Downtown West, St. Louis, MOThe blocks west of the convention core, where staging and lodging support the show without sitting inside the hall footprint.

Downtown West sits between the exhibit-hall district and the office towers around Union Station, close enough to walk a badge over to America's Center but far enough out that street parking, satellite lodging, and vendor staging can spread without crowding the dock apron.

Loft conversions along Washington Avenue and Locust Street put a working population in the neighborhood on weekdays, which keeps restaurants and coffee shops open through a build week instead of only during convention hours.

The 8th & Pine MetroLink stop gives crews and attendees a fast rail link into the core without needing a rideshare queue at every shift change.

The City Museum, a converted shoe factory turned into a sprawling architectural playground, sits at the district's edge and gives attendees with a free afternoon somewhere to send them besides another hotel bar.