2014 ANNUAL REPORT IGNITING GLOBAL PASSION FOR KANSAS CITY
WHO WE ARE VISIT KC IS …
FUNDING
• 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 team of 41 employees and an on-call registration assistance staff of 30. • Supported by membership of more than 2,000 businesses involved in the local hospitality community. Visit KC members represent a variety of businesses including convention services, hotels, attractions, restaurants, transportation companies and others.
Visit KC’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 Visit KC. The organization’s budget is greatly enhanced by private funds raised through a variety of sources including membership subscriptions, advertising participation and in-kind services.
VISIT KC VISION To serve as a primary catalyst for extraordinary and continuous economic growth of the Kansas City region convention and visitor industry.
MISSION HISTORY Our organization 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 on an annual basis by the City of Kansas City, Missouri, Visit KC 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 2014, we adopted the name of Visit KC.
Ignite global passion for visiting Kansas City.
WHAT WE DO SELL KANSAS CITY • Destination branding to position Kansas City as a vibrant, creative community • Convention sales efforts to attract conventions, meetings and sporting events to Kansas City • Integrated marketing campaigns to drive visitors to KC through advertising, PR and social media • A new office for film and emerging media, representing the region’s film community
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
WELCOME & CONNECT TRAVELERS • Assist with the successful execution of more than 200 meetings and conventions each year • Maps, guides, apps and other visitor resources to help guests discover all there is to do in Kansas City
PROMOTE LOCAL BUSINESSES Drive traffic to local hotels, attractions, restaurants and more than 2,000 businesses involved in the local community
SUPPORT LOCAL EVENTS Organize and support major events like Kansas City Restaurant Week and the Big 12 Basketball Championship, to name a few
ECONOMIC IMPACT • Visitors generate new money for our economy. • The economic impact of tourism on our region is more than $4.6 billion annually, including indirect and induced impact.
TOURISM MEANS JOBS • Visitors support 1 in every 19 jobs in our region. • This amounts to 45,107 jobs and $1.48 billion in wages.
TAX REVENUE • Visitors save residents money. Taxes paid by visitors save the average Kansas City household $490 in taxes annually.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT • Research shows that cities with strong visitor economies tend to grow faster than their peers. • A 10% increase in a destination’s visitor-related employment relative to the U.S. average tends to be followed by a 1.5% rise in broader employment in the community. Sources: Tourism Economics, Longwood International, U.S. Travel Association
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS 2012
2013
2014
Web Visits
2,142,776
2,505,697
2,792,696
Page Views
8,399,419
9,187,169
10,334,042
1,768,379
1,473,346
1,116,503
211,345
233,362
241,920
Total Downloads
13,028
9,141
7,643
Mobile Application Sessions
48,851
48,301
23,810
2012
2013
2014
INTERACTIVE MARKETING
2014 KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Executed $1 million destination advertising campaign that generated 202,000 incremental hotel room nights and $71 million in incremental economic impact. The five-state campaign realized a $73 return on investment for every Visit KC media dollar spent. • Recorded Visit KC’s best year ever in terms of earned media coverage for the fifth consecutive year—producing an estimated 161 million brand impressions for Kansas City. National exposure included major features by Travel + Leisure, Lonely Planet, NBC’s Today Show and Condé Nast Traveler. • Unveiled a new-and-improved VisitKC.com, featuring a responsive design and improved navigation. The site witnessed 10 million page views in 2014, a new record. • Generated 131 million brand impressions for Kansas City through social media campaigns, while surpassing 100,000 Likes on Facebook and 50,000 followers on Twitter. • Implemented integrated marketing campaigns to maximize publicity and interest in events such as the 2014 MLB World Series, Kansas City Restaurant Week, March basketball, Downtown Dazzle and KC Streetcar Open for Business campaign. • Amassed 32 million impressions for convention audiences through advertising in trade publications, earned media, social media and e-mail marketing.
