KCK Convention & Visitors Bureau Strategic Plan: 2019 - 2021 Mission statement: “To market Kansas City Kansas as a visitor destination and to increase the number of overnight stays.” Vision statement: A Kansas City, Kansas, where residents and visitors alike share in a thriving community of culture, memorable experiences and an abundance of economic benefits generated by tourism. Use of this strategic plan During 2018, the KCK CVB Board of Directors revised and updated the KCK CVB strategic plan. During this five-month process, the board identified trends that will have a deep impact on tourism in Kansas City, Kansas over the next three years. From those trends, the board and staff then identified goals, strategies and objectives to assure that the CVB is successful in using those trends to further its mission. Each year, the Strategies and Objectives in this plan will be reviewed and updated to effectively reflect destination developments, and budget or staffing considerations. In addition, this strategic plan will be pivotal in the development of CVB annual goals. Numerical measures of success will be added at that time to the annual objectives. Note: This strategic plan does not replace the current ongoing regular work of the CVB. The work set out in this plan is in addition to, and in support of enhancing the current work of the CVB. Additional resources will be necessary to accomplish the work set out in this strategic plan. 1 Trend: Travelers increasingly want experiences Goal One: Increase the portfolio of experiences that drive visitors to Kansas City, KS. Strategy One: Increase the 2019 2020 2021 capacity of small attractions Objective One: By 2020, Objective One: Offer Objective One: Offer and tourism partners in KCK to offer two capacity-building two trainings. two trainings. create meaningful and trainings per year for small memorable hands-on attractions, museums, experiences. restaurants, short-term rental (Airbnb) operators and hotels. Strategy Two: Build on the Objective One: Increase the Objective One: Focus Objective One: Focus on increased desire for urban message of welcoming on two new two new neighborhoods. travel, highlighting and diversity by teaming up with neighborhoods. celebrating KCK’s diversity neighborhood groups to and promoting the downtown focus on specific urban resurgence. neighborhoods. Focus on two neighborhoods per year. Strategy Three: Make the Objective One: Investigate Objective One: Review Objective One: Review travel planning process as easy best practices and expand trends, add and refresh trends, add and refresh as possible for all visitors. personalized itineraries on personas and itineraries. personas and itineraries. the website. Goal Two: Visitors know when they have arrived in KCK, and can easily find their way around and access information about what KCK has to offer. Strategy One: Advocate for a 2019 2020 2021 seamless transportation and Objective One: Advocate Objective One: Revise wayfinding signage experience with the U.G. to develop a objectives based on the from the moment a visitor visitor signage and plan. arrives to the moment they transportation plan. leave, with the ultimate goal being that transportation becomes part of the KCK experience. Strategy Two: By 2021, move Objective One: Research the CVB office to a high-traffic kiosk programs. Find the area in Village West, where best ones. visitors can get information. In Objective Two: Develop addition, put in place a plan and budget for the comprehensive kiosk plan for office and visitor resource all of Kansas City Kansas. center. Develop budget for kiosks. 2 Strategy Three: Develop Objective One: Develop a Objective Two: Develop volunteer and training volunteer program to assist a hospitality-training programs that assist staff in CVB staff in trade shows, program that educates providing visitor information. community welcome and front-line workers on outreach. Develop budget how they can encourage and put program in place. visitors to stay longer. Select 10-12 volunteers and train them to represent the CVB and the community. Goal Three: Grow and reinvent the use of technology to enhance the on-site visitor experience. Strategy One: Have diverse 2019 2020 2021 technology options available to Objective One: Review Objective One: Objective One: visitors, once they have arrived technology changes, Continue to review Continue to review in KCK, depending on their consider how they can technology changes, etc. technology changes, etc. traveler type and needs. Tech enhance the visitor options may include experience, and apply to the geofencing, website budget, including cost to hire enhancements, mobile and train staff to use new experiences, kiosks, etc. technology. 