Host Michael Mackie sits down with Kathy Nelson, CEO & President of the Kansas City Sports Commission & VisitKC, and Lindsey Douglas, Chief Operating Officer of KC2026, to discuss how the World Cup will impact international, national and regional visitors and local residents. Transportation options including the new Streetcar extensions are discussed as key components of accessibility for all events from May through July in Kansas City and for easy accessibility to cultural arts activities for residents and visitors after the World Cup.
Michael Mackie:
Hi everyone, it’s Michael Mackie here, coming to you from KC Studio. KC Studio and kcstudio.org is the only regional magazine and website entirely devoted to covering all arts all the time. I’m excited to work with KC Studio on this special podcast that will provide valuable insights into how public transit and the World Cup are shaping cultural expression and events in the heart of our city. So thanks for joining us on this month’s stop of KC Studio’s Artful Connections Along the Streetcar podcast presented by Arvest Bank and sponsored by TIVOL. We’ll be featuring some of Kansas City’s finest cultural arts and civic organizations each month that are along the recently extended Kansas City Streetcar route that now goes from the Riverfront to the Country Club Plaza and UMKC. Streetcar riders are now able to hop on the streetcar at any of the stops and ride to and from their favorite exhibits and events throughout the year. So please take a ride with us.
Support for Artful Connections Along the Streetcar comes from Arvest Bank. Arvest Bank believes that financial confidence should be within reach for everyone. Whether you’re just getting started planning for your future or starting a new chapter, we are here to help you plan and meet your goals every step of the way. Because everyone deserves a financial partner who cares. Arvest Bank. We Believe. For more information, visit arvest.com or visit one of our 20 locations throughout Kansas City.
Hi everyone. I’m here today with two incredibly busy people, Kathy Nelson, CEO of Visit KC and the Kansas City Sports Commission, and Lindsey Douglas, chief operating officer of Kansas City 2026 FIFA World Cup. For our audience’s sake, KC 2026 is a nonprofit organization created specifically to plan, manage, and deliver all host city responsibilities for the upcoming World Cup Tournament. It oversees everything from stadium preparations to transportation to security, Fan Festivals, branding, the list goes on, and preparing the region for the expected tourism and business surge.
Visit KC is Kansas City’s primary tourism, convention, and hospitality marketing organization, responsible for attracting millions of visitors and driving major economic impact for the region. Visit KC works closely with partners across hotels, restaurants, and cultural attractions, and the Kansas City Sports Commission is a nonprofit organization that strives to make a better Kansas City through sports. Their mission is to drive Kansas City’s overall sports strategy, enrich the quality of life, create economic impact, and raise visibility for our region, a significant accomplishment as a premier events destination led by the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup. Ladies, we are here! It is a momentous time in Kansas City’s history. No pressure, right?
Kathy Nelson:
Right.
Michael Mackie:
Right? No pressure?
Kathy Nelson:
No pressure.
Lindsey Douglas:
A little bit of pressure.
Michael Mackie:
I knew you’d say that. Kathy would say no pressure, right? Okay. What I want to know is, is it true the stats that I’m seeing that there are going to be 650,000 visitors here over the next three months? What’s the over-under on that?
Lindsey Douglas:
I would probably take the over.
Michael Mackie:
Okay.
Lindsey Douglas:
So the region has heard about the Base Camp teams that are coming. We are so excited to host the countries and their fan bases. We knew the 650,000 and I’m going to turn it over to Kathy to talk about how Visit KC identified that number. But we know with the matches it’s going to draw both ticket holders and non-ticket holders. People want to come, they want to be a part of the city that’s hosting. They want to be a part of the World Cup any way that they can, whether they have a ticket or not. So we’re really excited to have visitors and guests at Fan Fest as well as at the matches. And we know that the fans want to be where the teams are, where the players are, and want to try and catch glimpses of them.
