Austin, Texas has a split personality. On the one hand you have the hip, hippy and liberal mentality that stems largely from the University of Texas. This part of Austin is responsible for the slogan “Keep Austin Weird,” and the eco-friendly movement as well as Austin’s reputation as a cool place to be. The other face of Austin is the commercial side. In the last 25 years Austin has seen a huge growth, largely because of big industry that has moved into the area, such as Dell Computers, IBM, Motorola and MCI among others. Combine that with Austin being the capital of Texas and you’ll find a lot of interesting diversity in this city located in the heart the Lone Star state.

Being a capital city means there’s no shortage of excellent places to stay in the area. There are a number of first-rate hotels convenient to downtown such as the new 600-plus room Hilton, a brand new AT&T Conference Center set up for the perfect meeting, and The Four Seasons, plus venerable historical hotels such as the Driskill and the Stephen F. Austin, which are as rich in history as they are in old-world beauty. And no matter where you stay, you’ll get the best technology there is to offer because this city is seriously wired – even the older hotels provide everything a business traveler could possibly need for a successful meeting.

Austin’s unique position of being home to a university and a capitol city means there’s more to offer here in the way of museums (such as the LBJ Library and the Bob Bullock Museum), live shows, musicals, symphonies, and even some great nature centers that proudly illustrate the beauty of the Hill Country (the Wildflower Center is a must-see)than just any old place. Plus, Austin is home to a thriving music industry. There’s something to suit everyone’s taste from Honky Tonk to jazz to rock and beyond, as well as several well-known venues like Austin City Limits and the Backyard. And you never know who might drop in - Lyle Lovett, Norah Jones, and Willie Nelson have all been known to show up and play a couple of sets at the local venues.

The tendency for year-round clement weather makes Austin an ideal place to go if you’re really into the outdoors. It’s bucolic hill country setting and huge lakes draw a fair number of hikers, bicyclists (The city actually has its own bicyclist coordinator on the payroll!), and outdoor types not only from within the state, but from all over the world.

Austin’s central location, both in the state and the country, combined with a new airport with an excellent reputation make it easily accessible to both coasts. And in these economic times, you might find that the prices for accommodations, food and entertainment tend to fit a tighter budget, too. So whether you’re a laid-back groovy type, a sophisticated urbanite or a little of both, Austin might just be the ideal place for you to plan a meeting to satisfy both - and anything in-between as well.