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 PRESIDENT'S
CORNER
Julie Krull
"Of course, the problem
with London is the tourists. They cause the congestion.
They block the streets. If we could just stop
tourism, we could stop the congestion."
-Proposal for solving London's traffic
problems
As we approach the start of the tourism season,
we are reminded that not only are we charged with
the job of promoting our attractions to the visitors
coming into our great city, but also educating the
natives on how vital tourism is to our economy.
Each year, at this time, it is exciting to see the
changes and preparations that are underway to wow
us all. This is the time of year that continues
to prove just how great a town St. Louis is. With
amazing events approaching that will continue to
bring thousands of visitors to our town it is more
important than ever to put our best face forward.
Let?s show everyone just how great St. Louis is.
Hopefully, you were all able to join us for our
annual January Roundtable meetings. This year?s
event was an absolute success filled to the brim
with excellent topics and speakers. Special thanks
to Nicole Iannazzo of Grant?s Farm for the great
job setting this entire day up and to the Holiday
Inn South County for providing a fabulous location
for this seminar. Be sure to mark your calendars
for our March meeting, which will provide you with
invaluable resources in working with meeting planners.
We?ve got a great panel assembled headed by Jennifer
Knapp, president of SLAMPI, sure to answer all your
questions. Our May meeting will feature some vital
tips on how to network your most valuable asset,
Yourself!
I look forward to seeing you in March!
Julie
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MARCH MEETING NOTICE
Get in Step
with the Meeting Planners
Have you ever wondered how to get the attention
of the Meeting Planner for your venue or business?
Do you want to know what they are thinking when
planning for an event? What they are looking for
in a facility? What other items they might need
in pulling together their program? These questions
and more will be on the agenda of the Panel organized
for our next lunch meeting program. Jennifer Knapp,
President, of the St. Louis Area Meeting Professionals
International (SLAMPI) and the Director of Sales
at Icehouse Event Marketing, a turnkey event marketing
and production firm based in St. Louis, has developed
a panel of industry professionals to address important
issues, questions and ideas we might have.
Panelists include: Dianne Walker, Meeting
and Event Planner, Monsanto Company Joan Morris,
Sr. Meeting Planner, Express Scripts, Inc. Association
Planner, National Association of Electrical Distributors
Come prepared with YOUR questions; this format will
provide a wonderful opportunity to exchange dialogue.
FOR
MORE DETAILS, VISIT THE CALENDAR OF EVENTS SECTION
Date: Wednesday, March 16
Location:
HARRAH’S CASINO
Pricing: $20.00
Schedule:
11:00am-12:00 pm: Registration and Networking
12:00 pm: Luncheon & Meeting Planner
Panel
1:00 pm: SLAA Announcements and
Conclusion
Policies:
- Payment is required in advance or at the registration
desk
the day of the meeting.
- Please make reservations by noon, Friday,
March 11, 2005.
- Walk-ins will be accommodated on a standby
basis only.
- Non-paid no shows will be invoiced for the
registration fee.
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SLAA MARCH TRIP RAFFLE
Celebrate Baseball
in St. Louis!
From The Hyatt Regency St. Louis at
Union Station:
- Accommodations for 2 at the Hyatt Union Station
- 2 Tickets to the Baseball as America
Exhibit at the Missouri History Museum
- 2 Tickets for Tour of Cardinal Hall of Fame
- Savings Coupon Book for St. Louis Union Station
From GIFTS:
- Commemorative Busch Stadium Afghan / Throw
- Commemorative Busch Stadium Ornament
TOTAL VALUE OF TRIP RAFFLE:
$225.00 +
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FEATURED ATTRACTION
THE BLACK
WORLD HISTORY MUSEUM
February is Black History Month and St. Louis
has a truly exceptional attraction that is a must
see. The Black World History Museum was
founded in 1997 by Lois D. Conley as a means for
the public to experience African American history.
The facility is located on historic St. Louis
Avenue and is housed in a former school building
that has been renovated.
