There’s a boom of convention center projects in the US with many cities hoping to stay in the economic flow versus being left behind.

From Dallas’ $3.7 billion to Orlando’s $560 million to Houston’s $2.5 billion and Austin’s $1.6 billion, cities have invested heavily into expanding their convention centers to draw the biggest conferences and conventions to drive economic growth for years to come.

Here’s what I know from working on the last Houston George R. Brown Convention Center expansion project – pulling building permits in a timely manner so convention center can be open and making money – MATTERS!

So, while many City Mayors are jumping up and down in celebration of a new convention center which I applaud, below are 5 permitting tips to help convention centers to open on time so they can become profitable sooner.

1. Start with Permitting During Programming Phase
   – Identify known major concerns
   – Meet and alert City Permitting Officials about project
   – Establish working agreements
   
2. Conduct Progressive Plan Reviews
   – Review construction documents during key progress points
   – Engage City Permitting for input where necessary
   – Look at different phasing options
   
3. Do Your Homework Before Submitting
   Check to see if there are any changes in: permitting ordinances, permitting process and permitting center staffing.
   
4. QA/QC Plans and Permit Set
   – This step matters
   – Punt making any assumptions
   – Make sure to ask for help, if have any doubts
   
5. Correctly Submit and Stay Locked in with City Plan Reviewers
   – AI is not your sole savior here
   – Track and monitor regularly
   – If you get stuck or have a head scratching moment, call a permitting expert
   

That’s it for now. This topic will turn into a full blog article in the future so stay tune!

#BuildSafe @PermitUsNow #permitting