WEB TRAFFIC
E-MAIL MARKETING
E-mails Delivered E-mails Opened MOBILE APPLICATION
COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA RELATIONS
Journalists Hosted Stories in Target Markets Publications Assisted Earned Media Circulation
57
97*
81
149
174
171
486
460
427
145,185,621
148,542,661
161,713,997
83,558
124,705
169,187
42,197,229
82,745,475
131,553,449
SOCIAL MEDIA
2012
2013
2014
$1,192,200
$1,095,165
$1,050,000
Local Media Partner Investment
$625,000
$545,000
$490,000
State of Missouri Investment
$420,680
$419,700
$411,668
162,650,000
153,702,625
157,168,958
$75
$65
$73
2012
2013
2014
Advertising Impressions
2,479,281
2,081,965
6,653,837*
Convention Page Views
177,594
53,589
99,455
LEISURE MARKETING Media Budget
Advertising Impressions ROI per Media Dollar
CONVENTION MARKETING
* Increased online impressions
Total Followers Impressions
* Includes 29 writers hosted during the fall 2013 MTWA meeting
CONVENTION SALES 2014 KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Achieved 98% of Visit KC’s room-night production goal—generating 333,923 room nights and 309 bookings (both the highest totals since 2010). Convention Center bookings also rebounded, totaling 36 (a 10-year high). • Hosted 111 personalized site visits to Kansas City, resulting in 64 new bookings that will generate $71 million in economic impact. • Increased awareness and visibility of Kansas City by attending 23 industry tradeshows, representing 640 customer interactions. • Showcased Kansas City to 36 clients during four themed familiarization trips throughout the year. • Conducted 12 personalized sales trips to key markets, calling on 103 prospective buyers.
MEETINGS HELD IN KC
2012
2013
2014
Conventions
227
183
253
Room Nights
269,882
275,036
295,920
Attendance Economic Impact
CONVENTION SALES ACTIVITY Meetings Booked Definite Room Nights Leads Generated Tentative Room Nights Site Visits Convention Center Bookings Convention Center Room Nights
331,925
313,977
342,115
$222,016,225
$229,917,338
$282,784,939
2012
2013
2014
210
232
309
236,343
305,869
333,923
669
654
763
1,054,258
1,122,161
1,205,209
100
119
111
31
30
36
158,744
202,398
203,883
MAJOR BOOKINGS IN 2014 ORGANIZATION --- MEETING DATE --- ROOM NIGHTS
Educational Testing Service Advanced Placement Reading June 2019 • 26,957
National Title I Association Annual Conference January 2019 • 9,032
Merck & Co. Insomnia Product Launch February 2015 • 6,278
Cerner Annual Health Conference October 2015 • 14,654
National Soccer Coaches Association of America Annual Convention January 2019 • 8,740
North American Christian Convention Annual Summer National Gathering June 2017 • 5,730
Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine National Convention August 2017 • 14,622
Evangelical Free Church of America National Youth Conference July 2018 • 8,010
Pentecostal Assemblies of the World National Summer Convention August 2016 • 5,640
Junior Volleyball Association World Challenge April 2016 • 10,870
WorldVentures United April 2015 • 7,772
International House of Prayer Onething Conference December 2016 • 5,445
NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship & American Volleyball Coaches Association Annual Meeting December 2017 • 10,578
CVC Kansas City August 2016 • 7,165
United Pentecostal Church International General Conference September 2017 • 5,155
NeighborWorks America National Training Institute May 2018 • 9,735
National Square Dance Convention Annual Convention June 2018 • 6,650
NOTEWORTHY RANKINGS Top 10 U.S. Destinations for 2014 – Lonely Planet America’s #1 Affordable Getaway – Travel + Leisure Best Affordable Destinations in the USA – U.S. News & World Report 5 Up-and-Coming Tourism Cities - ShermansTravel.com 7 Off-the-Grid Travel Destinations Definitely Worth a Visit – Huffington Post America’s Most Underrated Cities for Millennials – Condé Nast Traveler Best World Series City for Baseball Travel – Mapquest Top Five Cities to Keep On Your Radar – Huffington Post Friendliest Cities in America – Men’s Health 6 Underrated American Cities For LGBT Travelers – Condé Nast Traveler Five Emerging Food Towns – Celebrated Living 7 Underrated but Intriguing U.S. Cities You Need to Visit – Yahoo! Travel America’s Safest Cities for Drivers – Allstate Top Five Cities with Up-and-Coming Downtowns – Fortune America’s Leading Design Cities – The Atlantic Top 20 Cities to Find a Job – wallethub.com 10 High-Tech Cities You’ll Want to Call Home – PC Mag Top 5 Cities for Holiday Travel – Orbitz, NBC’s Today Show
DESTINATION SERVICES 2014 ACCOMPLISHMENT • Assisted with the successful execution of 253 meetings in Kansas City, including 19 citywide conventions. • Maintained Kansas City’s position as the second-largest membership-based CVB in the country at 2,012 partners. Maintained a membership retention rate of 91 percent. • Generated more than $242,000 in revenue through convention housing reservations. • Presented the fifth annual KC Restaurant Week in partnership with the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association, raising a record-breaking $275,000 for three local charities. • Assisted with promotions and support of the MLB World Series, American League Champion Series, the Republican National Convention bid and other major events throughout the year. • Hosted the 8th Annual Visitors’ Choice Awards, a program that recognizes traveler favorites in 50 categories.
