2012 ANNUAL REPORT
KANSAS CITY CONVENTION & VISITORS ASSOCIATION
Igniting global passion for Kansas City
ABOUT THE KCCVA The Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association (KCCVA) is . . . • A nonprofit, 501(c)6 organization. • Committed to promoting and elevating Kansas City’s status as a prime spot for conventions, meetings, tour groups, business travel and leisure travel. • Directed by a board comprised of up to 30 civic and business leaders. • Supported by a full-time staff of 39 and an on-call registration assistance staff of 30. • Supported by membership of more than 2,100 businesses involved in the local hospitality community. KCCVA members represent a variety of businesses including convention services, hotels, attractions, restaurants, transportation companies and others. HISTORY The KCCVA was initially formed in 1918 as the hospitality arm of the Chamber of Commerce. On June 20, 1966, the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Kansas City became independently incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation under the laws of the State of Missouri. Engaged by the City of Kansas City, Missouri, the KCCVA is a marketing and service organization charged with promoting existing convention, meeting and hotel facilities and to market related services and area attractions to association and corporate meeting planners, to individual business travelers and to the leisure travel market. In 2005, the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Greater Kansas City began doing business as the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association. FUNDING The KCCVA’s primary source of funding is a tax on hotel/motel occupancy and a business license fee within the incorporated boundaries of Kansas City, Missouri. The ordinances creating the tax provide that the proceeds are to be used for marketing and operations of the KCCVA. The organization’s budget is greatly enhanced by private funds raised through a variety of sources including membership partnerships, advertising participation and in-kind services. KCCVA VISION To serve as a primary catalyst for extraordinary and continuous economic growth of the Kansas City region convention and visitor industry. MISSION Ignite global passion for visiting Kansas City. STRATEGIC PRIORITIES 1. Create Interest in Kansas City 2. Curate the Visitor Experience 3. Cultivate Partners & Advocates
KCCVA ACHIEVEMENTS BY AUDIENCE AUDIENCE 1: MEETING & CONVENTION PLANNER CONVENTION SALES, DESTINATION SERVICES & MARKETING OBJECTIVE • Retain and attract new meetings and conventions to Kansas City with creative marketing initiatives, aggressive direct selling and servicing with strong partnerships to maximize customer satisfaction and economic impact within the community.
2012 KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Assisted with the successful execution of 217 meetings in Kansas City, including 21 citywide conventions. • Hosted 260 meeting planners for the 2012 Annual Convention & Tradeshow of the Religious Conference Management Association. • Hosted 100 personalized site visits to Kansas City, resulting in 43 new bookings that will generate $43.7 million in economic impact. • Met or exceeded attendance projections for 73 percent of meetings held in 2012. • Increased awareness and visibility of Kansas City by attending 27 industry tradeshows, representing 693 customer interactions. • Processed more than 93,697 room nights through housing reservations—a 63-percent increase over 2011. • Hosted 16 clients in KC during two themed familiarization trips, resulting in 7,277 room nights