Kathy Nelson:
I think that’s also important to remember. That’s not in one day, right? That’s spread out over the time throughout the World Cup. And I had the honor of attending the World Cup in Doha in 2022 and also attending the Euros in Germany a couple years later. And it was fascinating to see that of every five people I met with, four didn’t have a ticket to the match. They just want to be there. And so when we do our research and we have experts in research that are pulling these numbers in to really understand what this looks like for impact for people coming into the community, I do think you’re right. It’s over when you really think about six matches, including a quarterfinal in Kansas City, unheard of, and now Base Camps on top of that, I do think that number is very conservative.
Michael Mackie:
Support for Artful Connections Along the Streetcar comes from TIVOL. For more than a century, TIVOL has helped Kansas City mark treasured moments and create cherished memories with fine jewelry of the highest quality. Visit us at our Country Club Plaza or Hawthorne Plaza locations or online at tivol.com. TIVOL is proud to be a sponsor of this special podcast and to celebrate our city’s vibrant arts community.
Can we talk for a minute? How busy are you guys? Can you guys even see straight? What’s happening right now?
Lindsey Douglas:
We are very busy, very, very busy. I know that Kathy and the team, I mean they have literally been around the world, and we here in Kansas City are keeping pace with our plan to make sure that we’re ready here in a month and a half to start welcoming people for the matches. So when we think about everything that needs to line up, all of the coordination that needs to take place, there’s lots of meetings with stakeholders, aligning transportation systems, aligning public safety workforce. So really thinking about all of those pieces, coordinating with everyone and then getting work done when everybody else is done for the day is kind of what we’re focusing on right now, but incredibly busy. But I’ve got to say there has not been a more fulfilling opportunity for me career-wise, just on a personal note. Really helping to usher the largest event that Kansas City has ever hosted has been absolutely phenomenal. So I will work as much as I need to, to make sure that we have an amazing experience for the visitors that are coming.
Kathy Nelson:
And I agree, it’s seven days a week. There’s no doubt. And we are traveling internationally. We have been for about two years to welcome the world to our doorstep. We’ll continue that all the way through May, and making sure that people across the pond know about Kansas City. The other crazy thing to think about is we have this incredibly talented team that is putting the operations together and we are working now to make sure visitors understand how to get to us. We still have Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball. We still have massive conventions every week. So now we’re kind of layering this in on top, but Lindsey said it’s the biggest event our city will ever host. It’s the biggest event the United States and North America will ever host. It’s the biggest event in the world. When you think about what 2026 means, this will be the biggest event in sport the world has ever seen. So we are working around the clock.
Michael Mackie:
May, June, and July, we are going to be part of a world stage. And what do you think? Who are going to be more coming in? Is it going to be international? Is it going to be national, regional? What do you think? Who’s going to come and visit our fair city?
Kathy Nelson:
Well, from our research that we’ve been working through for well over a year now, we think in working with FIFA it’ll be about 52% international. Now that obviously will flex a little bit depending on the matches, but for us, we know we are such a regional attraction and such a drive market. So of course we know we’ll see international visitors, especially from those countries that will Base Camp in Kansas City and that will play matches. But we also know fans from Nebraska, Iowa, Arkansas, Oklahoma will drive to us because a once in a lifetime opportunity to feel the World Cup and to be exposed and around what this is.
Michael Mackie:
This is where it’s going to be, this is where everybody wants to be.
Lindsey Douglas:
Absolutely.
Michael Mackie:
Absolutely. Now I know a lot of arts organizations are kind of gearing up, what’s the word on the street? What have you heard from local organizations getting ready to pivot to visitors who may want to see attractions while they’re in town?
Lindsey Douglas:
I am really excited at what I’ve been hearing. Some of the arts community, our museum community is putting together to specifically attract football or soccer fans to their facility and really trying to showcase what we have to offer here in Kansas City. Our arts, culture, and heritage working group, the board of which Kathy is on our executive committee, really thought it was important that we’re engaging the arts community. So we’ve started a arts, culture, and heritage working group to really plug into our programming as part of the World Cup specific arts and culture elements that we know people are going to be interested in, trying to coordinate with FIFA on some of the ceremonies and things like that that are taking place as well. And then I know there’s been an entire effort for probably a couple of years in the arts community to really identify unique things that they could bring for the visitors that are coming. And you have a pulse on that even more than I do.
