Meeting News - March 23, 2009 - (Page 22)

Colby 70 Manhattan 70 Overland Park Topeka 335 35 Kansas City MIDAMERICA REGIONAL Cover Story KANSAS KC’s Power & Light District Continues Shining Brightly, One Year After Launch A year after its debut, Kansas City’s $850 million downtown revitalization development, the eight-block Power & Light District, continues to transform the so-called City of Fountains, Salina Great Bend 135 Lawrence Dodge City Wichita 35 according to local officials. “The Power & Light District is a great addition,” said Rick Hughes, president and CEO of the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association. “It really completes our convention package, and allows us to offer a fullservice downtown.” The district has more than 40 restaurants and entertainment venues surrounding the 510,000-sf Kansas City Convention Center, which underwent a $135 million expansion in 2007 that included the addition of a 46,450sf ballroom, one of the nation’s 10 largest. The district also includes the new 18,500seat Sprint Center; the historic AMC Midland Theatre, which can seat as many as 3,000 people, and another 140 in its remodeled private banquet room; and KC Live!, an entire city block of several event venues, the largest of which is a 25,000-sf covered outdoor area that can host between 100 and 8,000 attendees. “The Power & Light District provides a new energy to our downtown,” Hughes said. “Planners can rent out a single venue or the entire district.” Change is afoot not only in the Power & Light District, but also around it, as Kansas City has approximately 2,000 hotel rooms within three blocks of its convention center, and 3,500 rooms within 10 blocks—almost all of which were recently renovated, according to Hughes. The district’s largest hotel, the 983-room Kansas City Marriott Downtown, updated its guest rooms in 2007 and 2008 with new carpeting, bedding, and bathrooms, in order to keep pace with Kansas City’s downtown renaissance, which director of marketing Cynthia Savage said has helped both the city and the hotel compete for new meetings business. “What the Power & Light District has done for us is multifold,” she said. “Our business travelers love it because there’s so much for them to do downtown now. And for groups, it’s unbelievable because they can partner with the district to put on incredible events. I can’t even tell you; it’s like we just turned on the light switch.” And the light’s only getting brighter, both at the Marriott and in the district. The former will www.meetingnews.com www.meetingnews.com 22 MeetingNews September 8, 2008 22 MeetingNews March 23, 2009 http://www.visitwaukesha.org http://www.visitwaukesha.org http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - March 23, 2009 Contents What’s Up @ MeetingNews.com Meetings Mean Business As 'Meeting Matter' Marriott Unveils Promo Columbus, OH, Addresses Convention Hotel Issues People Making News Orlando Strives for Cost Transparency Is Biz-Class Air Travel Dead? Greenest Planner Awards Mid America Insider Report: Conference Centers Destination Insider: Mississippi Gulf Coast Las Vegas Destination Insider: Cleveland Ad Index Live from the Forum

Meeting News - March 23, 2009

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