Two tourism marketing organizations want to help you promote your events for free!
The Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau and Missouri Division of Tourism have online calendars that are viewed by thousands of people annually. The CVB calendar, in fact, is the most visited page on the Springfield website.
Don't overlook this free resource for promoting your events to travelers.
How to Post Your Events
Springfield CVB Calendar
To submit an event to the CVB Calendar, simply go to https://www.springfieldmo.org/events/submit-your-event/, fill out the form completely and send it.
Your submission will be reviewed and posted promptly.
Event Criteria
To be considered, events should:
- be located within the Springfield metropolitan area
- be non-partisan and non-political
- provide entertainment, food or other attractions to a diverse population
- promote the economic benefits of tourism or enhance the quality of life of the community
- be open to the general public (for free or cost)
If you need assistance, contact Shelly Grauberger at sgrauberger@springfieldmo.org.
Missouri Division of Tourism Calendar
To submit events for the MDT Calendar, create an account at https://industry.visitmo.com/, then click "manage listings" followed by "create listing" found at the top of the page. Fill out the forms and submit.
Event Criteria:
- Generally, an event's duration should not be longer than four months. Some exceptions on length will be allowed for special museum exhibits.
- Events cannot be posted more than one year in advance of their end date.
- Events should be of general interest to the traveling public and group tours, drawing new visitors/bus tours from beyond the immediate area (more than 50 miles). Events primarily aimed at the local community/area, or those intended for a limited or a member-based audience, may not be posted. Events with limited appeal will not be posted. Regularly recurring events considered part of general business operations are not eligible to be listed as a separate event.
- All events must be open to the public as participants or spectators. Some restrictions to access will be allowed if necessitated by the activity; restrictions must be stated in the listing’s description.
- Events fall into the following types. In addition to the restrictions shown above, events must meet the specific criteria listed below. (Events in Missouri State Parks and State Historic Sites are maintained by the Department of Natural Resources and may be submitted or altered only by DNR personnel.) A sample of events that are not eligible follows this list.
Event Categories
- Arts, History & Culture
- Food & Beverage
- Lectures & Presentations
- Music & Performance
- Nature, Outdoors & Science
- Seasonal & Holiday
- Sports & Recreation
Eligible Events
- Airshows.
- Children's events (mainly intended for those younger than age 16).
- Civil war and commemoration events (reenactments and events honoring the memory of participants, battles, engagements and activities of Americans, military and civilian, in any military conflicts or wars).
- Concerts and performing arts events (live performance presented mainly by professional or semi-professional performers).
- Cycling events.
- Dinner theater shows (dinner theaters that operate on an ongoing basis belong in the things to do category and should not list their individual performances as events).
- Exhibit, show or shopping events: crafts, antiques, automobile, boat, RV, sport, home improvement and travel shows must be large scale, held in a convention center, arena or major event venue. Car shows must draw at least 50 entries and last a minimum of three hours. Car club activities and cruise-ins are not eligible).
- Fairs and farm/agriculture events.
- Festivals.
- Fishing Tournaments.
- Food/beverage events.
- Fun runs/races.
- Golf and disc golf tournaments.
- Historic reenactments (the event or period must have occurred more than 100 years ago).
- Holiday events (restrictions apply – see below).
- Home tour events: Must involve three or more houses built prior to 1920, restored and maintained to their period. Houses must be open for public access during the event. Open houses involving a single dwelling may be listed if the house has historical significance other than age and it is restored and maintained to its original period.
- Lectures & storytelling (lectures must involve the relating or discussion of historical, scientific, environmental or educational information).
- Live theatre: A staged play or opera performed primarily by professional or semi- professional actors. Must have a run of less than four months.
- Nature events: Activities focused on things found in nature; may be held indoors.
- Organized tours: Short-term tours (generally escorted) operating on a regular schedule, with an established itinerary involving more than one attraction or point of interest. For self-guided tours, a published pamphlet and map, with detailed directions and informative commentary on the points of interest, must be readily available to travelers.
- Outdoor adventures (hiking and backpacking, equestrian trail rides, campouts, spelunking, canoeing and floating, rock climbing, scuba, etc.)
- Parades (celebrating a nationally recognized holiday only).
- Pumpkin patches.
- Shooting tournaments: Must draw participants from outside of Missouri and spectators from
- beyond the local community/area.
Ineligible Events
Events that are NOT eligible include but are not necessarily limited to the following:
- Activities with no specific dates or hours.
- Amateur or semi-professional automobile or boat races.
- Amateur theater or concert performances.
- Art gallery showings aimed primarily at retail sales.
- Beauty contests on a local level.
- Business/association expositions, conventions and trade shows intended primarily for members.
- Camps.
- Car club activities and community car shows.
- Christmas tree sales.
- Church fairs, dinners, bazaars, et cetera.
- Cleanup activities.
- Club activities such as poker night, etc.
- Easter egg hunts or Easter bunny activities (unless held at an existing tourism-related attraction in Missouri; MDT staff will determine on case-by-case basis).
- Events directed toward a limited or a very specific audience.
- Farmers markets. (May be in the “Things to Do” category if they have a regular schedule and run for a minimum of four months.)
- Fireworks. (Independence Day fireworks displays may allowed on a case-by-case basis.)
- Flea markets, sidewalk sales, auctions and garage sales. (Large sales, like the 100 Mile Garage Sale, may be allowed on a case-by-case basis)
- High school festivities such as homecoming, plays, sports, etc.
- Meals. (4-H dinner; parish picnics, etc.)
- Opening day of an attraction.
- Opening reception.
- Santa arrival and other Santa events (unless held at an existing tourism-related attraction in Missouri; MDT staff will determine on case-by-case basis)
- Seminars or workshops.
- Shopping center/mall activities.
- Student exhibits, productions and activities.
- Traveling carnivals, circuses or side shows.