The museum features murals, artifacts, historic
documents, memorabilia as well as wax figures
in authentic historical dress of African Americans
with Missouri ties. One of the most interesting
features is a log cabin that was built as a slave
family home in the 1830?s. Some of the famous
people from history represented include: William
Wells Brown, a former slave and anti-slavery spokesman;
George Washington Carver, a former slave who became
an inventor, botanist and educator; Elijah P.
Lovejoy, a white abolitionist newspaper editor
of St. Louis who was killed defending the right
to publish anti-slavery viewpoints; the Reverend
John Berry Meacham, a former slave who educated
other former slaves on a boat on the Mississippi
River to circumvent Missouri laws of the 1840s
that prohibited teaching blacks; and Dred and
Harriet Scott, slaves who argued for their freedom
in a famous case at St Louis' Old Courthouse.
Group tours are available and the museum gift
shop is outstanding. The hours of operation are
Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and
between Memorial Day and Labor Day , Sunday from
2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults; $4
for ages 13- 17; $3.50 for ages 60+; and $2.50
for children 12 and under.
Black World History Museum
2505 St Louis Ave. near Jefferson
314-241-7057
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THANK YOU!
I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf
of the 2005 St. Louis Attractions Association Roundtable
Committee, to thank the Holiday Inn South County
Center for hosting the January 19, 2005 Roundtables.
The venue was the perfect setting for the breakout
sessions and lunch.
Secondly, I would like to thank all the speakers
and presenters for taking time to inform and entertain
those who attended. The diverse topics provided
everyone an opportunity to attend the session from
which they could best gain information useful to
their company or organization.
Finally, I would like to personally thank the committee
members. Your time, dedication and hard work were
truly appreciated. The success of the roundtables
could not have been achieved without your participation.
-Nicole Iannazzo
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 ST.
LOUIS CONVENTION & VISITORS COMMISSION UPDATE
Shelby Gebauer
Annual Be a Tourist Event
The annual Be a Tourist in Your Own Town
is just around the corner. The 2005 date is Thursday,
May 12 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Kiener Plaza
in downtown St. Louis. The Cardinals also have a
home day game on this date. Help encourage St. Louisans
to take advantage of the wide variety of things
to see and do in the metropolitan area. Your attraction
or hotel is invited to join the CVC to celebrate
National Tourism Week and the important contribution
the hospitality industry makes to the local economy.
The cost for participating is only $50, which includes
one skirted table, a tabletop I.D. sign and two
chairs. For additional information or to receive
an application form, contact Donna Andrews via e-mail,
dandrews@explorestlouis.com.
Do You Know Any Heroes?
Hold the date, Wednesday, June 15, 2005, 5:30-8:30
p.m., for the CVC’s Hospitality Heroes Awards Program
and Reception at the Ferrara Theatre at America's
Center. Deadline for nominations is Thursday, March
31, 2005. The Hospitality Heroes Service Recognition
Program is a hospitality industry frontline employee
reward program developed by the CVC. Its mission
is to identify and reward hospitality industry frontline
employees who consistently provide visitors with
high quality customer service.
CVC
Staff Updates
In keeping with the our strategic plan to increase
the CVC’s sales and marketing results, we are pleased
to announce that Bruce Arnold has returned to the
CVC as the director of sales for the Washington
D.C. office. Bruce first joined the CVC sales team
in 1981 and filled the positions of convention sales
executive, director of convention sales, director
of sales at America’s Center® and director of national
accounts in Washington, D.C. until his departure
in 2002.
A nationwide search for a director of sales to lead
the CVC’s St. Louis-based sales team is underway.
In addition to coaching a sales staff of 10, this
well-qualified, seasoned professional will have
responsibility for account management with their
own sales goals. The search is being handled by
a national executive recruiting firm.
User
Sessions Top 2.4 Million
The CVC’s web site at www.explorestlouis.com
ended 2004 with 2,472,220 user sessions for the
year, a 42 percent increase over 2003. A user session
is a stay on the site of 10 minutes or longer with
movement among a number of the site’s pages.
Save the Date March
Working With Meeting Planners Seminar
Friday, March 4
8:00-11:00 a.m.
Executive Conference Center at America’s
Center
April
Membership Connection
Thursday, April 14
5:00-7:00 p.m.
Holiday Inn Southwest Viking
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