A day here · Stafford, Houston
We filled the Mansion with caterers and cake makers so you could taste before you book
A vendor showcase is the only day of the year when the room is full of the people you would normally have to chase one at a time — and you can eat their food, see their work and take their card in a single afternoon.
Why we do this rather than hand you a list
Plenty of Houston venues keep an approved supplier list. It is easy for the venue and quietly expensive for you: a shorter list, less competition on price, and sometimes a commission baked into the quote you are handed.
We do not work that way. You are not tied to an approved supplier list, and we take no markup on your food bill — your caterer, baker, decorator, DJ and photographer can all be your own choice, and you pay them directly.
That does not mean you are on your own. Ask and we will happily recommend the people who work here most often, and if you would rather not manage any of it we run an all-inclusive package that covers catering, decoration, cake, drinks and bar service end to end. The point is that it is your call, not a condition of the room.
The showcase exists for the people in the middle — the ones who want to choose, but would like to do a season’s worth of research in one afternoon. So once a year we open the building and invite the suppliers we see here most. Nobody at the showcase is on a list. They are just good.
What was actually in the room
Caterers with chafing dishes and plated samples — jollof and stews alongside contemporary canapés. A small-chops stand. A chocolatier with boxed truffles. A coffee bar pulling drinks to order. A cart of parfaits and salads. A licensed mixologist working the marble bar in the Dome. A five-tier wedding cake on a black cocktail table. Balloon decorators with portfolio boards. Event stylists with full drape-and-floral builds. A live caricature artist. A contortionist.
You could taste eight caterers before lunch. That is the whole point.
Seeing the room dressed by six different people at once
This is the part guests said they had not expected. Every venue photograph you have ever seen shows a room styled once, by one team, for one look. On showcase day the same hall carried a sage-and-lilac balloon arch, a mirror-top banquet run with candelabra, a draped lounge vignette, a floral staircase runner and a proposal backdrop — all at the same time.
If you have been trying to picture whether your colours will work here, that is the answer: the room is white panelled walls, polished concrete and crystal chandeliers. It is a neutral. It takes whatever you bring.
How to use a showcase properly
Bring your date and your number
Every quote you are given is guesswork without them. “A Saturday in March, about 150” gets you a real price on the day instead of an email thread three weeks later.
Photograph the food, not the stand
By Tuesday every stand looks the same in your camera roll. A photo of the plate with the vendor’s card next to it is the note that still makes sense a month later.
Taste, then shortlist to three
Eight caterers is research. Three caterers is a decision. Book tastings with the three before you leave the building.
Come to the next one
We run the showcase as an open house, so it is also the easiest way to see the building without booking a private tour: the Mansion downstairs, the Dome upstairs, the parking, the getting-ready rooms, all of it, with the lights on and people in it.
If you would rather not wait, a private tour takes about twenty minutes and you can walk both rooms on any weekday. Or start with the virtual tour and the amenities and parking pages.
The vendor showcase was held at The Hendrix, 1250 Texas Parkway, Stafford, TX 77477. Photographs from the day.
Showcase and tour questions
Does The Hendrix have an approved supplier list?
No, and you are not tied to one. Your caterer, baker, decorator, DJ and photographer can all be your own choice, you pay them directly, and there is no markup on your food bill. We are still glad to recommend suppliers who know the building, or to run the whole event on an all-inclusive package covering catering, decoration, cake, drinks and bar service.
When is the next vendor showcase?
We run it as an annual open house. Call (281) 801-5211 or email us and we will tell you the next date, or book a private weekday tour instead — it takes about twenty minutes and covers both rooms.
Can I see both rooms on one visit?
Yes. The Mansion downstairs seats up to 300 from $2,500; the Dome upstairs is about 2,000 sq ft and marketed at 80 guests or fewer, at $1,200 daytime and $1,500 evening. A tour covers both.
Do I have to pay to attend the showcase?
No. It is a free open house. Bring your date and your rough guest number so the vendors can quote you properly on the day.
What does the room come with?
Banquet tables, Chiavari chairs and linens are included. The Mansion carries a $350 cleaning fee and a refundable $500 deposit; the Dome, a $200 cleaning fee and a refundable $350 deposit. A $300 security fee applies only where an event runs into the evening or alcohol is served.