Missouri high school business leadership event draws 5,500

For the 11th year, thousands of Missouri high school students interested in business gathered in Springfield to network and compete.

Roughly 5,500 students and advisers attended the annual Missouri Future Business Leaders of America’s State Leadership Conference this month, according to Visit Springfield, Missouri. The conference has been held in the Queen City since 2015.

The three-day event starts and ends at the Great Southern Bank Arena but uses multiple venues – including Springfield Expo Center and University Plaza Hotel and Convention Center – for workshops, competitive events and social gatherings.

Lisa Perez, sales manager for Visit Springfield, Missouri, said the high school conference hopes to grow to 6,000 participants annually.

She said local businesses benefit from having the state conference in Springfield.

“They pretty much sell out 28 different hotel properties. They utilize about 3,300 room nights,” Perez said. “The direct spend economic impact is about $1.6 million, so that is your lodging, transportation, food and beverage.”

Perez said once additional business sales and tax revenue are counted, including exhibitors that participate, the overall impact is estimated at $2.7 million.

Matt Morrow, president of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, is one of dozens of local leaders who volunteer as judges, mentors and guest speakers.

“We need thriving, growing businesses and strong leaders for the future of those businesses, whether they exist today or they will be launched by the entrepreneurial minds that are represented here,” said Morrow. “In either case, it should make all of us optimistic about the future.”

Morrow said he circles the Missouri FBLA event on his calendar each year because he finds it inspiring to invest time in the next generation.

“That is probably why so many people in the local business community volunteer their time to do it,” he said. “It is also a great opportunity to connect with young people who might be thinking about summer jobs or future internships.”

At the opening ceremony, Annemarie Sheets, Missouri FBLA vice president of membership, said students benefit from supportive business and civic leaders.

“Missouri FBLA is strengthened by the partners who bring real world experience, industry insight and unwavering support to our members,” said Sheets, a student from Bonne Terre. “The organization is fortunate to work alongside business professionals who open doors, share their knowledge and help guide the next generation of leaders.”

Missouri FBLA has 13,000 members in more than 550 chapters across the state, making it the second largest chapter in the U.S. Middle school and college students are also able to participate in Missouri. The 2025-26 student president, Aden Pense, is from Spokane High School.

Nationally, the nonprofit student business organization has more than 200,000 members and works to prepare works to prepare students for business and technical careers. The organization provides career exploration, community service, economic education and technical skills.

Aundrea Hill, a marketing and business teacher at Glendale High School, said Springfield Public Schools was well represented at the state conference.

She is the adviser for FBLA and DECA, which prepares students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management.

“It really gives students an opportunity to learn things in the classroom and then practice them in the real world on a very real and applicable platform,” said Hill, who was part of FBLA as a high school and college student. “There are so many opportunities for them to learn about leadership and then practice that leadership.”

Students compete in a range of career-focused competitions and skills such as public speaking, sales presentation, social media strategies, business ethics, website design, event planning and customer service, among others.

“We are preparing kids not just for college but also jobs right after high school,” she said.

She said the conference is a time to network, and students often connect with other FBLA members who plan to attend the same college or enter the same career fields.

Hill said the only prerequisite to join FBLA is to take a high school business course. Personal finance, required for all graduates, is sufficient.

“I love the diversity it offers to different types of students that may or may not be interested in business and marketing as a major in college or a career that they pursue later in life,” she said. “For students, it is also the opportunity to get involved in their community and learn about leadership.”