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COVER STORY
Cover Story: Event Capital at the State Capitol: Jefferson City Has Much to Offer
A city is truly fortunate when it has an iconic symbol to visually represent its essence. St. Louis has its Gateway Arch, Kansas City its Liberty Memorial tower and Jefferson City its Capitol dome – rising 238 feet above ground level and topped by a bronze statue of Ceres, goddess of vegetation. As you drive in from the north and cross the Missouri River, it stands against the skyline as a reminder of what makes this city so special.
Why would you ever apologize for being the home of the Missouri State Capitol? That’s an easy question for Steve Picker, executive director of the...
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| FEATURES |
| Cover Story |
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A city is truly fortunate when it has an iconic symbol to visually represent its essence. St. Louis has its Gateway Arch, Kansas City its Liberty Memorial tower and Jefferson City its Capitol dome – rising 238 feet above ground level and topped by a bronze statue of Ceres, goddess of vegetation. As
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| Features |
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As the nation marks the 40th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, St. Louisan Harry E. Johnson Sr. is leading a national charge to memorialize the famed civil rights leader.
Johnson is president of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, which is
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Imagine signing up for an event and being prevented from entering because the facilities aren’t configured for your needs. Or being unable to book a hotel stay because there are no accessible rooms to accommodate you.
These are issues sometimes faced by disabled persons. However, they don’t
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Smaller meetings aren’t just a lighter draw on your time and budget – they’re also a chance to get creative and explore unique venues, say meeting planners.
Small meetings can open the door to a fascinating range of meeting locations, says Marcus Strauther, a meeting planner and owner
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| Facility Focus |
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Are you ready for something new this summer? Well, you are in luck and you need look no further than the Resort and Yacht Club at Toad Cove, the newest resort complex to make its debut at the Lake of the Ozarks. Centrally located in Missouri, midway between St. Louis and Kansas City, this resort is
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Some say that jazz is one of the only true American art forms. With so few art forms to call our own, Americans must hold dearly to that which we are given, preserving its heritage for future generations. For the last 10 years, Kansas City has been home to an institution doing just that. The
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The “pardon our dust” signs that appeared in late 2007 have disappeared. The occasional buzz of power tools is merely a memory. What remains at the Sheraton Clayton Plaza inSt. Louis are brighter guest rooms, cozier event spaces, a high-tech fitness center and a business center that incorporates a
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Meeting planners continue to provide great information about how Missouri Meetings & Events can better serve our readership. And we keep taking them to the best places in town for doing it.
This time a handful of meeting planners met at J. Buck’s Downtown, right next to Busch Stadium at
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| Destinations |
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Wineries are a little bit like Las Vegas – most people go to them to get away from their “normal” lives, relax and have a good time. Wouldn’t that be a perfect reason to hold your next meeting or event at one?
Missouri wineries are particularly suited to host memorable events. The wine
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There were plenty of doubters days before the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament descended on downtown Kansas City last March. The Sprint Center, which hosted the tourney for the first time, had been tested for several months. But would the brand new entertainment facilities that make up the Power
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| Events 101 |
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We have all been entertained somewhere, at a corporate event, team building weekend, company picnic, wedding, birthday, family celebration, reunion or organized civic event. We remember many paid performers who amused, distracted and relaxed us.
We also remember terrible mismatches between guests
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| Expo |
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Any business can embrace the health of our planet, but the meeting and event planning industry is in a unique position to do so.
That was the message of the Missouri Meetings & Events Expo, PLAN it GREEN™, held March 24-25, 2008, at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark. The expo offered planner
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| Meet Over Eats |
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It’s not always easy to figure out what drives you toward a goal. But Laura O’Rourke’s vision for the Culinary Center of Kansas City had a clear starting point – grandma.
