Friendly people, well-appointed venues, a variety of activity options, and world-class cultural draws are all hallmarks of the Kansas City metropolitan area.
The region, comprising Kansas City, Mo., Kansas City, Kan., and Overland Park, Kan., brings in a healthy dose of meetings business each year and features impressive developments, such as new entertainment options, revitalized downtown communities and upgraded meeting spaces.
The area’s largest metro, Kansas City, Mo., sits on the east side of the Missouri River and touts mega entertainment centers and large convention hotels. On the river’s opposite side, Kansas City, Kan., offers several meetings venues and a laid-back vibe. A few miles away, Overland Park is a bustling suburban community with restaurants and meetings hot spots around every corner.
Kansas City, Mo.
Kansas City, Mo., has long been a Midwest center of commerce.
As far back as the early 1800s, Kansas City was well-known as a convenient hub for traders traveling along the Missouri River, but today, with the advances of road, rail and air, the city is even easier to access for most of the country’s residents and traveling groups.
“One of the most important things today on planners’ minds is access,” says Rick Hughes, president and CEO of the Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association. “Those planners that draw delegates from across the nation know they can draw attendees to Kansas City from either coast. We can reach about 55 percent of the population within about an eight-hour drive.”
In addition to its accessibility, Hughes says the destination is affordable for groups.
“You see excellent options for hotels, attractions, activity options, and transportation, and it is all very reasonably priced,” he says.
Some of the destination’s strongest draws are its fun activity offerings, things Hughes says groups are really catching on to.
“We are hearing from planners that entertainment time and out-of-meeting time with colleagues is as important as anything else,” he says. “We have an incredibly thriving downtown now, but we also have new facilities coming on-line.”
Elton John helped to welcome one of Kansas City’s most exciting additions Oct. 13, with a live concert at the new Sprint Center. The facility houses 18,500 seats for entertainment and sporting events.
The Sprint Center is part of an exciting city development called the Power & Light District. The new district, which is scheduled to be completely finished by next spring, will offer visitors a variety of restaurants, retail outlets and entertainment venues, and also sits within walking distance of the Kansas City Convention Center (KCCC).
The KCCC is Kansas City’s largest dedicated meeting space, and in April, the center unveiled its newest ballroom, measuring approximately 46,500 square feet.
Area hotels have also enhanced facilities, including the InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza, The Raphael Hotel, Crowne Plaza Hotel Kansas City Downtown, Kansas City Marriott Downtown, Holiday Inn Aladdin Kansas City, and Hilton President Kansas City, which reopened in February 2006 following a $45 million restoration project.
Another popular group option is the 392-room Harrah’s North Kansas City Casino Hotel, with convention space for up to 400 people.
For post-meeting options, Hughes says lately groups are requesting culturally focused activities.
“There is a more hyperactive interest in history and cultural things,” he says, adding that families will often join visiting delegates and either come early or stay late to factor in adequate time to enjoy it all.
Starting with music, Hughes says Kansas City is the “home of jazz and bebop.” Groups can don their dancing shoes and cut a rug at the city’s many musical venues, such as The Historic Uptown Theater Complex and Whiskey Tango Sports Bar & Nightclub.
For an even deeper look into Kansas City’s jazz culture, groups can visit its 18th & Vine District, where they can hear great music at the Blue Room or learn about the city’s musical history at the American Jazz Museum.
Besides singing and dancing, tasting barbeque is another cultural attraction in Kansas City, and, as Hughes says, there is more than enough to go around.
“There are about 120 different barbecue joints in Kansas City,” he says, highlighting area favorites such as Jack Stack Barbecue, KC Masterpiece Barbecue & Grill and Arthur Bryant’s.
Other ideas for time outside the conference room include a visit to the Crossroads Arts District, popular for its funky stores and eateries, or Historic Benjamin Ranch, perfect for Western-themed group gatherings.
Kansas City, Kan.
On the western side of the Missouri River, Kansas City, Kan., may houseless people (146,000 residents versus 441,000 on the Missouri side) and stand smaller in size, but don’t let that fool you; the city is growing rapidly and regularly welcomes groups with its wealth of amenities.
The city is in the planning stages for a major downtown revitalization that will soon infuse more retail stores and restaurants into its central core.
One major upcoming development is Schlitterbahn Vacation Village, a massive resort estimated to cost $750 million and offer 1,800 guest rooms and a waterpark when it opens in 2009.
But for now, Kansas City offers plenty of group-friendly cultural draws, such as the National Agriculture Hall of Fame, where groups can host events in an outdoor barn, and the Kansas Speedway, also available for large gatherings.
A favorite for groups visiting the west side of the river is a trip to the popular Legends at Village West, a retail, dining and entertainment mecca.
Kansas City has space for delegates to meet at the Jack Reardon Convention Center and the connected Hilton Garden Inn, as well as at properties such as the Great Wolf Lodge, Best Western Inn and Conference Center, and Holiday Inn Express Village West.
Overland Park
Just up the road from Kansas City is the leafy community of Overland Park, home to a variety of green spaces, creating a “very soothing setting in a suburban environment,” says Joe Novak, vice president of sales for the Overland Park CVB.
“Overland Park has been rated several times as one of the best cities to live in,” he says.
In addition to its calming atmosphere, the city draws groups with its wealth of well-appointed hotels and dedicated meeting spaces.
“We have affordable products and we have outstanding meeting facilities not only with our hotels, but with our convention center,” Novak says, highlighting the construction of the Overland Park Convention Center and adjoining Sheraton, both of which opened in 2003. “In the past five years, the biggest thing that has really impacted the city has been the building of the convention center and the Sheraton hotel.”
With several future projects on the table, Overland Park has no plans to slow down. According to Novak, discussions are in the works for a multiyear plan called Vision Metcalf, which will revitalize the city’s main drag, Metcalf Avenue, into a pedestrian-friendly entertainment district.
Aside from future developments, Overland Park already plays host to an array of group-friendly venues, including the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, which opened Oct. 27, and the New Theater Restaurant, a dinner theater featuring celebrity performances and musical comedy shows.
Popular with groups from the sports, association and corporate markets, Overland Park traditionally entertains events requesting 350 to 600 rooms on peak in its host of well-appointed hotels, such as the Overland Park Marriott, Doubletree Overland Park–Corporate Woods, Ritz Charles, and Sheraton Overland Park Hotel at the Convention Center.
Additional dedicated meeting space can be found at the Overland Park International Trade Center. .
For More Info
Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association 816.221.5242
www.visitkc.com
Kansas City Kansas/Wyandotte County CVB 913.321.5800
www.visitthedot.com
Overland Park CVB 913.491.0123
www.opcvb.org
