Meeting News - December 15, 2008 - (Page 60)

St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission MISSOURI renovation in October 2008. A new Hilton Garden Inn Airport opens in January 2009. Dining dish Bon Appetit magazine praised St. Louis as a “two-fisted eater” offering a “smorgasbord of globe-trotting specialties.” Noted chef Larry Forgione’s An American Place continues to thrill local palates. Celebrity chef Mario Batali of The Food Network called The Hill one of the top “Little Italy” neighborhoods in the country, and Gourmet magazine wrote that St. Louis was a “spirited and flavorful place” filled with “depth and personality.” Recreation roundup St. Louis is the best family destination in the country. A world-class Zoo, Botanical Gardens, Sculpture Park, and Symphony Orchestra start the list of the best that planners will find anywhere. The city’s museums are dedicated to everything from dogs, saxophones, and miniatures to contemporary art and traditional art. Guests can find a thrill or two at Six Flags St. Louis, NASCAR SpeedPark, or Gateway International Raceway. Hit the alleys at Pin-Up Bowl on one of the best streets in America, the Delmar Loop, or Flamingo Bowl downtown for a few frames and a menu of specialty cocktails or catch a Cardinals, Blues, or Rams game. Soar to the top of the Gateway Arch for a bird’s-eye view of St. Louis, then come back down to Earth for some live blues or live theater. For more information: (800) 325-7962; www.explorestlouis.com Space specs St. Louis’ America’s Center convention complex features 502,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, the 67,000-seat Edward Jones Dome, 80 meeting rooms, a 28,000-square-foot ballroom, the 1,400-seat Ferrara Theatre, and an IACC-certified St. Louis Executive Conference Center. In addition to recent aesthetic improvements, the facility features a full-time labor relations manager to coordinate clients’ needs with local trade unions, and utilizes environmentally friendly practices for meetings, conventions, and events. More than 20 area hotels offer 10,000 square feet of meeting space each, and there are dozens of unique special event venues throughout the region. Rest and relaxation St. Louis features more than 38,000 hotel rooms, including the newest, Missouri’s only Four Seasons hotel, and the Renaissance Grand & Suites headquarters hotel adjacent to America’s Center. The former Adam’s Mark Hotel was reflagged the Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront and has a $63 million project underway. The former Hyatt Regency Union Station is now the St. Louis Union Station Marriott and is undergoing a $20 million renovation. In Clayton, the renovated Radisson Clayton was reflagged the Crowne Plaza St. Louis–Clayton, and the Holiday Inn Airport Oakland Park completed a building-wide, multi-million dollar Fast facts: Total guest units: 38,000 America’s Center: 502,000 sf Access: Lambert-St. Louis Int’l Airport, 20 mins. from downtown 60 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION DECEMBER 15, 2008 http://www.explorestlouis.com

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Meeting News - December 15, 2008

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