2012
2013
2014
Corporate
83
82
84
Community Partnerships
27
29
35
MEMBERSHIP
All Dining
708
712
677
Retail
479
514
533
Downtown
471
498
409
All Other Categories
362
226
274
2,130
2,061
2,012
95%
93%
91%
2012
2013
2014
Total Membership Retention
PARTNER REVENUES Membership Dues
$221,355
$222,800
$267,900
Hotel Lead Share
$186,052
$209,014
$252,616
$48,939
$58,856
$42,090
$625,000
$545,00
$473,500
$1,081,346
$1,035,670
$1,036,106
TOURISM AMBASSADORS
2012
2013
2014
Certified Tourism Ambassadors
585
602
356
Web/Collateral Advertising Marketing Campaign Partners TOTAL
CTA Renewals
216
237
183
Retention Rate
62%
53%
45%
ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE 2014 KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Generated more than $6.4 million in tax revenue for the city, following the successful passage of legislation to lift the Convention/Tourism Tax exemption allowed for non-profits. • Orchestrated the lease and construction of Visit KC’s new downtown headquarters, opening in March 2015. • Continued evaluation and update of staff programming/development in support of “igniting passion for Kansas City.” • Facilitated a company-wide update of CRM and CMS platforms. • Updated network infrastructure to accommodate increased web traffic demand tied to multiple projects, including Kansas City Restaurant Week. • Maintained the Visit KC’s successful college internship program.
2014 EXPENDITURES BY TARGET AUDIENCE Convention Sales - $4,252,500
2014 REVENUES •
44%
Destination Marketing - $3,147,565 Operational - $1,722,193
•
Local Projects - $ 492,980
•
33%
$6,496,537
Arena Business Fees
$1,1,79,539
18%
Advertising Participation
$540,178
5%
State Co-Op Marketing
$422,565
Membership Dues
$267,900
Hotel Consumption Program
$252,616
Convention Services Revenue
$134,026
33%
18% 44%
•
Net Convention Tourism Tax
5%
Advertising Sales Other Revenues TOTAL REVENUE
$42,090 $1,449,190 $9,615,239
AWARDS
HONORS
MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS MAGAZINE • Gold Service Award, Visit KC
FACILITIES & DESTINATIONS MAGAZINE • Prime Site Award, Kansas City Convention & Entertainment Facilities
CORPORATE & INCENTIVE TRAVEL MAGAZINE • Award of Excellence, Visit KC
CVENT • Top 50 Meeting Destinations – Kansas City, MO
PUBLIC RELATIONS SOCIETY OF AMERICA, KANSAS CITY • Gold PRISM Award – Best Special Publication, Visit KC Magazine • Gold PRISM Award – Best Social Media Campaign, Kansas City Restaurant Week
SOCIAL MEDIA CLUB OF KANSAS CITY • Silver AMP Award – Real-Time/Event Based Social Media Campaign, 2014 Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship
KC BUSINESS MAGAZINE • Rising Stars of Kansas City Business – Derek Klaus The Visit KC team is dedicated to the industry—100% of our team members are Certified Tourism Ambassadors and more than 1/3 hold additional accreditations in industry programming.