in bookings and an economic impact of $5.5 million. • Showcased Kansas City to 41 clients through various events and tours tied to the MLB All-Star Game in July. • Placed 53 insertions in 14 meeting planner publications, which generated 2.5 million convention advertising impressions. • Secured a new multi-year housing agreement with NAFSA: Association of International Educators, netting $50,000 to the KCCVA each year. • Conducted 14 personalized sales trips to key markets calling on prospective buyers. • Generated 5.9 million impressions about Kansas City’s convention package through earned media placements, including major stories in Successful Meetings, Rejuvenate, Smart Meetings and Convene. • Enhanced Kansas City’s online presence with third-party planning sites, such as Cvent and empowerMINT. • Launched new online marketing campaigns targeting under-serviced segments, increasing traffic to MeetKC.com by 16 percent. • Conducted and presented the findings of the 2012 Meeting Planner Research Study. • Implemented dedicated toll-free tracking numbers for more precise analytics. CONVENTION SALES ACTIVITY Meetings Booked Definite Room Nights Leads Generated Tentative Room Nights Site Visits Convention Center Bookings Convention Center Room Nights MEETINGS HELD IN KC Conventions Room Nights Attendance Economic Impact CONVENTION MARKETING Advertising Impressions MeetKC.com Impressions
2010 203 340,555 588 1,158,323 98 29 220,894
2011 213 232,400 584 1,034,645 105 28 128,054
2012 210 236,343 669 1,054,258 100 31 158,744
2010 237 314,617 294,485 $229,679,615
2011 204 252,291 242,993 $191,568,717
2012 217 258,217 321,925 $213,552,684
2010 1,547,841 140,049
2011 1,123,621 155,642
2012 2,479,281 177,594
MAJOR BOOKINGS IN 2012 ORGANIZATION
DATE
Cerner Corporation/ Annual Health Conference
October 2013
13,808
Big 12 Conference/Men’s Basketball Championship
March 2015
10,600
Big 12 Conference/Men’s Basketball Championship
March 2016
10,600
YMCA of the USA/General Assembly
August 2016
9,722
Mennonite Church USA/Biennial Convention
July 2019
9,000
Unitarian Universalists Association/General Assembly
June 2018
7,650
Evangelical Free Church of America/ National Youth Conference
July 2014
7,195
Neighborworks of America/National Training Institute
December 2013
7,185
International House of Prayer/onething Conference
December 2016
5,445
Sam’s Club / Holiday Meeting
September 2012
5,325
International House of Prayer/onething Conference
December 2015
4,895
American Pharmacists Association/ Joint Forces Pharmacy Conference
October 2015
4,395
National Council of Teachers of English/ Conference on Composition and Communication
March 2018
4,352
Silpada Designs/Annual Conference
July 2014
4,223
Silpada Designs/Annual Conference
July 2015
4,223
Silpada Designs/Annual Conference
July 2016
4,223
Society of American Military Engineers/ Small Business Conference
November 2013
3,824
SEEN & HEARD:
Sports & Entertainment Alliance in Technology (SEAT) “There are very few cities that are as progressively advanced in technology as KC. We are absolutely excited about Google Fiber. Sporting Park is one of the most technologically advanced stadiums in the world. Kansas Speedway will host an engaging experience for our conference attendees. We are excited to experience all that Kansas City has to offer.” – Christine Soffel, SEAT Founder & CEO
RM NIGHTS
KCCVA ACHIEVEMENTS BY AUDIENCE AUDIENCE 2: LEISURE TRAVELER MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS & DESTINATION SERVICES OBJECTIVE • Increase overall leisure travel to Kansas City in 2012 through cost-effective, research-based marketing programs.
