CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — Governor Mike Parson signed the Show Mo Act into law at the brand-new Gateway Studios in Chesterfield on Tuesday.
The people who worked hard on this bill say it's been roughly 10 years in the making and will make a difference for entertainment in Missouri.
It will give tax credits to entertainment companies who choose to perform, make movies or shows or even build studios here.
“When the NFL draft was in our state, $164 million in one day. I mean, those are the kinds of investments you're looking for to have these events. But they only come here because you're doing a successful thing in these states to do business. So it's all about the people supporting the industries. And I think we've got a great opportunity to support this industry,” Parson said.
Gateway Studios and Production Services CEO Trey Kerr said he wanted to be part of the solution to rebuild the entertainment industry in Missouri.
“This legislation is a significant step forward in allowing Missouri to compete on an equal playing field with other states and create hundreds, if not thousands of new, high-paying jobs,” Kerr said.
Kerr said his new production campus in Chesterfield is a big part of that, featuring three buildings for big-name artists to practice and design next-level concerts and a hotel.
“Our main studio is Studio 80. It's 300 by 175 with an 80-foot grid. It's essentially designed to replicate an NFL football stadium. The second studio is designed to represent an NHL arena, and the third studio is designed to represent an NBA arena,” Kerr said.
In the new law, artists that take advantage of the tax incentive will be required to perform two concerts in the state so that money goes right back into the community.
“We benefit from it on all kinds of levels, whether it's hotels, restaurants, whether it's the investment they're making, and especially incentives to use Missourians to be able to do that,” Parson said.
Gateway Studios hopes to open the new campus by the end of next spring.