KANSAS CITY, Mo.— The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) has selected Kansas City to host its 2018 National Convention. More than 10,000 people are expected to attend, generating nearly 10,000 room nights and pouring nearly $6.5 million into the local economy. Kansas City competed against 11 other cities to land the meeting. The Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association (KCCVA) announced the significant booking on Thursday at a joint press conference with VFW and Mayor Sly James.
“We’re extremely pleased that Kansas City, the home of our national headquarters, will play host to our 119th National Convention,” said VFW Adjutant General John Hamilton. “It’s a great city, and it will offer the thousands of veterans who travel here from all across America, and from abroad, the opportunity to experience the Heartland at its best. Kansas City has changed a lot since last hosting our convention in 2007, and we couldn’t be more proud of how the city is evolving.”
This convention is the third largest booking in terms of room nights so far in 2018. The national convention in KC will coincide with the centennial anniversary of the end of World War I. The VFW is working in conjunction with the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial for commemoration events. Other cities to host the convention leading up to KC include: St. Louis (2014); Pittsburgh (2015); Charlotte (2016); and New Orleans (2017).
About The VFW
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is a nonprofit veterans’ service organization composed of combat veterans and eligible military service members from the active, Guard and Reserve forces. Founded in 1899 and chartered by Congress in 1936, the VFW is the nation's largest organization of war veterans and its oldest major veterans’ organization. With nearly two million VFW and Auxiliary members located in more than 7,000 Posts worldwide, “NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS.” For more information or to join, visit www.vfw.org.
About the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association
The KCCVA is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ignite global passion for visiting Kansas City. Through marketing, sales and service of the convention and tourism industries, the KCCVA supports a vital and growing component of the local economy—generating more than 45,000 jobs and $4.6 billion in economic impact annually. For more information about Kansas City, go to VisitKC.com.