Meeting Space

When it comes to choosing a location for a meeting, many companies or nonprofits are opting to do the meetings via conference call, facetime, or skype. But what many of these companies don’t realize is that even though they may be saving money and time, it comes at the cost of their board members attention and investment in the company. At KCI Expo Center of Kansas City, we believe that the best use of your time as a CEO is spent in person with your board members.

Here is why Kansas City is the best location for your meetings:

1) It Is Centrally Located

Having a meeting at KCI Expo Center, especially a board meeting, is great for companies with board directors that live all over the country. Kansas City is a central location with a large airport, so many directors fly direct with short flight times. It’s the perfect location between board members that live on the west coast in California, and those that may live on the east coast in New York City. The Kansas City International Airport has all major U.S. air carriers and has over 400 flights daily with nonstop service to over 50 destinations. The KCI Expo Center in Kansas City is also one of the only meeting space locations closest to the airport that has all the amenities your board members will need.

2) It Has All The Amenities

If you have busy board members that are traveling frequently, the KCI Expo Center is a great meeting space location because it has all the amenities you need on-location. Very few meeting spaces in Kansas City have the following:

• Near the airport
• Free shuttle service
• Adjacent Hotel
• Full-service catering
• On-site Restaurant
• Custom audio visual for basic or advanced requirements
• LCD projectors, microphones, and an in-house sound system
• 10 meeting rooms range in size from 260 sq ft to 6745 sq ft.
• Accommodate 10 to 650 with theatre style seating or 20 to 350 with banquet seating
• And more

3) It Promotes Progress And Communication

Finding a meeting space for in-person meetings is crucial to promoting progress and communication from your board members. When a meeting is via conference call, it gives board members the opportunity to “check out” and focus their time on other items they are working on vs. being invested in the call and how they can improve the company or non-profit. Having a meeting in-person at KCI Expo Center in Kansas City lets board members do the following:

• Express their viewpoint through words and body language
• Understand face to face conversation in case of technical issues with phones/video conference
• Board members are less distracted

4) Kansas City Has Plenty To Do

If you have extra time in the city and are looking for places to visit with the team, you’ve come to the right city. Downtown Kansas City is just a short 15-minute drive from the KCI Expo Center. Enjoy the nightlife at the Power & Light District, an eight-block entertainment area with restaurants, bars, and live events. Kansas City is known for its barbeque and steak, so be sure to eat at one of our top barbeque restaurants. Not in the mood for barbeque? Visit the Country Club Plaza to see its beautiful Spanish architecture, local retailers, and an amazing selection of restaurants.

Why It’s Important to Have Regular Meetings:

The purpose of a meeting, especially with your board of directors, is to provide oversight over the activities and affairs of the company or the non-profit. The board is there to help the CEO and other teammates make important decisions for the company to help it grow and succeed. It’s important to have regular board meetings because you need their expertise and connections, and they are useful to move things forward for the business. Schedule board meetings at the KCI Expo Center throughout the year based on action items you need to get done. Important meetings include electing officers, the annual board meeting, approving the annual budget, performance reviews, and more. Decide which meetings you’ll have throughout the year and set them in stone so that board members are held accountable to show up and show their willingness to give their expertise to the company. Develop a communications plan between the meetings to keep everyone up to date and engaged.     

Different Types of Meeting Set-Ups

Auditorium/Theatre

This style is set up in rows of chairs without tables, arranged with all participants facing towards the front of the room, typically divided in the center and may include side aisles. Usually, this arrangement of event space is best suited for mass meetings, annual general meetings needed near the airport, and product launches to achieve maximum seated capacity.     

Banquet

This style has round tables arranged throughout the room attendees being seated around the entire perimeter of each table, making it appropriate for conference events entailing meals and small group discussions. Events where banquet style is used includes gala dinners, wedding receptions, and award nights because of their ease of interaction.

Hollow Square

The Hollow Square Style is set up in an arrangement where tables are arranged in a square shape with chairs along the outside of the tables looking towards an empty center. This type of style is the best meeting space option when there are is a group with fewer than forty with a group leader or panel seated at the head of the setup.

Classroom

The Classroom Style can also be referred to as “the school style” by some and has chairs and tables arranged in rows with all participants facing towards the front of the room. This set-up can be used when you want the attendees to study handouts, use their computers, or takes notes during the meeting event. It is especially useful for training and long lectures or clinics for all types of conferences.

U-Shape Style

This arrangement is used best during meeting events where the focal point is in the enter and/or interaction between participants is encouraged. The opening of the U also allows presentations that are visual to be seen by everyone, which only aids the group interaction and discussion aspect. This style appropriate for small annual general meetings, conferences, and workshops.

To learn more about meeting space in Kansas City at the KCI Expo Center, contact us today.