With a chance to flaunt its myriad cultural, historical and natural attributes to over 5,000 attendees, St. Louis fired on all cylinders at this year’s ASAE Annual Meeting & Exposition in August.
Many attendees at the event were unfamiliar with the Midwest’s “Gateway City,” according to John Bettag, vice president of sales for the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission.
“The statistics are that over 60 percent of the association attendees coming either had never been to St. Louis or had not been in the last 10-plus years,” he says. “It was a pivotal moment for us—the largest FAM trip in the association meetings world happening in our city. This was our opportunity and I think we capitalized on creating a perception in the right way for us going forward.”
Explore St. Louis scanned over 900 association staff executives through its booth and is working through all the leads, according to Bettag.
“There may have been concern from some of using a second-tier city for this event, but I think we surpassed expectations of everyone who came,” Bettag says. “I think we showcased ourselves to be upper second tier or first tier, with our assets and infrastructure, hotels and convention center.”
St. Louis spotlighted several of its most popular off-site venues during the conference, including an opening night celebration under the Gateway Arch replete with fireworks. Another event was held at the Missouri Botanical Gardens, with over 2,500 in attendance.
For the closing night, St. Louis hosted a block party on Washington Avenue, which was shut down for a three-block stretch. More than a half-dozen restaurants and establishments were bought out, and other food and entertainment resources were used as partners for the event.
The conference itself was held at America’s Center Convention Complex, which is three-quarters of the way through a $48 million-plus renovation.
The Laurel, a 630,000-square-foot development adjacent to America’s Center, is a mixed-use project that will feature a 212-room Embassy Suites Hotel, apartments, a restaurant, a bar and the National Blues Museum. The hotel is slated to open in late October, while the projected date for the Blues Museum is 2012.
Other new projects include the opening later this year of the Missouri Civil War Museum, its debut marking the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the epic conflagration. Housed in the historic Jefferson Barracks, built in 1903, the museum will display artifacts and documents relating to the war and will tell the story of Missouri’s role in it.
In addition, the former Kiel Opera House is undergoing a $74 million renovation and will be reflagged as the Peabody Opera House, also set to debut this fall. The historic, city-owned venue, which opened in 1934, will offer a 3,500-seat main theater as well as four smaller theaters.
St. Louis Science Center recently added a 13,000-square-foot, LEED-certified exhibition hall to host large-scale traveling exhibits. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Art Museum is undergoing a 200,000-square-foot expansion, set for completion in 2013.
Another ongoing project is taking shape at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, which is in phase two of a $70 million-plus renovation that is focusing primarily on upgrading the terminals.
One of the best ways to experience St. Louis is by exploring its neighborhoods, such as Laclede’s Landing, located on the city’s eastern edge. The area transformed from a former industrial zone, and today its converted industrial buildings house trendy restaurants and bars, while its cobblestone streets and horse-drawn carriages take visitors on a step back in time.
St. Louis also takes pride in its culinary scene.
“The dining experience in St. Louis is second to none,” Bettag says. “We’re a foodie town, but that is unknown. We’re not a town of chain establishments, they don’t survive here. One-of-a-kind restaurants put them under. No matter what the cuisine, you will find it in one of our neighborhoods. The price point is phenomenal.”
The city is also home to a variety of accommodations. Top meetings-friendly options include the Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel, with over 54,000 square feet of meeting space; HotelLumiere St. Louis and Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis, both located at Lumiere Place, a stylish downtown casino and entertainment complex; Millennium Hotel St. Louis; Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark near Busch Stadium; Drury Plaza Hotel at the Arch; and Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch, with more than 83,000 square feet of meeting space.
In the Central West End neighborhood, the Parkway Hotel has a new meeting room that seats 55 theater style. The nearby Chase Park Plaza recently finished a $20 million renovation. The boutique-style, 51-room Hotel Ignacio recently debuted in midtown.
Nearby communities such as Chesterfield, Westport, Lambert and Clayton are also popular with groups and offer options such as the Doubletree St. Louis Hotel and Conference Center, the Sheraton Westport Plaza Hotel St. Louis, the Renaissance St. Louis Airport Hotel and Harrah’s St. Louis. The Embassy Suites Hotel St. Louis-Airport is expected to reopen this month following a $6 million renovation. The Hampton Inn & Suites St. Louis/South I-55 is a 92-room property recently opened in south St. Louis County with meeting space for groups of up to 40.
Greater St. Charles
Home to St. Charles, Missouri’s first state capital between 1821 and 1826, Greater St. Charles is located 20 minutes from St. Louis and eight miles from St. Louis-Lambert International Airport.
“Groups like to tour the capitol building,” says Martha Little, director of sales for the Greater St. Charles CVB. “We’re also known for our Historic District, which is 10 blocks long and has over 100 specialty shops and a few antique shops.”
The Historic District recalls its 1800s-era roots with its gas lighting and brick-lined streets. Nearby, Frontier Park along the Missouri River is filled with shops and restaurants and is the location of the trailhead for the Katy Trail, a 200-mile hiking and biking trail winding through the heart of the state. Many of the city’s festivals are also held along the riverfront.
The architecturally pleasing St. Charles Convention Center offers 154,000 square feet of function space, including 66,000 square feet of meeting space, 19 breakout rooms and a 16,200-square-foot grand ballroom. It also features the 296-room Embassy Suites St. Louis-St. Charles/Hotel & Spa headquarters hotel.
Following a $265 million expansion, the Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles features a 400-room hotel, a 7,000-square-foot spa and 19,200 square feet of function space.
For off-site events, the Foundry Arts Centre, a former railroad car manufacturing plant erected in the 1940s that now displays art exhibits, can host banquets for up to 400 people.
In other parts of the county, Lindenwood University offers the recently opened J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts. Another option is the Lewis & Clark Boathouse and Nature Center on the Missouri River in St. Charles, which offers a museum and educational tours.