Michael Mackie:
Do you feel like there’s good arts synergy going on?
Kathy Nelson:
I do. This year for Visit KC, our annual visitor guide, the cover is the Nelson-Atkins Museum. I mean, what a statement we are making with art in our community. And we know that along the streetcar route and of course everything we do is focused back to that. Sports is one thing. Sports can open a door for an experience unlike anything else. And we’re working with National World War I Museum and Memorial to promote what they’re doing through sport. The Nelson-Atkins has something tied to this. Of course we know George at Union Station will do something super cool. So it’s our opportunity to welcome those visitors in to see what Kansas City really is, and the heart of the city is art.
Lindsey Douglas:
And I would say too, the city has taken a lead on some of the mural development. I think they’re wrapping up the hundredth mural that they wanted to have prepared in time for the World Cup. We are also looking at other public art installations, partnering with international artists from other countries to kind of bring that showcase to Kansas City. And I know Councilwoman Robinson has been really engaged in this as well with an ESCO and just how are they activating in Kansas City also.
Kathy Nelson:
The other thing that was super fun for us back in 2023 when we hosted the NFL draft, the NFL leaned into our art scene. They were blown away by Kansas City. They’re like, what besides the heart, what are we promoting? What are we doing? And if you go back and look at the theme of the draft, it was art. It was our murals. So you saw a lot of street art, a lot of murals along the walls that they were blown away by. Like no other city has this. So for us in 2023 kind of started that. What are we doing? How are we connecting to the arts and leaning into how sports and art intersect.
Michael Mackie:
Complete sidebar. If you were a betting woman, how long do you think the average visitor is going to stay in town? Because I’m just curious. Hopefully they’ll have time to see all the things and go all the places.
Kathy Nelson:
Our research and doing a lot of studying on this, typically an international visitor will come for seven to nine days. We also think that when they’re in Kansas City, they might stay two or three nights. We want them to get out into other communities as well. We want them to really appreciate everything that the region has to offer in both Kansas and Missouri. So it’s a bi-state effort, no doubt. So I would expect some of these visitors to stay 2, 3, 4 nights. But again, they’re going to go to other cities to see matches and hopefully come back and be based here.
Michael Mackie:
And you said something that sort of caught my ear. You promoted the city as a cultural arts venue. Do you think that had a huge impact on why we got it? I mean, fingers crossed.
Kathy Nelson:
Yes. There were so many things that played into our bid, and of course we had to showcase our culture and the reason why a visitor would want to come to Kansas City. Because FIFA is not just going to pick a city and go, you’ve got a great stadium that will work. We had to prove the heart of Kansas City, Visit KC. We always see everything we do is from the heart and making sure they felt that when they were here. There are things to do for fans when they’re here. There are opportunities, there are concerts, there’s concerts being planned that KC 2026 is working on, but also to make sure we’re opening that door to showcase that. I do think FIFA really felt that during our site visits throughout the last 10 years.
Lindsey Douglas:
Yeah. One thing that we see in the arts community is really a coming together of people really wanting to showcase that. We have that level of partnership and that collaboration and coordination all across everything that we’re doing. So you see it in the arts, you see it in transportation, how we’re leveraging the streetcar with the other services that we’re providing, and I think it’s really the coming together of the community, the together word that I know really showcase to FIFA. We hear this from visitors, we heard this from teams when they were shopping for Base Camp locations, showing that region, community and how we can all come together is really standing out and showing the hospitality that we have to offer.
Michael Mackie:
You also said something, and this piqued my interest, that it’s not just FIFA. There are other things going on in the city, just regular, normal day-to-day like concerts and this and that and the other. Is this going to alter sort of how Kansas Citians go about their lives or is it going to be kind of a come together kumbaya, do you think?
