Nestled on the banks of the Mississippi River, this "Gateway to the West" has played a pivotal role in our nation’s history. As America expanded west, St. Louis grew to become the fourth-largest city in the U.S., and in 1904 hosted both the World’s Fair and the Olympic Games.

The city’s long relationship with roots music, from the classic 1914 ditty St. Louis Blues by W.C. Handy to the early club careers of Miles Davis, Chuck Berry, and Ike and Tina Turner, means there’s always been a distinct ear for arts and music. Its 79 designated neighborhoods encompass a wide variety of ethnic flavors, from Italian to German, Bohemian, Irish and African-American communities.

Meeting planners might come to St. Louis for the music or the history, but it’s more likely because the people are friendly, the climate is temperate, and the area is convenient and easily accessible.

"Lambert-St. Louis International Airport averages more than 730 daily departures and arrivals," says Donna Andrews, public relations director for the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission. "We are an American Airlines and Southwest Airlines hub service city, and served by all major carriers."

In the current economic environment, meeting planners are searching for destinations that are affordable yet offer a world-class experience.

"St. Louis is No. 1 on that list," Andrews says.

"Groups and those associated with the government are leaning toward meeting in destinations that are not way over the top," she adds. "Meeting in the Gateway City shows stakeholders that their leaders are fiscally responsible in this economy."

Since 1999 city leaders have poured $3.7 billion into downtown redevelopment, with more construction and improvements on the way for entertainment districts, the airport, residential, retail and restaurants. The city is actually growing in population, and there’s no shortage of attractions, entertainment and unique meeting venues.

Primary meeting facilities begin with the America’s Center convention complex in the heart of downtown, boasting a whopping 502,000 square feet of prime exhibit space ready for large groups as well as small and midsize gatherings. Besides five exhibit halls, this complex includes the Executive Conference Center, a 1,400-seat theater, a 28,000-square-foot ballroom, the 67,000-seat Edward Jones Dome and 83 meeting rooms.

Within a mile of the America’s Center, St. Louis offers nearly 8,000 hotel rooms, surrounded by restaurants, attractions and entertainment options. The $500 million Lumiere Place casino complex features the 294-room HoteLumiere and a 200-room Four Seasons property, both with thousands of square feet of meeting space. The underground Lumiere Link pedestrian walkway connects delegates to the Edward Jones Dome and America’s Center.

Another prominent business and convention property, the 910-room Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront (formerly the Adam’s Mark Hotel) is located across from the famed Gateway Arch and recently completed a $63 million renovation. And just across from Busch Stadium, the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark offers 672 guest rooms and recently wrapped up $21 million in improvements and renovations.

Drury properties are meetings favorites throughout St. Louis, and the Missouri-based chain of quality midsize hotels always tops customer lists of guest satisfaction. Other popular lodgings include the Crowne Plaza Clayton, which recently completed $10 million in renovations, and the 195-room Hilton St. Louis Downtown, which offers 5,000 square feet of meeting space just six blocks from America’s Center.

In the outlying areas of the city, communities such as Chesterfield, Westport, Lambert and Clayton offer meetings-friendly properties. Among the options are the Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center St. Louis, the Sheraton Westport Plaza Hotel, the Sheraton Westport Chalet Hotel St. Louis, the Renaissance St. Louis Hotel Airport, the Hilton St. Louis Airport, the Sheraton Clayton Plaza Hotel St. Louis and Harrah’s St. Louis.

Another major draw of St. Louis is the unbeatable combination of sports and beer. Besides being home base for the Rams NFL franchise, the city also boasts the NHL’s St. Louis Blues team, as well as MLB’s Cardinals, who inaugurated their new Busch Stadium in 2006 by winning the World-Series. That’s more sports than cities three times the size. Fortunately, hometown fans long ago learned to quench their thirst with a frosty cold beer from Anheuser Busch, which started in St. Louis in 1852 and is today the largest brewery in the world.

Sports continues to flavor the city’s redevelopment, with downtown’s recent opening of martini lounge and bowling alley Flamingo Bowl, and the swanky sports bar Skybox, opened by a group of business partners that include hip-hop star Nelly, former Rams running back Marshall Faulk and NBA stars Larry Hughes and Darius Miles.

A new $650 million Ballpark Village complex will be built across the street from Busch Stadium and will feature 350,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space, from museums and nightclubs to restaurants, boutiques and retail stores.

Once the meeting adjourns, the downtown area provides a wealth of off-site attractions. Forest Park is one of the world’s largest city parks, even bigger than Manhattan’s Central Park, and was site of the 1904 World’s Fair. Within this urban oasis are history and art museums, and the St. Louis Science Center. Groups visiting the renowned St. Louis Zoo can even create their own "zoofari" special events.

In the shadow of the iconic Gateway Arch, the riverfront Laclede’s Landing area provides several blocks of historic architecture, now converted into a multitude of cafes, restaurants and jazz nightclubs. Delegates can book carriage rides and riverboat cruises, or take in a performance at the Royal Dumpe Dinner Theatre, the city’s longest-running show, with 16th century vaudeville, musical comedy and audience participation.

Groups often include the Missouri Botanical Garden in their visits to St. Louis. Founded in 1859, the country’s oldest botanical garden offers 79 acres of natural beauty, including a Japanese strolling garden and a famed collection of rare and endangered orchids.

Gaming is increasingly part of the region’s entertainment landscape, with five casinos currently in operation—Lumiere Place, Harrah’s, The President, Ameristar and Casino Queen—and another, the River City Casino & Hotel, slated to open by the end of 2009.

But to fully explore St. Louis, it’s essential to experience its many diverse elements. Just south of downtown, the historic community of Soulard features beautifully restored, 19th century Victorian and Federal-style townhouses. The Soulard Farmer’s Market is one of the nation’s oldest such markets, and visitors can browse the stalls of local farmers for fresh goods.

Andrews says groups can also throw a block party in one of the city’s unique neighborhoods. The six-block Delmar Loop entertainment district boasts a unique mix of 150 boutiques, restaurants and clubs, and 10 live music stages. The Loop has been named "One of the Ten Great Streets in America" by the American Planning Association.

St. Charles
Just 25 minutes from downtown St. Louis, the historical region of Saint Charles mixes the charm of brick streets and 200-year-old architecture with state-of-the-art meeting facilities and convention amenities.

Over 2,000 hotel rooms are available in St. Charles, many of them adjacent to the city’s 154,000-square-foot convention center. Built in 2005, this modern combination of exhibit, ballroom and breakout spaces features high-tech amenities and an attached Embassy Suites hotel with 296 guest suites.

The $265 million luxury Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles offers a one-stop experience for meeting groups, with 400 suites, an indoor-outdoor pool and spa, several nightclub and gaming options, and a conference center with nearly 20,000 square feet of space in various configurations.

After hours, St. Charles gives visitors a glimpse of the real Missouri, whether it’s Lewis and Clark’s final embarkation point, with costumed historical guides, a tour of the Weinstrasse wine country region or outdoor activities like the nation’s longest biking and hiking trail.