December 19, 2025 • 35 mins
A timely and extremely enjoyable conversation with Vist KC Vice President Tourism Development Jenny Wilson. Raised in western Kansas and a Washburn Rural and Kansas State graduate, her love of the travel industry started young with internships at Disney World and has carried on to her impressive career, in the spotlight now with the World Cup coming to Kansas City. Enjoy!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to the Danny Clinkscale, Reasonably irreverent podcast, insightful and
witty commentary, probing interviews and detours from the beaten path.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Welcome to Kansas City Profiles presented by Eastern Roofing, and
a timely and enjoyable visit with Jenny Wilson, the vice
President of Tourist Development at Visit KC. And she has
more than twenty five years of industry experience to her role,
which is a vital one now in this World Cup
year coming up. She was raised in Western Kansas, went
to high school in Topeka, Kansas, and never thought of
(00:38):
anywhere else but going to Kansas State. Her education was
in the tourist industry and public relations, and she took
it right into the hotel world with Hyatt for a
few years and then on to Visit KC in various
roles until recently she became the vice president of Tourist Development.
She tours the world selling Kansas City as a great
(00:58):
destination and of course that has become even a more
vital part of a Visit KC with the World Cup
coming to Kansas City in twenty twenty six. She has
a passion for all the things that she does for work,
and they tie into her life's passion for travel and
Disney and all those type of things, all of things
that she's experienced in.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Her work world.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
So it's a traveling edition of Kansas City Profiles with
Jenny Wilson, the vice president of Tourist Development for Visit KC.
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Speaker 2 (04:27):
Jenny. You were raised in Western Kansas, Hayes, and tell
me what it was like to be young girl Jenny
in Western Kansas.
Speaker 5 (04:37):
Idyllic is what I would say. You know, I was
raised in the eighties. That helps you with my age.
But that was the time where parents just let you
roam free. And it's true what they said when the
street lights came on. And Hayes was a very small
small town at that at that time, so we kind
of ran the streets and it was just an incredibly
fun childhood. And my grandparents had a farm about thirty
(04:59):
min files from Hayes, and we went to most weekends.
So I grew up, you know, with the wheat fields
and some things like that.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Now, when did you develop some interest or what were
your thoughts as you're growing up. I know you've always
had an interest in maybe travel or Disney or things
like that, but as you were moving along, what was
what was that like?
Speaker 6 (05:22):
So my parents took me to Walt Disney World.
Speaker 5 (05:24):
I must have been about seven was the first time
we went there, and I can remember I found it
years later. I clipped out of the newspaper a job
for people to work at Walt Disney World, and I
told mom and Dad, someday I'm going to work there.
And I think that's what really started my love a
of travel within the tourism industry in general, and I
did end up working at Disney off and on for
(05:46):
a few years.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
You graduated high school in Tapekas And when did you
move from Western Kansas to eastern Ish Kansas?
Speaker 6 (05:56):
Moved my eighth grade year.
Speaker 5 (05:58):
So I finished high school on Tapeka at Washburn Rural
High School and graduated there and then went on to
Kansas State University.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Just as you were about to enter high school. Was
that a little painful to leave your friends behind? Or
was because you were just going to go be going
from junior high up to high school? Did that make
it easier?
Speaker 6 (06:17):
No, that could have.
Speaker 5 (06:18):
I always say that was probably the worst time to move.
Was middle school horrible time to move. No, that was painful.
So luckily I had some good people on the bus
that I rode who took me under their wing and
made some friends pretty quickly that way. But I always
said I would never move my kids in their middle
(06:39):
school years.
Speaker 6 (06:40):
It was rough.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Well, I know you have a love for sports, and
did you I know you played soccer, basketball and ran
cross country. Did you do that at Washburn Rural?
Speaker 6 (06:49):
I did so.
Speaker 5 (06:50):
I am old enough that they did not have a
women's soccer team at that point at the high school level,
so I ran ran cross country instead. Liked cross country
but loved track was my passion. Played basketball for a
few years, but really fell in love with the track
and field. So I ended up running some indoor track
(07:11):
through a private club and then ran track all the
way through.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Is that something you thought about pursuing when you were
getting ready to go to Kansas State or did you
pursue that?
Speaker 5 (07:21):
I did not, you know, I started running gosh, I
was probably ten when I started running competitive track, and
I just I think I was ready for a break.
I had done you know, three sports for all my
high school career and.
Speaker 6 (07:35):
Was ready for the break.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
And I was okay but definitely not a D one
level runner. And K State was where I wanted to go.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
So was when did you develop the idea that k
State was going to be the place that you wanted
to be?
Speaker 6 (07:50):
It was always where I was going to go. I
didn't I didn't even look at another college.
Speaker 5 (07:54):
My parents would have loved me to go back to
Hayes and go to Fort hay State because my parents
graduated there, grandparents graduated there.
Speaker 6 (08:01):
But Case State was it for me. So made the
college decision very easy.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Well, there you go. So what was it about Kansas State?
Was it the football or was it just some friends
had gone there? What was it about it that made
it appealing and made it an easy choice for you?
Speaker 6 (08:17):
I think part of it was the friends.
Speaker 5 (08:20):
Part of it was the football, So I would have
I was there during Coach Snyder's the heyday, so I
was there in a brilliant time to be going to school,
and I just kind of the campus fit well of
what I was looking for.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
So you're about ready to graduate from college and you've
kind of had this interest in what you wanted to
do and wanted to work in the tourist industry. First
of all, what was your degree in and what was
the start of the real world for you?
Speaker 5 (08:49):
So I actually one of the few people that graduated
with a degree that I'm still in. I graduated with
a dual degree in hospitality management public relations. For a while,
I thought it was I wanted to go into pr
until I had to write, and I'm not a writer
at all, so that pretty much solved that career path.
But when they had got the dual degree, and then
(09:10):
I had to put myself through college, so waitressed worked
in the hotels through college. But really what sealed the
deal was I was a Walt Disney World College intern,
so they'll pull interns in.
Speaker 6 (09:23):
For the summer. I did it for summer.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
Drove a double decker bus, which to this day is
probably one of my most favorite jobs. I pitched people
up at Epcot, drove them around. If you've ever been
to Walt Disney World, all the different countries, the buses
don't operate anymore. But I did that for a summer,
then took a semester off and went back to Disney.
They have an entire research center there that most people
don't realize. So it was right before the Animal Kingdom
(09:47):
opened up, and I had a whole bunch of research
for them on animals. But really just fell in love
with the industry itself, specifically event planning. You know, Michael,
I was going to graduate college, work in hotels for
a couple of years, and then become a meeting planner.
Speaker 6 (10:02):
You know, back then, you pretty much had two.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
Paths coming out of the hospitality. You either went to
the hotel side or the restaurant side. So I chose
the hotel side and started working for Hyatt right out
of college here in Kansas City.
Speaker 6 (10:17):
That's what brought me to Kansas City.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Well, you worked at Hyatt for several years to talk
about the experience there and the opportunity and decision to
change paths.
Speaker 6 (10:29):
Sure, so, yep.
