A Record-Breaking 266 Hospitality Heroes Honored at Explore St. Louis’ Annual Meeting and Awards

STL’s Best Contributors in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Celebrated

ST. LOUIS: Explore St. Louis’ Annual Meeting and Awards broke records this year, hosting almost 1,000 guests in America’s Center’s new Hall 4X on Wednesday, September 25, 2024. The event celebrated Explore St. Louis’ achievements over the past year and honored the shining stars of St. Louis’ travel, tourism and hospitality industries.

At the event, Explore St. Louis released its annual report for FY24. Read the full report here.

Highlights of the report:

• Explore St. Louis fielded 1,500 leads in FY24, leading to 460,239 booked room nights, a 60 percent increase from FY23 to FY24.
• America’s Center and The Dome hosted 67 events in FY24, welcoming almost 860,000 guests.
• Explore St. Louis’ volunteers tracked more than 320,000 visitor interactions at our visitor centers.
• Our PR efforts on behalf of the St. Louis region netted 215 national stories with 1.34 billion positive media impressions.
• Explore St. Louis achieved 64,330,000 combined total social media impressions.

The Annual Meeting also spotlighted the exceptional achievements of this year’s Hospitality Heroes and Superheroes, alongside the recipients of the prestigious Kim Tucci Heart of St. Louis Award, the Spark of St. Louis Award and more.

Explore St. Louis’ Annual Meeting featured:

Partnership Spotlights - Explore St. Louis recognized people who collaborated on key projects and developments that elevated St. Louis as a meeting and leisure destination.
• AC Next Gen Project Team: This group of professionals has helped usher the AC Next Gen project closer to completion, including the new 72,000-square-foot Hall 4X, 23 covered and enclosed loading docks and a culinary garden, which will supply the America’s Center kitchens and act as an outdoor event space. The new lobby at Martin Luther King Drive and 9th Street as well as a host of interior and exterior improvements will come online in 2025.
• MPI St. Louis Activation Team: St. Louis will host the Meeting Professionals International World Education Congress in June 2025. This event brings together some 2,500 meeting and event professionals from around the world and provides an opportunity for St. Louis to earn opportunities to secure future events. To set the stage and promote attendance in St. Louis, Explore St. Louis assembled a group of St. Louis ambassadors and took their show on the road to Louisville, where MPI’s World Education Congress was held last June.
• St. Louis Battlehawks: With league-leading attendance, the St. Louis Battlehawks are excited to break in The Dome’s brand-new turf when the season starts in spring 2025.
• St. Louis Lambert International Airport: St. Louis Lambert International Airport began daily direct service between St. Louis and Montreal on May 2, 2024. The new service from Air Canada unites St. Louis with one of the largest and most important international feeder markets for our region.
Hospitality Heroes and Superheroes Recognition Program - Explore St. Louis celebrated heroic moments of customer service from the front lines of our industry.
• This year, Explore St. Louis honored the largest group of hospitality heroes in its history, with more than 266 heroes being recognized at the event. These individuals are often unsung heroes who are dedicated to providing the best in service and guest satisfaction day in and day out. There were six entries that stood out to the judging committee as deserving of the title Superhero. Watch and download the Superhero video here.
Spark of St. Louis Award - Every year, Explore St. Louis recognizes an individual or company that strives to help us realize a vision of St. Louis that inspires us all.
• This year’s Spark of St. Louis award was given to Michelle Li, reporter and anchor at KSDK Channel 5. Winner of numerous broadcast awards, she anchors the daily morning show “Today in St. Louis” with Rene Knott. They bring humor, compassion, sincerity and candor to our local media. Michelle is also the founder of The Very Asian Foundation, which seeks to celebrate, amplify and shine a light on Asian culture.
Kim Tucci Heart of St. Louis Award - Explore St. Louis also honors an individual who embodies Kim Tucci’s love for St. Louis as well as his selfless efforts to lift our community.
• Todd Schnuck, CEO and Chairman of Schnuck Markets, is this year’s Heart of St. Louis honoree. Todd’s spirit for giving back to the community shines through his personal efforts and those of his company. In 2023, Schnuck Markets gave more than $15 million in food to pantries that help those in need as part of the company’s mission to fight food insecurity and hunger. Through Todd’s leadership, company teammates also volunteered almost 4,000 hours of service at community events.
• Spark Grants - Spark Grants are an annual partnership initiative through the St. Louis Civic Pride Foundation, sponsored by Midas Hospitality Group. Grants spotlight diverse businesses and people who shape the cultural life and visitor experience in St. Louis. This year’s recipients include Mainlander, the Neon Museum of Saint Louis, Procure by The Women’s Creative and Side Project Brewing.

Photos courtesy of Explore St. Louis are available here:

Photos of 2024 Annual Meeting and Awards (Download On)
• https://dam.explorestlouis.com/share/5E4F1A37-3261-4A66-A9A50CD98C04A71F/
Superhero Assets (Download On)
• Hyatt: https://dam.explorestlouis.com/share/2711B1D9-D7D7-46F6-B5184121F0295C43/
• Drury: https://dam.explorestlouis.com/share/D7BD1F0F-2F46-4729-BD5716CA22A94A37/
• Ritz: https://dam.explorestlouis.com/share/D0605D34-1F18-4C3D-94D6D9B0058E2E05/
• Metro: https://dam.explorestlouis.com/share/A3B231C3-144D-44E7-87394085D07948B9/
• Red Roof: https://dam.explorestlouis.com/share/34C31E9E-DD3F-4F1A-A53897B0C4E6C9CE/
• St. Louis Artworks: https://dam.explorestlouis.com/share/710A861C-3FFB-4F96-BF55F07EFD3154B1/