Lindsey Douglas:
I am very, very hopeful that it’s going to be a come together kumbaya. I think everybody has seen what opportunity the World Cup is providing for Kansas City. I think everybody wants to be a part of it. We definitely want day-to-day activities to continue. We’re planning for everybody to still be able to go to work, do the things that they love on a day-to-day basis, and we’re really trying to attract ’em to come and experience the World Cup while it’s in town as well. But we really want everybody to be able to do what they want to do. Go and experience these things, interact with the guests that we’re going to have in our community and really help us to host them.
Kathy Nelson:
I think the other thing for our residents, I was telling my husband this, how excited I am about these few weeks over the summer is that we’re always, I shouldn’t say we’re always looking for something to do. We always have something to do, but this adds a level for our local community of more options. So if you live in Parkville, you might want to go to Lenexa and check out their World Cup party. You might want to go out to Independence and Lee’s Summit and Blue Springs and see what they’re doing. So I do think our visitors will have things to do, but also your day-to-day will still happen, but there’s more to do over those weeks and there’s more to experience and there’s an opportunity to feel the global impact right here in Kansas City.
Michael Mackie:
I’m putting you both on the spot. Is there something? Yes! Is there something like a hidden gem that maybe our viewers or our listeners don’t know about that they should have maybe towards the top of their list? Something like a hidden gem or something? What’s on your magical to-do list?
Lindsey Douglas:
Well, one thing jumped right to the top of my mind. The World War I Museum and Memorial is going to be showcasing the moment when war stopped and soldiers came together and played a football match during World War I. To me, while not a — everybody’s got their favorite coffee shop, their favorite place to go get a cocktail. That showcase at World War I am definitely not going to miss. I want to see that. I want to see international folks experiencing the World War I Museum, seeing that history and really how they’re tying in the game of soccer into that as well.
Michael Mackie:
That it is definitely going to be a huge touchstone. What do you think?
Kathy Nelson:
Well, this is probably an obvious, but I just think Fan Festival in general. Not everyone will have a ticket to a match, but that’s where you can experience what World Cup is. So if you’re not aware of Fan Festival, it’s free to people. You’ll need to log on and get a free ticket to show up, but don’t miss that opportunity. That’s the gem of the entire event, and all these global events I attend, Fan Festival is where you want to be, and I think Kansas City of all the 16 host cities by far will have the best. So don’t miss that. Because again, it’s once in a lifetime opportunity and this team has worked so hard to make it so special. FIFA’s blown away with all of our planning. So it’s our responsibility to make sure our local residents know that that’s the heartbeat of the tournament.
Michael Mackie:
Support for Artful Connections Along the Streetcar comes from Arvest Bank. Arvest Bank believes that financial confidence should be within reach for everyone. Whether you’re just getting started planning for your future or starting a new chapter, we are here to help you plan and meet your goals every step of the way, because everyone deserves a financial partner who cares. Arvest Bank. We Believe. For more information, visit arvest.com or visit one of our 20 locations throughout Kansas City.
Lindsey Douglas:
I want to mention we would not be able to host that Fan Fest at the level that Kathy is talking about without the support of our funding partners. Everybody being able to be a partner early, we were able to really build plans and scope Fan Fest to be the best Fan Fest of the tournament. We’re so excited to bring that to Kansas City and showcase some really exciting Easter eggs, highlight things at Fan Fest that we’ll be really, really excited to show everyone.
Kathy Nelson:
I also think the golden gem of Fan Fest is you’ll walk through an art structure, a massive heart unlike anything you’ve seen before. So when you… thinking about the renderings of what this space will look like and how it’s connected to art, you don’t want to miss that.
Michael Mackie:
Let’s talk Streetcar, the oh so very free streetcar that is going to make everything basically in the cultural arts districts that much more accessible. What sort of impact do you think the oh so very free streetcar is going to have on visitors or visitor participation?
