What's New

There's a lot happening in Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri.

St. Louis, Branson, and Kansas City are building, growing, and stretching their destination muscles with a plethora of projects.

Kansas City, for example, will be drastically different by 2007 as a downtown entertainment district — the Power & Light District — as well as the new Sprint Center arena and Kansas City Convention Center ballroom add to the city's art-deco skyline. More than $3 billion in construction is taking place in the city's downtown urban core.

The biggest new venue in Missouri opened April 10: Busch Stadium, new home of the St. Louis Cardinals. The ballpark has suites and areas for groups.

Planned to open in 2007 in St. Louis is The Bottle District, just west of the America's Center convention complex. The $200 million entertainment complex includes a Grand Prix Speedways Formula 1 Kart track and restaurants.

Branson continues to push past its narrow definition as a country music alternative to Nashville with attractions that broaden its appeal. The $420 million Branson Landing opens downtown this year. At the heart of the Landing is a town square that can accommodate 5,000 guests for festivals and music events, and features a $7.5 million attraction that synchronizes water, light, sound, and fire. Also new in Branson are the Grand Exposition at Silver Dollar City theme park and Titanic: The World's Largest Museum Attraction, available for meetings and events.

In Arkansas, transportation has been the focus in the Little Rock area. The River Rail Trolleys travel over approximately 2.1 miles of track through downtown North Little Rock and Little Rock. The trolleys link Alltel Arena, Statehouse Convention Center, the River market, Argenta Historic District and neighborhood restaurants, and both chambers of commerce. Expansion of the route to include the Clinton Presidential Center and Heifer International is under way.

Facility Updates

Arkansas

• The 125,000-square-foot JOHN Q. HAMMONS CONVENTION CENTER in Rogers is scheduled to open this June. It will connect to the EMBASSY SUITES HOTEL, a 248-unit property with 25,000 square feet of meeting space. Construction of a new tower of 152 suites and a spa in the hotel should be complete in July 2007.

• In Springdale, the 206-room HOLIDAY INN & NORTHWEST ARKANSAS CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL has 49,000 square feet of flexible space, banquet space for 3,000 guests, and 23 breakout rooms.

Kansas

• ALLEGIANT AIR now offers nonstop flights on 150-passenger jets between Topeka's Forbes Field and Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport on Fridays and Mondays.

• The 110,000-square-foot KANSAS EXPOCENTRE in Topeka had a $3 million tune-up in 2005.

Missouri

• The HILTON CONVENTION CENTER COMPLEX in Branson will offer 220,000 square feet of flexible space when it is complete in spring 2007. The first level consists of a 50,000-square-foot exhibit hall and a 23,000-square-foot ballroom. The second level has five meeting rooms. The center can accommodate up to 7,500 attendees. Guests at the HILTON CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL or the HILTON PROMENADE AT BRANSON LANDING will be able to use a single wireless package at the convention center and their hotel.

• THE RADISSON HOTEL BRANSON and THE GRAND PALACE have partnered to host meetings. Adjacent to the 472-room Radisson Hotel Branson, The Grand Palace — with its 3,811-seat auditorium and stage — complements the hotel's 1,500 square feet of meeting space.

• LAMBERT-ST. LOUIS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT is expanding. A runway is being added and the terminal will be upgraded. The runway expands Lambert's airfield capacity by up to 51 percent.

• THE KANSAS CITY MARRIOTT DOWNTOWN, the city's largest convention property, began a multimillion-dollar renovation in April. The first phase, scheduled for completion in 2007, includes renovation of all 573 guest rooms in the Marriott Tower. Renovation of the 410 guest rooms in the Muehlebach Tower will follow.

• In 2002, Kansas City voters approved an increase in local hotel and restaurant taxes to fund $135 million in improvements to the KANSAS CITY CONVENTION CENTER. The completion of the $22 million meeting-room and pre-function renovations marks the end of the first phase. The second phase, which includes the addition of a 46,450-square-foot ballroom over Interstate 670, will be completed in 2007.

• MAX, Metro Area Express, debuted in Kansas City in 2005. The rapid transit bus line connects the River Market, downtown, Crown Center, and the Plaza.

• On the eastern edge of Kansas City's new entertainment district, the $250 million, 18,500-seat SPRINT CENTER arena will open in 2007.

• John Q. Hammons Hotels Inc. plans to build the RESIDENCE INN BY MARRIOTT KANSAS CITY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, a 150-suite hotel, near Kansas City International Airport. It is expected to open late this year.

Ask the CVB

Arkansas

HOT SPRINGS CVB
(800) 922-6478; www.hotsprings.org
Total Hotel Tax: 13.5%

LITTLE ROCK CVB
(800) 844-4781; www.littlerock.com
Total Hotel Tax: 11.5%

Kansas

OVERLAND PARK CVB
(800) 262-PARK; www.opcvb.org
Total Hotel Tax: 6%

TOPEKA CVB
(800) 235-1030; www.topekacvb.org
Total Hotel Tax: 13.45%

GREATER WICHITA CVB
(800) 288-9424; www.visitwichita.com
Total Hotel Tax: 13.3%

Missouri

BRANSON/LAKES AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND CVB
(417) 334-4084; www.explorebranson.com
Total Hotel Tax: 12.48%

INDEPENDENCE TOURISM DEPARTMENT
(800) 748-7323
www.visitindependence.comTotal Hotel Tax: 13.73%

KANSAS CITY CONVENTION & VISITORS ASSOC.
(800) 767-7700; www.visitkc.com
Total Hotel Tax: 14.86%

ST. LOUIS CONV. & VISITORS COMMISSION
(800) 325-7962; www.explorestlouis.com
City Tax: 14.87%
County Tax: 13.32% to 14.58%

SPRINGFIELD CVB
(800) 678-8767
www.SpringfieldAdventures.com
Total Hotel Tax: 11.8%

Phantom Planner

• Downtown St. Louis houses many of the trendiest and finest restaurants in the area. The city offers many great venues for events; in addition to The Gateway Arch, these include the City Museum, St. Louis Zoo, St. Louis Science Center, Missouri Botanical Garden, and Missouri History Museum.

• St. Louis' The America's Center and convention flagship hotel, the Renaissance Grand Hotel & Suites, are across the street from each other and have been fully renovated in the past five years.

• Kansas City, Mo., has become a haven for Midwestern artists, many of whom have settled into the eclectic Crossroads Arts District. The first Friday of each month brings thousands of visitors to the district, when more than 40 galleries and shops remain open until 9 p.m. Many galleries allow special events.

• The “Super Bowl” of amateur road racing will be held in Topeka for the next three years. The Sports Car Club of America's National Championship Runoffs will bring more than 10,000 fans to the city October 9-15 this year.

Art Expands

Imagine a 67-story office building lying on its side, and you'll get an idea of how large the expansion of Kansas City's NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM OF ART will be when it opens in 2007 after a $200 million expansion. The expansion includes the new Ford Learning Center, dedicated in 2005, and the Bloch Building. The addition will expand the museum by 71 percent, from 234,000 square feet to some 400,000 square feet. www.nelson-atkins.org