OFFICIAL - Loews Convention Hotel (formerly Hyatt)

[im2kull]

The point is why build only the hotel rooms when additional space is also needed? or to change the post:

Why Build more Future meeting space hotel rooms, if we don't Currently have enough rooms convention space to accompany large conventions????

Because* we do Currently have the space, but Lack the hotel rooms and hotel ammenities...

*For Large, CORPORATE Conventions...the real money bugs

Like I said...

"Billy Mays here!...The key lies within a convention hotels many, many meeting rooms located just footsteps inside!  Those special meeting rooms, along with hundreds of other well sought after ammenities save you and your company money the moment you enter.  Book now and I'll even throw in these convenient lint rollers!  Around the home, in the car...they'll do it all!  You want a sweeter deal?  You wont find it!  Call now to book it up...the clock is ticking...and you're loosing money!!"

KC could be a major player in the corporate convention business with its central location.  This isn't about a SKILLS convention, or a Future Farmers of America Convention.  Nope, its not about Wal-Mart or Betty Crocker....this is bigger.  The conventions we want are what every White Collar American dreads to be a part of, but loves going to because of the 3 day paid vacation, and the parties afterwards.  Getting a convention hotel in Downtown KC would do nothing but help bring hundreds of thousands of new people to Kansas City, and millions of new revenues to the city.  But don't take my word, take Billy Mays!

[mean]

Serious question: are there compelling studies showing that public investment in convention facilities provides good ROI for the host city that I have been missing? Have there been ANY studies done by independent scholars (not sponsored by CVBs or other industry groups) that say this is a good idea? Ever?

[trailerkid]

Serious question: are there compelling studies showing that public investment in convention facilities provides good ROI for the host city that I have been missing? Have there been ANY studies done by independent scholars (not sponsored by CVBs or other industry groups) that say this is a good idea? Ever?

why did we build a massive tourist district + sprint center if we're still unwilling to invest in having one decent, modern hotel in the cbd? 100% serious question.

[im2kull]

why did we build a massive tourist district + sprint center if we're still unwilling to invest in having one decent, modern hotel in the cbd? 100% serious question.

+1

I know what I would say, I know what you would say, KCP & others would say, and Kay Barnes would say...

...But...What would The "Funk" Say?

[mean]

why did we build a massive tourist district + sprint center if we're still unwilling to invest in having one decent, modern hotel in the cbd? 100% serious question.

As far as I can remember, the P&L was built to address a perceived need for a local regional tourist draw, things people within 100 or so miles couldn't get anywhere else; not as a playground for fictional conventioneers who would rather go places with big lakes, mountains, boat rides, beach relaxation, or any number of other fun things we can't provide.

In any case, you're changing the subject. I'm asking, is there a scholar in the world who has not been funded by the convention industry, who finds pursuing conventions with massive public investment to be a tenable and rational model?

[im2kull]

In any case, you're changing the subject. I'm asking, is there a scholar in the world who has not been funded by the convention industry, who finds pursuing conventions with massive public investment to be a tenable and rational model?

I'm sure the list of those scholars who do indeed find pursuing conventions with massive public investment to be a tenable and rational model is far larger than is worth posting out of sheer fear of crashing this forum...as pursuing conventions with massive public investment is what every aspiring city in America has done for many years.

Then again, what's your deffination of "Masssive Public Investment"? A Pocket full of Lint? A few $1 Bills?  An Oreo?

[trailerkid]

As far as I can remember, the P&L was built to address a perceived need for a local regional tourist draw, things people within 100 or so miles couldn't get anywhere else; not as a playground for fictional conventioneers who would rather go places with big lakes, mountains, boat rides, beach relaxation, or any number of other fun things we can't provide.

In any case, you're changing the subject. I'm asking, is there a scholar in the world who has not been funded by the convention industry, who finds pursuing conventions with massive public investment to be a tenable and rational model?

Failing to understand the convention hotel, convention facilities, arena, and surrounding neighborhood redevelopment are all intrinsically related and anything but mutually exclusive is a serious flaw in any argument against expanding our convention district.

P+L is not for tourists? You're awesome...http://www.downtownkc.org/content.aspx?pgID=922

[KCPowercat]

We probably don't have enough event space for ffa, skills, walmart...that doesn't mean walkable hotel rooms are much more the need and the ratio is way out of whack to other convention cities.

I think the cva needs to target their market better...p&l doesn't really factor in with these kid conventions.  Their spinoff business has to be way under the typical corporate event.

[LenexatoKCMO]

The point is why build only the hotel rooms when additional space is also needed? or to change the post:

Why Build more Future meeting space hotel rooms, if we don't Currently have enough rooms convention space to accompany large conventions????

Easy - it appears pretty clear that we aren't that far out of line with most of our peer cities when it comes to meeting space - but we are clearly cripplingly behind in hotel rooms. 

[mean]

Failing to understand the convention hotel, convention facilities, arena, and surrounding neighborhood redevelopment are all intrinsically related and anything but mutually exclusive is a serious flaw in any argument against expanding our convention district.

P+L is not for tourists? You're awesome...http://www.downtownkc.org/content.aspx?pgID=922

You not only didn't answer my explicit question, your link didn't make much sense. I didn't say it wasn't for tourists, I said it wasn't specifically designed to accommodate conventioneers rather than tourists from the region.

[NDTeve]

I'm with Mean. That was what the selling point. IF we are going to change that now to get large conventions that's fine. But it was built to bring tourists in from around the region. Not convention goers.