Kathy Nelson:
We use a streetcar every single day when it comes to conventions and tourism. That has made a connection to us that not only opens up art, opens up our hotel community so that a conventioneer is not afraid to stay on the Plaza now and need to go to the Convention Center. It just connects it all. And I think that’s what’s so special and unique. When you think about a visitor who’s used to traveling by train in all of their cities in Europe, they’re not afraid to get on something like this and check it out. That streetcar has provided, at least the convention tourism side of Kansas City, opportunities that we never thought existed, and we would not have had the opportunity to go host events and popups at Tom’s Town at different art venues if it hadn’t been for Streetcar
Lindsey Douglas:
And I would say we really use the streetcar as the backbone of mobility in downtown in that corridor, and have built out the transportation services around the tournament. Connect KC 26 are the three services that we are going to provide. The Streetcar is also very well connected to KCATA and the services that they provide every day. So really that served as a key corridor for accessing Fan Fest from the points downtown. And then we kind of built off of that. So, that streetcar service and everything that Tom and the team does, we’re partnering with them to really enhance and expand the capacity of the streetcar during the World Cup so that we can encourage people to utilize that for their travel while they’re experiencing all the things that downtown has to offer and really serves as that connection point, as Kathy mentioned, to some of the arts districts, some of the cultural opportunities that we have.
Kathy Nelson:
We had a client, a potential client in a few months ago and jumped on the streetcar, which stops right in front of the Visitor Center that we have. If you’re in town and need to figure out something, you can come to our Visitor Center. So we jumped on the streetcar at the Visitor Center to get down to Union Station, and there was live music on the streetcar. And we sat down and she looked at me and she was emotional, a little teared up, and she said, I had no idea that Kansas City was such an unexpected surprise. And she said, I’m guessing you didn’t put that person on here just for me, but I’m going to think that you did. And she said, you have my business. And music and the streetcar opened that opportunity.
Michael Mackie:
And there’s a whole, I mean the streetcar is going to carry on long after FIFA and the World Cup, but do you think that it’s, is that going to continue to impact the amount of visitors that we get, the amount of conventions, the amount, I mean the list goes on and on. Thoughts on that?
Kathy Nelson:
When we hear someone, whether it’s someone here for a convention or a weekend trip, and they say Kansas City’s easy, it’s because of the streetcar and it has to continue.
Michael Mackie:
Say that again Say that out loud. Say that proud.
Kathy Nelson:
Kansas City Streetcar makes it easy to get around Kansas City and to experience Kansas City unlike anything else. As long as you can get from the airport, which World Cup will help us continue to do to downtown and to the heart of downtown. That streetcar again provides opportunities that didn’t exist before but will exist long after.
Michael Mackie:
Support for Artful Connections Along the Streetcar comes from TIVOL. For more than a century, TIVOL has helped Kansas City mark treasured moments and create cherished memories with fine jewelry of the highest quality. Visit us at our Country Club Plaza or Hawthorne Plaza locations or online at tivol.com. TIVOL is proud to be a sponsor of this special podcast and to celebrate our city’s vibrant arts community.
Do you have any advice for locals who kind of want to take the streetcar? Should we mix? Should we mingle? What should we do while the…
Lindsey Douglas:
Oh, please, yes, please mix and mingle. Again, I think our region generally, we’re known for our hospitality. I think that that is embedded in our culture and I know that Kansas Citians are going to do a phenomenal job of welcoming guests from all around the world. While they’re here, talk with them, learn about their experiences, help them navigate. We want everyone to chip in.
Michael Mackie:
Midwest nice.
Lindsey Douglas:
Be Midwest nice. And don’t just stay home. Come out, experience things. Don’t think that everything that we’re working to build is a region for the tournament. It’s not just for visitors. We want residents to utilize the transportation services. We want them to experience Fan Fest, and we want them to be able to do, as we mentioned earlier, everything that they want to do throughout their day. But please do that and do it in a way where you’re helping visitors. Or not. I lived in Chicago for a little while. Everybody got on elevators and stared at the door. I experienced more and more in Kansas City, everybody talks to each other. We want to understand each other and visit, and please do that. Please do that with the visitors that are here.
