Experts cite need for Columbia convention center

A significant shortcoming in the Columbia lodging market is the lack of a large convention facility, experts say.

The Boston-based consulting group Sasaki & Associates said that downtown Columbia could use a hotel and conference center with 200 rooms and covering 200,000 square feet. The city, the University of Missouri and Stephens College paid Sasaki $100,000 to come up with a vision for making the downtown district more vibrant.

“We need a facility that has a banquet hall for 500 people,” said Julie Hosmer, hotel and restaurant management instructor at the University of Missouri.

“If Columbia had a city convention center we would fill up our hotels,” Hosmer said. “I know all of the hotels are concerned about the rate of growth of hotels, but I think the city of Columbia is primed to do more business.”

Bob McDonald, general manager of Courtyard By Marriott, said that 500 figure is too small and that any such convention center should be able to accommodate associations with more than a 1,000 members.

Joy Millard, director of the MU Conference Office, said hotel facilities in Columbia are very conducive to having meetings in Columbia, but echoes the idea of a need for one large facility.

“The only large, good space we have to serve that many is the Hearnes Center Field House and the ambience not good,” she said.

Millard’s office will assist in conducting about 75 conferences and meetings this year, 80 percent of which will be in the city, up about 5 to 10 percent from last year. The MU Conference Office directly spent $440,000 in goods and services in Columbia last year. This figure does not include a much larger amount spent directly by conference participants.

Not having a major airport hurts convention business, Hosmer said.
“If our airport had strong business from St. Louis or Kansas City, we would be able to attract more convention business,” Hosmer said. “Columbia is a driving destination. The price of gasoline is getting lower so it is sitting on a great location.”

Hosmer and Lorah Steiner, executive director of the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau, say that Columbia’s middle-of-the-state and middle-of-the-country location is its biggest physical attraction for the city’s convention and hospitality industry. But Steiner said a lack of good attractions is the city’s biggest challenge.

“We want to concentrate over the next decade on our attraction base,” Steiner said. “Research from our attractions committee showed we first need to look at our existing attractions. We want to look at how we can complete and enhance them. To do something like build an aquarium or other multi-million dollar attraction is difficult unless you have a private investor who comes in, looks at the market and says this would be terrific to fill in a blank.”