Dot Foods to move trade show from St. Louis next year

MT. STERLING, Ill. — Dot Foods kicks off its annual trade show Tuesday in St. Louis, but next year, the Mt. Sterling-based company will move the event to Denver.

Dot, which has its sales office in the St. Louis suburb of Chesterfield, Mo., has held the trade show in downtown St. Louis for the last 20 years. The event, which is by invitation only, brings in more than 300 exhibitors across food, beverage, and non-food industries to more than 2,600 customers annually.

Dot CEO Dick Tracy, told the St. Louis Business Journal that employees have shared concerns about safety and crime in the area for the past few years.

“It is important for us to keep increasing the number of customers and suppliers that attend our show. There is already a long list of barriers in making that happen, and we don’t need safety to be yet another one,” Tracy said to The Journal.

The annual convention, held at America’s Center, generates about $2.5 million to the downtown St. Louis economy. Greater St. Louis Inc., the region’s lead economic development agency, issued a statement about Dot’s decision:

“This announcement by Dot Foods is another proof point of how critical it is that we address violent crime as a region, but also that we must increase investment in infrastructure, activation, and increased law enforcement presence in Downtown, specifically, because of its criticality to the long-term growth of the City and the entire metro.”

The trade show, titled “Innovations”, only shows products available through Dot. Exhibitors and attendees will experience a large line-up of speakers and entertainment:

• This year’s concert will be performed by Counting Crows, a GRAMMY and Academy Award-nominated group known for hits like “Mr. Jones” and “Accidentally in Love.” 
• Chef and TV personality Alton Brown will take the stage for an interview as well as Dot company leaders and industry experts.
• Dick Tracy, presiding over his first conference as CEO, will present the company’s Industry Update prior to the show floor opening.