Speaker 5 (10:30):
So I started at the Hyatt Crown Center, which now
is the Sheraton Crown Center. Worked there for a few years,
went through their corporate management training program, went right into
convention services, which is working with meeting planners event event planning.
Went to Chicago for three years and was there at
Hyatt O'Hare, which is a large property by the airport,
(10:53):
and had my first child in Chicago. In you know,
the hotel industry at that time, they wanted you to
move out every two years to continue.
Speaker 6 (11:01):
Your growth path. Lots of hours.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
We came back to Kansas City and I knew I
needed to make a change.
Speaker 6 (11:08):
I didn't want to totally get out.
Speaker 5 (11:10):
Of the hospitality industry, but you know, I was putting
my child to bed and then having to go back
into work to finish things up.
Speaker 6 (11:17):
That was, of course before work from home and all
that amazing things.
Speaker 5 (11:21):
And the opportunity came up to work for Visit CAC
on their convention services side, So it kept me in
the industry, but not quite the load that you've got
when you're working in the hotel world.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Well, you just mentioned that you started your family in Chicago.
How did you meet your husband?
Speaker 6 (11:38):
We both worked for Hyatt Hotels there you go.
Speaker 5 (11:42):
Yeah, so it's you know, hard to have much of
a life in the hotel world. So yeah, we met
each other at Hyatt Hotels, moved to Chicago together, and
he's out of the industry now too, But.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
That's how you met. So you have three children now,
and we'll talk about that a little bit later on,
but talk about the transition and transition and development. What
year are we talking about when you moved into the
KC market and the job basically or the location or
overarching deal at Visit case that you're working for now.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
Sure.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
So I started at Visit CAC in two thousand and six.
I came in as their director of Convention Services. So
those who you know, if you're not familiar with the world.
You have the sales team, they'll sell a large convention,
and then once that convention turns definite, a services person
will come in and then we would do all the
operational planning, so anything from off site venues to transportation,
(12:42):
things like that. So I did that for a long
time with Visit CAC and then in two thousand and
twenty moved over and did on the Partnership Team Visit
CACS a partnership based organizations who worked with the Partnership team,
and now still have the Partnership team underneath me and
the vice president of Tourism Development. So my role now
(13:04):
focuses very heavily on international visitation.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
It does, indeed, and it seems like right now and
starting with that role as vice president of Tourist Development,
which you are now, it's almost a full circle type
of thing to maybe what you once dreamed of doing.
Speaker 5 (13:21):
It is it is, you know, I think you kind
of get the travel bug, the tourism bug, and you'll
find a lot of people stay in this industry for
a long time.
Speaker 6 (13:31):
I mean it's a fun industry. I love meeting people.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
Definitely an extrovert, so all of that kind of comes
into play when you choose this career path. But you know,
it's been a lot of fun to watch the transformation
of Kansas City. I'n't a visit CAC now almost twenty years,
and to watch the transformation of Kansas City from when
I first started, when the Power and Light District doesn't
didn't exist, there was no streetcar.
Speaker 6 (13:55):
You know, you would walk out into downtown Kansas City
and it was just so quiet. You remember those days.
Speaker 5 (14:02):
You know, to now, it's just so much fun to
sell and internationally. I've been doing international selling for almost
ten years, and when I first started doing that, I
kind of have to be like, well, do you know
where Missouri is? And then we would go into Kansas
City to where now you know, with lots of factors,
the Chiefs and Taylor Swift and just all of that,
everybody knows Kansas City.
Speaker 6 (14:23):
So it's a lot of fun to sell.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
In simpler terms, not that you didn't make it very clear,
but it has Your job just sort of increasingly got
a little bit easier because of the growth of Kansas City.
Speaker 5 (14:36):
Hands down, it's easier in the fact that I think
people recognize it and now there's this air of intrigue.
Speaker 6 (14:45):
You know, they want to know more about it.
Speaker 5 (14:47):
I selt to sell them of course to come, but
there's definitely the intrigue is there and they've done maybe
a little bit of research, and then it's just helping
them understand all the assets that we have available in
our city, you know, the food and music and the culture.
That's a lot of fun to talk about. And what's
even more.
Speaker 6 (15:04):
Fun is when somebody comes and then they're like everything
you told us was true.
Speaker 5 (15:09):
Everybody is so nice and there's so much to do,
and that really helps it come full circle.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Pre World Cup and we're certainly going to talk a
lot about that, But pre World Cup, what would be
some of that? What what would be an average sort
of working trip for you, say you went to Berlin
or London or whatever, who would you meet? I mean
you're not just going to some person and saying, hey,
come on over and spend your vacation. So who do
you meet with? And what is what is it that
(15:36):
your job like in that area?
Speaker 5 (15:38):
Sure, it's you know, when you look at international visitation
and who you sell to, it's a little different. So
like if you I book a trip, we typically just
we get online, we find our air we find our hotels,
and we just go internationally. Still to this day, a
lot of internationals book through travel agents, so tour operators.
So I will go overseas, and I will initially start
(15:59):
with those tour operators because you have to when they've
got a guest that comes in, whether it's online or
still some countries, still to this day it's print. So
it's a printed book that you flip through and you're
looking for itineraries, you know. So you're going to start
in Kansas City, You're going to go to Saint Louis
and then Memphis and Nashville.
Speaker 6 (16:16):
It's you know, internationals.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
It's a multi city, multi state so all sell to
those tour operators, why.
Speaker 6 (16:22):
They should include Kansas City. And I always use the examples.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
If you go into a restaurant and you want to coke,
but only they only have pepsi, you're going to get
the pepsi. So I have to ensure when somebody walks
into a travel agent says I want to go to
Kansas City, that travel agent has the product, meeting the
hotels and the information to sell it to them.
Speaker 6 (16:43):
So it's really meeting with those tour.
Speaker 5 (16:44):
Operators, educating them about Kansas City and why they should
encourage visitation from you know, from their attendees to us.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Do you have like a list of tour operators? Do
you go to conventions? What says the type of structure
that you'll have when you make these visitations, great question.
Speaker 5 (17:01):
A lot of it is convention based, so it's appointment based.
So there's a few large trade shows. For example, in
Germany there's one called ITV and it's a worldwide, you know,
trade shows. Everybody from all over the world. The tour
operators will come in. It's set up like an exhibit hall.
But unlike where if you go to the RV show,
for say, you just walk through and just talk to
(17:22):
whoever you want to. These are all pre planned appointments,
so you set up and you schedule appointments. They're typically
ten to fifteen minutes long. But it's an appointment system
where you know, I could meet with forty different tour
operators in one trade show. So then you meet with
the two operators, you sell them on Kansas City, and
of course it's all the follow up that then comes
(17:44):
behind it to ensure that they've got the information they
need to pass on to their travel agents because their
main goal, of course too, if they're selling the United States,
they want to send as many people as they can
to the US because of course they make their money
that way too, So it's kind of that joint sell.
Speaker 6 (18:02):
If you say it that way. And then the other thing.
Speaker 5 (18:05):
We would do is we've got what would be called
an international rep. So we've got somebody in the UK
who's very well versed on Kansas City and that company
kind of helps us in the UK, so if we
can't go to every single show, they help represent us.
