Today, Kansas City is "going through a remarkable renaissance," said Rick Hughes, CDME, president and CEO of the Kansas City Convention and Visitors Association (KCCVA). "Kansas City has a long history of welcoming people. The rejuvenation of the downtown convention district will restore the luster and attractiveness of years gone by."

By renaissance, Hughes is referring to The Kansas City Power & Light District, a nine-city-block neighborhood offering entertainment, dining, shopping, and residential space under development. Then there's the new 18,500-seat Sprint Center on the eastern edge of the District, and the convention center, with its new ballroom, just to the west. Both structures are linked by a pedestrian walkway through the Power & Light District.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art opened a new building in 2007; the National World War I museum opened in December 2006; a new Crossroads Arts District has sprung up, converting once-vacant buildings to galleries, shops, and restaurants; and the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts is scheduled to open in 2010.

The fact that several major corporations are headquartered in Kansas City has helped this development along. For example, H&R Block moved its headquarters into downtown, specifically to draw skilled employment into the redeveloped district; and AMC Entertainment Inc. will use the refurbished Mainstreet Theatre as a technology showcase and to premier its digital films.

All of this development is a boon for planners. "There is far more for attendees to do than when we met here eight years ago," said Vanessa Kane, CMP, manager of meetings and events for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), which held its 2007 annual convention in Kansas City. Litsa Deck, director of meetings, American Correctional Association, echoed these sentiments. "Kansas City is a 'sleeper.' You don't know what it offers until you go there." Peggy Shandy Lane, director of conventions, meetings and events for Advanstar Veterinary Healthcare Communications, agreed. "We hold our … convention in Kansas City annually. The proximity of the new attractions, restaurants, and entertainment, combined with what is already here, is not only revitalizing but completely changing the city."

Kansas City Convention and Entertainment Center Facilities
The Kansas City Convention and Entertainment Center Facilities (KCCEF) cover eight city blocks, and include H. Roe Bartle Hall, the recently opened Grand Ballroom, the conference center, and municipal auditorium, all interconnected to provide 388,800 square feet of column-free exhibition space on one floor, 45 state-of-the-art meeting rooms, a 40,500-square-foot Grand Ballroom, and a 29,910-square-foot Great Hall, or junior ballroom. The complex is connected to downtown hotels and parking by glass-enclosed skywalks and underground walkways.

All of the KCCEF buildings offer an open catering list. Planners can bring in the caterer of their choice, including those from convention hotels - which adds to their negotiation power, and makes their convention's "bottom line" all the more attractive to their headquarters hotel.

Bartle Hall - this original core of the convention center contains the exhibition space, divisible into five separate halls. Although located on the third level, the halls are accessible by truck docks and tractor-trailer bays, because of the grade of the land. More than 67,000 square feet of meeting space is divided between 26 recently renovated meeting rooms, each equipped with individual sound systems and controls for light units, and high-speed wireless connectivity. Three separate lobbies provide more than 59,000 square feet of prefunction space. Meeting rooms are conveniently located just below the exhibit halls.

Grand Ballroom - the dramatic Grand Ballroom provides 40,500 - or opened to the prefunction area to 46,400 - square feet of space, divisible into three separate rooms that can be operated independently. Accessible by walkways to Bartle Hall, it features a 38-foot-high glass wall offering a view to the south. This prefunction area opens to an outdoor plaza featuring artwork.

"We built the Grand Ballroom with the client in mind," said Dean Barrett, deputy director of KCCEF. "There are rigging points every 30 feet in the ceiling, and Internet access every 10 feet in the floor. It can also be used for expositions, as heavy equipment can be driven onto the floor directly from adjacent docks."

The ballroom is an LEED silver-certified green building. The carpet is made from recycled materials; the lighting is controlled digitally based on the amount of natural light available; and restrooms are equipped with low water fixtures.

Conference Center - The Great Hall, located in the conference center, provides nearly 24,000 square feet of space, divisible into eight sections. It is connected via skywalk to Hall D in Bartle Hall. The Great Hall is located directly above 19 smaller center breakout rooms on the second level. The center also features 15,761 square feet of registration or prefunction space, which can be divided into three offices or event space.

Municipal Auditorium - The art deco Municipal Auditorium offers several unique venues for groups.

• The 10,400-seat arena - 7,316 upholstered permanent seats, 2,406 seats on tiers, and 1,000 seats on the main wooden floor.
• The exhibition hall - 46,000 square feet of space on two levels with its own entrance (connected to all sections of the auditorium).
• The Art Deco Music Hall - 2,400 seats and 3,600-foot foyer (with grand staircase) for pre-performance events.
• The Little Theater - an octagon-shaped room with gleaming marble walls and floors, this makes a special location for banquets up to 220 or sessions up to 400 people.

Advanstar Veterinary Healthcare Communications' convention utilizes the entire KCCEF. "We use Halls D and E for our exposition, and every meeting room," said Shandy Lane. "We have an annual concert, which began in the music hall. We've grown large enough that we now use the arena. Not only are all parts of the facilities in close proximity for good attendee flow, but they offer a variety of opportunities for setup. The producer of our concert has said that the décor and ambiance of the building can't be found anywhere else in the country." Deck added, "The staff is excellent. There is a 'can do' attitude from the janitors to the executives."

