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Kansas City is authentic, innovative, and bursting with new investments, such as a new single-terminal airport (opened in 2023), new hotels, and expansion of the free streetcar, according to Nathan Hermiston, senior vice president of sales and services for Visit KC. “We honor our rich history while embracing the future, creating something both familiar and fresh,” he says. “From iconic attractions like the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the World War I Memorial to the Crossroads Arts District and our thriving arts, culinary, and entertainment scenes, Kansas City offers a truly unique experience and an exciting destination to host meetings and events.”
Three new hotels opened in fall 2024, according to Visit KC. The 238-room AC Hotel Kansas City Downtown took over the historic Rialto Building, just steps from T-Mobile Center, the Power & Light District, and Kansas City Convention Center. It has 4,076 square feet of event space. The 118-room Origin Hotel Kansas City is a new boutique hotel with 8,000 square feet of function space. The 104-suite Atwell Suites Kansas City Airport has co-working spaces and a boardroom and is across the street from KCI Expo Center, which has 70,000 square feet of exhibit hall and meeting space. Also, the 120-room 21c Museum Hotel Kansas City, with 6,611 square feet of function space, has been rebranded back to The Hotel Savoy; it is now part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton.
Kansas City’s popular Power & Light District is getting a $10 million upgrade focused on the Kansas City Live! venue, expected to be completed this spring, Hermiston says. “Upgrades include new HD ribbon boards and lighting, expanded group seating areas, additional bar access, and a new exterior canopy, with ceiling heaters and misters that will make the open-air portion of the venue welcoming year-round.”
The 800,000-square-foot Kansas City Convention Center is an eight-square-block facility with 388,000 square feet of column-free exhibit space, a 46,400-square-foot ballroom, 48 meeting rooms, a 2,400-seat fine-arts theater, a 10,700-seat arena, and an outdoor festival plaza.
The Kansas City area has more than 36,000 hotel guest rooms, including more than 15,178 within the city limits. Hotels with event space within a couple of blocks of the convention center include the 970-room Kansas City Marriott Downtown, with 115,406 square feet of event space; 800-room Loews Kansas City Hotel, which directly connects to the convention center and features 60,000 square feet of meeting space; and 385-room Crowne Plaza Kansas City Downtown, with 15,000 square feet of event space.
Other major event hotels include the 392-room Harrah’s Kansas City, with a 60,000-square-foot gaming floor and full-service convention center with a ballroom that can accommodate 550 banquet guests; 724-room Westin Kansas City at Crown Center, with 44,347 square feet of event space; and 730-room Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center, with 96,537 square feet of meeting and event space. The Crown Center shopping and entertainment district includes the international headquarters of Hallmark Cards, more than 30 shops and restaurants, LEGOLAND® Discovery Center, SEA LIFE Aquarium, and the National World War I Museum and Memorial, which has indoor and outdoor event spaces.
Unique neighborhoods include 18th & Vine Historic Jazz District, home to the acclaimed Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, late-night jazz clubs, and legendary barbecue; Crossroads Arts District, with curated art galleries, eclectic eateries, and distinctive event venues; and Country Club Plaza, a 15-block neighborhood with Spanish-inspired architecture and dazzling fountains.
Each March, Kansas City hosts more college basketball action than anywhere else in the country, Hermiston says. “The Big 12, NAIA, and MIAA basketball championships take over Kansas City, which can be a toss-up for event planners to take advantage of or avoid. Hotel space is sometimes limited, but these games bring thousands of people to Kansas City’s downtown Convention District.”
