Meetings and Events Houston | A Visit with Gulf Greyhound Park

A Visit with Gulf Greyhound Park

This full-service event space offers the best in facilities, dining and entertainment. The park hosts over 600 events yearly, including birthday parties, awards banquets, sports seminars, wedding receptions and rehearsal dinners, corporate holiday parties, team building workshops and food and trade shows - and that's just indoors. The outdoor facility has been the backdrop for concerts, ride and drive events, go kart races, drifting events and even a few circuses. Gulf Greyhound Park can accommodate groups from 15 to 500 people.

Over the years Gulf Greyhound Park has been featured in numerous publications. The year the park opened the staff could not keep up with the number of articles published on its success. The next great spike came in 1995 when it premiered the first ever running of the Weiner Dog Nationals. Gulf Greyhound Park has also been host to a number of successful charity events such as the “Dawgs on Hawgs Motorcycle Ride” and the “Space Race,” benefiting the Ronald McDonald House.

Rachel Valusek, the Director of Marketing and Group Sales at the park, is no stranger to the meetings and events industry. Her affiliation with Gulf Greyhound Park began in 1993, when she held the position of Marketing Coordinator. She left the park in 2000 to pursue other opportunities in the marketing and public relations fields. In 2007, Sally Briggs, the General Manager of the park, asked her to return under her current title.

Below Valusek shares her expertise on Gulf Greyhound Park, Houston and the meetings and events industry.

Why should clients keep their meetings and events at Houston locations?
Houston is rich in diversity. Houston has something to offer everyone and we have an audience for almost any event. There is so much to do from Houston to Galveston and everywhere in between. The only problem is finding time to fit it all into your event.

How does Gulf Greyhound Park differentiate itself from other meeting facilities in Houston?
You can have a meeting in any hotel’s meeting room and be served excellent food, but we have one thing they don’t…our greyhounds! Gulf Greyhound Park’s four-legged freight trains deliver huge cash payouts every 15 minutes. Who knows, you might leave with more than just a notebook and name tag.

Describe the Gulf Greyhound Park experience?
It is indescribable. Until you have seen eight greyhounds break from the box and head down the front stretch at speeds up to 30 miles per hour, you can’t understand the adrenaline run - that is until you see your greyhound cross the finish line and you get to collect your winnings.

Does Gulf Greyhound Park offer betting tips for meeting and event attendees?
There is no need to be intimidated by learning how to bet. Every group or special event is assigned a betting instructor to help your group become familiar with placing a bet. Betting instructors are available to answer betting questions and even conduct group betting games.

Are the famed greyhounds available for meetings and events?
There are two ways to get face to face with one of our greyhounds. For all groups and special events we offer a feature race special. A feature race is a race named for the group or an individual. During the group’s feature race your name will be announced over the P.A. and acknowledged on our huge results board. A group picture (8-12 people) will be taken on the track with the winning greyhound of your featured race. Race fans can also visit our adoption dogs every live performance. Our loving retired racers are available for visits and photos in the private suites at a group’s request.

What is the most important thing clients should consider when booking events at Gulf Greyhound Park?
If they want to break out of the ordinary – we are the place to be. We are not the usual stuffy, sterile environment. We have been told attendance is higher when events are held at Gulf Greyhound Park. Attendees know they are getting more than just a meeting, they are getting guaranteed fun! Gulf Greyhound Park is group friendly offering all inclusive packages with no hidden charges. Our food, fun and excitement can’t be beat…you can bet on it!

Rachel Valusek
Director of Marketing and Group Sales
Gulf Greyhound Park