But then they would set up sales mission. Its just
like a traditional sales mission in the US where you
would go around to the different companies.
Speaker 6 (18:26):
We would do the same thing overseas is go visit
the tour operators.
Speaker 5 (18:29):
We do a lot of training with travel agents, whether
that's in person or online, talking about Kansas City, what
all there is to do in Kansas City. So there's
a lot of training that goes into it.
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working with you. Our guest is Jenny Wilson. She's the
vice president of Tourism Development at Visit KC. And of
course this is a very very busy time for her.
But before we get into the changes and the excitement
(21:22):
that has been brought by Kansas City being a World
Cup location, what are a couple say if you were
training somebody, are there sort of some really positive dues
that you would struct them on? And her is there
are things you say, you know, we don't want to
say this about Kansas City or the Midwest or the
US or things to you know, put them off as.
Speaker 5 (21:44):
It were, Well, you know, you you always think about
Kansas City, you think, right, if you look at international
it's very different than maybe a domestic traveler.
Speaker 6 (21:55):
They love what makes us us off?
Speaker 5 (22:01):
And I have trouble saying au authenticness, authenticity are there?
Speaker 6 (22:07):
You go that who we are? So it's it's the jazz,
It's the music.
Speaker 5 (22:11):
And I always say, you know, jazz was born and
I learned this way back from the Jazz Union. Jazz
was of course was born in New Orleans, but it
really grew up in Kansas City. So it's kind of
telling the story of that movement of the jazz and
and then with the Prohibition and our gangster history, there's
just a lot to our history that some titans, I
think we take for granted or that maybe we don't
(22:31):
think about. And then of course the food scene, I mean,
you know, outside of even barbecue. Of course you will
have to talk about barbecues. That's what Kansas City is
so much known for. But outside of that, the culinary
scene here is really we're very, very fortunate for what
we have.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
I would think for Europeans, you know, what's interesting is
that when you live someplace, you don't tend to maybe
enjoy the things that are right here as much as
you should. And I would put myself in the category.
I've only gone to the World War One Museum twice
and it's a fabulous museum, and I would think that
for Europeans that would be a real destination.
Speaker 5 (23:11):
Well, I think you've hit the nail right. We are
our own worst tourists.
Speaker 6 (23:15):
In our own backyard.
Speaker 5 (23:16):
You don't take advantage of what we have in our
own destination, and the World War National World War One
Museum is incredible. I just had a UK client. She's
been there three times. Every time she comes in. That's
where she wants to go. So I think, you know,
there's a lot of those attractions that we just you know,
the National Toy and Miniature Museum, this team go to
Arabia Museum. You know, all these museums that we have
(23:38):
here that maybe we've been to once or if you
were rased or you want as a kid and then
haven't been back.
Speaker 6 (23:44):
But we're very fortunate for what we have.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
All right, let's turn to the World Cup. Now, it's
so current now with the draw just a couple of
weeks ago, and it's not very far away. We're about
to turn the calendar to twenty twenty six. I bet
a few years ago it seemed like a long time off,
although I'm sure in your industry time flies. But how
did the fact that Kansas City was announced as a
destination for the World Cup change your job when you
(24:12):
would go to over to Europe and England and so forth.
Speaker 5 (24:16):
My goodness, it automatically gave us. I always say street cred.
They're like you can host a World Cup, you just
raise the level the perception of our city tenfold. You know.
Speaker 6 (24:28):
It's if you can pull off the biggest event in
the world, there's your city's made it.
Speaker 5 (24:33):
So it was fascinating and incredibly exciting to see the
difference the second I said we're a World Cup city,
I kind of you know, they would stop and want
to hear more.
Speaker 6 (24:43):
And it's been a lot of fun, a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Of course, there's a lot involved with that, and it
also took another turn. I mean, for a while people
are just speculating. You know, I have a really good
friend who's a big fan of the German team, and
it was the possibility that Germany was going to come here.
Of course that ended up not happening. But you've Argentina
and Norway and the Netherlands and team countries like that.
So how change as far as specific specificity You couldn't
(25:11):
say authenticity and I can't say specificity. How did the
specificity change for you a couple of weeks ago.
Speaker 6 (25:19):
Well, you know, it's fascinating.
Speaker 5 (25:20):
Yes, the UK and Germany are our top in dound
markets for US internationally into Kansas City, so of course
I'm like, can we get England? Can we get Germany?
Because then it makes it so easy because I sell
there all the time. But I am so excited about
the teams we did get.
Speaker 6 (25:36):
I think the.
Speaker 5 (25:37):
Future what I'm excited for clearly during that time period.
I mean, to get the teams we have is amazing,
but what's going to help us on with that future
growth of.
Speaker 6 (25:45):
International travel to Kansas City?
Speaker 5 (25:47):
And you think of how many eyes are going to
be watching those games and watching Kansas City, and we
show so amazing on TV. I mean the way our
city lights up. To me, it's that long term tourism
fact that it's just going to be a lot of
fun to see what happens. You know, I've always said
I'm so excited to have the Netherlands, the Dutch because
(26:08):
of the orange their orange crew. If you ever watch
a YouTube video of the Dutch and walking through the
streets with the dollar orange gear on. I am so
excited to see it in Kansas City.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Well, my daughter lives in the Netherlands, so I'm kind
of excited to have it. I don't not much of
a soccer fan, but maybe she'll come just because of that.
I don't know, but are there any of the countries
that are challenging at all right now from a travel
restriction standpoint? Or did we dodge that bullet?
Speaker 5 (26:35):
You know, I don't want to speak out a turnout.
I'd have to double check. I want to say I think.
Speaker 6 (26:39):
We've charged we were okay?
Speaker 3 (26:42):
I think.
Speaker 6 (26:44):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (26:44):
Looking at the list, yeah so, and clearly Argentina is
going to draw both a domestic and an international very
large crowd.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
So we've already started to hear stories of you know,
what the prices are going to be. Not for the tickets,
although FIFA did to throw a bone to the people
who aren't rich by allocating one thousand and sixty dollars
tickets the other day, and hopefully that number will go up.
But as far as people traveling over here, obviously this
is a free market economy and people who own hotels
(27:14):
and airbnbs. Do you have communication with hotel groups and
things like that to try and do anything about potential
price gouging or just say hey, is this going to
be reasonable or do you have anything to do with that?
Speaker 5 (27:29):
You know, we don't hotels set their own pricing, you know,
as does everybody else.
Speaker 6 (27:35):
You know, hopefully everybody looks at the big picture and
they make smart decisions based on the market.
Speaker 5 (27:40):
So I think, you know, overall, Kansas City should fare
really well when you look at a travelers in the
traveler's mind, just based on where we typically fall price wise,
based you know, if you look at like a New
York City or Miami, we're traditionally lower anyway.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
So well, I think that people sometimes would think that,
you know, this is going to be a more difficult
World Cup for international travelers. But I think those people
don't have a very wise view of the last few
World Cups. Now Cutter was pretty everything was pretty close there.
But the previous two World Cups are in Russia and Brazil,
which are monstrous countries every bit, if not bigger than
(28:20):
the United States. But have you heard is it people's
perception and the places you go that this is this
vast place where if they're going to follow their team around,
it's going to be really impossible.
