The America’s Center Convention Complex Receives GBAC STAR™ Facility Accreditation

ST. LOUIS – Explore St. Louis has received the coveted Global Biorisk Advisory Council’s (GBAC) STAR Facility Accreditation for its commitment to ensuring a clean, safe, and healthy environment for its employees, customers, and stakeholders. In a time of COVID-19 and uncertainty, this accomplishment demonstrates America’s Center’s leadership in transforming the cleaning industry into an essential part of the business.

GBAC STAR is the gold standard of prepared facilities. An accreditation means America’s Center has:

• Established and maintained a cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention program to minimize risks associated with infectious agents like the novel coronavirus.
• The proper cleaning protocols, disinfection techniques, and work practices in place to combat biohazards and infectious disease.
• Highly informed cleaning professionals who are trained for outbreak and infectious disease preparation and response.

“We could not be more pleased with receiving the GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation,” said Kathleen (Kitty) Ratcliffe, President of Explore St. Louis. “We are building the meeting facility of the future; to be recognized on this level for our dedication to the industry’s health and safety standards is a huge accomplishment.”

The GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation is a key component in the next phase of the AC Next Gen Project, St. Louis’ $175 million upgrade of America’s Center. Once completed, America’s Center will redefine the future of meetings by embracing and enhancing all safety protocols. Planned enhancements to the facility include the addition of touch-free doorways, a 60,000 square foot ballroom, expansive outdoor green space, a state-of-the-art hybrid meeting broadcast stage, and enhanced ventilation throughout an additional 92,000 square feet of exhibit space.

“This accreditation would not have been possible without the hard work and determination of our staff at America’s Center,” added Matthew Dewey, Sr. VP/General Manager at America’s Center Complex. “As a GBAC STAR facility, we have demonstrated that correct work practices, procedures, and systems are in place to prepare, respond, and recover from this pandemic. We’re not just looking ahead. We’re looking forward.”

About the GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation Program:

The GBAC STAR Accreditation Program is performance-based and designed to help facilities establish a comprehensive system of cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention for their staff and their building. The program relies on GBAC’s comprehensive training, which teaches the proper protocols, correct disinfection techniques, and cleaning best practices for biohazard situations like the novel coronavirus.