Top 10 Reasons to Meet in St. Louis
Praised for its cultural attractions, lodging, food and fair prices, St. Louis was named one of 2009’s “Most Underrated Destinations of the World” by the Los Angeles Times.
Check out our top ten reasons for visiting St. Louis below, and if you’re looking for even more, give us a call or download the St. Louis Development Brochure for additional information.
1. Affordable accommodations
- The average price of a hotel room in metro St. Louis is $81
- Round-trip domestic airline tickets to St. Louis average $300
- Ranked fourth on Forbes magazine’s “Most Affordable Places To Live Well” in 2007
2. Service with a smile
- Experienced hospitality industry professionals will ensure a smooth planning process and make your attendees feel welcome once you’re here
- Industry accolades include Corporate & Incentive Travel Magazine’s Award of Excellence; Meetings & Conventions Magazine’s CVB Gold Service Award; and Successful Meetings Magazine’s Pinnacle Award
- The St. Louis CVC trains hospitality industry employees to ensure that each guest is treated to our unique brand of Midwestern hospitality
3. Downtown meeting spaces
- 8,000 hotel rooms at every price point are located within walking distance of the America’s Center Convention Complex in downtown St. Louis, where fine dining and nightlife, professional sport events and dazzling attractions also await you
- America’s Center offers 1.2 million square feet of total space
- 20+ hotels in the region house at least 38,000 rooms and 10,000 square feet of meeting space
4. In the middle of everywhere
- Within 500 miles of one-third of the U.S. population and within 1,500 miles of 90 percent of the people in North America
- Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, which services all major carriers, averages 520 daily arrivals and departures each day to 70 national and international destinations
- Once you’re here, the airport is located less than 13 miles from downtown St. Louis and is accessible via the MetroLink light rail system
5. Thriving business environment
- Four St. Louis-based companies are included in Fortune magazine’s 2010 ranking of “100 Best Companies to Work For”: Edward Jones, Scottrade, Monsanto and Build-A-Bear Workshop
- The Gateway City is home to 19 Fortune 1000 companies, including 10 that also made “America’s Best Big Companies” list
- More than $5 billion worth of new and exciting development projects have revitalized downtown St. Louis, with more than $500 million in new development currently underway
6. Commitment to sustainability
- America’s Center’s Green Team maintains an environmentally-friendly facility and is dedicated to reducing the building’s carbon footprint
- One of the nation’s leading metropolitan areas when it comes to building green, St. Louis recently ranked 9th in the U.S. for the number of LEED-certified buildings by the U.S Green Building Council
- St. Louis-based HOK, the world’s largest architectural firm, has more than 900 LEED accredited professionals making sustainable design central to their work
7. Nationally-recognized character
- The National Trust for Historic Preservation named St. Louis one of its 2010 Dozen Distinctive Destinations for the revitalized downtown area, which boasts an inviting tapestry of neighborhoods and unique architectural styles
- The Delmar Loop neighborhood was named one of the 10 Great Streets in America by the American Planning Association’s Great Places in America program
- The St. Louis Art Fair ranked fourth nationally in the Art Fair Source Book’s ”Top 25 Fine Art Events” in 2009
8. World-class dining
- St. Louis boasts more than 60 Zagat-rated and Wine Spectator-recognized restaurants, including Gerard Craft’s Niche and Tony’s restaurant, a perennial AAA Four-Diamond Award and Mobil Four-Star Award-winning Tony’s restaurant
- From Italian and German fare to Bosnian and Vietnamese cuisine, there’s something to satisfy every craving at the hundreds of one-of-a-kind restaurants that dot St. Louis’ culinary landscape
9. Vibrant arts and culture
- St. Louis is home to the second oldest symphony in the country, the oldest and largest outdoor musical theater in the U.S., and one of America’s premier opera companies
- The Saint Louis Art Museum is among the top ten U.S. museums in annual attendance, the Science Center is the fourth-most-visited in the nation, and the City Museum was named one of the “World’s Best Public Spaces”
10. Sports for fans, sports for fun
- Often named one of the top U.S. cities for sports fans, St. Louis is home to three professional sports teams that play at downtown arenas within a few blocks of one another
- St. Louis is also home to a range of other major and minor league teams in soccer, hockey, tennis, basketball, roller derby and more
- Visitors can play a round at one of 25 public golf courses in the greater metropolitan region, including two of Golf Digest’s four star-rated courses