Speaker 6 (28:32):
No, I haven't heard this can be impossible.
Speaker 5 (28:33):
I was surprised to hear somebody said, oh, well, I'm
just going to run a bus and I'll go from
Miami to Seattle.
Speaker 6 (28:39):
And see all the games that I'm like, well, maybe
you should look.
Speaker 5 (28:43):
At the mileage between Miami and Seattle.
Speaker 6 (28:45):
That's up right. You know, sometimes I forget think.
Speaker 5 (28:48):
People forget how big our country is, you know, because
you know, you can go clear across Germany in a
day and be fine. So I think that probably surprises
people maybe a little bit.
Speaker 6 (28:59):
But from what i've everybody's doing their research and.
Speaker 5 (29:04):
You know, I mean, you think Kansas City to Dallas
is only an eight hour drive, so you could that's
easily driveable if you don't want to fly in between.
So no, I think I think once people do their research,
it makes sense.
Speaker 6 (29:16):
I think it's you know, it's a unique.
Speaker 5 (29:18):
World Cup, the fact that it is three countries, so yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
So it's even a little bit bigger than that. But
exactly people may pick and choose or some people are
just enthusiasts, the enthusiasts of the sport, not just their
country and come here. Although we hear stories about people
who are really not very well to do it all
and they sell their cars so they can go to
the World Cup and things like that. That's the enthusiasm
and passion that we have for these things. Now you're
(29:46):
really in the home stretch now, what what are some
of the challenges for you over the next six months.
Speaker 6 (29:54):
Oh boy, I think it's.
Speaker 5 (29:59):
You know, I think it's getting to me, like, because
I'm so passionate about Kansasity. I want everybody here. Everybody
should come, right. I know that's not a reality. I
know that's not going to happen, but I want to
make sure I can get as much information into the
hands of every single country that's coming that I possibly can,
because I.
Speaker 6 (30:16):
Just think the experience here. You know, what our.
Speaker 5 (30:19):
Case twenty twenty sixteen is doing is incredible. I think
the fan fest, I think everything that's that's happening is
going to be a tough notch experience. And then you
add in our community that is just built on this
welcoming and just these people that I just I want
everybody here because I think the experience is going to
be amazing.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
And this may well be a warm up for a
Women's World Cup, which could be close behind. And the
more seems even many more likely with the fact that
the Men's World Cup is here, and that's good, that's
going to be a relatively quick turnaround.
Speaker 6 (30:55):
Don't streuss me out. We're getting through twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Well, you mentioned that people stay in this industry for
a long time, and you seem like you really have
a great love for for what you do. Is this
something you could see doing for like the rest of
your life.
Speaker 6 (31:14):
Yeah, I look to probably retire.
Speaker 4 (31:17):
YEP.
Speaker 6 (31:17):
I tell my team all the time.
Speaker 5 (31:18):
I'm like, I don't have any plans to go anywhere
as long as as long as I still I always say,
and I tell always the younger career right, if you
have fun at what you do, it's not really a job.
And I truly love what I do. I love Kansas City.
You know, my entire DMO you know, world has been
with vis A case. I couldn't imagine selling another city
(31:39):
with the same passion that I have for Kansas City.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Well, of course, when somebody travels as much as you do.
The trite question which I will ask is name one, two,
or three of your favorite cities around the world.
Speaker 6 (31:52):
So my favorite I get I know, I get asked
this question a lot. I always say.
Speaker 5 (31:56):
I always say, one of my favorite big cities is London.
I love London, I love the architecture, I love the people.
To me, it's one of my favorite cities the country
that surprised me the most that I've ever traveled to
is China. Okay, honestly, that was not a country I
thought i'd ever go to, and it wasn't on.
Speaker 6 (32:14):
My list, but it was beautiful. It was a beautiful country.
Speaker 5 (32:17):
The people were just as nice as they can be,
the food was good. That country surprised me probably the most.
And then probably another city that I truly enjoyed. To me,
there's no place like Venice, right, There's just, I mean
no other city right that you have to get on
a boat to go everywhere. You just have these bridges
that walk over the water. So every city I think
(32:40):
has just like domestically, just their unique aspects to them.
Speaker 6 (32:44):
And I think travel provides so much more.
Speaker 5 (32:49):
You know, the experience, yes, but it really opens your
eye to the different cultures and the people, and that
to me is a big part of travel.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
Well, until I went to bar in Switzerland summer, Venice
was the number one city I had been to and
I'm going back next year, so maybe Venice will win
back my heart. I don't know if that's going to
be the case. But tell me a little bit about
your family now growing up obviously a little bit and
obviously you have to multitask, but that's a lot easier
in the world in twenty twenty five and twenty twenty six.
(33:20):
Tell us a little bit about your family.
Speaker 5 (33:23):
Yeah, so I've got three boys. I've got the oldest one.
Everybody's here in Kansas City. The youngest is in university
at Ottawa. At Ottawa University, he's running track and cross
country for them, so he.
Speaker 6 (33:37):
Fell in love with my sport.
Speaker 5 (33:38):
But yet, those three boys that all were active, and
they've all kind of instilled my passion for travel. We
took them around the United States quite a bit where
big outdoorsy people loved the camp and hike and fish,
and we did that and they all still love that.
And yeah, they do keep me busy or empty nesters.
Speaker 6 (34:00):
For the first time, there you go, which.
Speaker 5 (34:02):
Has been a change. But then I kind of got
used to it. And then the youngest came back and
I'm like, wait a minute.
Speaker 6 (34:07):
You want me to cook again. I don't do that anymore.
Speaker 5 (34:11):
So it's been the change now with him home for
the holidays.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
Well, you obviously seem, as we said before, have sort
of full circle to a place that you seemingly always
wanted to be. There must be a great sense of
satisfaction even though it's going to be a crazy couple
of years. You must go to work with a smile.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
On your face.
Speaker 5 (34:30):
I do.
Speaker 6 (34:31):
I wouldn't have it any other way.
Speaker 5 (34:32):
Any other way so a great organization and love this industry.
Speaker 6 (34:37):
Highly recommend it to anybody.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
We hope you enjoyed the latest Danny Klinkscale Reasonably irreverent podcast.
Come back soon for something fresh and new. This podcast
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Welcome to the Danny Clinkscale, Reasonably irreverent podcast, insightful and
witty commentary, probing interviews and detours from the beaten path.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Welcome to Kansas City Profiles presented by Eastern Roofing, and
a timely and enjoyable visit with Jenny Wilson, the vice
President of Tourist Development at Visit KC. And she has
more than twenty five years of industry experience to her role,
which is a vital one now in this World Cup
year coming up. She was raised in Western Kansas, went
to high school in Topeka, Kansas, and never thought of
(00:38):
anywhere else but going to Kansas State. Her education was
in the tourist industry and public relations, and she took
it right into the hotel world with Hyatt for a
few years and then on to Visit KC in various
roles until recently she became the vice president of Tourist Development.
