Explore St. Louis

What Explore St. Louis does

Explore St. Louis is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for St. Louis, Missouri, operating as a private nonprofit entity headquartered at 701 Convention Plaza, Suite 300. The organization serves three primary customer segments: leisure tourists and individual visitors, meeting planners and convention organizers, and group tour/reunion organizers. It reaches these audiences through a content-driven website (explorestlouis.com), an annual Official Visitors Guide distributed in print and digital formats, an email newsletter, an Instagram channel, and five physical visitor information centers.

The organization's core products combine content and venue assets. The Explore St. Louis website provides 25+ neighborhood guides, 25+ thematic guides, an events calendar, dining and shopping directories, and planning tools. On the venue side, Explore St. Louis operates the America's Center Convention Complex (2.2 million sq ft total, 574,000 sq ft of contiguous exhibit space, 95+ meeting rooms, plus a 28,000-sq-ft ballroom), The Dome at America's Center (67,000-seat domed stadium with transformable space), the Ferrara Theatre (1,400 seats), and the St. Louis Executive Conference Center. The organization manages a partner ecosystem spanning nearly 8,000 walkable downtown hotel rooms, major attractions (Gateway Arch, Union Station, Saint Louis Zoo, City Museum), Levy Restaurants for convention catering, and partnerships with Missouri Division of Tourism and Tripadvisor.

The business model is nonprofit destination marketing: revenue is generated from hotel/motel taxes, tourism taxes, and membership fees from partner businesses across the hospitality ecosystem. Visitor information services and the Visitors Guide are provided free to consumers. The organization does not develop proprietary technology products and has no public mobile app, API, or disclosed AI capabilities. It carries GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation for the convention complex and won the 2022 Stella Award for Best Convention Center — Midwest.

Name

Explore St. Louis

Legal name

Explore St. Louis

Website

https://explorestlouis.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1909

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Explore St. Louis is the official nonprofit destination marketing organization for St. Louis, Missouri, promoting the city to leisure travelers, meeting planners, and group organizers through its website, visitor centers, and the America's Center Convention Complex.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing and Convention Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & City Guide Content Aggregators (MPACAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD), Art, Street Art & Creative Scene Tours (THAJAAAE)

Keywords

• Destination marketing
• Convention services
• Visitor information
• Meeting planning
• Leisure tourism promotion

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Tourism Promotion and Visitor Services: Explore St. Louis is a nonprofit destination marketing organization funded primarily through hotel/motel taxes, tourism taxes, and membership fees from partner businesses in the St. Louis hospitality and tourism ecosystem.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Explore St. Louis is the official destination marketing organization for St. Louis, Missouri, promoting the city as a leisure tourism destination and operating the America's Center Convention Complex for meetings and events. It delivers visitor information, trip planning resources, event calendars, and neighborhood guides through its website, five visitor centers, and printed/digital guides, while also providing dedicated sales support to meeting planners, convention organizers, and group tour operators.