2014 BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR Brenda Tinnen, General Manager and Senior Vice President, Sprint Center/AEG
VICE CHAIR Gayle Holliday, Ph.D., President, G & H Consulting, LLC
TREASURER Kevin Pistilli, President, Raphael Hotel Group • Vic Allred, President, Jazz: A Louisiana Kitchen
• Jeanette Prenger, President, ECCO Select Corporation
• Kay Barnes (Ex Officio Board Member); Director/Distinguished Professor
• Clayton Reid, President, MMGY Global
for Public Leadership, Park University
• CiCi Rojas, President & CEO, Central Exchange
• Grant Burcham, President & CEO, Missouri Bank & Trust
• Rosemary Salerno, General Manager, Zona Rosa Development, LLC
• Cindy Circo, Mayor Pro-Tem; Councilwoman, Fifth District At-Large,
• Troy Schulte, City Manager, City of Kansas City, Missouri
City of Kansas City, Missouri • Mark Donovan, President, Kansas City Chiefs Football Club
• Steve Shalit, Complex General Manager, Westin Crown Center/Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center
• Arzelia Gates, Corporate Secretary, Gates Bar-B-Q Corporation
• Angie Stanland, Vice President of Associate Services & Recruiting, Cerner Corporation
• Bill George, President, Kansas City Transportation Group
• Jon Stephens, President, Rockhill Strategic
• Steve Klika, Commissioner, Third District, Johnson County, Kansas
• Troy A. Stremming (Immediate Past Chair); Executive Vice President of Government
• Mike Klingensmith, General Manager, Embassy Suites KCI
Relations & Public Affairs, Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc.
• David Lopez, General Manager, Manny’s Mexican Restaurant
• Scott Wagner, Councilman, First District At-Large, City of Kansas City, Missouri
• Bill Lucas, President, Crown Center
• Keli Wenzel, President/Managing Partner, O’Neill Marketing &
• Riccardo Lucas, President & CEO, N.STRIDE Consulting, LLC
Event Management, Inc.
• Jan Marcason, Councilwoman, Fourth District, City of Kansas City, Missouri
• Randy Wisthoff, Executive Director & CEO, Kansas City Zoo
• Bradley McCormack, Partner, The Sader Law Firm
• Amy Jordan Wooden, President & CEO, AJW Consulting
• Oscar McGaskey, Jr. (Ex Officio Board Member); Department of Convention and Entertainment Facilities, City of Kansas City, Missouri • Rachel Merlo, Community Manager, Kansas City, Google Fiber
CORPORATE CIRCLE PARTNERS All Seasons Party Rental, Inc. • American Academy of Family Physicians • Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City • Anderson Restaurant Group • Aramark Sports & Entertainment Argosy Casino Hotel & Spa • Arrow Stage Lines • Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas City • Boulevard Brewing Co. • Brancato’s Catering • Briarcliff Village Brookside Shopping District • City Center Square Food Gallery • The College Basketball Experience • Conference Center & Town Pavilion Rotunda • Corinth Square Shops Country Club Bank, N.A. • Crossroads Arts District • Crown Center • Downtown Overland Park • Enterprise Rent-A-Car • Excelsior Springs Area Chamber of Commerce Fern • Gates Bar-B-Q • 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 • Kauffman Stadium • KC Live! Block • KCI Expo Center • Lathrop and Gage • Legends Outlets Kansas City • Liberty Exposition Services, Inc. Main Street Parkville Association • Miami County, KS • Mid-America Minority Business Development Council • National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art • Overland Park Convention Center • Park Place • Pepsi Beverage Co. • Pizza Hut • Prairiefire • Pro Staff • The Roasterie, Inc. Sarpino’s Pizzeria • Schlitterbahn Kansas City Waterpark • Sprint • Sprint Center • The Village Shops • Town Center Plaza • University of Missouri-Kansas City Urban League of Greater Kansas City, The • Vista Productions, Inc. • Waldo Area Shops & Nightlife • Weston Chamber of Commerce • Westport • Worlds of Fun • Zona Rosa
1321 Baltimore Avenue Kansas City, MO 64105 816-691-3800 • 800-767-7700 VISITKC.COM