A long-standing land of good value and accessibility, groups are being drawn to Missouri by ongoing renovation and innovation, from the Google Fiber high-speed network to quirky museum venues.
St. Louis
“Things are going really well in St. Louis in terms of group business,” says Renee Eichelburger, the St. Louis CVC’s director of group sales. “We’re lucky to be a well-rounded destination and have a diverse client base.”
The new group venues in town are diverse as well and indicative of the city—and state’s—quirky charm. Headline news includes the expansion and renovation at the Saint Louis Art Museum, debuting in late June, while the Mercantile Exchange (MX) District surrounding America’s Center is bustling, as new dining, shopping and entertainment options spring up around the 500,000-square-foot convention center.
A new National Blues Museum is in the works, located in the base of the Embassy Suites St. Louis–Downtown on Washington Avenue. The museum is expected to open in 2014. The Embassy Suites offers 212 guest rooms and 5,000 square feet of event space and was recently awarded LEED Silver certification.
The elegant Peabody Opera House opened in 2011 with 20,000 square feet of private event space and a flexible floor plan, and a long-anticipated $650 million Ballpark Village, including the Cardinal Hall of Fame, broke ground near Busch Stadium in February.
The City Museum is a one-of-a-kind spot for events, and for another unique team-building program that is convenient for convention groups, Eichelburger has a surprising suggestion.
“Most people don’t realize there’s an indoor rock climbing wall right downtown,” she says, launching into a description of Climb So Ill. “Instead of looking like fake plastic rocks, the walls are colorful and made from recycled materials, pieces of art and sculpture.”
For example, the youth wall is shaped like a giant purple elephant and counters are made out of old car hoods.
New St. Louis lodging options include the boutique Cheshire Hotel, which reopened near Forest Park following a renovation that added a new restaurant and event space, and the Moonrise Hotel near the Loop, which plans to unveil its new rooftop Moon Room this month.PageBreak
Kansas City
“The opening of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in 2011 has helped us attract new business and bring in new groups,” says Denise DeJulio, director of convention sales for the Kansas City CVB. “Plus, Google Fiber coming to Kansas City will open up the door for us to pursue more tech and gaming groups.”
Placing an emphasis on innovation and creativity, Kansas City was selected from more than 1,000 communities that applied to be test locations for Google’s ultra-high-speed Internet service, which is already drawing new startup companies to the “Silicon Prairie.”
The collaborative Kansas City Creative Crossroads campaign promotes all the creative, artistic and design-related happenings around town, which groups can experience by visiting the Crossroads Arts District or booking event space at Blue Gallery, the Kemper Museum or the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
Branson
“We did have this little tornado last year…” says Deborah Cohen, director of meeting and convention sales for the Branson/Lakes Area CVB, referring to the tornado that ripped through Branson in February 2012, causing significant damage.
But the city of just over 10,000 people recovered swiftly. The Branson Convention Center wasn’t shuttered for long, and the 293-room Hilton Branson Convention Center reopened last September after undergoing an extensive “unplanned renovation.”
“It’s basically a brand-new hotel,” Cohen says.
For creative entertainment, new shows are constantly coming to Branson’s 100 theaters, and a new rollercoaster, Outlaw Run, is opening at Silver Dollar City amusement park, complete with upside down barrel turns and one of the world’s steepest drops on a wooden coaster.
Since March, getting to Branson has been even easier, with Southwest Airlines adding direct daily service from Chicago, Houston and Dallas, which Cohen predicts will help get more national associations to town.
“Branson is known as a family-friendly destination,” she says. “Groups like to bring their spouses and kids and extend their trips here a few days to enjoy the lakes, theme parks and golf.”
Table Rock Lake, created when the White River was dammed in 1958, is home to several additional group options. The upscale Big Cedar Lodge is owned by Bass Pro Shops and exudes a rustic beauty and a dedication to the outdoors. Groups can go on a cattle drive into the Ozark Mountains or rent a 62-foot dinner yacht for an evening cruise. A billiards room is available only to private groups, complete with a butler and customizable themed menus.
Winding farther along the lake’s twists and turns, Chateau on the Lake offers 301 guest rooms and a 20,000-square-foot conference center.
Other options for small and midsize groups include The Grand Plaza Hotel, Stone Castle Hotel, Thousand Hills Golf Resort, Lodge of the Ozarks and Westgate Branson Woods Resort.PageBreak
Springfield
North of Branson, Bass Pro Shops also opened the 9,600-square-foot White River Conference Center in Springfield last year, accomodating groups of up to 650. The outdoorsy decor includes numerous deerskin chandeleirs and a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace in the adjacent Sportsman’s Lodge.
Meanwhile, the Ramada Oasis Hotel & Convention Center added three new meeting rooms, bringing the property’s total square footage of function space to 30,000.
ColumbIA
The new Broadway Doubletree Hotel by Hilton is slated to open in Columbia this fall, says Beth Mead, tourism marking and sales manager for the Columbia CVB. The Tiger Hotel is another downtown option, with 62 rooms and meeting space for 400.
“We haven’t had a downtown hotel in a while, and now we have two,” Mead says.
The hotel will offer a rooftop bar area as well as meeting space.
Because of its central location, Columbia books a lot of statewide association business, and according to Mead, groups that hold a meeting there typically see as much as a 10 percent increase in attendance versus other Missouri cities.
The University of Missouri and Stevens College add energy to downtown, and offer venue options and team-building programs like Mizzou’s Venture Out, which specializes in low and high ropes courses and business development programs.
Jefferson City
In Missouri’s capital, both meetings and tourism in general are on the upswing, reports Marianne Thies, convention sales manager for the Jefferson City CVB.
The Capitol Plaza Hotel offers 22,000 square feet of meeting space and recently completed a $2 million renovation. The Fairfield Inn and Baymont Inn and Suites also recently upgraded. The Truman Hotel, the second convention property in town, offers approximately 25,000 square feet of event space.
For a unique off-site experience, Thies recommends a history or ghost tour of the Missouri State Penitentiary, built in 1836.