“I learned how to cook with my grandma, making pie dough or shelling peas,” O’Rourke says. “And I kept saying to
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F15teen, the downtown St. Louis restaurant and nightclub co-owned by former Cardinals player Jim Edmonds and business partner Mark Winfield, opened just last September, but has already established itself as a premier event venue. Every company that’s held an event at F15teen has come back for a
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| Rob's Rules |
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When it comes to the planner and vendor relationship, I have three words: budget, bonding and balance. Over the years, I have seen some very healthy relationships form and others end in dramatic disasters. Fundamentally, you can do everything right, but you need the right people in place to make
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| Transportation 101 |
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Transportation companies say their services are often an afterthought in the mind of today’s busy meeting planner. Groups often call late in the game, causing a last-minute scramble for available vehicles and drivers.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Providers say that when you’re in
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| IN THIS ISSUE |
| Book Review |
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Topics: Sales, Image, Marketing
Dr. Stan Fine has been in high-level marketing positions with numerous Fortune 100 companies and currently serves as president of his own consulting firm. As a national business speaker, Fine has presented to thousands of people around the United
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Pat Schaumann, CMP, CSEP, DMCP, is Vice President of Kuoni Events, and is part of the Kuoni Destination Management, www.kuoni-dmc.com a strategic business unit of the Kuoni Group, a multi-billion Swiss franc company established in Zurich, Switzerland in 1906. She is also the author of “The Guide to
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| People Update |
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John Citron has joined the Greater Springfield Area Sports Commission as Executive Director. Citron is the former director of the Tallahassee (Fla.) Sports Council, a division of the Tallahassee Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. Citron’s experience also includes serving as interim president of the
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As Marketing and Sales Director with America’s Incredible Pizza Company in St. Louis, Tricia Wisbrock utilizes her knowledge and skills gained from her experiences as an employee at NASCAR SpeedPark, as well as her involvement as a member of the Board of Directors of the Northwest Chamber of
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The Giant Screen Cinema Association (GSCA) has named Saint Louis Science Center President & CEO Doug King to its Board of Directors. King was one of eight new members appointed, joining 11 other GSCA board members. His two-year term began at the commencement of the European Film Expo board meeting
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The catering sales division at Steven Becker Fine Dining recently added Micki Keim as a Catering Sales Manager. She joins the Steven Becker Fine Dining team with nearly 10 years of event planning experience. Having worked for regional charities such as Life Skills, the Special Education Foundation
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Lance Utley has been appointed Director of Sales at the Country Club Hotel and Spa and The Resort at Port Arrowhead in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. He will be assisting already strong sales offices to work jointly for both properties. Lance has worked in the hotel business for more than 13 years.
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The Resort & Yacht Club @ Toad Cove at the Lake of the Ozarks is proud to announce the appointment of Lagina Fitzpatrick, CMP, CHSC, as Director of Sales. The Resort & Yacht Club is a 116-suite luxury waterfront property set to open in May 2008. Fitzpatrick is a graduate of Missouri State
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Sam Deter, a twenty-year veteran of the hospitality industry, has joined the StoneBridge Resort team as General Manager. Deter started his career with Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts and has added to his experience at the Adolphus Hotel and Chateau on the Lake Resort, Spa and Convention Center.
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Melissa Evans has been named Director of Sales at StoneBridge Resort in Branson, MO. Previously, Melissa was the Director of Sales of Historic Landmark Hotels, which included the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, the 1905 Basin Park Hotel and The Gavioli Chapel, all located in Eureka Springs, AR. Melissa
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| Industry Update |
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Candy House Gourmet Chocolates, with four retail locations in Joplin and Springfield, has been honored with a U.S. Chamber of Commerce Blue Ribbon Small Business Award. The award, sponsored by Sam’s Club, was given in recognition of the company’s dedication to excellence in several categories. The
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Point of View, the newest venue offered by Patty Long Catering, is located on the 30th floor of the Laclede Building in downtown St. Louis. Point of View offers a 360-degree view of every spectacular element the gorgeous Saint Louis skyline has to offer. From the Gateway Arch and Busch Stadium to
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Family summer sizzles at Branson’s tropical oasis, White Water, one of mid-America’s top attractions. This themed Silver Dollar City property draws visitors from throughout the Heartland with water rides from high-thrill to lazy. Families can surf more than 2 million gallons of water throughout the
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The internationally-awarded 1880s-style Silver Dollar City theme park will debut the new Silver Dollar City Culinary & Craft School in September, which is designed to pass along knowledge of America’s heritage through fine crafts, handiwork and culinary arts. Interactive classes will be held within
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The Regency Conference Center will be a state-of-the-art, completely wireless facility with nearly 13,000 square feet of flexible meeting space – with the ability to host up to 800 at rounds and more than 1,000 theater-style. There will be one permanent executive boardroom that will seat up to 14
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The Kemp Auto Museum recently announced the addition of high-quality audio tours, designed to enrich and enhance each visitor’s experience as they tour the museum. The audio tours are the initial step in the further development of the educational programs offered at the Kemp Auto Museum.
The
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The Culinary Center of Kansas City has expanded with an additional 2,550 square feet and invites you to visit through its new main entrance at 7920 Santa Fe in downtown Overland Park (across from the Clock Tower). You’ll be able to watch live cooking classes and private culinary events in a brand
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Like never before, Meeting Professionals International’s Kansas City Chapter (www.kcmpi.org) is recognizing the value of going “green” as it introduces new initiatives from meeting concepts to contracts.
