Black Meetings & Tourism - Visit KC Announces Nine New Convention Groups For Global Meetings Industry Day

Industry Briefs
Visit KC Announces Nine New Convention Groups For Global Meetings Industry Day
Tourism Leaders, Meeting Planners From Across North America Meet in KC In commemoration of the inaugural Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) on April 14, Visit KC announced nine convention groups that have selected Kansas City for future events. Ranging from a sports competition to a healthcare meeting, these events will collectively pour a total of more than $88 million into the local economy. One of the largest bookings released is the USA Volleyball Boys' Junior Olympic Volleyball Championships. The competition will bring 20,000 attendees to KC in July 2021, generating 32,400 room nights and an economic impact of more than $20 million. Other groups announced: Cerner Corporation has secured its Annual Health Conference to return to KC for two additional years, November 2016 and October 2017. This conference has grown steadily, with an estimated 14,000 attendees, more than 18,000 room nights and $18 million in annual economic impact. The Enthusiast Network-a catalog of outdoor and automotive enthusiast brands such as Motor Trend, Automobile, Hot Rod, Surfer, TransWorld and GrindTV-has chosen KC for its Hot Rod Power Tour 2016 this June, bringing nearly 1,500 attendees to KC. Midwest Sports Production has selected KC for its inaugural World Fastpitch Championships this July. The competition will bring more than 10,000 athletes, coaches and fans to KC, generating an economic impact of nearly $7 million. Signature Equipovision, LLC, will return to KC this October for its Vision Winter convention, attracting 10,000 attendees and pouring more than $5.5 million into the local economy. TheSociety of Hispanic Professional Engineers selected KC to host its 2017 Annual Conference, which will bring 5,000 attendees to downtown KC, generating more than 5,100 room nights and an economic impact of $4.3 million. Educational Testing Service's Advanced Placement Reading program has extended its contract by one year, keeping the convention in KC through 2020. The meeting brings about 4,000 attendees to KC annually, generating 28,485 room nights and pouring an estimated $18.5 million into KC. The Association of Writers & Writing Programs will hold its 2021 AWP Conference & Bookfair in KC, bringing 12,000 attendees who will generate more than $9 million in economic impact. NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education will bring its annual conference to KC for the first time in March 2021. With 3,000 attendees creating 14,780 room nights, this conference will pour $5.9 million into the city. "This is just a snapshot of the meetings being booked in KC for future years," said Visit KC President & CEO Ronnie Burt. "Convention business is a vital component of our growing economy, generating $475 million in economic impact to our city last year." In 2015, Visit KC secured a total of 270 bookings for future years, generating a total of more than 382,000 room nights- the highest total since 2008. These triple-digit figures underline the tremendous economic impact that meetings and conventions bring to our city. The announcement of these nine groups was made in tandem with Global Meetings Industry Day on April 14, as tourism leaders and organizations from across the country join forces with the advocacy coalition Meetings Mean Business (MMB) to showcase the vital impact that business meetings, conferences, conventions, incentive travel, trade shows and exhibitions have on people, business and communities. "The Kansas City hospitality industry on both sides of the state line supports the recognition of Global Meetings Industry Day because we realize that millions of dollars are generated annually in our communities as people come together for face-to-face meetings," said Teresa Hellman, CMP, senior account manager for Experient and past president of the Heartland Chapter of the Professional Convention Management Association. About Visit KC Visit KC is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ignite global passion for visiting Kansas City. Through marketing, sales and service of the convention and tourism industries, Visit KC supports a vital and growing component of the local economy-generating more than 46,000 jobs and $5.1 billion in economic impact annually. For more information about Kansas City, go to VisitKC.com.

Industry Briefs

Visit KC Announces Nine New Convention Groups For Global Meetings Industry Day

Tourism Leaders, Meeting Planners From Across North America Meet in KC

In commemoration of the inaugural Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) on April 14, Visit KC announced nine convention groups that have selected Kansas City for future events. Ranging from a sports competition to a healthcare meeting, these events will collectively pour a total of more than $88 million into the local economy.

One of the largest bookings released is the USA Volleyball Boys' Junior Olympic Volleyball Championships. The competition will bring 20,000 attendees to KC in July 2021, generating 32,400 room nights and an economic impact of more than $20 million.

Other groups announced:

Cerner Corporation has secured its Annual Health Conference to return to KC for two additional years, November 2016 and October 2017. This conference has grown steadily, with an estimated 14,000 attendees, more than 18,000 room nights and $18 million in annual economic impact.

The Enthusiast Network-a catalog of outdoor and automotive enthusiast brands such as Motor Trend, Automobile, Hot Rod, Surfer, TransWorld and GrindTV-has chosen KC for its Hot Rod Power Tour 2016 this June, bringing nearly 1,500 attendees to KC.

Midwest Sports Production has selected KC for its inaugural World Fastpitch Championships this July. The competition will bring more than 10,000 athletes, coaches and fans to KC, generating an economic impact of nearly $7 million.

Signature Equipovision, LLC, will return to KC this October for its Vision Winter convention, attracting 10,000 attendees and pouring more than $5.5 million into the local economy.

TheSociety of Hispanic Professional Engineers selected KC to host its 2017 Annual Conference, which will bring 5,000 attendees to downtown KC, generating more than 5,100 room nights and an economic impact of $4.3 million.

Educational Testing Service's Advanced Placement Reading program has extended its contract by one year, keeping the convention in KC through 2020. The meeting brings about 4,000 attendees to KC annually, generating 28,485 room nights and pouring an estimated $18.5 million into KC.

The Association of Writers & Writing Programs will hold its 2021 AWP Conference & Bookfair in KC, bringing 12,000 attendees who will generate more than $9 million in economic impact.

NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education will bring its annual conference to KC for the first time in March 2021. With 3,000 attendees creating 14,780 room nights, this conference will pour $5.9 million into the city.

"This is just a snapshot of the meetings being booked in KC for future years," said Visit KC President & CEO Ronnie Burt. "Convention business is a vital component of our growing economy, generating $475 million in economic impact to our city last year."

In 2015, Visit KC secured a total of 270 bookings for future years, generating a total of more than 382,000 room nights- the highest total since 2008. These triple-digit figures underline the tremendous economic impact that meetings and conventions bring to our city.

The announcement of these nine groups was made in tandem with Global Meetings Industry Day on April 14, as tourism leaders and organizations from across the country join forces with the advocacy coalition Meetings Mean Business (MMB) to showcase the vital impact that business meetings, conferences, conventions, incentive travel, trade shows and exhibitions have on people, business and communities.

"The Kansas City hospitality industry on both sides of the state line supports the recognition of Global Meetings Industry Day because we realize that millions of dollars are generated annually in our communities as people come together for face-to-face meetings," said Teresa Hellman, CMP, senior account manager for Experient and past president of the Heartland Chapter of the Professional Convention Management Association.

About Visit KC
Visit KC is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ignite global passion for visiting Kansas City. Through marketing, sales and service of the convention and tourism industries, Visit KC supports a vital and growing component of the local economy-generating more than 46,000 jobs and $5.1 billion in economic impact annually. For more information about Kansas City, go to VisitKC.com.