Nestled in the southwest corner of the Show Me State, the cities of Branson, Joplin and Springfield are three diversely unique communities combining big-name entertainment, cultural lures and a variety of meeting venues.
Banson
Conveniently located about four hours by car from the Midwest hubs of St. Louis, Kansas City, Oklahoma City, and Little Rock, Branson’s accessibility makes it an automatic choice for groups.
“It is pretty well in the middle of the universe,” says Vienna Bowling, CMP, director of meeting and convention sales for the Branson Lakes Area CVB, adding that the city’s convenience is not its only draw. “Probably what is more important is that Branson is unlike any other place on the planet. You get a small-town friendly personal experience while you are here, but we are equipped to handle millions of visitors a year.”
While Branson has a population of around 6,000 permanent residents, Bowling says the city welcomes nearly 8 million visitors a year with its wealth of attractions.
“Branson combines not only the beauty of the Ozarks and three mountain lakes and all kinds of outdoor activities, but then we have our neon thing going on,” she says.
That “neon thing” she refers to is Branson’s wealth of live entertainment, with 52 theaters located throughout the destination.
“We call ourselves the “Live Entertainment Capital of the World,” Bowling says. “We have over 110 live shows per day in peak season and all of the entertainment is geared toward families.”
Parents and their kids aren’t the only audience for Branson, though. Meetings groups have long been gracing Branson’s stage due to the city’s wealth of well-appointed meetings hotels, which include the new Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing; the newly renovated Lodge of the Ozarks; and Chateau on the Lake Resort, Spa and Convention Center and Radisson Hotel Branson, both of which are undergoing renovations.
Branson will soon be able to host larger groups with the upcoming debut of the Branson Convention Center and adjoining Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel, both slated to open in August. The 220,000-square-foot convention center will house 87,000 square feet of function space, and the Hilton will feature 293 guest rooms and 3,500 square feet of meeting space.
“To really get into more sizable convention business, Branson hasn’t had the facilities to be able to do it,” Bowling says. “We’ve had a lot of requests, but we haven’t had the facilities for it.”
In addition to the development surrounding the new convention center, Branson also lures groups with attractions such as the new Branson Landing, a mixed-use retail and entertainment district that opened in May 2006; the new Titanic–World’s Largest Museum Attraction, which also opened in spring 2006 and has space for groups to gather; and Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater, also available for group events.
Joplin
About two hours west of Branson near the borders of Kansas and Oklahoma is Joplin, which, according to the city’s CVB, is experiencing a tremendous amount of growth.
Mike McAfee, director of the Joplin CVB, says that after a few years without many visitors, the former mining town has shifted its downtown development projects into high gear to include world-class attractions, live entertainment, retail outlets, and restaurants.
“A lot of people did go away from us a few years ago, but as we have developed new things, everyone that comes here says, ‘I had no idea,’ and they want to come back every time,” he says, adding that the city’s affordable venues and location at the crossroads of Interstate Highway 44 and U.S. Route 71 makes the city a convenient choice for groups.
McAfee says the city is about 80 percent finished with the revitalization of its downtown area, named the Sunshine Lamp District. The project began two years ago and is designed to refurbish historic buildings and bring new shops, restaurants, residential housing, and city offices into the mix.
“People used to pop in off the interstate [when they came to Joplin],” he says. “But now people are venturing more into the heart of downtown and into the historic areas.”
Beyond its downtown refurbishments, Joplin, which primarily entertains groups from the religious, sports and association markets, is also enhancing its hotel offerings with the recently renovated Holiday Inn Joplin Hotel and Days Inn Joplin; the Ramada Joplin, which plans to finish a renovation this fall; and the new Hilton Garden Inn Joplin.
Additional meeting space can be found at the John Q. Hammons Convention Center, located next to the Holiday Inn.
For evening receptions, dinners and other events, the destination offers the Joplin Museum Complex, Sandstone Gardens and local eateries such as Mythos Euro Greek Kuzina and Red Hot & Blue.
Springfield
Once home to celebrities such as Brad Pitt, Kathleen Turner, John Goodman, and Bob Barker, Springfield displays its star power with its friendly atmosphere, world-class dining facilities and impressive downtown development.
According to Dana Maugans, director of sales for the Springfield Missouri CVB, the city’s downtown has gone through a substantial revitalization in the past several years, adding more loft apartments and restaurants, as well as events such as the monthly First Friday Art Walk, which showcases the city’s galleries.
“The community as a whole is really working together to make things happen here in Springfield,” Maugans says. “The nightlife is good. The restaurants are good. There are a lot of festivals. You can find something to do in Springfield all the time.”
For meeting-goers, the layout of the city couldn’t be more convenient, according to Maugans, who says the main convention area is within walking distance of downtown.
Groups have a plethora of meeting space options to choose from, ranging from the Springfield Exposition Center, home to 110,000 square feet of meeting space and located next to the recently renovated University Plaza Hotel and Convention Center, the Clarion Hotel, the newly renovated Oasis Hotel and Convention Center, and Holiday Inn Springfield–Downtown.
According to Maugans, another hotel may be built near the Springfield Exposition Center, but plans have yet to be finalized.
“It would help us get larger and more groups here,” she says.
Meanwhile, the city boasts several off-site event venues, in addition to numerous restaurants.
“I think people really want to find that local flavor and are starting to become aware that Springfield does offer a great dining experience,” Maugans says, highlighting group-friendly restaurants such as Trolley’s Downtown Bar & Grille, Millie’s Turn of the Century Cafe, Flame Steakhouse and Wine Bar, and Bijan’s Sea & Grille.
During the spring and summer, attendees keen on sports can head to Hammonds Field to catch a Springfield Cardinals baseball game, while more sporting options will be available once the new JQH Arena opens in November 2008 on the Missouri State University campus.
For More Info
Branson Lakes Area CVB 417.334.4084
www.meetinbranson.net
Joplin CVB 417.625.4789
www.visitjoplinmo.com
Springfield Missouri CVB 417.881.5300
www.springfieldadventures.com
