'26 INTERCITY VISIT: KANSAS CITY
AGENDA
Monday, October 5, 2026
3:00 p.m.
Hotel Check-In
Crossroads Hotel
2101 Central St, Kansas City, MO 64108
5:30 p.m.
Board Buses to CPKC Stadium
SW Sideline Club
1460 E Front St, Kansas City, MO 64120
6:00 p.m.
Welcome Reception
Optional stadium tours available
8:30 p.m.
Buses Depart for Hotel
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
7:00 a.m.
Breakfast
Crossroads Hotel Art Gallery
7:50 a.m.
Board Buses to Kauffman Foundation Conference Center
Town Square Room
4801 Rockhill Rd, Kansas City, MO 64110
8:30 a.m.
Big Bets, Bold Moves: Projects Transforming KC
+ Joe Reardon, President & CEO, KC Chamber
9:15 a.m. - Break
9:30 a.m.
Big Bets, Bold Moves: Making Catalytic Projects Happen
+ Josh Goldman, Managing Director, Palmer Square Capital Management
+ Chris Harren, Senior Vice President, Development, Gillon Property Group
+ Kelvin Simmons, Chairman, The Vine Street Community Improvement District
+ Jon Stephens, President & CEO, Port KC
+ Moderator: Whitney Stauffer, Partner, Narrate Design
10:15 a.m. - Break
10:30 a.m.
The Business of Building KC: Leadership, Vision and KC’s Future
+ Kevin Barth, Chairman & CEO, Commerce Bank - Kansas City
+ Tim Cowden, President & CEO, KC Area Development Council
+ Paul Neidlein, President, Advanced Facilities Group, JE Dunn
+ Moderator: Nicole Morgan, CEO, Resolute PR
11:30 a.m.
Board Buses to The Gallery
61 E 14th St, Kansas City, MO 64105
NOON - Lunch
12:15 p.m.
Rebirth of the Heart of the City
+ Bill Dietrich, President & CEO, Downtown Council of KC
1:00 p.m. - Break
1:15 p.m.
At the Center of it all: Downtown KC Today
+ John Moncke, President, KC Power & Light Mixed-Use Downtown Neighborhood
+ Tom Gerend, Executive Director, KC Streetcar Authority
+ Ann Holliday, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Downtown Council KC
+ Moderator: Blake Jackson, Corporate Affairs & President, Williams Foundation
2:00 p.m. - Break
2:15 p.m.
Selling the City: How KC Became a Destination
+ Derek Byrne, Director of Content Strategy, Visit KC
2:45 p.m. - Break
3:00 p.m.
The Mayors’ Perspective: Leading Through Change
+ Quinton Lucas, Kansas City Mayor
+ Monroe Nichols, Tulsa Mayor
3:30 p.m. - Free Time
5:30 p.m.
Reception
Crossroads Hotel Percheron North
5:45 p.m.
Group Photo
7:00 p.m.
Dinner on Your Own / Chair’s Sponsor Appreciation Dinner
Wednesday, October 7, 2026
8:15 a.m.
Breakfast
Crossroads Hotel Ballroom
8:30 a.m.
Built for Growth: Kansas City’s Approach to Housing
+ Melissa Patterson Hazley, KC City Council (3rd District)
+ Geoff Jolley, Executive Director, LISC Greater KC
+ Todd Lieberman, President, Brinshore Development
+ Moderator: Jeff Hall, Senior Program Officer for Housing and Capital Development, The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation
9:15 a.m. - Break
9:30 a.m.
Vision Into Action: A Conversation on Courage, Leadership and Moving a City Forward
+ Sly James, Former KC Mayor
+ Jonathan Long, Senior Vice President of Community Development, Tulsa Regional Chamber
10:15 a.m. - Break
10:30 a.m.
Facilitated Debrief
+ Jeff Wilke, HoganTaylor Talent Principal, HoganTaylor
11:30 a.m.
Closing Remarks/Announcements
+ Jonathan Long, Senior Vice President of Community Development, Tulsa Regional Chamber
+ Dana Weber, CEO, Webco and Chair-elect, Tulsa Regional Chamber
11:45 a.m.
Adjourn
Attendee List
>>> Click here to view attendee list (as of October 2).
Trip Guide
>>> Click here to view guide.
Kansas City Overview
Kansas City was selected for the Chamber's 2026 Intercity Visit to understand how sustained economic growth can be converted into transformational outcomes through aligned business leadership, civic engagement and private-sector investment that strengthen downtown vitality, talent retention and regional competitiveness.
The Kansas City region, home to more than 2 million people, straddles the state line of Missouri and Kansas.
Kansas City was a “wide open” town, largely ignoring Prohibition, and 12th Street became world-renowned for its jazz clubs, gambling parlors and brothels—earning KC the moniker the “Paris of the Plains.” Musicians, including Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Mary Lou Williams and Duke Ellington flocked to Kansas City to perform at the numerous nightclubs, dance halls and vaudeville houses regularly featuring jazz.
Known as the City of Fountains, Kansas City is home to over 200 — more than any other city in the world except Rome.
Kansas City's American Royal World Series of Barbecue, considered the biggest barbecue contest and celebration in the world, hosts more than 600 teams competing and thousands of people in attendance at Kansas Speedway each fall.
Kansas City’s popular Country Club Plaza opened in 1922 as the nation’s first suburban shopping district. The retail hotspot spans 15 blocks and is made up of Spanish-inspired architecture, echoing that of Seville, Spain. Often referred to as an “outdoor museum,” terracotta roofs, intricate tilework and sculptures, European art and flowing fountains dot the district.
Kansas City has hosted the most NCAA basketball national championships games in history and is tied for the second-most NCAA tournament games of any city with 137. Over 80 of those have been played at Municipal Auditorium. It also hosts the Big 12 Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, the MIAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships and the NAIA Men’s Basketball Championship.
Enjoy & Experience
Visitors Guide
Explore Kansas City before you arrive with the free digital Visitors Guide, available online anytime.
>>> Click here to view.
Past Intercity Visits
Recent News
Quick reads from last year's Salt Lake City visit.
>>> Click below to read.
• Day 1 - Tulsa Regional Chamber begins Intercity Visit: SLC
• Day 2 - Public safety discussion highlights programming at Intercity Visit: SLC
• Day 3 - Panel discussion tackles homelessness as Chamber concludes Intercity Visit: SLC
Each fall, the Chamber leads a three-day Intercity Visit where Tulsa leaders learn how other regions approach growth and community challenges. Topics often include development, infrastructure and workforce.
>>> Click here to view past takeaways.