Kathy Nelson:
Quick story. We were hosting a Big 12 women’s soccer championship a couple years ago, and I walked into a coffee shop one morning and I saw the Texas Tech women’s team. The coffee shop, they have no idea who I am. They don’t need to know who I am. I walked up to one of them, I said, oh my gosh, congrats on making it to the next round. And she looked at me and she said, you know that we’re here? And I’m like, of course we know that you’re here. Again, she has no clue who I am. But you could just see the breath taken out of her, of somebody recognized that we’re in the city and they are aware that we’ve won and playing the next game. And so she turned around and walked over to the counter and she told one of her teammates, I might have to come back to Kansas City and find a job. That’s all it took. And I think to your point is to say and welcome and realize these people are in our city and experiencing Kansas City for the first time. They’ve been to Miami, they’ve been to New York. More than likely the people you’ll encounter during World Cup have never been to Kansas City. It’s on us to make eye contact and smile and greet people.
Michael Mackie:
Buzz, restaurants, hotel, everybody is about to lose their ever-loving minds in a good way. But what’s the word on the street? What have you heard from local vendors, local restaurants, things like that?
Kathy Nelson:
Excitement and nervous. I think there’s still a little bit of what’s going to happen and clarity and we’ll figure that out as we hit 120 days out and hotel contracts and we hit 90 days out. So there’s still a lot of things. But next for us is training. Visit KC is taking on hospitality training. KC 26 is doing some training for community. So it’s really making sure you are connected and if you’re not aware, jump on the website and find out how to navigate and get involved and speak up and hold your hand up now and figure out a way to participate.
Lindsey Douglas:
One thing we’ve done to try and prepare small businesses is really help them by providing some information. Are you going to be on a route that visitors are likely to heavily travel, or are you going to experience about the same volume of traffic that you have today? We don’t want businesses to overinvest in additional food, for example, if your restaurant isn’t on a heavily beaten path. But if you are, we also want you to be prepared. And so we want everybody to have as much information as possible so that they can properly prepare their business. And we’ve been working to get that information out on the website. So encourage everybody. If you still have questions, please go and use those tools through the KC Game Plan to make sure that you’re ready.
Michael Mackie:
Now, I know that KC Studio is producing a custom publication and that’s detailing all the cultural arts activities that are taking place this summer. But more importantly, how do FIFA, how does Visit KC, how do they plan to promote all these activities to regional and international newbies, if you will?
Lindsey Douglas:
Yeah, so we could not do it without partners. Visit KC has done a phenomenal job of identifying attractions, things to do on their website. The state of Kansas, the state of Missouri, all populate those things as well. We were able to pull all of those together and make sure that if fans are looking for things to do through the FIFA app, the FIFA World Cup app, that our information in Kansas City was up to date, was easy to navigate and really showcase the whole region. So working together with Kathy’s team, as I mentioned, the state of Missouri, state of Kansas, their tourism efforts, we were able to pull it all together and put it in the FIFA World Cup app. And we know that we’re going to also have a lot of traffic coming directly to Visit KC website, those other websites as well. And I think your publication, as much as we can get the word out, both to residents, to visitors, in as many platforms as possible, we want everybody to know what’s available. One plug, I would say, the MidAmerica Regional Council has a calendar of events. What we’ve asked communities to do is to put their events on that calendar so that we know, this gets a little wonky, but public safety. We want to know what’s happening in the region so that we know how spread thin our folks are going to be and how we can cover everything. So we encourage everybody to put the events there. We’re going to be using that data to really populate the events side of that platform for visitors as well, through the FIFA World Cup app.
Kathy Nelson:
And on the Visit KC website, as Lindsay mentioned, working so well with both states. We have right now on their itineraries for travelers, which we want them to come and stay here and not take their 9, 7, 9, 10 days somewhere else. So there are things like an arts itinerary, there’s an aerospace itinerary that gets you way out to Western Kansas so that between matches, there’s a track you can take to go experience the whole region and come back. And I think those day trips and those itineraries are filling up so fast right now and they look beautiful and they’re fun to navigate. It even tells you, you could stay here for an overnight trip or stay in this location, and here’s an Airbnb or a hotel, whatever that looks like. I am super excited and I think that’s a legacy, at least for Visit KC, is really increasing the power of these itineraries, because when you go overseas, we’re so used to working with travel agents, but overseas it’s required that they work with travel brokers or opportunities through a travel agency. So we are leaning in, we are feet on the ground overseas. Netherlands, of course, Germany, we’ve been over to multiple times the last few months. I’ve been in Argentina and making sure we’re training the trainers on how to book that so when they get onto the website, they can say, okay, this is a three star, four star hotel I want, I want to go check out art, I want to go check out music. And those itineraries are done and built for them.
