The Platte County Economic Development Council (PCEDC) hosted its third Quarterly Member Luncheon on Friday, September 9, 2022, at Argosy Casino Hotel & Spa. Sponsored by Sporting KC and Olsson, the luncheon featured Kathy Nelson, President & CEO of the Kansas City Sports Commission and Visit KC.
PCEDC Chairman Scott Zigler of Zona Rosa kicked off the luncheon by recognizing many of the elected officials, high-level PCEDC investors, board members, and special guests in attendance. Recognition was also given to new PCEDC investors. 11 new members were announced totaling nearly $30,000! These investors included Alexander Mechanical, American Truck Historical Society, Chief of Staff Kansas City, Image Staffing, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Kodiak Technology Services, Liberty Hospital, Newkirk Novak Construction Partners, PowerPartners, Russell, and The Scarbrough Group.
Before the start of the program, Kansas City 2nd District Councilman Dan Fowler took a few minutes to present Darren Hennen with the 816 Award. This award is given to a business or resident within each Kansas City, MO district that embodies the character of loving KC by their support and commitment to making KC a great place to live through giving back to their community. Congratulations, Darren!
Kathy Nelson took the stage and gave the audience an inside look as to how Kansas City won the FIFA World Cup bid. The FIFA World Cup is the largest and most prestigious single sport event in the world and is followed by billions of worldwide fans. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by 16 cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. On June 16, 2022, Kansas City was selected as one of the 16 host cities. This event will have an estimated 3.5 billion worldwide viewers and tens of thousands of international visitors. It is also estimated that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will generate between $160M and $620M for each host location.
Additionally, Kansas City will host the NFL Draft on April 27-29, 2023 in the area around Union Station and the National WWI Museum and Memorial. This is the first time Kansas City has had the opportunity to host this event. The three-day event will feature the NFL Draft Experience, the NFL’s interactive football theme park, allowing fans to enjoy interactive exhibits, autograph sessions, and more. Opportunities to volunteer for the 2023 NFL Draft will be available soon.