Product overview

Explore St. Louis operates the official tourism marketing platform for St. Louis, Missouri, combining a comprehensive visitor information website with convention and group sales services. The core offerings include the Explore St. Louis website (providing trip planning, event calendars, neighborhood guides, and visitor resources), Meetings & Conventions Services (supporting meeting planners with sales coordination and venue access to America's Center), Groups & Reunions Planning (for group tours and weddings), and venue assets including America's Center Convention Complex, The Dome at America's Center, and Ferrara Theatre. Supplementary resources include the Official Visitors Guide publication and neighborhood-specific guides covering 25 distinct St. Louis areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Explore St. Louis Website Official tourism marketing website for St. Louis, Missouri, providing visitor information including trip planning resources, event calendars, neighborhood guides, dining recommendations, and accommodation listings.
• Meetings & Conventions Services Comprehensive meeting and convention planning services including dedicated sales team support, venue coordination, attendee experience management, and access to the America's Center Convention Complex for city-wide meetings, trade shows, and corporate events.
• Groups & Reunions Planning Planning services for group tours, family reunions, weddings, and student or youth groups, including itinerary suggestions, group-friendly attractions recommendations, and partner directory access for accommodations and services.
• America's Center Convention Complex Major downtown convention center complex featuring Cervantes Convention Center, The Dome at America's Center, St. Louis Executive Conference Center, and Ferrara Theatre, totaling 2.2 million square feet with 574,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space and more than 95 meeting rooms.
• The Dome at America's Center 67,000-seat domed stadium venue within America's Center that hosts conventions, trade shows, concerts, and sporting events, with transformable space capabilities ranging from exhibition hall to stadium to concert configuration.
• Ferrara Theatre 1,400-seat theater venue within America's Center featuring state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment for lectures, concerts, and special events.
• Official St. Louis Visitors Guide Annual printed and digital guide featuring maps, neighborhood information, attractions, dining, shopping, and accommodation recommendations for St. Louis visitors, available free through hotels, visitor centers, and convention venues.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nine out of 10 convention attendees surveyed rated their St. Louis experience as very good or excellent
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Levy RestaurantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLevy Restaurants powers the on-site catering at America's Center Convention Complex. The partnership delivers chef-inspired menus, impeccable service, and thoughtful details, with a 40-bed culinary garden providing fresh herbs and produce for catering.
• Missouri Division of Tourism (Visit Mo.)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Missouri state tourism organization to promote St. Louis as a destination within the broader Missouri tourism ecosystem.
• America's Center Convention ComplexcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerica's Center Convention Complex is the primary convention venue promoted by Explore St. Louis. It includes Cervantes Convention Center, The Dome at America's Center, St. Louis Executive Conference Center, and Ferrara Theatre. Features 2.2 million sq ft total space with 574,000 sq ft of contiguous exhibit space.
• Hotel PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of hotel partners near America's Center Convention Complex and throughout St. Louis, offering accommodations at various price points for visitors. Nearly 8,000 hotel rooms available in walkable downtown area.
• Attraction PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnerships with major St. Louis attractions including Gateway Arch, Union Station, Grant's Farm, Six Flags St. Louis, Missouri Botanical Garden, Saint Louis Zoo, City Museum, and others featured in promotional materials.
• Restaurant and Dining PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal restaurants and dining establishments featured in visitor guides and promotional materials, showcasing St. Louis's diverse culinary scene from fine dining to casual eateries.
• Partner Directory Service ProvidersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorService providers listed in the Partner Services Directory available to help visitors and event planners with various needs during their St. Louis visit.
• TripadvisorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Tripadvisor for promotional presence, allowing travelers to access St. Louis tourism information through the Tripadvisor platform.
• Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerica's Center holds the coveted Global Biorisk Advisory Council's STAR Facility Accreditation, demonstrating commitment to providing a clean, safe, and healthy environment for events.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Destination DC: Official DMO for Washington, D.C. Comparable destination marketing organization with similar hotel-tax funding, convention center operations, leisure/meetings/groups sales focus, and multi-channel visitor information infrastructure. Larger-scale comparable.
• Visit Denver: Official DMO for Denver, Colorado. Comparable mid-to-large city destination marketing organization with a major convention complex (Colorado Convention Center) and overlapping leisure/business tourism segments. Aspirational comparable showing scale-up potential for a city DMO.
• Experience Columbus: Official DMO for Columbus, Ohio. Mid-size Midwest DMO with overlapping convention and leisure tourism segments. Direct comparable in funding model, multi-channel distribution, and group/meeting planner sales motion.
• Visit KC: Official DMO for Kansas City, Missouri. Mid-size Midwest city DMO with overlapping visitor segments (leisure, meetings, sports tourism) and a similar convention complex asset (Kansas City Convention Center). Closest geographic and tier competitor for regional convention RFPs.
• Choose Chicago: Official DMO for Chicago, Illinois. Direct comparable in scale, mission (city tourism + convention promotion), funding model (hotel taxes), and customer segments (leisure visitors, meeting planners, group organizers). Operates a comparable multi-channel visitor information and convention sales operation.
• Visit Pittsburgh: Official DMO for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Mid-size Rust Belt city DMO with similar post-industrial city narrative challenges and comparable visitor segments. Operates a convention center and pursues similar leisure/business tourism strategy.
• Visit Cincy (Cincinnati USA CVB): Official DMO for Cincinnati, Ohio. Comparable mid-size Midwest DMO with similar leisure + convention focus, hotel-tax funding, and meetings/group sales organization. Direct head-to-head competitor for regional Midwest tourism and convention bookings.
• Visit Indy: Official DMO for Indianapolis, Indiana. Mid-size Midwest DMO with comparable hotel-tax funding model and convention center asset (Indiana Convention Center). Competes head-to-head for citywide conventions and leisure visitors in the same Midwest corridor.
• Visit Detroit: Official DMO for Detroit, Michigan. Mid-size Midwest DMO operating a comparable convention center (TCF Center/Huntington Place) and pursuing similar Rust Belt city reinvention narrative. Direct comparable in market positioning, asset base, and customer segments.

Broad incumbents

• NYC & Company: Official DMO for New York City. Much larger destination marketing organization operating in the same space (city tourism + meetings + groups) but with substantially greater scale, budget, brand pull, and asset base. Sets the upper-bound benchmark for US city DMOs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/explorestlouis
• Xx.com/explorestlouis

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Explore St. Louis