Kansas City Power & Light District
At the heart of the district is Kansas City Live! - a one-city-block entertainment area covered by a canopied roof. Infra-red heaters and fire pits keep wintertime events warm. This covered atrium has more than 25,000 square feet on multi-tiered levels, a built-in stage with house sound and lighting and green room, and a 15' x 25' LED screen above the stage. The space can be rented for special events for groups as small as 20 people, or as large as 5,000.

Two historic theaters are part of the downtown renovation - the 1927 Midland Theatre (available for rental to accommodate groups up to 3,200) and the Mainstreet Theatre, which will reopen as a six-screen boutique movie theater complex.

Alternate Sites

Destination Crown Center - home to the Hyatt Regency Crown Center and the Westin Crown Center, along with shopping, dining, and entertainment options, the center's exhibit hall offers 52,000 square feet of meeting space, divisible into two sections. The outdoor terrace with fountain is available for special dinners for up to 1,800 people.

Union Station - this beautiful, historic structure can host receptions up to 2,000 or dinners to 850 people and offers several team-building programs.

National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial - the nation's official WWI museum features realistic, interactive exhibits in 30,000 square feet.

Sprint Center and the College Basketball Experience - the 18,500-seat arena is available for groups, when not booked for other events.

Museums at 18th and Vine - this 72,000-square-foot cultural facility is available for groups from 25 to 1,000.

The Nelson-Atkins Museum - offers a variety of meeting space; available for rental by groups from 400 to 1,000.

Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and Café Sebastienne - offers a variety of spaces accommodating up to 150 for a served dinner, 250 for a dinner buffet, and 350 for a cocktail.

Country Club Plaza - one of the true Kansas City landmarks, its many restaurants are ideal for client parties.

Truman Presidential Museum and Library - accommodates up to 100 for a seated dinner, or 250 for a reception; a 52-seat theater, and a 239-seat auditorium.

Hotels
Kansas City has 27,000 hotel rooms within 45 minutes of the downtown convention district, 16,000 of which are committable to groups. Here is a sampling:

The Kansas City Marriott Downtown - the anchor hotel for the convention center complex, offering 983 newly refurbished guest rooms, including 37 suites, and 93,374 square feet of meeting space.

The Hilton President Hotel - offers 213 guest rooms and 12,000 square feet of meeting space.

The Crowne Plaza Hotel - offers 388 guest rooms, including 99 suites, and nine meeting rooms, totaling 12,984 square feet.

The Hotel Phillips - offers 217 guest rooms, including two suites, and 5,788 square feet of meeting space.

The Intercontinental Hotel at the Plaza - features 366 guest rooms, including 20 suites, and 29,000 square feet of meeting space.

Hyatt Regency Crown Center - offers 731 sleeping rooms, including 42 suites, and 42,860 square feet of flexible function space.

Westin Crown Center - offers 729 guest rooms, including 49 suites and 50,000 square feet of flexible meeting space.

Restaurants
"Kansas City has some of the best restaurants in the nation - top notch food," declared Michael Scanlan, CMP, director of industry affairs for the Association of the U.S. Army. Keep these on your short list of restaurants that welcome groups:

The American Restaurant
Pierpont's at Union Station
Plaza III, the Steakhouse
Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue
Webster House

Partners in planning your meeting
"If you don't have good service, it doesn't matter how many revitalization projects or special sites you have. We have both," noted Bill Bohde, KCCVA vice president of convention sales/services. This customer service attitude is apparent to planners. "The CVA, the staff at the KCCEF, and the local vendors have become part of our team. They understand our goal of providing a unique convention experience to our attendees and guests," Shandy Lane said.

"We have some challenges, since we can't book our meeting more than one year out, because of government funding," said Scanlan. "But the staff at the CVA, the convention center, and the Marriott looked at the long-term relationship, and understood we wanted to grow our meeting. The relationship has worked wonderfully. We are in our third year, and growing annually."

In addition to this teamwork approach, the Kansas City CVA has gone one step further. They initiated the Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA) Program, which educates front-line hospitality associates on the value of customer service. CTAs must recertify every year, and are given a distinctive lapel pin for recognition by visitors.

Another ambassador program, the downtown Community Improvement District, makes downtown Kansas City clean, safe, and friendly. Public Safety Ambassadors give directions, escort people to their destinations, and address other safety concerns.

The CVA assists in meeting promotion and attendance building. Housing is presently provided by Passkey, but will be brought in house in 2008. A Web-based toolkit for services is also coming on line.

"The CVA staff makes holding a meeting in Kansas City easy for the planner," said Shandy Lane. Taken a step further, it's clear that the city's many special attractions makes a meeting held here memorable for the attendee.

Contributing Editor Sara Torrence, CMP, is the president of Sara Torrence & Associates, a meeting and events planning consulting firm in Gaithersburg, Md. She is the author of How to Run Scientific and Technical Meetings.