Several meeting sites in Springfield cater to a full range of meeting needs, from small parties to merchandise shows. A new expo center at Jordan Valley Park and improvements to an existing trade center were completed in September 2003, and include 40,000 square feet of exhibition space and 13,000 square feet of pre-function space. The expo facility connected to the renovated Trade Center results in about 110,000 square feet of contiguous convention and exhibition space. The building can accommodate 280 booths and about 4,400 people, and has a seating capacity of 3,000. There is also a 950-space parking garage.
The Shrine Mosque features a 19,600-square-foot auditorium with variable capacity that includes up to 60 exhibit booths and seating for 3,355 people in a theater setting and 900 people for banquets. A lower-level, 15,000-square-foot exhibit area can contain as many as 96 additional booths and accommodate up to 2,500 people for a reception.
Centrally located near the Southwest Missouri State University (SMSU) campus is the University Plaza Trade Center, a two-level complex that provides a combined total of more than 66,000 square feet of multipurpose space. The facility's meetings rooms host functions for 30 to 180 participants; banquet capacity for the first level is 1,824 people and 1,248 people for the second level. A parking garage for 550 vehicles is attached.
Hammons Student Center and McDonald Arena on the SMSU campus, designed principally for university use, are also available for special events. The Ozark Empire Fairgrounds can be rented April 1 through November 15 for meetings and conventions. Several Springfield area hotels and motels offer meeting accommodations; more than 5,000 lodging rooms are available in metropolitan Springfield.
Convention Information: Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, 3315 East Battlefield Road, Springfield, MO 65804; telephone (417)881-5300; toll-free (800)678-8767; fax (417)881-2231