The Event Center

Introducing a Unique Show Facility

Introducing the Purina Event Center, an 84,000-square-foot state-of-the-art indoor facility set to open in late 2010. The Hall can accommodate the largest of canine events and includes all the extras required to turn an ordinary dog show into an extraordinary event.

Features

• 45,000-square-foot Main Exhibition Hall with a special alpha-sport padded flooring that provides optimal comfort
• 13,500-square-foot Benching and Grooming Area with easy access to the dog bathing room that can double as an exhibition hall for smaller shows and trials
• Fully-equipped show office complete with built-in sound system, phone and office equipment, plus work and storage space
• Café service at all shows and banquet catering by reservation
• Banquet Room accommodates over 350 people on the second-floor overlooking the exhibition halls
• Meeting room on the second floor away from the exhibition halls
• Ample parking for vehicles and RV’s with electrical and water hookups
• Several drop-off entrances for exhibitors unloading grooming supplies and equipment
• Handler changing rooms and a dog watering station

Reserve Your Dog Show

Reservations are now being accepted for dog shows and events starting in late 2010. To learn more about the Purina Event Center’s amenities and Purina support, visit www.purinafarms.com. You may also call Brock Fitzgerald, Director of the Purina Event Center, at our toll-free number 1-888-688-PETS (1-888-688-7387), or e-mail him at brock.fitzgerald@purina.nestle.com.

Located about one hour southwest from downtown St. Louis and the Lambert–St. Louis International Airport, the Purina Event Center in Gray Summit, Missouri, provides a central location for people traveling from all parts of the country. Within 10 minutes from the Purina Event Center are several hotels that accept dogs with little or no additional fees; some even offer dog-bathing rooms. Besides the RV parking available at the Purina Event Center, five campgrounds are located near the show site. A variety of restaurants can be found in the area, and there are major entertainment attractions throughout the metropolitan St. Louis area. We invite you to schedule your next dog show or event with us. Our Purina Event Center promises to deliver “Best in Show” amenities and we will do everything possible to help ensure your event goes smoothly. Through our partnerships with parent breed and kennel clubs, we help promote the sport of purebred dogs. Doing so, we believe enhances the lives of dogs and the people who love them. At the Purina Event Center, our goal is for you to have the best dog show ever.

For more than 80 years, Purina has been a leader in pet care and nutrition. And with 15 years of hosting outdoor dog shows and sporting events, Purina has become an important partner with kennel and parent breed clubs.

Purina Farms, located in the center of the country on 300 acres of gentle rolling hills, is a well-established, prime destination for outdoor conformation show and dog performance events. Now Purina is pleased to announce a new world-class indoor event center with all the amenities to make every dog show an exceptional one. Combined with Purina’s outdoor venue, the new Purina Event Center will be able to accommodate a full range of canine activities from all breed shows and national specialties to lure coursing, herding, agility and earth-dog trials.

The new 45,000-square-foot Main Exhibition Hall is well-suited for conformation dog shows as well as obedience and agility trials. Across from the Main Exhibition Hall is the 13,500-square-foot Benching and Grooming Area, which can also be used for smaller shows and events. Exhibitors will enjoy the use of the handler changing areas, a dog bathing room and a dog water station, while kennel club officials will appreciate the fully-equipped show office, complete with a built-in sound system. A café will offer catering services with a variety of cuisine options for exhibitors and attendees.

On the second floor, you’ll find a Banquet Room, with seating for over 350, which is ideal for award presentations or large meetings. A conference room adjoining this area offers an additional meeting room option. A balcony off the Banquet Room offers scenic views of the Main Exhibition Hall below, and is also ideal for videotaping dog shows.

A spacious parking area south of the Purina Event Center, reserved for the exclusive use of exhibitors, accommodates over 80 RV’s and can handle even the largest RV’s. Forty-six additional RV sites are also located at the northwest corner. All have easy access to the Purina Event Center. Ample parking is provided for vehicles with several drop-off entrances to ease the unloading of grooming supplies and equipment. A separate loading dock is provided on the west side of the building for vendors and deliveries.

Testimonials

“I've always enjoyed exhibiting at Purina Farms. After taking two tours of the Purina Event Center while under construction, I'm very excited to experience dog shows there, beginning this fall. It's great not only for the dog fancy and Purina, but for the community. I think the Event Center sets a new standard for what dog show facilities should be, and with keeping the outdoor venues as well, Purina Farms offers the complete package.”

Doug Carlson
Professional Handler

“Purina Farms has always been super. Brock Fitzgerald, Director of Purina Farms, and his staff have been so accommodating, helping us put on the best shows possible. Now they've taken it to an incredible new level with the Purina Event Center. I don't know of any other indoor space in the country set up just for dog shows, and I know the Event Center will be the premier dog show facility in the country.”

Cledith “Clete” Wakefield
AKC Delegate, AKC Judge, President, Spirit of the Heartland Kennel Club, and Show Chairman, Jefferson County (Mo.) Kennel Club