3rd Annual State of the Industry Event was a Success!

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KCMPI’s 3rd Annual State of the Industry Program 

KCMPI’s Third Annual Past Presidents State of the Industry was held on February 17. After being rescheduled from the original January date due to inclement weather, we experienced a much warmer day with a great group of attendees. The Venue in Leawood provided a beautiful setting for the event. Guests networked in the larger event space while enjoying a delicious breakfast before transitioning into an adjacent room that came complete with built-in audio visual equipment for our meeting.

Carl Brandt represented The Venue and shared a brief overview of the facility and its capabilities. While only opening around a year ago, the facility has already experienced profound success.

Alton Hagen, CMP, DMCP of Agenda: USA moderated our distinguished panel including:

• Don Breckenridge – President, Hotel and Lodging Association of Greater Kansas City

• Ronnie Burt – President and CEO, Visit KC

• Dana Markle – President, Overland Park Convention and Visitors Bureau

• Angie Stanland, Vice President of Associate Services and Recruiting, Cerner Corporation

The panel’s discussion was very informative. It was a great addition to have Angie representing the corporate/consumer side of the equation. A few take-a-ways to share are:

• Visit KC continues to share the news that Kansas City is a thriving city with much to offer.

• It is continuing to shift to a seller’s market across the country.

• KC hotels are re-investing in properties, which will continue to drive rates higher.

• The downtown Hyatt convention hotel is currently in a holding state while litigation is underway. The delay will cause opening to be pushed back from 2018 to 2019.

• With the merger of Marriott and Starwood, it will be harder to leverage hotels against one another.

• The addition of a large hotel will potentially play a role in keeping the meetings of our growing local companies in Kansas City.


These tidbits are just a small fraction of the great information (see all the slides here) shared by the panel. I am already excited for next year’s program!

Thank you to our sponsors and presenters for the program!

Agenda: USA
Bob Compton Photography
Cerner
Chateau on the Lake
Husch Blackwell
Intercontinental Hotel
Overland Park Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Venue in Leawood
Visit KC

 

 

 


 

 

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