Kansas City

Located in the geographic center of North America, the land now known as the Kansas City metropolitan area has a long history of being a place to meet.

In 1804, Lewis and Clark celebrated Independence Day in this area before heading northwest via the Missouri River, deeper into the unexplored new America. Later in the 1800s, the Kansas City area anchored the eastern end of the Santa Fe Trail, which prior to the Mexican-American War served as a commercial highway for Mexican and American traders, and after the war connected the U.S. to its Southwest territories. Toward the end of the 19th century, railroads replaced the Santa Fe Trail, and Kansas City was one of the major hubs for rail traffic in the country.

"[The Kansas City area] has had this longstanding pass-through of people, and the community has been welcoming people through all of it, more so than many large communities in the United States and particularly in the Midwest," says Rick Hughes, president and CEO of the Kansas City CVB. "So I think what makes us unique is that we've been finding new ways over the years to continue to welcome people and to drive ourselves to new standards of hospitality."

New and Improved

Today, the Kansas City area continues to welcome guests with several new developments, many of which cater directly to the meetings and convention industry. In November of last year, Kansas City voters approved a $95 million expansion, renovation and technology upgrade of the Kansas City Convention Center. Already spanning several city blocks in downtown Kansas City, the convention center currently features a 388,000-square-foot, column-free exhibit space known as Bartle Hall; 98,000 square feet of meeting space, including a dedicated conference center; and a 23,900-square-foot ballroom. The center is connected to the city's Municipal Auditorium complex, an Art Deco gem with a 10,700-seat arena, a 2,400-seat music hall and the 600-seat, octagon-shape Little Theater.

The convention center's expansion, which will add 135,000 square feet, including a 40,000-square-foot grand ballroom and a 35,000-square-foot pre-function area, is scheduled for completion in fall 2006. The convention center's renovation and technological upgrade is scheduled for completion by summer 2005.

Kansas City also recently unveiled the KCI-Expo Center, which is three miles from Kansas City International Airport and within two blocks of Interstate 29 as well as Interstate 435, the metropolitan area's beltway. The center has more than 70,000 square feet of exhibit space in addition to 11,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space. More than 800 guest rooms are within walking distance of the KCI-Expo Center.

According to Hughes, the Kansas City metropolitan area has approximately 28,000 hotel rooms, 3,500 of which are located downtown and within a few blocks of the convention center. This allows smaller conventions the ability to take over the downtown area, and larger conventions can take over the city and meet downtown without the traffic hassles that befall many larger destinations.

"Oftentimes, our market is considered secondary, but not by meeting planners," Hughes says. "A real nice bonus to a community our size, in addition to the livability, efficiency and value that you see, is that you own those 15,000 hotel rooms you rented out and you are a big deal in our community. In fact, you can be a lot smaller than that and still be a big deal."

Outside the meeting room or off the convention floor, there are plenty of options to keep delegates entertained. During the 1920s and 1930s, Kansas City was known as the "Paris of the Plains" for its jazz and blues clubs and cosmopolitan flair. Kansas City's jazz legacy includes the likes of Count Basie, Joe Turner and local product Charlie "Bird" Parker. It is a tradition kept alive and well in more than 20 nightclubs located throughout the city.

"We like to think of it in the six, eight, 10 plan," Hughes says. "You have six hours worth of programming, you've got eight hours worth of sleep, and you have 10 hours of other things going on. So in that 10 hours of other things, it's really important that you allow an opportunity to find a unique experience, and having jazz as an art form in such concentration is unique to this community."

A number of Kansas City's jazz clubs are located in the 18th and Vine district. Kansas City's jazz history is chronicled in this area at the American Jazz Museum. The museum is available for private meetings and functions and features a 500-seat auditorium, a 1,295-square-foot meeting room and a 527-square-foot boardroom.

Also located in the 18th and Vine district, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum highlights the strong influence of baseball in African-American history. Prior to the integration of black players in the Major Leagues, a charge led by Jackie Robinson when he broke the color barrier and the will of opposing pitchers while playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers, many of the best baseball players starred in the Negro Leagues, a centerpiece for economic development in many African-American communities.

Groups will also enjoy Union Station, perhaps Kansas City's most famous historical landmark. Originally opened in 1914, Union Station is the nation's second-largest train station behind New York City's Grand Central Station. Following the decline of the railroad industry, Union Station fell into disrepair and was eventually closed. But in 1999, it reopened following a $253 million renovation. While once again welcoming visitors arriving via rail, Union Station is now home to a science museum, shops and restaurants, permanent and traveling exhibits, and a theater district that includes a giant-screen movie cinema, a planetarium and a stage offering live theater performances. Union Station is also available for banquets ranging in size from 10 to 2,000 people.

Keeping delegates well fed is easy to do in Kansas City, especially if they like barbecue. According to Hughes, the city currently has more than 100 establishments serving Kansas City's staple cuisine.

"We are the home of barbecue," Hughes says. "Others have attempted to replicate it over the years, and each place has its own version, but we believe we are the granddaddy."

Overland Options

Just across the Kansas-Missouri border, approximately 20 minutes from downtown Kansas City, Overland Park is a welcome complement to Kansas City's meeting and convention industry. Incorporated in 1960, Overland Park has grown to be Kansas' second-largest city in just 43 years.

Following a rapid increase in population, the city significantly grew its lineup of guest accommodations and meeting space. According to Betsy Butler, director of communications for the Overland Park CVB, the city had 18 hotels as recently as 1998. Today, Overland Park offers 5,200 guest rooms in 33 hotels.

In November 2002, the city unveiled the Overland Park Convention Center. The technologically advanced convention center features a 60,000-square-foot exhibit hall connected to a 25,000-square-foot ballroom. The center also offers 14,000 square feet of separate meeting space and extensive pre-function space, highlighted by a 25,000-square-foot courtyard.

There are more than 900 guest rooms within two blocks of the center, including the 412-room Sheraton Overland Park Hotel at the Convention Center, which opened in December and offers 20,000 square feet of meeting space.

For More Info:

Kansas City CVB  816.221.5242   www.visitkc.com

Overland Park CVB  913.491.0123   www.opcvb.org