Greater Wichita CVB

Wichita, Kansas, has seen incredible growth over the past year with the introduction of new hotels, unique meeting spaces and entertainment options. It is the perfect destination for meetings due to its central location, affordability, and ease of getting around.

Downtown Wichita now has six properties within the core area close to the Century II Convention Center, which boasts more than 200,000 square feet of exhibition and meeting space with catering capabilities for up to 3,500 people. In addition, Century II connects to the Hyatt Regency Wichita. Combined, they have 28 meeting and ballrooms.

The newest hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott in Old Town, is nestled in the city’s historic redbrick entertainment district. Old Town offers visitors a chance to explore art galleries, shop at boutiques, dine at local restaurants, or unwind at a variety of pubs, sports and wine bars.

New developments on Wichita’s west side include three new hotel properties and Wichita’s largest outdoor shopping, dining and entertainment district, NewMarket Square. New northeast hotel properties include Homewood Suites by Hilton at the Waterfront and Residence Inn at Plazzio. Both hotels are also located in new entertainment districts, The WaterFront and Plazzio, which continue to add upscale restaurants, shops and entertainment options each year. North of Wichita, a new Sleep Inn opened in May near the Wichita Greyhound Park and Kansas Coliseum.

In addition to the opening of new hotels, Wichita attractions opened several new exhibits this year. The Sedgwick County Zoo, one of top 10 zoos in the country, created a Humboldt penguin exhibit, Museum of World Treasures added a T-Rex exhibit, and this fall Exploration Place will host the traveling exhibit “RACE: Are We So Different?”

If your looking for a unique meeting space, how about meeting among wild animals, in an Old West setting or at a renovated cathedral? Wichita has a wide array of unique meeting spaces to give you an amazing meeting experience!

The zoo’s state-of-the-art center has 15,000 square feet of classrooms, an auditorium and interior and exterior gathering places. Old Cowtown Museum’s Visitor Center features a large Great Room with a magnificent fireplace, outdoor patio and amphitheatre. The Grand Chapel, a former church, now provides seating for more than 750 and has a large reception area complete with bar, dance floor and kitchen. Other unique destinations for meetings include the Old Town historic district lofts, Exploration Place and Botanica, The Wichita Gardens.

Even more is on the horizon with the WaterWalk and the Sedgwick County Arena. WaterWalk is an “Urban Village” that will have retailers, restaurants and entertainment along with business offices and residential facilities. WaterWalk and the new Sedgwick County Arena, both located in downtown Wichita, are set to be completed in 2009 and will be within walking distance of the Century II Convention Center.

To find out more, call (800) 288-9424 or visit www.VisitWichita.com.