2012 KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Generated 350 million brand impressions through integrated marketing—advertising, media relations, interactive and social media. • Developed and launched the new KCCVA brand positioning and identity. Worked throughout 2012 to rebrand websites, mobile apps, brochures, signage and other KCCVA collateral. • Executed a $1.2 million destination advertising campaign that generated 233,700 incremental hotel room nights and $89 million in incremental economic impact. The campaign realized a $75 return on investment for every KCCVA media dollar spent. • Recorded the KCCVA’s best year ever in terms of earned media coverage for the third consecutive year—producing an estimated 144 million brand impressions for Kansas City. National exposure included major features by Travel + Leisure, The X Factor, USA Today, The Washington Post and many others. • Realized a 30-percent jump in combined website and mobile visits, eclipsing 2 million visits for the first time. VisitKC.com also witnessed more than 95,000 coupon downloads redeemable at partner attractions. • Implemented marketing and communications strategies to maximize publicity and interest for the 2012 MLB All-Star Week, including a community-wide “FanatiKCs” theme, an Official Fan Information Site, welcome signage and visitor collateral. • Developed and executed the destination’s first Social Media Command Center to welcome fans and handle visitor inquiries during the MLB All-Star Game (a joint venture with Social Media Club, H&R Block, Barkley, Spiral16 and the office of Mayor Sly James). The initiative spurred 6 million impressions and a case study by Forbes.com. • Hosted 56 travel journalists on customized press visits throughout the year, including representatives from USA Today, Forbes, ESPN and Huffington Post. An All-Star-themed press trip garnered coverage for KC from the Boston Globe, Miami Herald and others. • Experienced the highest two-week period of traffic in VisitKC.com’s history during the All-Star Game, with more than 123,000 visits (peaking with 11,000 visits on a single day). • Generated 42.1 million brand impressions for Kansas City through social media campaigns. New platforms in 2012 included Instagram and Pinterest. • Launched a new Visit KC mobile application for iPhone and Android operating systems, surpassing 10,000 downloads in the first six months. • Produced Kansas City’s slate of official visitor publications, including the 2012 Visitors Guide, Visitor Map, Downtown Entertainment Guide, Golf Guide and other resources. • Expanded the 6th Annual Visitors’ Choice Awards, a program that recognizes traveler favorites in 43 categories. • Executed an integrated marketing campaign to promote KC’s annual basketball tournaments and current standing as the College Basketball Capital of America. • Executed a two-month integrated holiday marketing campaign that delivered 7.2 million impressions. • Fulfilled 7,271 visitor calls and nearly 600 requests for information from the KCCVA office. • Assisted with the execution of the Missouri Governor’s Conference on Tourism, held in Kansas City in September. • Partnered with the Downtown Council to produce the Downtown Restaurant Guide and maintain GoDowntownKC.com.
LEISURE MARKETING CAMPAIGNS Media Budget Local Media Partner Investment State of Missouri Investment Advertising Impressions ROI per Media Dollar Incremental Room Nights Generated Incremental Economic Impact INTERACTIVE MARKETING WEBSITES/E-MAIL MARKETING Web Visits Page Views Mobile Website Visits Mobile Website Page Views
2010 $1,143,000 $580,000 $569,765 176,055,135 $62 150,500 $70,300,000
2011 $1,075,879 $545,000 $429,690 162,865,910 $88 242,000 $94,600,000
2012 $1,192,200 $625,000 $420,680 162,650,000 $75 233,700 $89,300,000
2010 1,494,156 13,136,441 93,861 399,058
2011 1,414,574 13,539,075 233,763 926,992
2012 2,027,704 16,715,344 115,072 459,880
98,277 2,146,817 233,402
96,445 2,597,769 320,461
94,971 1,768,379 211,345
4,176 84,778
20,967 1,368,888
13,028 48,851
2010 89 103 405 112,267,924
2011 54 138 436 115,326,030
2012 57 149 486 145,185,621
56,988 931,553
72,134 4,314,845
83,558 42,197,229
E-MAIL MARKETING
E-mail Subscribers E-mails Delivered E-mails Opened MOBILE APPLICATION
Total Downloads Mobile Application Sessions COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA RELATIONS Journalists Hosted* Stories in Target Markets Publications Assisted Earned Media Circulation** SOCIAL MEDIA
Total Subscribers Interactions/Impressions**
*2010 includes 50 writers during a meeting of the Society of American Travel Writers ** 2012 includes impressions accrued during the MLB All-Star Game.
SEEN & HEARD: Forbes.com KC’s Social Effort Shines during the MLB All-Star Game “Often dismissed by its coastal brethren as ‘flyover country,’ KC prepared to welcome thousands of visitors for the MLB All-Star Game festivities, residents and civic leaders with somewhat of a chip on its shoulder and viewed the occasion as a coming out party of sorts. This Kansas City dream team of professionals and volunteers poured countless hours into the project to accomplish what the mayor had hoped for: they harnessed the power of a passionate community to showcase their beloved city through the Social Media Command Center – the first of its kind for an MLB All-Star Game. Guests were delighted.” Aug. 22, 2012
KCCVA ACHIEVEMENTS BY AUDIENCE AUDIENCE 3: LOCAL COMMUNITY DESTINATION SERVICES & MARKETING OBJECTIVE • Increase member and partner investment with the KCCVA through the delivery of valued benefits and targeted marketing opportunities resulting in significant return on investment for members and increased relevance and revenue for the KCCVA.
