Overheard

Veteran TV personality Bob Barker is returning to his hometown this spring to give the keynote address at Drury University’s May 12 commencements.

Barker also will receive an honorary degree recognizing his lifetime achievements, including being the host of “Price is Right,” the longest-running TV game show, now in its 35th year. “He is the most famous graduate of Drury,” said President John Sellars, of the 1947 grad. Barker graduated from Central High School in 1941 after growing up on a South Dakota Indian reservation. He attended Drury on a basketball scholarship. In 50 years of continuous presence on TV, Barker has received 17 Emmy Awards and was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in 2004.

Select Springfield

Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau officials want to capitalize on the national connections among local businesspersons. CVB’s new program, Select Springfield, is aimed at people who belong to organizations that conduct annual meetings or conventions. The bureau estimates about 307,000 people attend conventions in Springfield each year, due in large part to cooperative work among locals and the CVB. Those events mean dollars: The average convention attendee spends $150 per day in Springfield, which means a three-day convention of 500 people would infuse about $225,000 into the economy, according to the CVB. To notify the CVB about an organization or upcoming event that could come to Springfield, contact Kelly Kennedy at (417) 881-5300 ext. 114 or kkennedy@springfieldmo.org.

On Air

SBJ Publisher Dianne Elizabeth Osis is among the business owners appearing on upcoming shows of “It’s Your Business” on KWTO 560 AM. Business adviser Tom Dapp is host of the hour-long radio show, which airs every other Monday at 3 p.m. Osis will speak Dec. 11; other scheduled guests are Nick Sanders of New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, Oct. 16; Doug Pitt of ServiceWorld Computer Center, Oct. 30; Gary Whitaker, 417 Magazine, Nov. 13; and Rick Hughlett of Rick’s Automotive, Nov. 27.

Advertising Up For Grabs

The state’s tourism advertising contract is up for grabs after the tourism division fired Kansas City’s MMG Worldwide earlier this month. The state ended the seven-year relationship after MMG became the agency of record for the Colorado state tourism division, a violation of its noncompete clause. The state will issue requests for proposal from prospective agencies and will seek proposals for its Web site and other fulfillment services.