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Nearly 90 Members, Guests, Toured Dickies Arena

Before and after the IFME Awards dinner and ceremony on July 22, Past President Lee Harris, CFM, led group tours of Dickies Arena—one of the Metroplex’s newest, grandest and most versatile venues.

As chief engineer for arena-owner Trail Drive Management Corporation, Harris is a Dickies insider. He was involved in the final phases of construction and now oversees operations. His tour included the Reliant and Avion Clubs, meeting rooms, the Simmons Bank Pavilion and Plaza, and back-of-house spots, including the Home Locker Room and Performer's Lounge.

Adjacent to the Will Rogers Memorial Center campus, Dickies Arena was approved by Fort Worth voters in 2014. Construction began in 2017 was completed in 2019.

Designed as the new home for the renowned Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo—now in its 125th year—Dickies also welcomes a jam-packed lineup of concerts, shows and conventions.

Whatever the event, meeting planners discover a destination that can accommodate nearly every vision. The main arena itself has five wildly different configurations—from dirt-packed rodeo, basketball, ice hockey to center- and end-stage concerts. And as Lee pointed out, the transformations between setups are fast and fairly remarkable.

In January 2020, for example, the stock show and rodeo filled the arena with 150 semi truckloads of dirt. A month later—after reloading the trucks, making the rounds with riding sweepers and firehose-fueled power washing, the space shimmered for the 2020 Jewel Charity Ball.

Chapter members enjoyed Harris’ inside look at this Cowtown landmark. For more information about Dickies Arena capabilities and calendar, visit dickiesarena.com/