St. Louis will be the next home of an international robotics competition that local leaders say will bring more than $30 million to the St. Louis area.
The VEX Robotics World Championship will be held at the America’s Center Convention Complex in 2026 and 2027. The weeklong competition hosted by the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation brings students from around the world to compete in STEM challenges.
The competition has been held in Dallas for the past few years. VEX leaders said this year’s competition included 2,400 teams from more than 60 countries. St. Louis will be an ideal location for the competition, Robotics Education and Competition Foundation CEO Dan Mantz said.
“[St. Louis officials] absolutely wanted this event in their city, and we felt that they were going to be great partners, and that they were going to come and support the event, support the guests from all over the world,” Mantz said in a prerecorded video at a press event Friday.
Explore St. Louis leaders expect the event to generate more than 50,000 hotel room nights during the competition.
The conference follows a series of upgrades to the America’s Center Convention Complex, including a more than $250 million expansion project underway that includes a new exhibit hall and Washington Avenue Entrance and a 40-bed culinary garden where the center is growing produce to feed conventiongoers.
The event will also fuel St. Louis’ economic engine, Explore St. Louis Chief Commercial Officer Ed Skapinok said.
“Events like the VEX Robotics World Championships, they don't just fill our hotels and restaurants, they help fuel the long term vitality of our region," Skapinok said. “The impact of large-scale events like this that we bring to St. Louis have ripple effects across our economy, from hospitality and transportation to small business and cultural institutions.”
This story has been updated with comments from Explore St. Louis' chief commercial officer and Robotics Education and Competition Foundation CEO Dan Mantz.
