Branson, Mo., is as close to Las Vegas as you’re likely to get in the middle of the Ozark Mountains—a glittering neon downtown packed with live music theaters. The small town of 7,000 attracted nearly 8 million visitors last year, many of them drawn to the scores of country, pop, Broadway, gospel, Motown, rock ’n’ roll, magic, and comedy acts that take the stage every day and night downtown. (Branson has more than 50,000 theater seats, more even than New York’s Broadway.)
Built along a stretch of U.S. Highway 76 nicknamed “The Strip” because of its Las Vegas-style roadside neon signs, Branson has built a reputation as the family friendly version of its sinful Nevada counterpart.
But lately, Branson has blossomed into a meetings and convention destination, not just a safe place to take the kids.
In a sense, one follows the other. The popularity of Branson as a family destination has resulted in an astonishing build-up of visitor services, which the meetings and convention industry is just now taking advantage of. Branson features more than 200 hotels, 18,000 rooms and 450 restaurants in its immediate area—a small-town atmosphere with big-town amenities.
The latest addition is the new Branson Convention Center, which opened last fall. The sparkling facility features 220,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including two exhibit halls totaling 50,000 square feet and a 23,000-square-foot ballroom. The convention center offers complete on-site catering, state-of-the-art audio, visual and Internet services, event management, and a business center. The convention center connects directly to the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel, a 12-story luxury hotel with 290 rooms and suites.
The Branson Convention Center and the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel are elements of Branson Landing, a $420 million public/private project spanning 1.5 miles of Lake Taneycomo adjacent to historic downtown Branson. The project, opened officially in the summer of 2006, includes 450,000 square feet of retail shops and restaurants.
At the center of Branson action is The Strip, the neon-lit home to more than 100 live shows a day. Hundreds of big-name acts now include Branson in their tour circuit, including many legends of country music and top performers from many other genres.
Branson’s music scene has been growing ever since the first theater was constructed on Highway 76 back in 1967. In 1983 Branson began transforming itself into a major draw with the opening of the 7,500-seat Swiss Villa Theater. Dozens of larger theaters opened on its heels, and the sleepy Ozarks town became a national tourist draw.
Today, Branson is ranked 20th among all overnight leisure vacation destinations in the country—an amazing leap considering that a generation ago the town wasn’t on the tourist map at all.
The unofficial “mayor” of the Branson Strip is singer/comedian Jim Stafford, who runs his own music theater on the Strip. Stafford was already a regular on the country music circuit when he first visited Branson in 1983, and found himself captivated by the town as he drove down streets lined with performance halls.
“I just kept going by all of these theaters,” he recalls. “I thought, ‘Boy, if I could be here, I wouldn’t have to travel so much.’”
Stafford put down roots in Branson, and eventually built a theater of his own, where he performs regularly.
His wife Ann, who has experience working in the convention business, has been instrumental in helping Stafford plan and organize his stage show—and his career. Stafford is now in his 19th season in Branson, and was recently voted Branson’s Best Entertainer and Best Comedy Show.
“I’m going to live in Branson as long as I can,” Stafford says. “I love the people here.”
