Great Bend Convention and Visitors Bureau

from Barton County Source 2021-2022

Pawnee Rock

GREAT BEND CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

Th e Great Bend Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is located inside the front of the Great Bend Events Center at 3111 10th Street. Th e offi ce is perfectly located with the Events Center because CVB staff books and bids on big events and conventions for the Events Center and Great Bend in general. Th e Events Center is designated as a Kansas Travel Information Center which partners with State Travel & Tourism which is a resource for the State of Kansas tourism opportunities.

Since 2019, major renovations have been a goal for the Great Bend Events Center. In 2021, the City offi cially opened the newly renovated back area as breakout rooms, extra offi ce space and it now is the home of the Great Bend Economic Development (a separate entity working to better Great Bend). Th e next goal is to completely update the front bathrooms.

Th e CVB is part of Community Coordinator/CVB Director Christina Hayes’ department. CVB staff includes Emily Goad, Visitor Coordinator and Missy Pfl ughoeft , Visitor Representative. Th e CVB is 100% funded by Transient Guest Tax from hotel stays and 1% of that Guest Tax helps fund the Events Center along with revenue from events. Th e Great Bend City Council still strives to make the Events Center a premier event location for our area to improve the quality of life of residents! Larami Parsons, Administrative Assistant is another staff member that is located down at City Hall.

Th e staff works hard to promote Great Bend in various ways. Christina’s goals for her department include getting Great Bend’s attractions, events, fun things to do and places to stay out to a bigger area of the state, Recruitment of new conventions, tournaments and meetings to town. Continue to provide hospitality program for hotels, gas stations, businesses and doctors’ offi ces so the front lines of our community know what’s happening in town.

Every two years the CVB will design and distribute a new Visitor Guide for Great Bend, get our community’s name out there as a real presence in the state, eff ectively market and promote the Events Center as the premier location for Events and work with the area to bring people to our wonderful town!

CVB Board Members

Chairperson: Allene Owen, Vice Chair: Mark Mingenback Members: Wally Eldridge Lacey Scholfi eld Jan Westfall Jolene Biggs Kyle Walters Claudia Elsen Loren Unruh Cory & Katie Zimmerman Diann Henderson Curtis Wolf Non-voting members: Mayor Cody Schmidt Kendal Francis Megan Barfi eld Sara Hayden Shawna Schafer Christina Hayes

Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo Kansas Wetlands Education Center Beautiful Playgrounds & Parks SRCA Drag Strip & Racing Wetlands & Wildlife National Scenic Byway Hike & Bike Trails Long Pumpkin Patch Explore Great Bend Month Santa’s Around the World Christmas Craft Mall Trail of Lights & Christmas Festival

Cheyenne Bottoms & Quivira Wetlands

Trail of Lights & Christmas Festival Wetlands Waterpark

Fun Festivals! GREAT BEND BRIT SPAUGH ZOO SRCA Dragstrip