She tours the world selling Kansas City as a great
(00:58):
destination and of course that has become even a more
vital part of a Visit KC with the World Cup
coming to Kansas City in twenty twenty six. She has
a passion for all the things that she does for work,
and they tie into her life's passion for travel and
Disney and all those type of things, all of things
that she's experienced in.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Her work world.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
So it's a traveling edition of Kansas City Profiles with
Jenny Wilson, the vice president of Tourist Development for Visit KC.
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Speaker 2 (04:27):
Jenny. You were raised in Western Kansas, Hayes, and tell
me what it was like to be young girl Jenny
in Western Kansas.
Speaker 5 (04:37):
Idyllic is what I would say. You know, I was
raised in the eighties. That helps you with my age.
But that was the time where parents just let you
roam free. And it's true what they said when the
street lights came on. And Hayes was a very small
small town at that at that time, so we kind
of ran the streets and it was just an incredibly
fun childhood. And my grandparents had a farm about thirty
(04:59):
min files from Hayes, and we went to most weekends.
So I grew up, you know, with the wheat fields
and some things like that.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
Now, when did you develop some interest or what were
your thoughts as you're growing up. I know you've always
had an interest in maybe travel or Disney or things
like that, but as you were moving along, what was
what was that like?
Speaker 6 (05:22):
So my parents took me to Walt Disney World.
Speaker 5 (05:24):
I must have been about seven was the first time
we went there, and I can remember I found it
years later. I clipped out of the newspaper a job
for people to work at Walt Disney World, and I
told mom and Dad, someday I'm going to work there.
And I think that's what really started my love a
of travel within the tourism industry in general, and I
did end up working at Disney off and on for
(05:46):
a few years.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
You graduated high school in Tapekas And when did you
move from Western Kansas to eastern Ish Kansas?
Speaker 6 (05:56):
Moved my eighth grade year.
Speaker 5 (05:58):
So I finished high school on Tapeka at Washburn Rural
High School and graduated there and then went on to
Kansas State University.
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Just as you were about to enter high school. Was
that a little painful to leave your friends behind? Or
was because you were just going to go be going
from junior high up to high school? Did that make
it easier?
Speaker 6 (06:17):
No, that could have.
Speaker 5 (06:18):
I always say that was probably the worst time to move.
Was middle school horrible time to move. No, that was painful.
So luckily I had some good people on the bus
that I rode who took me under their wing and
made some friends pretty quickly that way. But I always
said I would never move my kids in their middle
(06:39):
school years.
Speaker 6 (06:40):
It was rough.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
Well, I know you have a love for sports, and
did you I know you played soccer, basketball and ran
cross country. Did you do that at Washburn Rural?
Speaker 6 (06:49):
I did so.
Speaker 5 (06:50):
I am old enough that they did not have a
women's soccer team at that point at the high school level,
so I ran ran cross country instead. Liked cross country
but loved track was my passion. Played basketball for a
few years, but really fell in love with the track
and field. So I ended up running some indoor track
(07:11):
through a private club and then ran track all the
way through.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Is that something you thought about pursuing when you were
getting ready to go to Kansas State or did you
pursue that?
Speaker 5 (07:21):
I did not, you know, I started running gosh, I
was probably ten when I started running competitive track, and
I just I think I was ready for a break.
I had done you know, three sports for all my
high school career and.
Speaker 6 (07:35):
Was ready for the break.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
And I was okay but definitely not a D one
level runner. And K State was where I wanted to go.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
So was when did you develop the idea that k
State was going to be the place that you wanted
to be?
Speaker 6 (07:50):
It was always where I was going to go. I
didn't I didn't even look at another college.
Speaker 5 (07:54):
My parents would have loved me to go back to
Hayes and go to Fort hay State because my parents
graduated there, grandparents graduated there.
Speaker 6 (08:01):
But Case State was it for me. So made the
college decision very easy.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Well, there you go. So what was it about Kansas State?
Was it the football or was it just some friends
had gone there? What was it about it that made
it appealing and made it an easy choice for you?
Speaker 6 (08:17):
I think part of it was the friends.
Speaker 5 (08:20):
Part of it was the football, So I would have
I was there during Coach Snyder's the heyday, so I
was there in a brilliant time to be going to school,
and I just kind of the campus fit well of
what I was looking for.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
So you're about ready to graduate from college and you've
kind of had this interest in what you wanted to
do and wanted to work in the tourist industry. First
of all, what was your degree in and what was
the start of the real world for you?
Speaker 5 (08:49):
So I actually one of the few people that graduated
with a degree that I'm still in. I graduated with
a dual degree in hospitality management public relations. For a while,
I thought it was I wanted to go into pr
until I had to write, and I'm not a writer
at all, so that pretty much solved that career path.
But when they had got the dual degree, and then
(09:10):
I had to put myself through college, so waitressed worked
in the hotels through college. But really what sealed the
deal was I was a Walt Disney World College intern,
so they'll pull interns in.
Speaker 6 (09:23):
For the summer. I did it for summer.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
Drove a double decker bus, which to this day is
probably one of my most favorite jobs. I pitched people
up at Epcot, drove them around. If you've ever been
to Walt Disney World, all the different countries, the buses
don't operate anymore. But I did that for a summer,
then took a semester off and went back to Disney.
They have an entire research center there that most people
don't realize. So it was right before the Animal Kingdom
(09:47):
opened up, and I had a whole bunch of research
for them on animals. But really just fell in love
with the industry itself, specifically event planning. You know, Michael,
I was going to graduate college, work in hotels for
a couple of years, and then become a meeting planner.
Speaker 6 (10:02):
You know, back then, you pretty much had two.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
Paths coming out of the hospitality. You either went to
the hotel side or the restaurant side. So I chose
the hotel side and started working for Hyatt right out
of college here in Kansas City.
Speaker 6 (10:17):
That's what brought me to Kansas City.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Well, you worked at Hyatt for several years to talk
about the experience there and the opportunity and decision to
change paths.
Speaker 6 (10:29):
Sure, so, yep.
Speaker 5 (10:30):
So I started at the Hyatt Crown Center, which now
is the Sheraton Crown Center. Worked there for a few years,
went through their corporate management training program, went right into
convention services, which is working with meeting planners event event planning.
Went to Chicago for three years and was there at
Hyatt O'Hare, which is a large property by the airport,
(10:53):
and had my first child in Chicago. In you know,
the hotel industry at that time, they wanted you to
move out every two years to continue.
Speaker 6 (11:01):
Your growth path. Lots of hours.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
We came back to Kansas City and I knew I
needed to make a change.
Speaker 6 (11:08):
I didn't want to totally get out.
Speaker 5 (11:10):
Of the hospitality industry, but you know, I was putting
my child to bed and then having to go back
into work to finish things up.
Speaker 6 (11:17):
That was, of course before work from home and all
that amazing things.
Speaker 5 (11:21):
And the opportunity came up to work for Visit CAC
on their convention services side, So it kept me in
the industry, but not quite the load that you've got
when you're working in the hotel world.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Well, you just mentioned that you started your family in Chicago.
How did you meet your husband?
Speaker 6 (11:38):
We both worked for Hyatt Hotels there you go.
