As you know, Joplin, Missouri experienced significant destruction from an EF5 Tornado in May. Although the Holiday Inn did not experience any physical damage, it has become a major support facility for multiple agencies needed to sustain displaced residents and facilitate the rebuilding effort. Over the past week, that need has continued to grow.

To better serve our conference attendees and to enable the Holiday Inn to continue providing the facility support needed to this community, a joint decision was made today to move the Missouri Dairy Grazing Conference from the Holiday Inn in Joplin to the Springfield Expo Center at the University Plaza Hotel in Springfield, Mo.

All of the agenda and farm tours will remain the same as before.

Springfield, Missouri is located 70 miles east of Joplin on Highway 44.

We will be using two hotels for lodging and they will be honoring the same room rate ($74) as the Holiday Inn. This will provide us more flexibility to accommodate attendees. Each property is located near the Springfield Expo Center where all the meetings will take place.

University Plaza Hotel
333 S. John Q. Hammons Pkwy
Springfield, Missouri

Holiday Inn Express
1117 E. St. Louis Street
Springfield, Missouri

www.upspringfield.com

Dairy Grazing Room Block Reservation Number (for both properties): 417-864-7333

For those of you who have already made lodging reservations at the Holiday Inn, those will be transferred to the host hotels in Springfield. Shortly, you will be individually contacted by the hotel directly to confirm your reservation has been transferred and to which location. If you have not made reservations yet, please contact the hotel directly at 417-864-7333 and asked for the Dairy Grazing room block prior to June 20.

Nobody could have predicted the tragedy that the Joplin area has experienced and the amount of rebuilding that will be occurring over the next several years. We understand that this decision may directly impact your ability to attend this conference. Please contact us at muconf9@missouri.edu or 573-882-9553 if you have any questions or concerns.

If you would like information on volunteer opportunities while you are in the area, please let us know. We will be happy to forward you information on different organizations who are involved in improving the lives of the residents affected by this devastation.

I know it will not be too long before the City of Joplin will be able to welcome you back again. And we appreciate your support!