2012 ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Achieved a record number of members/partners (2,130), establishing KC as the second largest membership-based CVB in the country—second only to Boston. • Increased membership retention to 95 percent, a new high. • Presented the Third Annual KC Restaurant Week in partnership with the Kansas City Restaurant Association, raising more than $140,000 for Harvesters—an equivalent of 650,000 meals for the hungry. • Continued the Heartland Tourism Ambassador training program, recognizing 585 Certified Tourism Ambassadors in 2012. Kansas City ranks second in the nation for CTA renewals. • Collaborated with community partners to present Hospitality & Tourism Night at The K event to commemorate National Travel & Tourism Week, emphasizing the 45,000 jobs the hospitality industry supports in the five-county area. The event was sponsored by the Greater Kansas City Attractions Association, the Hotel & Lodging Association, the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association and the Kansas City Royals. • Assisted with promotions and support of WaterFire Kansas City, Rhythm & Ribs and Celebration at the Station, festivals which attract thousands to the Kansas City area. MEMBERSHIP Corporate Community Partnerships All Dining Retail Downtown Total Membership Retention PARTNER REVENUES Membership Dues Hotel Lead Share Web Advertising Marketing Campaign Partners TOTAL TOURISM AMBASSADORS Certified Tourism Ambassadors CTA Renewals Retention Rate
2010 82 18 548 407 484 1,844 90%
2011 83 22 746 468 486 2,077 90%
2012 83 27 708 479 471 2,130 95%
2010 $275,133 $203,545 $42,170 $580,000 $1,100,848
2011 $263,188 $170,967 $48,913 $545,000 $1,028,068
2012 $221,355 $186,052 $48,939 $625,000 $1,081,346
2010 524 206 60%
2011 539 191 58%
2012 585 216 62%
SEEN & HEARD:
Religious Conference Management Association “Many, many thanks for making the 40th RCMA Conference so successful! I must say it was our very best ever from every aspect. The housing from our end was flawless…you were outstanding to work with. I just wish we could work with you each year.” –Judy Valenta, RCMA Manager of Administration
NOTEWORTHY RANKINGS America’s Next Great Culinary Destination – Saveur/NBC’s The Today Show Top Budget Travel Destinations for 2012 –Budget Travel Top Destinations in 2012 (only American city) – Frommer’s America’s Most Affordable Getaway – Travel + Leisure Top Affordable Vacation Hotspots for 2012 – FoxBusiness.com America’s Techiest Cities – Travel + Leisure 9 Cities You Wouldn’t Think Are Hubs for Tech Start-Ups – Entrepreneur America’s Best Tailgating Cities – Food & Wine America’s 50 Best Cities – Bloomberg Businessweek Best Places for Business and Careers – Forbes Best Places for New College Grads – Huffington Post Best Barbecue Cities – Food & Wine and Travel + Leisure 5 Vegan-Friendly Towns on our Radar – VegNews.com America’s Best Burger Cities – USA Today Best Retirement Cities for Foodies – Huffington Post Top Cities for Newlyweds – Huffington Post Best Cities for Jobs – New Geography 10 Best Cities to Buy a Home – Forbes
KCCVA ACHIEVEMENTS BY AUDIENCE AUDIENCE 4: KCCVA ORGANIZATION PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, TECHNOLOGY & OPERATIONS OBJECTIVE • Seamlessly enhance and support all KCCVA efforts by providing consistent, ethical and transparent policies in the financial, human resources and technological operations.
