St. Louis unveiled the America Center Convention Complex’s new StreamStage: a hybrid meeting studio converted from the Ferrara Theater in a festive way – with a cooking demo for 28 qualified event planners who followed along with ingredients they received via mail that included Eckart’s Apple Butter, Schlafly Tower Grove Park Lager, Sugarfire BBQ Rub and Sugarfire Smoke House St Louie Sweet BBQ Sauce.
St. Louis Chef Matt Walbaum of Levy Restaurants led this virtual learning experience that included roasting a free-range chicken as well as preparing other locally-inspired side dishes. For an inside look at this cooking demo, click here.
StreamStage features 1,400 seats on multiple levels allowing for ample social distancing for in-person viewing and provides everything an event planner needs to connect stakeholders on-site and on-line.
This is just one part of a dramatic $175 million dollar expansion and renovation project in America’s Center. “We are in the midst of building a convention facility for the future,” said Brian Hall, chief marketing officer at Explore St. Louis.
StreamStage is just one component of the next phase of the AC Next Gen Project, St. Louis’ $175 million upgrade of America’s Center. Additional components, specifically designed to embrace and enhance safety protocols, include touch-free doorways, a 60,000-square-foot ballroom, expansive outdoor green spaces, and enhanced ventilation throughout an additional 92,000 square feet of exhibit space. These upgrades have helped America’s Center recently achieve GBAC STAR recognition.
Other enhancements include Halls I and II being converted into a 60,000-square-foot ballroom that opens to a ground-level outdoor pavilion. A 67,000-seat domed stadium and 500,000 square feet of exhibit space round out the expansion.
“We are making these enhancements with the knowledge we are gaining about meetings of the future. Hybrid studios, outdoor space, all these other things are here to stay, even after the pandemic is behind us,” Hall explains. “These improvements will position us really well and allow us to compete with a lot of those cities we lost our competitive edge to, cities like Nashville and Indianapolis. We are super walkable, have the best urban park and our world-class attraction, The Gateway Arch. All things are coming together and sets the table really well for a robust recovery,” Hall concludes.
The expansion project is scheduled to wrap up in 2023.
You Might Also Be Interested In
Renasant Convention Center Hits Milestone
Coronavirus: Meeting Industry Sites
