Although it may have the central U.S. location, affordable prices and good airlift, Kansas City has not been known as a destination with first-tier entertainment options and exciting off-site attractions.
All that’s changing, however, due to a massive cash infusion that is set to put this western Missouri metro on the meetings map beyond being a one-size-fits-all destination more in tune with massive SMERF groups than corporate meetings seeking a little splash in between sessions.
Like its famous sauce-heavy style of barbecue—Kansas City boasts more than 100 BBQ joints and lays claim to being the barbecue capital of the nation—hope is springing eternal in K.C., with major tourism infrastructure developments ready to open on the near horizon.
“In another eight to nine months we well be a brand-new destination,” says Alton Hagen, general manager of Agenda: Kansas City (www.agenda-kansascity.com), a full-service DMC that has been in operation for 18 years. “We are having a tremendous renaissance here in Kansas City. The catalyst is the completion and opening of the Kansas City Power & Light District.”
The nine-block, $850 million entertainment and retail district, which is set to open in stages this fall and be fully completed in March, will be the crown jewel of a $2 billion urban renaissance that will bring a new $300 million Performing Arts Center, scores of restaurants and nightclubs, and the $250 million Sprint Center Arena to downtown, along with a $200 million convention center expansion.
“All of this is in downtown, within two to three blocks of the convention center,” Hagen says.
Besides the Power & Light District, Kansas City’s existing facilities offer plenty of bang, such as Union Station, a working railroad station dating to 1914 and which was totally refurbished eight years ago; The Nelson Atkins Museum, with is wrapping up a $50 million upgrade that is expanding its meeting and event space; and the National World War I Museum, which features a variety of venues for group sizes ranging from 40 to 200 guests.
For high-octane thrills, the Kansas Speedway, about 20 minutes from downtown, offers NASCAR racing and the Richard Petty Driving School.
The Crossroads District, an area stretching about five blocks between downtown and midtown, features a number of boutique restaurants and art galleries in refurbished historic buildings. Of particular interest here are its First Fridays events, where anywhere up to 7,000 people will crowd the trendy area on the first Friday of every month to enjoy hip venues that are open late.
Along with its famed barbecue—which competes for prominence with Texas, South Carolina and cross-state rival St. Louis—Kansas City is also a town that is defined by its music.
“We were known back in prohibition as the city of sin and saxophones,” Hagen opines, “and we still have a very vibrant jazz scene with venues such as Jardines and the Blue Room in the 18th & Vine District, which is undergoing a renaissance as well.”
Other area venues include the American Jazz Museum and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
“What we’ve done for large groups is block off that entire area on 18th Street and had events that utilized all of those facilities,” Hagen continues, “and right around the corner is the Mutual Musicians Foundation, a two-story home where when musicians finish their gigs at the various entertainment venues from midnight to 2 a.m., they all come in and jam. So if you want to keep going till two or three in the morning, that’s the place to go.”