When Kay Barnes, Kansas City’s first female mayor, left office in 2007, her legacy
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The Wildcat Glades Conservation & Audubon Center in Joplin is adjacent to some of the area’s most unique natural resources, including the last remaining chert glades, a globally unique habitat found only in this area, and the biologically rich Shoal Creek. A partnership project of Audubon Missouri,
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The Showboat Branson Belle invites guests to travel back in time and celebrate the beauty and grandeur of the 1890s paddlewheel riverboats with a 3-course dinner, production show and cruise on beautiful Table Rock Lake. For 2008, Showstoppers! is back by popular demand. This Broadway-style musical
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The Association of Public-Safety Communication Officials (APCO) International has named AGENDA: Kansas City its event production and transportation provider for its 74th Annual Conference and Exhibition to be held August 3 through 7, 2008. The conference will be held at the Kansas City Convention
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Located in the heart of Missouri’s finest wine country and Mississippi River Hills Region, Belle Haven, the Spa at Chaumette, is a luxury resort spa, offering the ultimate spa experience in an inspired setting on the grounds of Chaumette Vineyards & Winery in Sainte Genevieve County, Missouri. The
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Three of the most successful names in the hotel industry —Smith Travel Research (STR), Deloitte’s HotelBenchmark™ and The Bench—have launched STR Global.
STR Global (www.strglobal.com) provides clients access to hotel research with regular and custom reports covering more than 36,200 hotels
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The Saint Louis Science Center Travel Programs combine breathtaking locations with opportunities for real life fieldwork. By way of domestic destinations and international explorations, each of the trips explores archaeology, paleontology, ecology and resource management.
Ranging from a quick
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The newest Bass Pro Shops store opened in February 2008 and has added yet another reason for outdoor enthusiasts to visit Independence. The new store, spread over 180,000 square feet of display retail space, offers the latest in outdoor merchandise, a 20-foot waterfall, 32,000-gallon freshwater
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Administrative Professional:
Donna Watkins, Sheraton Clayton Plaza
Guest Services Professional:
Anne Oestreich, Hilton Frontenac
Facility Maintenance Professional: Otis Stanley, Sheraton St. Louis City Center Hotel & Suites
Housekeeping
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| Organizations & Associations |
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Have you ever wondered who was behind the scenes producing St. Louis’s most creative events? On Friday, March 7th, St. Louis’s premier special event professionals stepped out to celebrate the best events of 2007 at the 9th Annual Louie Awards Gala. Presented by the St. Louis Chapter of the
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Business travel can be challenging. Between the need for corporations to keep a close watch on travel expenditures and the travel industry’s increased safety and cost-cutting measures, the business trip is no longer luxurious. In fact, many would consider it downright unpleasant.
Travel
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| Faces & Places Captions |
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MM&E’s Vikki Matthews with Chalena Mack, Director of 4Sho-4Kids, at the grand opening of Skybox Sports Bar & Grill in downtown St. Louis on January 31, 2008.
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Members of the St. Louis Chapter of Chums, Inc., gathered for the Masque Ball, held March 7, 2008, at the Ameristar Conference Center in St. Louis, Mo.
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Missouri Meetings & Events’ Betty Parran and Chum’s, Inc. St. Louis Chapter President Yvonne Turner at the Masque Ball.
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St. Louis Mayor, Francis Slay, Holly Cousins, MM&E’s Vikki Matthews and Steven Cousins of Armstrong Teasdale at the 5th Annual Mentor St. Louis Award Gala honoring Frankie Muse Freeman on March 8, 2008, at the Renaissance Grand Hotel.
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Top male model Brad Kroenig, a St. Louis native, is interviewed by KMOV news anchor Virginia Kerr at the Macy’s “Stars on Broadway” Fashion Show held April 5, 2008, at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark.
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Robin Swick and Robert Bray present the Human Resources and Training Award to Stacey Lutgen at the 2007 Hospitality Professional Awards Ceremony, co-hosted by the St. Louis Area Hotel Association and the HSMAI Missouri Chapter, took place on March 12, 2008, at the Millennium Hotel St. Louis. For a
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Guest speaker Ken DeMotte (“The Power of No”) and Jada Parks of Parks Entertainment Group (Corresponding Secretary for the St. Louis chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals – IAAP), at the Three Rivers Council Professional Development Conference on April 4, 2008.
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