Speaker 5 (11:42):
Yeah, so it's you know, hard to have much of
a life in the hotel world. So yeah, we met
each other at Hyatt Hotels, moved to Chicago together, and
he's out of the industry now too, But.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
That's how you met. So you have three children now,
and we'll talk about that a little bit later on,
but talk about the transition and transition and development. What
year are we talking about when you moved into the
KC market and the job basically or the location or
overarching deal at Visit case that you're working for now.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
Sure.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
So I started at Visit CAC in two thousand and six.
I came in as their director of Convention Services. So
those who you know, if you're not familiar with the world.
You have the sales team, they'll sell a large convention,
and then once that convention turns definite, a services person
will come in and then we would do all the
operational planning, so anything from off site venues to transportation,
(12:42):
things like that. So I did that for a long
time with Visit CAC and then in two thousand and
twenty moved over and did on the Partnership Team Visit
CACS a partnership based organizations who worked with the Partnership team,
and now still have the Partnership team underneath me and
the vice president of Tourism Development. So my role now
(13:04):
focuses very heavily on international visitation.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
It does, indeed, and it seems like right now and
starting with that role as vice president of Tourist Development,
which you are now, it's almost a full circle type
of thing to maybe what you once dreamed of doing.
Speaker 5 (13:21):
It is it is, you know, I think you kind
of get the travel bug, the tourism bug, and you'll
find a lot of people stay in this industry for
a long time.
Speaker 6 (13:31):
I mean it's a fun industry. I love meeting people.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
Definitely an extrovert, so all of that kind of comes
into play when you choose this career path. But you know,
it's been a lot of fun to watch the transformation
of Kansas City. I'n't a visit CAC now almost twenty years,
and to watch the transformation of Kansas City from when
I first started, when the Power and Light District doesn't
didn't exist, there was no streetcar.
Speaker 6 (13:55):
You know, you would walk out into downtown Kansas City
and it was just so quiet. You remember those days.
Speaker 5 (14:02):
You know, to now, it's just so much fun to
sell and internationally. I've been doing international selling for almost
ten years, and when I first started doing that, I
kind of have to be like, well, do you know
where Missouri is? And then we would go into Kansas
City to where now you know, with lots of factors,
the Chiefs and Taylor Swift and just all of that,
everybody knows Kansas City.
Speaker 6 (14:23):
So it's a lot of fun to sell.
Speaker 2 (14:26):
In simpler terms, not that you didn't make it very clear,
but it has Your job just sort of increasingly got
a little bit easier because of the growth of Kansas City.
Speaker 5 (14:36):
Hands down, it's easier in the fact that I think
people recognize it and now there's this air of intrigue.
Speaker 6 (14:45):
You know, they want to know more about it.
Speaker 5 (14:47):
I selt to sell them of course to come, but
there's definitely the intrigue is there and they've done maybe
a little bit of research, and then it's just helping
them understand all the assets that we have available in
our city, you know, the food and music and the culture.
That's a lot of fun to talk about. And what's
even more.
Speaker 6 (15:04):
Fun is when somebody comes and then they're like everything
you told us was true.
Speaker 5 (15:09):
Everybody is so nice and there's so much to do,
and that really helps it come full circle.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
Pre World Cup and we're certainly going to talk a
lot about that, But pre World Cup, what would be
some of that? What what would be an average sort
of working trip for you, say you went to Berlin
or London or whatever, who would you meet? I mean
you're not just going to some person and saying, hey,
come on over and spend your vacation. So who do
you meet with? And what is what is it that
(15:36):
your job like in that area?
Speaker 5 (15:38):
Sure, it's you know, when you look at international visitation
and who you sell to, it's a little different. So
like if you I book a trip, we typically just
we get online, we find our air we find our hotels,
and we just go internationally. Still to this day, a
lot of internationals book through travel agents, so tour operators.
So I will go overseas, and I will initially start
(15:59):
with those tour operators because you have to when they've
got a guest that comes in, whether it's online or
still some countries, still to this day it's print. So
it's a printed book that you flip through and you're
looking for itineraries, you know. So you're going to start
in Kansas City, You're going to go to Saint Louis
and then Memphis and Nashville.
Speaker 6 (16:16):
It's you know, internationals.
Speaker 5 (16:18):
It's a multi city, multi state so all sell to
those tour operators, why.
Speaker 6 (16:22):
They should include Kansas City. And I always use the examples.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
If you go into a restaurant and you want to coke,
but only they only have pepsi, you're going to get
the pepsi. So I have to ensure when somebody walks
into a travel agent says I want to go to
Kansas City, that travel agent has the product, meeting the
hotels and the information to sell it to them.
Speaker 6 (16:43):
So it's really meeting with those tour.
Speaker 5 (16:44):
Operators, educating them about Kansas City and why they should
encourage visitation from you know, from their attendees to us.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Do you have like a list of tour operators? Do
you go to conventions? What says the type of structure
that you'll have when you make these visitations, great question.
Speaker 5 (17:01):
A lot of it is convention based, so it's appointment based.
So there's a few large trade shows. For example, in
Germany there's one called ITV and it's a worldwide, you know,
trade shows. Everybody from all over the world. The tour
operators will come in. It's set up like an exhibit hall.
But unlike where if you go to the RV show,
for say, you just walk through and just talk to
(17:22):
whoever you want to. These are all pre planned appointments,
so you set up and you schedule appointments. They're typically
ten to fifteen minutes long. But it's an appointment system
where you know, I could meet with forty different tour
operators in one trade show. So then you meet with
the two operators, you sell them on Kansas City, and
of course it's all the follow up that then comes
(17:44):
behind it to ensure that they've got the information they
need to pass on to their travel agents because their
main goal, of course too, if they're selling the United States,
they want to send as many people as they can
to the US because of course they make their money
that way too, So it's kind of that joint sell.
Speaker 6 (18:02):
If you say it that way. And then the other thing.
Speaker 5 (18:05):
We would do is we've got what would be called
an international rep. So we've got somebody in the UK
who's very well versed on Kansas City and that company
kind of helps us in the UK, so if we
can't go to every single show, they help represent us.
But then they would set up sales mission. Its just
like a traditional sales mission in the US where you
would go around to the different companies.
Speaker 6 (18:26):
We would do the same thing overseas is go visit
the tour operators.
Speaker 5 (18:29):
We do a lot of training with travel agents, whether
that's in person or online, talking about Kansas City, what
all there is to do in Kansas City. So there's
a lot of training that goes into it.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Also more of Danny's Reasonably Irreverend podcast after.
Speaker 7 (18:44):
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Speaker 2 (19:15):
We're here with doctor Brad Woodell from Advanced Sports and
Family Chiropractic and Acupuncture. And one thing I noticed when
I come here is just about once a month, there's
a special day for the little ones.
Speaker 8 (19:26):
We have a Kid's Day the first Friday of every
single month, and we dedicate our clinic to feeling comfortable
for them. Movies, music, fun, gift bags, healthy treats, and
we want kids to learn about chiropractic and how to
stay well at an early age.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
It's part of their lifelong process of staying fit right.
