ST. LOUIS HIGHLIGHTS

• The 1.2 million-square-foot America’s Center Convention Complex — which includes 502,000 square feet of exhibit space, the 66,000-seat Edward Jones Dome, 1,411-seat Ferrara Theatre, a 28,000-square-foot ballroom, and St. Louis Executive Conference Center — recently completed $50 million in renovations and energy-friendly infrastructure changes.

• St. Louis offers more than 8,000 hotel rooms within walking distance of America’s Center Convention Complex and more than 38,000 hotel rooms citywide. All of America’s top brands are represented, from Four Seasons and Westin to Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott.

• Getting around St. Louis is easy with the MetroLink light rail, which has stations across downtown and throughout the region. Stops include attractions and sports facilities as well as both terminals at Lambert–St. Louis International Airport.

• With more than $5 billion in new downtown developments, St. Louis offers attendees a vibrant, ever-growing meeting destination with something new to explore on every visit.

Wallet-friendly One of the best reasons to choose St. Louis is because it’s surprisingly affordable — especially for a big city. The average price of a hotel room in metro St. Louis is $80 per night, and round-trip tickets average $300. Forbes magazine also ranked the city fourth on its “Most Affordable Places to Live Well” list in 2007.

Park, has been recently revived. Attractions in the Forest Park area have changed and grown in the past few years as well. The Saint Louis Zoo debuted Sea Lion Sound, which includes underwater-viewing areas and an arena for daily shows. The Saint Louis Art Museum is finishing its dramatic expansion, set for completion in the summer of 2013, which will include the addition of the new, 200,000-square-foot East Building. The area surrounding the America’s Cen-

ter Convention Complex has been lauded for its high walkability score, with easy access to hotels, restaurants, attractions, and activities that are quick for attendees to reach on foot. Walkscore.com calls the area a “walker’s para- dise” with a nearly perfect score of 95 points, and the American Planning Association calls

PCMA.ORG

Washington Avenue, just outside the conven- tion center’s door, “One of America’s Top 10 Streets” for its beautifully restored historic architecture, restaurant hotspots, and grow- ing hotel inventory. Attendees who head out on foot will discover a St. Louis that is friendly, walkable, and vibrant.

For more information: St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission — John W. Bettag, CMP, Vice President of Sales; (800) 325-7962 or (314) 992-0622; jbettag@explorestlouis. com; explorestlouis.com

CONVENTION CENTER SPECS

Total exhibit space • 502,000 square feet

Total number of meeting rooms • 80

Ballroom space • 28,000 square feet

Theater space • 1,411-seat Ferrara Theatre

Arena space • 66,000-seat Edward Jones Dome

Hotel rooms within walking distance of the center • More than 8,000

Hotel rooms citywide • More than 38,000

FEBRUARY 2013 PCMA CONVENE

105