Hosting an event in Columbia
This guide covers 49 mapped venues in Columbia, Missouri, what each one holds, and how attendees get to them. Faurot Field is the largest room on record at 61,620 seats.
Faurot Field states a capacity of 61,620. The dots show what event67 would bill at that head count, and where the price stops.
Columbia venue landscape
Columbia has a recorded population of 130,900 (2024), inside the Columbia, MO area of about 219,000 people.
Across the city the dataset records 4 exhibition or convention halls, 2 dedicated conference and function spaces, 9 arenas and stadiums, 4 theatres and concert halls and 30 independent event spaces.
That is roughly 37 venues per hundred thousand residents, which is a dense field for a city this size — you will usually have a second choice at the same capacity.
By type that is 30 event spaces, 5 arenas, 4 stadiums and 3 performing-arts centres, plus a longer tail below.
Exhibition and convention halls (4)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Exposition Center | exhibition centre | not published | 3.8 km (2.4 mi) |
| Cooper County Youth Fairgrounds | fairground | not published | 41 km (26 mi) |
| Howard County Fairgrounds | fairground | not published | 36 km (22 mi) |
| Missouri River Valley Steam Engine Fairgrounds | fairground | not published | 23 km (14 mi) |
Conference and function space (2)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conference Center | conference centre | not published | 34 km (21 mi) |
| Stoney Creek Hotel & Conference Center - Columbia | hotel with function space | not published | 3.4 km (2.1 mi) |
Arenas and stadiums (9)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faurot Field | stadium | 61,620 | 1.8 km (1.1 mi) |
| Mizzou Arena | arena | 15,061 | 2.1 km (1.3 mi) |
| Hearnes Center | arena | 13,611 | 2 km (1.2 mi) |
| Brewer Fieldhouse | arena | 5,000 | 1.3 km (0.8 mi) |
| Audrey J. Walton Soccer Stadium | stadium | not published | 1.8 km (1.1 mi) |
| Arena and Events Center | arena | not published | 6.6 km (4.1 mi) |
| Memorial Stadium | stadium | not published | 1.8 km (1.1 mi) |
| Walton Stadium | stadium | not published | 1.8 km (1.1 mi) |
| Moberly Municipal Auditorium | arena | not published | 53 km (33 mi) |
Theatres and concert halls (4)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts | concert hall | not published | 0.6 km (0.4 mi) |
| Jesse Hall | performing-arts centre | not published | 0.8 km (0.5 mi) |
| MU Fine Arts Building | performing-arts centre | not published | 1 km (0.6 mi) |
| University of Missouri School of Music | performing-arts centre | not published | 0.9 km (0.6 mi) |
Independent event spaces (30)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ragtag Cinema | event space | not published | 0.8 km (0.5 mi) |
| Lyric Theater | event space | not published | 35 km (22 mi) |
| The Atrium on Tenth | event space | not published | 0.7 km (0.4 mi) |
| Turner Hall Event Center | event space | not published | 35 km (22 mi) |
| Riechmann Pavilion | event space | not published | 2.6 km (1.6 mi) |
| The Blue Note | event space | not published | 0.6 km (0.4 mi) |
| Elk Park Event Center | event space | not published | 6.1 km (3.8 mi) |
| Mercantile Event Center | event space | not published | 36 km (22 mi) |
| Central Missouri Renaissance Festival | event space | not published | 29 km (18 mi) |
| Harrisburg School | event space | not published | 24 km (15 mi) |
| The Bistro on The Blufftop at Rocheport | event space | not published | 19 km (12 mi) |
| Bush Auditorium | event space | not published | 1 km (0.6 mi) |
| Conservation Auditorium | event space | not published | 1.3 km (0.8 mi) |
| Cooper's Landing Stage | event space | not published | 16 km (9.8 mi) |
| Ellis Auditorium | event space | not published | 1 km (0.6 mi) |
| Ingle Auditorium | event space | not published | 36 km (22 mi) |
| Jesse Wrench Auditorium | event space | not published | 1.1 km (0.7 mi) |
| Keller Auditorium | event space | not published | 0.7 km (0.4 mi) |
| Ketcham Auditorium | event space | not published | 0.7 km (0.4 mi) |
| McNutt Campus Center | event space | not published | 35 km (22 mi) |
| Naka Auditorium | event space | not published | 0.6 km (0.4 mi) |
| Parker Auditorium | event space | not published | 1.1 km (0.7 mi) |
| Stotler Lounge | event space | not published | 1 km (0.6 mi) |
| Tate Auditorium | event space | not published | 0.9 km (0.6 mi) |
| Walter Johnson Auditorium | event space | not published | 0.9 km (0.6 mi) |
| Windsor Auditorium | event space | not published | 1.3 km (0.8 mi) |
| Cooper's Ridge | event space | not published | 22 km (14 mi) |
| Leadership Auditorium | event space | not published | 1.2 km (0.7 mi) |
| The Lodge | event space | not published | 54 km (33 mi) |
| Waters Auditorium | event space | not published | 1.1 km (0.7 mi) |
Every venue mapped in Columbia appears above. The ones with enough published detail to be worth reading have their own guide and are linked; the rest are named here, which is honest about what the record holds without giving each of them a page made of three facts.
