The meetings-equipped destinations in the greater Kansas City areaKansas City, Mo., and Overland Park and Kansas City, Kan.stand strongly on their own, providing ample function space, group accommodations and off-site attractions, but they often recognize that three heads are better than one, especially when it gets down to luring groups.
Working together to accommodate meetings is a high priority in the region, and according to Bridgette Jobe, director of tourism with the Kansas City, Kan./Wyandotte County CVB, regardless of where groups are headquartered, they'll be within 30 minutes or less of other major attractions in the area.
"It's a great meeting location," she says. "If you're in Overland Park, you're within minutes to Village West [a new entertainment district in Kansas City, Kan.], and if you're in Kansas City, Kansas, you're minutes to the [Country Club] Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri. Highway access is easy."
Jerry Cook, president of the Overland Park CVB, cites an upcoming military group that booked Overland Park in large part because the Liberty Memorial Museum and Monument in Kansas City, Mo., was available for an off-session event.
"We have hooks for groups," he says. "They couldn't see the memorial in Orlando or St. Paul [Minn.] so they booked the Kansas City area."
Jobe adds that the area shares leads. If Kansas City, Kan., for instance, isn't a good match to host a group, she'll often point business in another direction, and says her neighbors will do the same.
"If I have a call for a group I can't handle, I refer them to Kansas City, Mo., or Overland Park," she says. "We market ourselves as a region and work closely together."
Kansas City, Mo.Home to the Kansas City Convention Center, which is undergoing a $135 million expansion and renovation, Kansas City, Mo., is a major player in the Kansas City area as well as in the Midwest.
The convention center project will produce a 40,000-square-foot ballroom, the largest in the greater Kansas City area, and revamp existing meeting space.
"We get comments from planners that it's very flexible space," says Denise DeJulio, director of convention sales at the CVB of Greater Kansas City, citing the convention center's divisible exhibit halls, 58 meeting rooms, a music hall for up to 2,400 people, and an arena for up to 10,000 people. "The center easily accommodates two groups at once and hosts various types of events. With space for 2,000 exhibit booths, it's popular with national association trade shows."
While the renovation of the current meeting space is scheduled for completion by the end of this year, the new multipurpose complex, which will house the ballroom as well as 35,000 square feet of prefunction space, is expected to be finished in early 2007.
Also underway two blocks from the convention center is Kansas City Live, a 425,000-square-foot entertainment district complete with stores, restaurants and entertainment venues, according to DeJulio. Its first phase is scheduled to debut in 2006.
The area will complement Kansas City's Country Club Plaza, the popular entertainment district patterned after Seville, Spain.
"It's like an outdoor museum," DeJulio says of the plaza, explaining that its Spanish architecture makes it a must-see for convention delegates.
Among Kansas City's other selling points are its central locationdelegates from either coast can fly in within three hoursand its affordable facilities.
"A good portion of the hotels are within walking distance of the convention center," DeJulio says, pointing to the nearly 1,000-room Kansas City Marriott Downtown and the 388-room Doubletree Hotel Kansas City.
The Hyatt Regency Crown Center and the Westin Crown Center are located 10 blocks away in the Crown Center area, which features shops, restaurants and Union Station, a historic train station that was redone in 1999.
"Its 90-foot, painted ceilings and marble surroundings make it a popular spot to hold an off-premises event," DeJulio says.
Overland ParkLocated in the southwest quadrant of the Kansas City metropolitan area, Overland Park promotes itself as the "Natural Choice," according to Overland Park CVB's Cook. The region boasts 87 parks and plenty of natural spaces, including the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.
"It's a great place to walk and explore nature," Cook says.
He adds that Overland Park is a rapidly growing city with a strong corporate presence, an environment that makes convention delegates feel safe and at home, and it features outstanding shopping and fine dining options.
In 2002 the city welcomed the Overland Park Convention Center, complete with a 25,000-square-foot ballroom, seven meeting rooms and a 25,000-square-foot outdoor courtyard. The center is attached to the 412-room Sheraton Overland Park Hotel at the Convention Center.
According to Cook, there are 1,000 rooms within walking distance of the convention center and 3,500 rooms within a five-minute drive.
Cook hopes that as a member of the Kansas City Regional Destination Alliance (RDA), a new affiliation of 22 cities in the Kansas City area, more planners will learn about Overland Park's offerings, as well as the area as a whole.
"The purpose of RDA is to align and coordinate our resources," he says. "We're excited about coming together to complement one another and work together as a region."
He explains that from one website, planners will be able to search the entire area for everything from guest accommodations to historic homes to museums.
"It'll be great for leisure tourists but the same applies to meeting planners," he says. "It will offer a quick look at meeting space in the area and they can then decide what meets their needs."
Kansas City, Kan.Jobe of the Kansas City, Kansas/Wyandotte County CVB is also excited about the formation of the RDA.
"We're still all doing our own thing and I'll market my community, but we'll discuss when it makes sense to market as a region," she says. "It'll make a better visitor and meeting planner experience. They don't care about the state linethe RDA will make it easier to access regional info."
Separated from Kansas City, Mo., by Stateline Road, Kansas City, Kan., features the Jack Reardon Civic Center, which was newly remodeled in 2002. With 15,000 square feet of function space, the center is attached to the Hilton Garden Inn and can handily accommodate up to 1,000 people.
The city's 400-acre Village West entertainment district, situated next to the Kansas Speedway, which hosts NASCAR racing, opened in 2001. It currently features 10 restaurants; Cabela's, a hunting and fishing outfitter; Nebraska Furniture Mart; the Great Wolf Lodge, a family resort with an indoor water park and meeting space; and Chateau Avalon, a hotel with theme rooms and an executive boardroom for up to 24 people.
Village West recently broke ground on the Legends theater and shopping area, which will feature a Dave & Buster's and a Ted's Montana Grill upon completion in late 2005.
"Village West and Kansas Speedway make us stand out," Jobe says, explaining that planners should consider holding an event at the Kansas Speedway in the infield and take advantage of tours of the facility.
"It's very unique for off-site events," she says. "If there are racing fans in the group, it's neat to get down on the infield and even walk across the finish line."
For More InfoCVB of Greater Kansas City (Missouri) 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