shirt security, and uniformed security. This event also awards over $360,000 in scholarships to Central Texas youth.