Meeting Planners and attendees who will be gathering in St. Louis will want to pick the all-new St. Louis Official Visitor Guide. Produced annually by the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission, the Official Visitor Guide is a 112-page magazine-style brochure highlighting attractions, accommodations, restaurants, events, and arts and cultural institutions throughout the bi-state region, along with information about St. Louis’ colorful history and eclectic neighborhoods.

The 500,000-square-foot America's Center convention complex is St. Louis’s main meeting place, and is the anchor of the dynamic downtown district of this classic American City.

St. Louis is an affordable, accessible Midwestern city, home to the America's Center convention complex. The center features 502,000 contiguous square feet of exhibit space in six halls, 83 meeting rooms, the 1,411 fixed-seat Ferrara Theatre, the St. Louis Executive Conference Center for private meetings of up to 100 people and the 70,000-seat Edward Jones Dome. There are 7,600 rooms within a mile of the complex, and more than 35,000 hotel rooms area-wide. St. Louis also boasts more than two dozen properties offering at least 10,000 square feet of meeting space. Downtown St. Louis, where America’s Center is located is undergoing a $3.7 billion resurgence, including new entertainment, retail, restaurant and lodging developments.

Downtown St. Louis, where the America’s Center convention complex is located, is completing a $3.7 billion makeover, including lots of new entertainment and dining venues, all listed in the new St. Louis Official Visitor Guide.

Now, with the new visitors guide, meeting attendees can know where to go—both new and old. The cover of the 2008 magazine features a nighttime photo of the Old Courthouse and Gateway Arch taken from Kiener Plaza that includes the park’s fountain and "The Runner" statue by sculptor William Zorach. Some new features in this year’s guide include profiles of local celebrities—Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith, Rock ‘n’ Roll legend Chuck Berry, NASCAR’s Rusty Wallace, actor Mickey Carroll, designer Mary Englebreit, and Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee—and their lists of favorite places to go in St. Louis. Also included are a number of "insiders’ tips" to help make a visit to the region even more enjoyable, new maps, a calendar of events spotlighting hot events for the upcoming year, and a selection of facts about the mighty Mississippi River.

The new $507 million Lumiere Place opened in downtown St. Louis on December 19, 2007 creating a dramatic presence along the St. Louis riverfront. The 75,000-square-foot casino complex features 2,000 slot machines, more than 45 table games, a dedicated poker room and two hotels totaling nearly 500 rooms. There is also a 10,000-square-foot spa, a business center, casual and fine dining restaurants, and a variety of retail.

For a free copy, dial the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission toll-free at 1-800-916-0040
or click on www.ExploreStLouis.com. Guides are also available at all of the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission’s Visitor Information Centers, including one located the America’s Center convention complex.