Q&A with Corpus Christi CVB
Purchase June 10 Dynamo-Heat tickets at Whataburger Field
Keith Arnold is CEO of the Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau.
cchooks.com recently sat down with Keith to talk about the many opportunities for Coastal Bend tourists and a new CVB initiative... the Most Valuable Partner (MVP) program.
We first focused on the June 10 Houston Dynamo soccer match at Whataburger Field..
Q: What would you say to the soccer fan and/or curious first-time visitor who plans to be at Whataburger Field on June 10 for the Houston Dynamo-Laredo Heat match and wants to round out the weekend in our city?
A: Corpus Christi has a lot to offer fans coming for the Houston Dynamo-Laredo Heat match. Staying the weekend with our 60 miles of Gulf beaches and Corpus Christi and Magee Beaches on the bay gives our guests wonderful opportunities to surf, windsurf, kite board or just sunbathe and body-surf in coastal waters. The Texas State Aquarium and the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay entertain hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. Both delight and educate entire families. Peak fishing for redfish and speckled trout in our bays is just beginning and there are many guides and outfitters to set up customers with everything needed for a wonderful half-day of fishing. Dining ranges from waterside casual with oysters, shrimp, stuffed jalapenos and tropical drinks to a wide variety of Mexican restaurants offering breakfast taquitos to made-to-order tableside guacamole. There's also fine dining with incredible steaks and exquisite seafood dishes. Upscale Asian cuisine is available from downtown to Upper Padre Island. The nights come alive with Texas Country, coffeehouse folk, classic rock and contemporary music in clubs and outdoor settings throughout the City and on the Island. Visitors shouldn't miss great shopping at the newly renovated and expanded LaPalmera Mall and LaMar Park plaza's understated classic stores. Most of all, our residents are friendly and everything is easy to see and do, primarily within a 20-minute drive for all kinds of recreation and entertainment. Check out more at visitcorpuschristitx.org
Q: The soccer match is obviously a great early summer opportunity for people from all over the state to rally in Corpus Christi. What other events and attractions can you point to between June 10 and the start of the school year?
A: All summer long there are concerts and special music at Concrete Street, the Executive Surf Club, Brewster Street Icehouse, Katz 21, Havana, Dr. Rockit's Blues Bar and many other venues. There's also special entertainment at the Cole Park Amphitheater. Sailing, kayaking, windsurfing and surfing lessons are offered by a number of vendors and horseback riding on the beach goes on throughout the season. Hooks Baseball, golf at five area courses within a 45-minute drive, the Art Museum of South Texas, the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History and the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center combine to create fun and learning for the whole family. Bicycle and segue rentals can be made downtown for riding on the seawall or out the bicycle lanes along the length of Ocean Drive.
Q: Corpus Christi is known for Hooks Baseball and Whataburger Field has hosted dozens of high school and college games, plus concerts and boxing. What other sports-related initiatives - like the Southland Conference Baseball Tournament May 26-29 - are in the short- and long-term planning and preparation stages?
A: The Spikefest Amateur Volleyball Championship is coming up in August on either Corpus Christi or Magee Beach. We have sailing regattas every Wednesday from the Corpus Christi Yacht Club and multiple fishing tournaments launch throughout the summer. There are three major cheerleading competitions jumping to the forefront in the fall, winter and spring, plus the girl's state high school power lifting championships at the American Bank Center. UIL Region 4-3A high school basketball and spring sports championships come back to various venues in the area and seven to ten high-level tennis championships will be served up at the HEB Center. The Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau is working on five other prospective amateur and youth sports events that could stage in the Corpus Christi area over the next 12 months.
Q: And, speaking of sports, the CVB has a new Most Valuable Partner (MVP) Program. It's not limited strictly to sports, but fun and healthy competition to help drive tourism in Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend. Tell us about it.
A: Our MVP program, Most Valued Partner, is aimed at finding local people who can step up and help the CVB book conventions and sporting events. The CVB is advertising and offering incentives to community partners who have inside leverage to help influence meeting and athletic event planners to choose our area as the site for the next available convention or tournament. People who furnish the CVB with leads are eligible to win entertainment and sports tickets, staycation packages at area hotels, kayaks and the grand prize vacation package for four to our sister city, Veracruz, Mexico.
Q: When you were a newcomer to Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend, which attributes initially attracted you to the region?
A: I was initially attracted to the Coastal Bend by the seaside location, the tropical feel of the area, the outdoor activities and the easy, comfortable lifestyle that is also affordable. We have grown to love the restaurants, sports, arts and entertainment...and the people are the best!