Speaker 8 (19:45):
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,
and when you learn about chiropractic at a young age,
you understand these healthy choices are worth it and they
just love it.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Advanced Sports and Family Chiropractic and Acupuncture. There are eight
locations all around the Kansas City area, so it's easy
to find one near you, bring your kids, bring yourself,
be healthy at as FCA. This is Danny for my
friends at Active Life Physical Therapy where you can reclaim
your active life or like me, enhance it. I have
been seeing doctors Troy and Jaden for a couple of
(20:18):
months now as I was looking to improve my posture
and the flexibility in my surgically repaired knee, and it
has worked. They're friendly and professional, but will also really
challenge you at their brand new facility and create a
personal plan that you can follow away from your scheduled sessions.
If you are rehabbing after surgery, feeling pain and joints
(20:38):
or muscles, or want to fine tune like me, Troy
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Physical Therapy at one hundred nineteenth in Greenwood. Find out
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(21:01):
to join these and other fine sponsors and market your
business to Kansas City's number one variety podcast. Contact us
at Danny at Danny clinkscale dot com. Look forward to
working with you. Our guest is Jenny Wilson. She's the
vice president of Tourism Development at Visit KC. And of
course this is a very very busy time for her.
But before we get into the changes and the excitement
(21:22):
that has been brought by Kansas City being a World
Cup location, what are a couple say if you were
training somebody, are there sort of some really positive dues
that you would struct them on? And her is there
are things you say, you know, we don't want to
say this about Kansas City or the Midwest or the
US or things to you know, put them off as.
Speaker 5 (21:44):
It were, Well, you know, you you always think about
Kansas City, you think, right, if you look at international
it's very different than maybe a domestic traveler.
Speaker 6 (21:55):
They love what makes us us off?
Speaker 5 (22:01):
And I have trouble saying au authenticness, authenticity are there?
Speaker 6 (22:07):
You go that who we are? So it's it's the jazz,
It's the music.
Speaker 5 (22:11):
And I always say, you know, jazz was born and
I learned this way back from the Jazz Union. Jazz
was of course was born in New Orleans, but it
really grew up in Kansas City. So it's kind of
telling the story of that movement of the jazz and
and then with the Prohibition and our gangster history, there's
just a lot to our history that some titans, I
think we take for granted or that maybe we don't
(22:31):
think about. And then of course the food scene, I mean,
you know, outside of even barbecue. Of course you will
have to talk about barbecues. That's what Kansas City is
so much known for. But outside of that, the culinary
scene here is really we're very, very fortunate for what
we have.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
I would think for Europeans, you know, what's interesting is
that when you live someplace, you don't tend to maybe
enjoy the things that are right here as much as
you should. And I would put myself in the category.
I've only gone to the World War One Museum twice
and it's a fabulous museum, and I would think that
for Europeans that would be a real destination.
Speaker 5 (23:11):
Well, I think you've hit the nail right. We are
our own worst tourists.
Speaker 6 (23:15):
In our own backyard.
Speaker 5 (23:16):
You don't take advantage of what we have in our
own destination, and the World War National World War One
Museum is incredible. I just had a UK client. She's
been there three times. Every time she comes in. That's
where she wants to go. So I think, you know,
there's a lot of those attractions that we just you know,
the National Toy and Miniature Museum, this team go to
Arabia Museum. You know, all these museums that we have
(23:38):
here that maybe we've been to once or if you
were rased or you want as a kid and then
haven't been back.
Speaker 6 (23:44):
But we're very fortunate for what we have.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
All right, let's turn to the World Cup. Now, it's
so current now with the draw just a couple of
weeks ago, and it's not very far away. We're about
to turn the calendar to twenty twenty six. I bet
a few years ago it seemed like a long time off,
although I'm sure in your industry time flies. But how
did the fact that Kansas City was announced as a
destination for the World Cup change your job when you
(24:12):
would go to over to Europe and England and so forth.
Speaker 5 (24:16):
My goodness, it automatically gave us. I always say street cred.
They're like you can host a World Cup, you just
raise the level the perception of our city tenfold. You know.
Speaker 6 (24:28):
It's if you can pull off the biggest event in
the world, there's your city's made it.
Speaker 5 (24:33):
So it was fascinating and incredibly exciting to see the
difference the second I said we're a World Cup city,
I kind of you know, they would stop and want
to hear more.
Speaker 6 (24:43):
And it's been a lot of fun, a lot of fun.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Of course, there's a lot involved with that, and it
also took another turn. I mean, for a while people
are just speculating. You know, I have a really good
friend who's a big fan of the German team, and
it was the possibility that Germany was going to come here.
Of course that ended up not happening. But you've Argentina
and Norway and the Netherlands and team countries like that.
So how change as far as specific specificity You couldn't
(25:11):
say authenticity and I can't say specificity. How did the
specificity change for you a couple of weeks ago.
Speaker 6 (25:19):
Well, you know, it's fascinating.
Speaker 5 (25:20):
Yes, the UK and Germany are our top in dound
markets for US internationally into Kansas City, so of course
I'm like, can we get England? Can we get Germany?
Because then it makes it so easy because I sell
there all the time. But I am so excited about
the teams we did get.
Speaker 6 (25:36):
I think the.
Speaker 5 (25:37):
Future what I'm excited for clearly during that time period.
I mean, to get the teams we have is amazing,
but what's going to help us on with that future
growth of.
Speaker 6 (25:45):
International travel to Kansas City?
Speaker 5 (25:47):
And you think of how many eyes are going to
be watching those games and watching Kansas City, and we
show so amazing on TV. I mean the way our
city lights up. To me, it's that long term tourism
fact that it's just going to be a lot of
fun to see what happens. You know, I've always said
I'm so excited to have the Netherlands, the Dutch because
(26:08):
of the orange their orange crew. If you ever watch
a YouTube video of the Dutch and walking through the
streets with the dollar orange gear on. I am so
excited to see it in Kansas City.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Well, my daughter lives in the Netherlands, so I'm kind
of excited to have it. I don't not much of
a soccer fan, but maybe she'll come just because of that.
I don't know, but are there any of the countries
that are challenging at all right now from a travel
restriction standpoint? Or did we dodge that bullet?
Speaker 5 (26:35):
You know, I don't want to speak out a turnout.
I'd have to double check. I want to say I think.
Speaker 6 (26:39):
We've charged we were okay?
Speaker 3 (26:42):
I think.
Speaker 6 (26:44):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (26:44):
Looking at the list, yeah so, and clearly Argentina is
going to draw both a domestic and an international very
large crowd.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
So we've already started to hear stories of you know,
what the prices are going to be. Not for the tickets,
although FIFA did to throw a bone to the people
who aren't rich by allocating one thousand and sixty dollars
tickets the other day, and hopefully that number will go up.
But as far as people traveling over here, obviously this
is a free market economy and people who own hotels
(27:14):
and airbnbs. Do you have communication with hotel groups and
things like that to try and do anything about potential
price gouging or just say hey, is this going to
be reasonable or do you have anything to do with that?
Speaker 5 (27:29):
You know, we don't hotels set their own pricing, you know,
as does everybody else.
Speaker 6 (27:35):
You know, hopefully everybody looks at the big picture and
they make smart decisions based on the market.
Speaker 5 (27:40):
So I think, you know, overall, Kansas City should fare
really well when you look at a travelers in the
traveler's mind, just based on where we typically fall price wise,
based you know, if you look at like a New
York City or Miami, we're traditionally lower anyway.
