After a long, trying year, the world is close to reopening. What that will look like, and how long it will take to resemble what we consider normal, remains unknown. Planning for tomorrow can be challenging, let alone later in 2021 or years to come.
Visit Wichita recognizes what meeting planners want more than anything is understanding and flexibility. We know you and your group are ready to be reunited at a real, live, in-person event. But it is going to take time to know what that will look like and how many attendees are able to join.
That’s why we are going well beyond a virtual hug and an empathetic nod.
Flexibility Promise
The Visit Wichita Flexibility Promise is a demonstration of the caring and commitment to your group’s well-being that you will experience from the moment your attendees step foot in this historic, vibrant city. Whenever you’re ready to visit, your comfort is our priority.
Our Flexibility Promise for conventions and meetings is designed to give you peace of mind. An unprecedented offer for unprecedented times, the Flexibility Promise includes among participating hotels:
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No cancellation fee 21 days out from the event*
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No food and beverage minimums
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No attrition
*Hyatt Regency Wichita and Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center – no cancellation fee 30 days out from event.
These offers are good for groups booking a minimum of 25 rooms with an RFP submitted by June 30, 2021, and the meeting taking place by Dec. 31, 2022.
Why are we doing this? Because we want you to know you are safe and in good hands when you visit. Don’t worry about contract clauses keeping you up late at night. The Flexibility Promise allows you to book one of Wichita’s many unique event spaces with peace of mind.
Your Wish List Come True
The best part of all is just how easy it is to enjoy Wichita and its amenities. It starts with getting here. Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, which features nonstop flights from 13 cities, including hubs like Dallas, Atlanta and Chicago, is a convenient choice or midwest groups can hop on Interstate-35 and ride into town.
Once here, the Q-Line hits all the major entertainment districts on its free route. Bike Share ICT, electric scooters and walking are also good options.
Consider that there are more than 1,200 sleeping rooms downtown —a mix of national brands and boutique properties. All of the downtown districts are easily accessible from convention facilities too. In total, there are more than 8,000 hotel rooms throughout the city and 200,000 square feet of exhibition space at Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center. Attendees will never travel far to meet.
If exploring outdoors is a priority, consider the Old West itinerary we’ve created.
Enjoy a stroll through history at the Old Cowtown Museum, a 17-acre, open-air experience that immerses you in Wild West life. Or take in the natural beauty of the outdoors at the Great Plains Nature Center. With two miles of accessible trails, you can journey through prairies and wetlands amidst unique and colorful wildlife.
Looking for a way to stay active? The Arkansas River lends itself to kayaking, paddle boarding, and canoeing and is a beautiful backdrop for scenic morning runs or yoga sessions. And that’s just the start of the virtual potpourri for planners.
“The city has everything: a central location; great hotels and amazing dining, a safe, clean environment, and plenty of fun things to do right near the downtown area. What more could we ask for?" says Staci Morgan, Conference and Membership Director of National Association of County Engineers.
Choice Offerings
Wichitans love to show off their city. If you like craft beer, Wichita is home to nearly a dozen distinct breweries. There are also speak-easies, comedy clubs, open-air bars, live music and public art. With all that there is to do here, it’s no wonder the NCAA has awarded Wichita the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship Regionals, 2024 NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships and 2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Planners booking here are to be crowned champions by their group.
From funky food trucks to fine dining, Wichita has a diverse and delicious food scene. The city’s hotels sport some of the best food in town, including at Ambassador Hotel’s Siena Tuscan Steakhouse and the DoubleTree’s Chisholm’s American Beef and Ale House. Attendees will also eat up the buffet at B&C Barbeque Pub & Grill and fusion fare at Molino’s in Midtown.
Walk This Way
Experience 5 museums on a 2-mile walk along the Arkansas River—that’s a museum every 2,000 feet. As you’d expect, the diversity of choices ensures you can’t go wrong. Botanica Wichita, Wichita Art Museum, Mid-America All-Indian Museum, Old Cowtown Museum and Exploration Place give a true sense of place while your group has an experience to remember. Attendees will revel in the sites while planners (and their bosses) celebrate the big-city arts and culture scene, minus the traffic, crowds or high costs.
Field of Dreams
Wichita is a great sports town. What better way to forge stronger bonds between teammates than at a state-of-the-art baseball stadium? Riverfront Stadium in downtown Wichita serves as the home of the Wind Surge, the new minor league baseball team. This stadium opened in April 2020 and has a total seating capacity of 10,025 with 6,000 in fixed seating, in addition to luxury suites. This stadium can also be used for large outdoor events or small, indoor meetings.
Game Time
Chicken N Pickle’s name is enough to pique a group’s interest. This unique entertainment complex blends fast-casual cuisine with friendly competitions on its 10 pickleball courts, numerous bocce ball courts and shuffleboard courts, game room and additional yard game areas.
Call of the Wild
Want something different? Tanganyika Wildlife Park has an animal attraction your attendees won’t be able to resist. From ring-tailed lemurs to pygmy hippos, attendees can get up close and personal with many exotic animals. With three different venue spaces, the call of the wild might be just what you are looking for in an off-site reception or gala. Rest assured, the facility is certified for its humane treatment of its inhabitants. The park is a mere 15 minutes from downtown.
A little closer in - about 10 minutes from Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center - is Sedgwick County Zoo, the country’s seventh-largest zoo and home to 3,000 animals and nearly 400 species. Feed giraffes and encounter penguins while utilizing the eight meeting rooms, the largest of which holds 350 attendees.
Are you clicking your heels three times with excitement because of all the options Wichita presents? We hope so, and it starts with the Flexibility Promise. Planning a meeting or convention isn’t easy - that’s why we want to take the burden of the unexpected off your plate. We’ve done enough worrying for a lifetime. Now, let’s plan ahead with peace of mind.