2012 KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Spearheaded the successful passage of legislation to lift the Convention/Tourism Tax exemption allowed for non-profits, clearing the way for a local vote on April 2, 2013. • Updated network infrastructure to accommodate increased web traffic demand tied to multiple projects, including MLB All-Star Game and Kansas City Restaurant Week. • Maintained the KCCVA’s successful college internship program. • Maintained recognition of KCCVA technology as in industry leader while adhering to a standard of 100% system uptime. • Equipped staff with new mobile technology and other resources. • Evaluated and committed to upgraded CRM and phone systems to be installed in early 2013. • Developed and implemented new staff/planning programs in support of “igniting passion for Kansas City.” • Facilitated the hiring of four new staff members. 2012 EXPENDITURES BY TARGET AUDIENCE Meeting & Convention Planner $3,729,034 (42%) Leisure Traveler $3,247,540 (36%) KCCVA Organization $1,463,329 (16%) Local Community $509,316 (6%)
16% 36%
6% 42%
2012 REVENUES Net Convention Tourism Tax
$5,880,331
Arena Business Fees
$1,095,393
Advertising Participation
$636,838
State Co-Op Marketing
$444,554
Neighborhood Tourist Development
$313,625
Membership Dues
$300,000
Membership Services
$221,355
Hotel Consumption Program
$186,052
Convention Services Revenue
$176,406
Advertising Sales
$4,900
Other Revenues
$473
Interest Income
$553
TOTAL REVENUE
$9,260,480
KCCVA AWARDS & HONORS MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS MAGAZINE Gold Service Award, Kansas City CVA FACILITIES & DESTINATIONS MAGAZINE Prime Site Award, Kansas City Convention & Entertainment Facilities Convention Industry Council PUBLIC RELATIONS SOCIETY OF AMERICA, KANSAS CITY Gold PRISM Award – Special Events, Kansas City Restaurant Week Gold PRISM Award – Integrated Communications, Kansas City Restaurant Week Gold PRISM Award – Community Relations, National PR Campaign Gold PRISM Award – Special Publications, Visit KC Magazine Bill DeLay Award for Distinguished Service, Derek Klaus BULLDOG DIGITAL/SOCIAL PR AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS Gold Award – Best Use of Digital/Social for a Travel/Hospitality Campaign, All-Star Game Social Media Command Center HOSPITALITY SALES & MARKETING ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL Silver Adrian Award – Social Media Campaign, All-Star Game Social Media Command Center & Social Hub STAFF CERTIFICATIONS Certified Meeting Professional Certification, Rebecca Elliott, CMP
SEEN & HEARD:
National Soccer Coaches Association of America
“WOW! Kansas City was a fantastic place for our Annual Convention. The facilities, hotels, food and customer service is second to none. Our attendees truly enjoyed the vibrant nightlife and the attention the city gave to our group.” –Geoff VanDeusen, NSCAA Director of Events
2012 BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN • Troy A. Stremming Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs, Ameristar Casinos, Inc.* VICE CHAIR • Gayle Holliday, Ph.D. President, G & H Consulting, LLC* TREASURER • Bob Sullivan Chief Marketing Officer, Boulevard Brewing Co.* • Vic Allred, President, Jazz: A Louisiana Kitchen • Kay Barnes (Ex Officio Board Member), Director/Distinguished Professor for Public Leadership, Park University • Grant Burcham, President & CEO, Missouri Bank & Trust • Cindy Circo, Mayor Pro-Tem, Councilwoman, Fifth District At-Large, City of Kansas City, Missouri • Mark Donovan, President, Kansas City Chiefs Football Club • Arzelia Gates, Corporate Secretary, Gates Bar-B-Q Corporation • Bill George, President, Kansas City Transportation Group** • Rachel Hack, Community Manager, Kansas City, Google Fiber • Debra Mozie Jenkins, Senior Director of Marketing, Isle of Capri Casino Kansas City • Steve Klika, President, AdKore/MegaForce Staffing • Bill