Speaker 2 (27:57):
So well, I think that people sometimes would think that,
you know, this is going to be a more difficult
World Cup for international travelers. But I think those people
don't have a very wise view of the last few
World Cups. Now Cutter was pretty everything was pretty close there.
But the previous two World Cups are in Russia and Brazil,
which are monstrous countries every bit, if not bigger than
(28:20):
the United States. But have you heard is it people's
perception and the places you go that this is this
vast place where if they're going to follow their team around,
it's going to be really impossible.
Speaker 6 (28:32):
No, I haven't heard this can be impossible.
Speaker 5 (28:33):
I was surprised to hear somebody said, oh, well, I'm
just going to run a bus and I'll go from
Miami to Seattle.
Speaker 6 (28:39):
And see all the games that I'm like, well, maybe
you should look.
Speaker 5 (28:43):
At the mileage between Miami and Seattle.
Speaker 6 (28:45):
That's up right. You know, sometimes I forget think.
Speaker 5 (28:48):
People forget how big our country is, you know, because
you know, you can go clear across Germany in a
day and be fine. So I think that probably surprises
people maybe a little bit.
Speaker 6 (28:59):
But from what i've everybody's doing their research and.
Speaker 5 (29:04):
You know, I mean, you think Kansas City to Dallas
is only an eight hour drive, so you could that's
easily driveable if you don't want to fly in between.
So no, I think I think once people do their research,
it makes sense.
Speaker 6 (29:16):
I think it's you know, it's a unique.
Speaker 5 (29:18):
World Cup, the fact that it is three countries, so yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
So it's even a little bit bigger than that. But
exactly people may pick and choose or some people are
just enthusiasts, the enthusiasts of the sport, not just their
country and come here. Although we hear stories about people
who are really not very well to do it all
and they sell their cars so they can go to
the World Cup and things like that. That's the enthusiasm
and passion that we have for these things. Now you're
(29:46):
really in the home stretch now, what what are some
of the challenges for you over the next six months.
Speaker 6 (29:54):
Oh boy, I think it's.
Speaker 5 (29:59):
You know, I think it's getting to me, like, because
I'm so passionate about Kansasity. I want everybody here. Everybody
should come, right. I know that's not a reality. I
know that's not going to happen, but I want to
make sure I can get as much information into the
hands of every single country that's coming that I possibly can,
because I.
Speaker 6 (30:16):
Just think the experience here. You know, what our.
Speaker 5 (30:19):
Case twenty twenty sixteen is doing is incredible. I think
the fan fest, I think everything that's that's happening is
going to be a tough notch experience. And then you
add in our community that is just built on this
welcoming and just these people that I just I want
everybody here because I think the experience is going to
be amazing.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
And this may well be a warm up for a
Women's World Cup, which could be close behind. And the
more seems even many more likely with the fact that
the Men's World Cup is here, and that's good, that's
going to be a relatively quick turnaround.
Speaker 6 (30:55):
Don't streuss me out. We're getting through twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Well, you mentioned that people stay in this industry for
a long time, and you seem like you really have
a great love for for what you do. Is this
something you could see doing for like the rest of
your life.
Speaker 6 (31:14):
Yeah, I look to probably retire.
Speaker 4 (31:17):
YEP.
Speaker 6 (31:17):
I tell my team all the time.
Speaker 5 (31:18):
I'm like, I don't have any plans to go anywhere
as long as as long as I still I always say,
and I tell always the younger career right, if you
have fun at what you do, it's not really a job.
And I truly love what I do. I love Kansas City.
You know, my entire DMO you know, world has been
with vis A case. I couldn't imagine selling another city
(31:39):
with the same passion that I have for Kansas City.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Well, of course, when somebody travels as much as you do.
The trite question which I will ask is name one, two,
or three of your favorite cities around the world.
Speaker 6 (31:52):
So my favorite I get I know, I get asked
this question a lot. I always say.
Speaker 5 (31:56):
I always say, one of my favorite big cities is London.
I love London, I love the architecture, I love the people.
To me, it's one of my favorite cities the country
that surprised me the most that I've ever traveled to
is China. Okay, honestly, that was not a country I
thought i'd ever go to, and it wasn't on.
Speaker 6 (32:14):
My list, but it was beautiful. It was a beautiful country.
Speaker 5 (32:17):
The people were just as nice as they can be,
the food was good. That country surprised me probably the most.
And then probably another city that I truly enjoyed. To me,
there's no place like Venice, right, There's just, I mean
no other city right that you have to get on
a boat to go everywhere. You just have these bridges
that walk over the water. So every city I think
(32:40):
has just like domestically, just their unique aspects to them.
Speaker 6 (32:44):
And I think travel provides so much more.
Speaker 5 (32:49):
You know, the experience, yes, but it really opens your
eye to the different cultures and the people, and that
to me is a big part of travel.
Speaker 2 (32:58):
Well, until I went to bar in Switzerland summer, Venice
was the number one city I had been to and
I'm going back next year, so maybe Venice will win
back my heart. I don't know if that's going to
be the case. But tell me a little bit about
your family now growing up obviously a little bit and
obviously you have to multitask, but that's a lot easier
in the world in twenty twenty five and twenty twenty six.
(33:20):
Tell us a little bit about your family.
Speaker 5 (33:23):
Yeah, so I've got three boys. I've got the oldest one.
Everybody's here in Kansas City. The youngest is in university
at Ottawa. At Ottawa University, he's running track and cross
country for them, so he.
Speaker 6 (33:37):
Fell in love with my sport.
Speaker 5 (33:38):
But yet, those three boys that all were active, and
they've all kind of instilled my passion for travel. We
took them around the United States quite a bit where
big outdoorsy people loved the camp and hike and fish,
and we did that and they all still love that.
And yeah, they do keep me busy or empty nesters.
Speaker 6 (34:00):
For the first time, there you go, which.
Speaker 5 (34:02):
Has been a change. But then I kind of got
used to it. And then the youngest came back and
I'm like, wait a minute.
Speaker 6 (34:07):
You want me to cook again. I don't do that anymore.
Speaker 5 (34:11):
So it's been the change now with him home for
the holidays.
Speaker 2 (34:15):
Well, you obviously seem, as we said before, have sort
of full circle to a place that you seemingly always
wanted to be. There must be a great sense of
satisfaction even though it's going to be a crazy couple
of years. You must go to work with a smile.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
On your face.
Speaker 5 (34:30):
I do.
Speaker 6 (34:31):
I wouldn't have it any other way.
Speaker 5 (34:32):
Any other way so a great organization and love this industry.
Speaker 6 (34:37):
Highly recommend it to anybody.
Speaker 1 (34:41):
We hope you enjoyed the latest Danny Klinkscale Reasonably irreverent podcast.
Come back soon for something fresh and new. This podcast
was made possible by our great sponsors like Eastern Roofing,
where integrity matters. Joe Spiker and his team are the
best in the business.
Speaker 6 (34:59):
For all your roofing needs.
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Handle with honesty and craftsmas Visit them at Easternroofing dot com.
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