Michael Mackie:
Our excursions are about to have excursions here in the metro, right? Yes? All these local planning committees are getting really creative. Have you guys been impressed with what you’re seeing, what they’re bringing to the table?
Kathy Nelson:
Yes.
Lindsey Douglas:
Very much so. Fan Fest will be, capacity is 25,000, and we’re intentionally closing on some key match days so that people will get out and experience the region. So we are so appreciative that the communities are really bringing people to them. They’re hosting watch parties, they’re taking on new activities, things like that. That’s going to help make sure that everybody has something to do. Whether Fan Fest is at capacity or not, we know there’s lots of different activations happening, both sides of the state line all around the region and really, really excited to showcase some of that for the visitors. And that’s our plan. As people show up to Fan Fest, if we’re at capacity, we say, hey, we’re filling up. Somehow communicating that message out, what’s happening here is going to be really popular. But making sure we’re getting the communication out as we’re reaching capacity so people don’t come all the way down to Fan Fest and then we’re full. Making sure we’re getting the message out about what other activities are happening around the region to give people an opportunity.
Michael Mackie:
And there’s just going to be a crush of all these teams calling Kansas City home base. Have you guys just been gobsmacked? I’m using a British term. Have you been gobsmacked by all the interest in just us being a home base?
Lindsey Douglas:
I don’t know if we spoke it into existence.
Michael Mackie:
I feel like you did.
Lindsey Douglas:
I think we might’ve. But we actually as a region really came together and intentionally marketed ourselves for Base Camps. And I think you’re seeing the result of that with the four Base Camp teams that will be here. We know that we were very welcoming, but there is no other city that has as many leading teams that Pot 1 group, no other city has as many Pot 1 teams as we do here in Kansas City. We’re so proud that they’ve discovered us and that we get to host ’em during the tournament. It’s really been a pleasure to get to know those federations, know their fan bases, meet their government officials. Everybody has come together to really make that experience both a memory for us, but also a memory for their players, their teams, so that they will continue to remember Kansas City, want to come back here. I know Cliff and Clark talk all the time about both memories and experiences and experiencing World Cup as community, and we have a really unique culture here in Kansas City to bring all of that to bear for the World Cup.
Kathy Nelson:
Recently I spent some time with a couple of our American players that played in a World Cup and really asked them, when you’re here and you’re based somewhere, whether it was in Brazil or whatever country they were playing in, what do you expect? And they’re like, well, Kansas City’s perfect for this. And Graham Zusi was one of them and Graham’s like, think about it, when you’re not training and you want to just hang out in a city, what is that? And he’s like, Kansas City’s a perfect place. The culture, the opportunities, the safety. You can walk around, check things out, it’s easy to get around. He’s like, I can’t believe there aren’t more countries that want to be based here. And we do know there are more countries that want to, but at some point there’s a cap. And then when we’re overseas and we go meet with the federations or we go see their base camp when they’re performing or competing somewhere, it’s so special to know that Kansas City fits what they want. And again, we’re that unexpected surprise, and they are so looking forward to coming to our city. We’re so easy, we’re so centrally located, but it’s beyond the location. I think to Lindsey’s point of we have made relationships with these people that will forever sustain what Kansas City is.
Michael Mackie:
Oh, that just gave me goosebumps.