Lucas (Immediate Past Chairman), President, Crown Center** • Riccardo Lucas, Community Volunteer • Jan Marcason, Councilwoman, Fourth District, City of Kansas City, Missouri • Bradley McCormack, Senior Associate, The Sader Law Firm • Oscar McGaskey, Jr. (Ex Officio Board Member), Department of Convention and Entertainment Facilities, City of Kansas City, Missouri • Cathy Nugent, President & CEO, Willis Pendleton, LLC • Kevin Pistilli, President, Raphael Hotel Group* • Jeanette Prenger, President, ECCO Select Corporation • Clayton Reid, President, MMGY Global* • CiCi Rojas, Vice President, Community Engagement, Truman Medical Center • Troy Schulte, City Manager, City of Kansas City, Missouri* • Jewel D. Scott, Executive Director, The Civic Council of Greater Kansas City • Steve Shalit, Complex General Manager, Westin Crown Center/Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center • Angie Stanland, Vice President of Associate Services & Recruiting, Cerner Corporation • Jon Stephens, President, Rockhill Strategic • Brenda Tinnen, General Manager/Senior Vice President, AEG-Kansas City Sprint Center/Kemper Arena/American Royal Complex • Scott Wagner, Councilman, First District At-Large, City of Kansas City, Missouri • Randy Wisthoff, Director, Kansas City Zoo • Amy Jordan Wooden, President & CEO, AJW Consulting * 2012 Executive Committee; ** Ex Officio Members of Executive Committee
2012 CORPORATE CIRCLE PARTNERS
• Agenda: USA, Inc. • All Seasons Party Rental, Inc. • American Academy of Family Physicians • American Advertising Federation Kansas City • Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City • Anderson Restaurant Group • Arabia Steamboat Museum • Aramark Sports & Entertainment • Argosy Casino Hotel & Spa • Arrow Stage Lines • Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas City • Boulevard Brewing Co. • Brancato’s Catering • Brookside Shopping District • City Center Square Food Gallery • Clay County Parks-Tourism Division • Conference Center & Town Pavilion Rotunda • Corinth Square Shops • Country Club Bank, N.A. • Crossroads Arts District • Crown Center • Enterprise Rent-A-Car • Excelsior Springs Area Chamber of Commerce • Gates Bar-B-Q Management Offices • George E. Fern Company • Greater Kansas City Attractions Association • Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association • Harrah’s Casino and Hotel • Harvest Productions, Inc. • Highwoods Properties, Inc. • Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway • Hotel & Lodging Association of Greater Kansas City • Image Technologies Corporation • Independence Events Center • Isle of Capri Casino • JE Dunn Construction • Johnson County Community College • Kansas City Area Transportation Authority • Kansas City Aviation Department
• Kansas City Chiefs • Kansas City International Airport • Kansas City Power & Light District • Kansas City Royals • Kansas City Sports Commission & Foundation • Kansas City Star Company • Kansas City T-Bones Baseball Club • Kansas City Transportation Group • Kansas City Zoo • KC Live! Block • KCI Expo Center • Kevin Sink Photography • Lathrop and Gage • Legends Outlets Kansas City • Liberty Exposition Services, Inc. • Main Street Parkville Association • Miami County, KS • National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics • Overland Park Convention Center • Park Place • Parkville Chamber of Commerce • Pepsi Beverage Co. • Pizza Hut • Prairie Village Shops • Pro Staff • Shop Kansas City USA • Show-Me Audio Visual Resources • Sprint • Sysco Food Services of Kansas City • The College Basketball Experience • The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art • Trapiche Consulting Group, Inc. • University of Missouri-Kansas City • Vista Productions, Inc. • Waldo Area Shops & Nightlife • Weston Chamber of Commerce • Westport • Worlds of Fun • Zona Rosa
1100 Main St., Suite 2200, Kansas City, MO 64105 816-691-3800 • VisitKC.com