City elevates sports-focused brand to add meetings, leisure tourism

“Go Round Rock!” is the new rally cry for tourists and a cheer for the City as part of its new tourism brand. Years after entering the sports tourism market and securing its status as the Sports Capital of Texas, Round Rock has expanded to attract many other types of visitors beyond sports.

The City’s Sports Management and Tourism Department unveiled a new brand that reflects the city’s presence as a destination for sports tourists and emergence as a well-rounded destination for business meetings plus leisure activities, referred to in the industry as “bleisure” tourism.

“We’ve grown so much broader, bigger and bolder than our original Sports Capital of Texas brand,” Sports Management and Tourism Director Chad McKenzie said. “Sports is still the foundation of tourism in Round Rock. Now we have the opportunity to expand because we have a robust offering for meeting and leisure tourism that is reflected in our new brand.”

The new brand pays homage to Round Rock’s legacy in sports tourism, using plenty of lingo and references like “upping your game” weaved throughout conversations about non-sport offerings in the city. In addition, the new logo features the same bold red and blue color palette and the star from the old logo. The modern, updated look allows flexibility for use across all media. The brand will use the phrase “Go Round Rock!” as both an action and a play on words to emphasize Round Rock’s roots in sports.

Major projects underway in Round Rock poise the City for a broader tourism market. In addition to improvements to downtown, Nutty Brown Amphitheatre is slated to open soon; a $200-million, million-square-foot mixed-use development called The District will break ground soon; and Kalahari Resorts & Conventions will open next year. Kalahari will make Round Rock home to the nation’s largest indoor waterpark and bring 200,000 square feet of convention center meeting space to the “bleisure” tourism market.

“Our residents and local businesses do a great job welcoming visitors and we are excited the elevated brand conveys our local pride,” Mayor Craig Morgan said. “‘Go Round Rock’ represents the action of traveling here, and it is also a celebratory cheer for our City, our residents and fans of Round Rock.”