[KC-wildcat]

I'm with Mean. That was what the selling point. IF we are going to change that now to get large conventions that's fine. But it was built to bring tourists in from around the region. Not convention goers.

Why does it matter?  The fact is that taxpayers subsidized P&L and for the P&L (and CBD as a whole) to reach its full potential, a healthy convention slate is necessary.   

On the same token, P&L, SC, and PAC make KCMO a much more attractive option for conventioneers, IMO.  Though I never saw P&L being marketed as a convention magnet, it certainly doesn't hurt.  In fact, I believe its close proximity to our convention space sets us apart from many similarly situated metros. 

And, AKP, your articles seem to evidence that we need more exhibit space.  However, a few things confuse me.  FFA and Skills both left because KC didn't have adequate square footage of exhibit space.  However, doesn't KCMO have more exhibit space than Indianapolis (FFA) and Louisville (Skills)? 
Ultimately, the hotel is still a necessity notwithstanding the need for more square footage.  We can all agree that doing both at the same time would not be feasible.  Knock the hotel out first, and then focus our attention on bolstering available exhibit space.   

[trailerkid]

You not only didn't answer my explicit question, your link didn't make much sense. I didn't say it wasn't for tourists, I said it wasn't specifically designed to accommodate conventioneers rather than tourists from the region.

Yeah...just correcting your false statement about local tourism and voicing concern over the reductionist perspective when examining downtown investments. Big cities invest...#30 cities sit back and debate a hotel for 20+ years. The 1000 hotels rooms will easily be added to the region over the next few years so I don't understand why we wouldn't want them in a central location with good infrastructure, people spending money downtown instead of leaving the rooms to Olathe and Lenexa. But that game is the story of Kansas City (wait around, let the city detoriate while we argue and let the suburbs grow). If Olathe can build a convetion hotel...I would hope KCMO could too.

Why are you worrying about this project? Like most every project downtown on the drawing board downtown...it won't happen any time soon or maybe in our lifetimes. Remember this hq hotel has been on the table since for over 20 years and the Vista was the last new hotel built downtown (probably about the time I was born). Argue about our shitty parks, lack of high paying jobs, lack of pedestrian infrastructure, lack of transit service, demolition of historic neighborhoods, and things that actually matter instead of a hotel that probably won't ever happen anyway. I guess people are more concerned with freeway architecture which isn't surprising given the context...

[Midtownkid]

Thought this might be of interest.  DC maybe moving on building their convention center hotel...

from this website...sort of like KCRag: http://dcmetrocentric.com/category/government/

Update: Convention Center Hotel
19 06 2009

The internets have been abuzz ever since it was reported that the D.C. Council was considering taking away millions of dollars in subsidies from stalled city real estate projects to finance the proposed convention center hotel. Well now the developers of the planned hotel and DC officials have finally reached a tentative deal that would expedite the project without the city buying in as an equity partner



Apparently even if additional sources of debt can?t be identified, the project still has the money to get started as solely an equity deal. This is huge considering only a few days ago the project seemed to be on the rocks in search of money.

[aknowledgeableperson]

And, AKP, your articles seem to evidence that we need more exhibit space.  However, a few things confuse me.  FFA and Skills both left because KC didn't have adequate square footage of exhibit space.  However, doesn't KCMO have more exhibit space than Indianapolis (FFA) and Louisville (Skills)? 

Nope, KC does not.

For Indy:
http://guest.cvent.com/RFP/Listing/Venu ... 0FAF9B85C3

Located in the heart of Indianapolis and within walking distance of numerous hotels and restaurants, the convention center complex, along with the stadium, houses more than 400,000 square feet of exhibit space and nearly 140,000 square feet of meeting space.

The RCA Dome, home of the Indianapolis Colts, also provides an exciting setting for NCAA basketball, motor sports and world-class entertainment events. The 95,000 square foot stadium floor attracts conventions, trade shows and many religious services.

For Louie:
http://www.kyfairexpo.org/facilityInfo/index.html

Offering large facilities with diverse capabilities, the Kentucky Exposition Center remains one of the top ten exposition venues in the United States. The over one million square feet of contiguous, climate-controlled exhibit and meeting space - all on one level - will accommodate all shapes and sizes of events.

For KC:
http://guest.cvent.com/RFP/Listing/Venu ... Text_Links

The eight-square-block convention and entertainment facilities can accommodate every need with 388,800 square feet of column-free contiguous exhibit,

[aknowledgeableperson]

Because* we do Currently have the space, but Lack the hotel rooms and hotel ammenities...

*For Large, CORPORATE Conventions...the real money bugs

For small to medium CORPORATE Conventions, but not for the LARGE ONES.

[aknowledgeableperson]

If Olathe can build a convetion hotel...I would hope KCMO could too.

Pretty funny.  KCMO would have just a small problem building what Olathe is calling a convention hotel but I don't think that size of a hotel is what people on this board are talking about.

[aknowledgeableperson]

Knock the hotel out first, and then focus our attention on bolstering available exhibit space. 

The only problem with that approach is: That is what KCMO has been doing with regards to its convention facilities for over 20 years.  With that approach we take one step forward but two steps back.

[aknowledgeableperson]

But it was built to bring tourists in from around the region. Not convention goers.

Convention goers are tourists.

[im2kull]

For small to medium CORPORATE Conventions, but not for the LARGE ONES.

Getting a little post happy are we, AKP?

Once again, Define large, small, and medium Corporate conventions as they relate to actual sq footage space required...and then we'll have this conversation.  I bet you don't even know what a Corporate (only) Convention is...let alone how large or small one can be...