Where an exhibition fits
4 venues in Columbia are classified as exhibition or convention space. They are the only rooms here designed around a floor plan rather than a seating plan.
- Columbia Exposition Centersize not published
- Cooper County Youth Fairgroundssize not published
- Howard County Fairgroundssize not published
- Missouri River Valley Steam Engine Fairgroundssize not published
Capacities are the figure the venue or an encyclopaedia entry published. They are usually the seated maximum, and the same room in banquet or reception layout can differ by half. Confirm the layout you want before you plan around a number.
Getting attendees to Columbia
Columbia Regional Airport (COU) is 18 km (11 mi) out — a normal airport transfer, worth an hour in the run of show on the first morning.
Local time is Chicago time (America/Chicago) — set every session time in the app to that zone and let attendees' phones do the conversion.
Jefferson City, Sedalia and Rolla are close enough to draw from for a day rate, and to fall back on if Columbia has nothing free on your dates.
- Nearest major airport
- COU
- Columbia Regional Airport, 18 km (11 mi)
- Local time
- UTC−5
- America/Chicago, in September
- City population, 2024
- 130,900
- 219,000 across the Columbia, MO area
What to check before you commit
Choice is not the constraint here
With 49 venues mapped, availability rarely fails. What fails is comparison: shortlist on capacity and distance from the airport first, and only then start touring.
A worked example, sized to Columbia
A Columbia programme at 950 activated attendees — sized to Faurot Field, the largest stated capacity in the Columbia dataset — prices like this. Nothing is charged for the first 50, and nothing at all is charged past 1,000.
- activated attendees
- 950activated attendees
- billable, after the first 50 are free
- 900billable, after the first 50 are free
- for the whole event, at $5 each
- $4,500for the whole event, at $5 each
You are billed for people, not for the venue, so the room you choose in Columbia does not change this figure. Nothing is charged for an attendee who registers and never opens the app.
Which kind of event this suits
With a stated ceiling of 61,620 seats, Columbia can carry a full trade show or a multi-track annual meeting without splitting the audience across buildings.
- trade shows and exhibitions
4 exhibition or convention halls mean a booth plan is possible in Columbia without renting a marquee.
- multi-track conferences
A 61,620-seat room carries a plenary with breakouts running alongside it.
- association annual meetings
An association meeting needs one big room, several small ones and a hotel block, which is the combination Columbia is set up for.
- festivals
An arena or stadium floor at 61,620 takes an audience no conference venue in Columbia can.
- sports tournaments
The same rooms already run fixtures, so load-in and crowd flow are solved.
Where this data comes from
- GeoNames, CC BY 4.0
- US Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 estimates
- Wikidata, CC0
- Geographic data © GeoNames, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Venue data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License.
- US population figures are US Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates.
- Retrieved 3 September 2026. event67 has no commercial relationship with any venue listed.
Last updated
What it costs
- Free up to 50
- activated attendees, on one live event
- $5
- per activated attendee beyond 50
- $4,750
- the most one event can ever cost, whatever happens past 1,000
Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
Questions people actually ask
Price a Columbia event at 950 attendees — what is the total?
950 activated attendees means 900 billable after the free 50, so $4,500 for the event. The price is $5 per activated attendee beyond the first 50, and the total for one event stops at $4,750 however many more attend. Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
What is the largest venue in Columbia?
Of the 49 venues mapped in Columbia, the largest stated capacity belongs to Faurot Field at 61,620. Capacities in open data are the figure the venue itself published, and they are the seated number rather than a standing or exhibition figure, so confirm the layout you actually want before you plan around it.
Does Columbia have a convention centre?
Yes — 4 venues are classified as exhibition or convention space in Columbia, including Columbia Exposition Center, Cooper County Youth Fairgrounds and Howard County Fairgrounds. Exhibition halls are booked by floor area rather than by seat, so ask for the hall sheet with column spacing and load-in access rather than a capacity number.
Which airport do attendees fly into for Columbia?
Columbia Regional Airport (COU), about 18 km (11 mi) from the city. It is the highest-traffic airport within reach in this dataset. Local time is America/Chicago; publish every session in that zone and let attendees' phones convert it.
Can I run a small Columbia event on event67 for nothing?
One live event with up to 50 activated attendees costs nothing. Beyond that it is $5 per activated attendee beyond the first 50, and the total for one event stops at $4,750 however many more attend. Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
Keep reading
Nearby cities
- Holding an event in Jefferson City
9 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Sedalia
8 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Rolla
8 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Warrensburg
4 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Wentzville
11 venues mapped
Up a level
Running something in Columbia?
Set the schedule, invite the room and watch who actually turns up. Free for your first 50 activated attendees, on one live event.