Explore St. Louis Annual Meeting

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2026 Annual Meeting.

Nearly 800 members of our hospitality industry and broader community came together to celebrate the people, partnerships and organizations helping move St. Louis forward.

This year, we recognized almost 170 Hospitality Heroes, our Superheroes and Lifetime Achievement Award recipients, 11 Chairman’s Ambassador Award honorees and two outstanding Civic Pride Foundation award recipients: the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and Forest Park Forever.

The afternoon was also an opportunity to look ahead and share how Explore St. Louis is evolving its work across sales, marketing, visitor services and community engagement to strengthen St. Louis as a destination and support the vitality of our visitor economy.

Relive the Day

Take a look back at the highlights, honorees and memorable moments from the 2026 Explore St. Louis Annual Meeting.

Annual Meeting Photo Gallery

Browse photos from the 2026 Explore St. Louis Annual Meeting, capturing the people, celebrations, award presentations and moments that made the event memorable.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

The 2026 Explore St. Louis Annual Meeting was made possible with support from our valued sponsors and partners. We appreciate their investment in our organization, our industry and the continued growth of the St. Louis visitor economy.

Presenting Sponsor

Champion Sponsors

Hospitality Heroes Sponsor

Networking Reception Sponsor

Leadership Sponsors

Beverage Sponsor

Premier Sponsors

Community Sponsors

• Drury Hotels
• Midas Hospitality
• Omniskope
• Pattan & Co.
• St. Louis Development Corporation
• St. Louis Lambert International Airport
• Wolfe Production

Dessert Sponsor

• Visit Maryland Heights