Lindsey Douglas:
It’s amazing. And on the business side of things, the culture is amazing. Obviously that holds people, that speaks to them. That feeling of community. England in particular definitely said it’s the community. Now, the other thing that we would not be where we are today, we would not have the Base Camps that we have, if we had not invested so much in the facilities that we have. The business community, the sports teams, Sporting KC is really leading in experience. Their training facility got people in the door. They stayed for the community and the culture and that experience. So they’ve just been phenomenal partners as well as the KC Current showcasing those facilities and really being able to show off the investment that we’ve made as well.
Kathy Nelson:
Over all of our years of bidding, especially leaning into Base Camps and the opportunity. I will never forget when the head of FIFA said out loud in a meeting with maybe 50 of us, he’s like Kansas City is a mecca of venues and a mecca of opportunity.
Michael Mackie:
Mecca.
Kathy Nelson:
Yes. And you think of these bigger cities, New York, LA, Miami, they all have fantastic venues and fantastic people. But to think that we have of course the KC Current training facility. You have Sporting KC, their training facility. I mean it’s really unlike any other city and to be easy to get around, and welcoming, and just so heartful Midwest, I think it made it really easy for that many teams to select us.
Lindsey Douglas:
Absolutely.
Michael Mackie:
I know this has been a gigantic team effort, but I need both of you to just take a minute and just pat yourselves on the back for a job well done. Finally, what else have we not talked about? I feel like we’ve covered a lot, but I feel like there’s more to talk about. What else do we need to discuss about the upcoming World Cup, because it is just a hot minute away.
Kathy Nelson:
Well, you asked a little earlier about, will people be able to experience their day-to-day as normal? Yes. But don’t miss this opportunity. And if you have questions, now’s the time to start figuring out. The website of information is phenomenal., When you want to start to understand, hey, I’ve got guests that are flying in to the brand new terminal at KCI.
Michael Mackie:
Stiill sparkly.
Kathy Nelson:
Yes.
Michael Mackie:
Still smells like new car.
Kathy Nelson:
Still smells like new car. How do I get them here? Jump on the website now and really start to understand. This Connect KC is something I am so proud of as the staff, as a board member, of the work that we have put into this. The transportation committee for years has been working on this, and to think when we went through our bid process, we were graded lowest on transportation. So we had a chip on our shoulder and something to prove. We’ve proven it times 10. And I think that’s what I’d want people and our local residents to know of. You should experience transportation, not just assume it’s only for visitors. Get on and experience how great this is and what it could mean for the longevity of Kansas City.
Lindsey Douglas:
And I would just close by saying, Mark Jorgenson is our board president. Neal Sharma is our vice president. They would both tell you, Kansas City needs to be proud. We are not walking into this with a chip on our shoulder. We’re leading the pack in planning. We are leading other host cities in how we’re putting together our Fan Fest. We need to be proud. We need to own the confidence during this time and really showcase everything we have to offer. There is no shrinking in the corner. We are going to be bold, we are going to be proud, and we are going to put on a show for the world for this World Cup.
Kathy Nelson:
Yes.
Michael Mackie:
Lindsey, I owe you. Kathy, I owe you. Literally, you are the two hardest working women in show business. Full stop. You guys gave me half an hour. I already took 40 minutes, so I’ve probably already made you late for your next thing. But thank you so much for both being here. I appreciate you both so much.
Kathy Nelson:
Thank you.
Lindsey Douglas:
Thank you.
Michael Mackie:
And let’s go World Cup.
Kathy Nelson:
Yes!
Lindsey Douglas:
Yes!
Michael Mackie:
Thank you so much for joining us today on our monthly stop of the Artful Connections Along the Streetcar podcast presented by Arvest Bank and sponsored by TIVOL. You can find this podcast and our future stops wherever you find your favorite podcast. As a reminder, this is Michael Mackie for KC Studio, Kansas City’s only full-time magazine, website and e-newsletter with professional journalists covering the cultural arts region. Go to kcstudio.org to check out all our upcoming arts events, our latest podcasts, and to sign up now to receive your free, yes, just like the streetcar, your free magazine six times a year in your mailbox, or to receive our weekly newsletters at kcstudio.org/subscribe. Thanks for riding with us during this month’s episode.
