What's New for Meetings and Events in Kansas City
From major transportation upgrades to brand new hotels and innovative event spaces, Kansas City is making strides in 2025. With attention-grabbing events like the 2023 NFL Draft and the 2026 FIFA World Cup choosing KC to host, the appeal of gathering in Kansas City is greater than ever.
In fact, Travel + Leisure recently named Kansas City as one of its 50 Best Places to Travel, noting the city is staking a claim as a “global leader in sports and entertainment.”
It’s why so many convention attendees who travel to KC for the first time find themselves planning a return visit sooner rather than later, with the connections they’ve made during their time in the City of Fountains drawing them back for more.
Authentic, affordable, easy to reach and earning a reputation as a region that can’t be overlooked—it’s the right time for Kansas City. See what’s new – and on the way – for meetings and convention attendees in the City of Fountains.
KC Streetcar Extension
The free-to-ride Kansas City Streetcar will soon connect convention attendees to even more popular neighborhoods, diverse dining options and luxurious hotels. The KC Streetcar will unveil a 3.5-mile expansion in 2025, adding 16 new stops to the route.
Riders will be able to travel from the River Market and Downtown all the way to the Country Club Plaza, accessing new attractions like The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and historic Westport entertainment district.
This southern extension is just one of two planned additions for the KC Streetcar. Another 0.7-mile extension north to the Berkley Riverfront in 2026 will connect riders to more greenspace along the Missouri River and the groundbreaking CPKC Stadium.
World’s First Museum of BBQ
Kansas City’s signature cuisine continues to invite innovation, including the world’s first Museum of BBQ set to open this spring. Whether it’s an after-hours adventure, a group tour offering or an event venue rental you’re seeking, this new museum offers a fresh space to learn something new about ‘cue.
The immersive experience will feature rooms dedicated to the elements of barbecue (meat, rub/spice, wood, fire, smoke and sauce) to see how a pitmaster turns their favorite cut of meat into something delicious. Then travel through the main American regions of barbecue (the Carolinas, Memphis, Texas and Kansas City) to discover how each place has developed its own flavor.
KC Live! Block Renovations
Kansas City’s popular Power & Light District welcomes a series of upgrades this spring, including new dining and nightlife, expanded amenities and updates for premier event hosting.
The KC Live! block already welcomes millions of guests each year to its multiple bars, restaurants and event spaces, frequently hosting convention and sports tournament attendees for receptions, networking events, watch parties and more.
This $10 million renovation will make the KC Live! block—just minutes from the KC Convention Center, T-Mobile Center and downtown hotels—a premier venue for convention attendees.
New Stadium Arrives on KC’s Riverfront
Kansas City’s Berkley Riverfront recently welcomed a new crown jewel in the form of a premier sports and entertainment venue. In 2024, the Kansas City Current debuted their 11,000-seat CPKC Stadium for the National Women’s Soccer League club—the first stadium purpose-built for a women's professional sports team.
The stadium is minutes away from the heart of Downtown Kansas City and along the KC Streetcar’s planned Berkley Riverfront extension. It’s also spurred even more development on the riverfront, including the new 118-room boutique Origin Hotel KC and an upcoming beer garden.
When CPKC Stadium isn’t hosting the Current, the stadium will be made available for concerts and events of all kinds. Host a sophisticated meeting or happy hour reception in one of the stadium’s many event spaces.
KC's Hotel Renaissance
New hotels continue to dot the landscape in Kansas City, offering up-scale accommodations, dining, amenities and more.
Just blocks from the KC Streetcar, Power & Light District and KC Convention Center, the new AC Hotel Kansas City Downtown recently opened in 2024. This historic hotel renovation boasts 238 rooms, modern amenities and over 4,000 square feet of event space.
The new Origin Hotel KC is the first hotel property on the Berkley Riverfront, featuring 118-rooms and over 4,800 square feet of meeting space. The new boutique hotel is within walking distance of the historic CPKC Stadium, home of the KC Current, and the upcoming Kansas City Streetcar extension.
Across the state line in Kansas City, Kansas, the new Margaritaville Hotel Kansas City is set to debut in 2025. With 229 rooms and signature Margaritaville amenities, guests can kick back and enjoy a piece of paradise in the Midwest. The new property will be minutes away from popular KCK attractions like Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas Speedway and the Homefield KC youth sports complex.
KC Hotel Updates and Renovations
Kansas City offers plenty of great places to lay your head, grab a bite or hold a meeting. In fact, the metropolitan area already touts more than 36,000 hotel rooms—with 4,600 committable rooms in the convention core.