3 Trend: Amateur & youth sports are increasingly important Goal One: Advocate for development of facilities that offer year-round opportunities. Strategy One: Advocate for 2019 2020 2021 enhancing existing facilities to Objective One: Advocate expand year-round for updating Memorial Hall opportunities. with modern technology. Objective Two: Create strong partnerships with high schools and colleges, and advocate for year-round facilities. Objective Three: Work with professional sports team venues to bring events in shoulder seasons. Strategy Two: Advocate for Objective One: Advocate new facilities to expand year- for indoor venues that can round opportunities. host multiple sports. Goal Two: Focus the CVB message to keep KCK top of mind for youth and amateur sports planners. Strategy One: Work with 2019 2020 2021 existing hotels to encourage Objective One: Keep Objective One: Track Objective One: Track them to book youth and building relationships and and present data. and present data. amateur sports teams. tracking each event with housing companies. Objective Two: Build Objective Two: Objective Two: relationships with hotels by Continue to build Continue to build holding regular meetings relationships with hotels. relationships with hotels. with them. Objective Three: Increase servicing of hotels that host youth sports, such as providing banners and welcome tables. Strategy Two: Expand Objective One: Enhance the Objective Two: marketing focused on amateur CVB website so it makes a Increase marketing and youth sports. good first impression and budget and reach for contains all necessary digital ads. information. Objective Three: Increase 4 CVB visibility at sports- related trade shows. Goal Three: Identify untapped sports markets and activities to pursue. Strategy One: Target markets 2019 2020 2021 that are active at times other Objective One: Research Objective One: Update Objective One: Update than summer. untapped sports markets and research. Revise plans. research. Revise plans. choose five to pursue. Continue to implement. Continue to implement. Develop a plan for each market and implement the plans simultaneously. Strategy Two: Target team Objective One: Increase sports to drive increased marketing dollars and reach visitation. to encourage families to stay longer in KCK. Objective Two: Share a calendar of upcoming sports events with restaurants and attractions. 5 Trend: Importance of social media is growing. Goal One: Use the power of social media to broaden the audience for the CVB. Strategy One: Expand the 2019 2020 Objective Two: Update number of specific audiences Objective One: Identify Objective Two: Identify as needed. reached through social media. new audiences for the changes in the trends, CVB. interests, and needs of existing audiences, and revise the messages. Strategy Two: Keep up on Objective One: Produce Objective One: Continue Objective One: Continue trends in platforms. Be a social engaging and original to develop new and to develop new and media innovator. content. original content. original content. Objective Two: Increase Objective Two: Increase Objective Two: Increase spending of social media ad spending as needed. spending as needed. dollars. Objective Three: Use Objective Three: Objective Three: social influencers to Continue to expand the Continue to expand the broaden our reach. Expand social media influencer social media influencer the social media influencer program and network. program and network. program and grow the network. Objective Four: Make sure Objective Four: Make Objective Four: Make stories and photos reflect sure stories and photos sure stories and photos KCK’s diversity. reflect KCK’s diversity. reflect KCK’s diversity. Strategy Three: Increase Objective One: Increase Objective Three: conversation with partners to the focus on social media Educate partners by encourage the use of social when meeting with developing Social Media media to enhance tourism. partners. 101 training. Objective Two: Increase tracking and sharing of social media mentions and results with partners. Strategy Four: Invest in Objective One: Identify Objective One: Update Objective One: Update technology, both hardware and and purchase equipment as needed. as needed. software, to expand social needed to generate high- media impact. quality media. Strategy Five: Have Objective One: Invest in Objective One: Continue Objective One: Continue sufficiently trained staff to conferences and training to invest in conferences to invest in conferences implement the social media related to social media, and training. and training. strategies. such as the Social Media Club of Kansas City. 6 Objective Two: Invest in Objective Two: Invest in Objective Two: Invest in social media audits of social media audits of social media audits of selected platforms.