St. Louis to host VEX Robotics World Championships

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - St. Louis will host the VEX Robotics World Championship in 2026 and 2027.

The international event will be held at the America’s Center Convention Complex and is expected to have an economic impact of more than $32 million.

The VEX Robotics World Championship is the world’s largest robotics competition, with more than 2,400 teams from around the world.

Ed Sapinok, the chief commercial officer for Explore St. Louis, said that the city was picked based on its unique facilities at the Dome at America’s Center. Recent upgrades to the facility, he said, would put the region in a better position to recruit major events.

“We’re very fortunate that they didn’t select us for just one year but for two years,” Sapinok said. “They liked the facilities that we have. Not a lot of cities have a domed stadium connected to a convention center like we do here and certainly not in a downtown location  with options that are low-cost to no-cost for families here. They really look for that.”

Mayor Cara Spencer also spoke at the announcement on Friday morning, highlighting a need for St. Louis to present its best attributes for international visitors. She said she felt that major STEM competitions had the potential to recruit top talent for the region.

“I think we should be considering ways we can be a world-class destination for events of big sizes,” Spencer said.

Several local schools have also sent teams to the event, including a team from Gateway Science Academy that won the competition in 2022. This year the school is sending an elementary school team to the championships in Dallas, which will be competing next week.

Atticus Luther, who was on the 2022 team, said it was exciting to think about St. Louis hosting the event, and extra motivation for local teams to compete.

“I want to make sure to represent the city well,” he said.

Click here to learn more about Vex Robotics competitions.

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