St. Louis is Low-Profile
We may get a boost in future convention business because we not a high-profile city like Las Vegas:
What happens in Vegas may be moving to Detroit, Denver or Dallas.
The public backlash against lavish corporate meetings and conventions in cities such as Las Vegas, Palm Springs and Hawaii is becoming a boon for cities such as Detroit and other places viewed as destinations less likely to raise eyebrows.
What some convention bookers call the “AIG effect” — after the insurance giant whose officials traveled to a luxury California resort last year a week after the federal government agreed to an $85 billion bailout — is causing business travelers and organizations across the country to rethink their destinations. (Source, Conventions seek lower-profile cities via USA Today)
Finally it may pay off to not be an “it” destination.
We have fun things to do in St. Louis that, as long as you avoid the immediate East Side, won’t raise any eyebrows. Meanwhile, growth cities such as Vegas have serious problems. I know plenty in St. Louis who are out of work but St. Louis, it seems, will do better than others.
– Steve Patterson
Slower to rise, slower to fall… we can only hope!
The US government this year put us (STL) on a recommended list of cities to hold Federal conventions/meetings/etc ….
Hey, there sure ARE some attractions over on the east side that appeal to conventioneers! 😉
^ yeah, the mounds! (the cahokian ones, of course.)
It’s a nice idea that I wish were true, but it doesn’t hold much water. I work in this industry (big meetings), and none of our clients are looking at St. Louis. Even for smaller meetings, St. Louis has a lot more selling and spiffing up to do before it benefits significantly from this trend (which is more of an anecdotal ripple than a wave anyway). This story strikes me as actually pretty hollow, USA Today’s typical “trend report” based on a thin set of examples. The sources cited confirm that meeting cancellations are up in Vegas and other deluxe destinations, but the idea that St. Louis and Detroit will benefit in any significant way from the public perception concern? I’m sorry, and again I wish it were true. But most of those cancelled meetings aren’t moving to smaller venues, they’re turning virtual or not happening at all. It is true to some extent that Dallas will benefit; they have the space and the convenience. But St. Louis? Again, I’m sorry but the reality is that with Lambert’s route reductions (a true deal-killer), a lack of big-meeting space and rooms, and a truly ugly convention center front door (that dead mall has got to go), St. Louis doesn’t move up too far toward the a-list.
I have to agree with Margie. As a national destination, we don’t have much to offer that makes us unique. And, as a regional destination, our local competition for mid-size and smaller events is increasing – I was out at the St. Charles Convention Center for the Home Show last week and appreciated the free parking. Branson has a pretty nice new facility, as well, along with all the other Branson attractions. It’s only when you exceed their capacity (220,000 sq. ft in Branson, 154,000 sq. ft. in St. Charles) that America’s Center (at 502,000 sq. ft.) starts to become competetive, and then all our neighbors (Little Rock, Kansas City, Des Moines, Indianapolis, Louisville, Nashville and Memphis) all have equal or better facilities and comparable attractions and air service. If we’re really gonna become a playa in the convention industry (which I seriously doubt we can), we’re going to have to kick our game up more than a few notches, make some serious investments (with no guarantees on return) and seriously change some attitudes . . .
I’d rather see the focus go toward making the city the kind of place people would want to visit first, then work on increasing convention business.