IN THIS ISSUE

HOSPITALITY DAY AT THE K

WAGE & BENEFIT SURVEY

BARNEY ALLIS PLAZA AND GARAGE GROUNDBREAKING

EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

AHLA UPDATES

HLAKC CARES DAY

THE HOSPITALITY SHOW:

GREATER KANSAS CITY

2024 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

WHAT'S NEW

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Kauffman Stadium was all about the hospitality industry at the Royals vs. Cleveland Guardians game on June 27th. After a slow start to bringing this event back last year, our members showed up in big numbers to watch the Royals win another game!

It's clear that Hospitality Day at The K is back in full force and we can't wait to make it even bigger next year. Thank you to all of our members who purchased tickets and came out for this fun event!

Thank you to our event partners, the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association and a special thank you to our amazing sponsors who made this event a huge success!

Thank you to our sponsors!

Hormel/Fontanini

Roma Bakery

Nick and Jake's

Fiorella's Jack Stack BBQ

Queen's Price Chopper

Heartland Coca-Cola

Boulevard Brewing Co.

Broken Shed Vodka

J. Rieger & Co.

Wage & Benefit Survey

We are excited to announce that our new Wage & Benefit Survey is now open to help inform your 2025 budget planning.

We kindly ask that you to take a few moments to complete the survey at your earliest convenience, or forward this on to your HR Directors.

Why Participate?

As a valued member of the Hotel & Lodging Association of Greater Kansas City, your insights are crucial in shaping the future of our industry.

The results of this survey will be released at the end of July for those who participate, providing you with valuable insights to inform your budget decisions. Your participation is crucial in ensuring the accuracy and usefulness of the data for you and your industry peers.

How to Participate:

Please click the following link to start the survey: 

Wage & Benefit Survey Link

This survey is only as good as the participation it receives, so we strongly encourage you to contribute to making this a valuable tool for everyone.

Thank you in advance for contributing!

Groundbreaking for the New Barney Allis Plaza and Parking Garage

On June 26th, Kansas City officials gathered to announce the start of demolition for the new Barney Allis Plaza and Garage - a project that HLAKC strongly advocated for and helped get across the finish line.

The restoration of the garage and re-imagined plaza will provide improved parking options and a world-class, arts-focused gathering place for visitors and residents alike.

Demolition and reconstruction is schedule to start next month, and construction is anticipated to be complete by summer 2026. Learn more about the project here.

Educational Foundation Awards Scholarships

Each year, the HLAKC Educational Foundation board of directors opens scholarship applications for students pursuing degrees in hospitality. For the 2024/2025 school year, the foundation has awarded a total of $8,000 in scholarships to nine deserving students.

This year, we focused on expanding our engagement with local universities and colleges. We are proud to announce that our scholarship recipients represent the University of Missouri-Columbia, Kansas State University, University of Central Missouri, and Johnson County Community College.

AHLA Hotel Lobby Newsletter

Check out the latest legislative news from the American Hotel & Lodging Association's Government Affairs Team

In April, we celebrated National Volunteer Month by launching our inaugural HLAKC Cares Day, dedicated to giving back to our community.

For this special day of service, we partnered with Nourish KC Community Kitchen. Our volunteers were divided into two shifts: the morning prep team, which rolled silverware, chopped vegetables, and set tables, and the lunch shift, which served meals to Nourish KC patrons.

Together, our volunteers prepared and served over 500 meals. It was a fulfilling experience, and we look forward to expanding this event in the years to come.

A very special thank you to Agenda: USA for sponsoring our event t-shirts.

In May, Kansas City proudly hosted the American Hotel & Lodging Association's regional Hospitality Show for the first time.

The event featured an impressive lineup of speakers, opportunities to network with our expo partners, and valuable legislative updates.

The success of this event has generated significant interest from AHLA to bring it back to our city next year. If you missed it this time, don't worry—there's always next year!

Don't Miss these upcoming HLAKC Events

August 20

City & State Leaders Networking Reception

Loews Kansas City

September 18

Annual Golf Tournament

Tiffany Springs

November 2

Annual Awards Gala

Kansas City Marriott Downtown

December 12

Annual Meeting & Holiday Party

Crowne Plaza Downtown

Our Allied Member, Agenda: USA, welcomes two new respected hospitality industry professionals to the team.

Jill Campbell joins Agenda: USA as Manager of Event Services with deep experience in the hospitality industry and a special expertise in hotel operations, catering and convention services. After several years as Catering and Convention Services Manager at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, Campbell served as Assistant Director of Event Management at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown.

Lauren Harlan joins Agenda: USA as Manager of Operations & Logistics with more than 20 years of meeting planning experience. She most recently served as Senior Meetings & Event Planner for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

New Members

AC Marriott Downtown - Opening September 2024

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Hampton Inn Downtown Financial District

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Marriott Country Club Plaza

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Lenexa Convention & Visitors Bureau

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Metro Tow

Mike Basham

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Levity Events

Ian Lang

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