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Monday September 24
Welcome
ACI-NA will publish a special convention daily e-newsletter, Kansas City Check-In, to keep you up-to-date on the proceedings of the 16th Annual Conference and Exhibition. This newsletter can also be accessed at the ACI-NA website and will be e-mailed to ACI-NA members so even those not able to attend will be in the loop.
This edition is a preview of what will be taking place on Saturday and Sunday both inside and outside of the convention center. For those of you arriving early in the weekend, there is plenty to do right downtown.
Our live coverage begins Saturday evening and will continue with evening editions through Wednesday. Saturday’s edition will provide coverage of the day’s seminars.
KC on the Weekend
Whether you’re a jazz lover or food connoisseur, an art enthusiast or sports nut, Kansas City has something for everyone. The “heart of America,” as it is known, comes to life during the fall.
Fleeting yet glorious crisp autumn days are perfect for events like NASCAR racing at Kansas Speedway, Royals baseball, the Kansas City Renaissance Festival, the American Royal Parade (map), Arabian Horse Show, and American Royal BBQ Contest—all happening this week. Breezy days in the high 70s and vividly-colored trees this time of year provide a perfect backdrop for a weekend run or sporting event. Evenings are meant for jamming with friends to the swinging sound of Kansas City jazz or exploring one of the city’s haunted hideouts.
Shopoholics are easily satiated here with retail centers like downtown City Center Square, mid-town’s Crown Center (Hallmark’s international headquarters) and the distinctive Country Club Plaza—home to high-end shops, outdoor cafes, elegant restaurants, art galleries, carriage and boat rides and historic architecture.
Art and culture buffs are dazzled in Kansas City. The area boasts more than 12 theaters, a resident symphony, ballet company, opera and museums. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art houses one of the world’s finest collections of Asian art, and modern art is plentiful in the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and Design. The Nelson’s grounds feature the Kansas City Sculpture Park containing one of the largest collections of Henry Moore sculptures outside England. Kansas City’s flourishing gallery neighborhoods include the Crossroads Arts District, which holds a social art event the first Friday night of every month. And, of course, the sights and sounds of the American Jazz Museum are not to be missed.
Other sizzling attractions include riverboat casinos with live entertainment, twin amusement parks, Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun theme parks, the Kansas City Zoo, Kansas City Royals baseball, Kansas City Chiefs football and the downtown revitalization project, which will feature a festival-like entertainment district, new performing arts center and a 20,000-seat sport and event arena.
Writers and artists have long romanticized about this metropolis, now home to about 2 million people. They’ve referred to it as “Paris on the Plains” with its extensive, interlocking system of parks and boulevards, methodically set aside by urban planners in the 1890s. Other visitors nickname it the “City of Fountains” after the 200 fountains that decorate the landscape. Whatever your pleasure, passion or whim, Kansas City is sure to answer--and with a lot of “heart.”
And, for those staying beyond Wednesday night’s Block Party, the “World Series of BBQ”gets underway on Thursday, Oct. 4, at 7 a.m. at the American Royal Complex. This BBQ festival, at $10 per adult, runs through Sunday, Oct. 7.
In addition to these many events, ACI-NA has organized three tours of the area:
- Sunday: Kansas City Yesterday and Today on the Steamboat Arabia, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Monday: Harry Truman’s Independence & Bingham-Waggoner Estate; 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Tuesday: A Look Back ~ Liberty Memorial & the Hallmark Visitor’s Center; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For spouses and other family members not attending the conference, two extensive activity calendars are available at www.visitkc.com and www.kansascity.com.
Friday, Sept. 28:
Kansas City Royals v. Cleveland Indians
7:10 p.m.; Tickets start at $7
Kauffman Stadium, 7:10 p.m.
I-435 & I-70, Kansas City, Mo.
1.800.6ROYALS
Fireworks after the game.
Kansas City Symphony presents: Garrick Ohlsson plays Chopin
8 p.m.; Tickets start at $30
Lyric Theatre
11th & Central Sts., Kansas City, Mo.
816-471-0400
Little River Band
8 p.m.; Tickets start at $25
Ameristar Casino Hotel
3200 N Ameristar Dr., Kansas City, Mo.
816-414-7000
The Beast Haunted House Tour
7:30 p.m.; Admission: $20
1401 W 13th St.
816-842-0320
The Edge of Hell
7:30 p.m.; Admission: $20
1300 West 12th Street
816-842-0320
Sat., Sept. 29:
NASCAR Yellow Transportation 300
8 a.m. gates open; 3:30 p.m. race time. Tickets: $10 to $300
Kansas Speedway
400 Speedway Blvd., Kansas City, Kan.
913-328-RACE
Arabian Horse Show
8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tickets: $10
1701 American Royal Ct., Kansas City, Mo.
816-931-3330
82nd Annual American Royal Parade along Grand Boulevard
10 a.m. – Noon
Downtown, Kansas City, Mo.
816-221-9800
Kansas City Renaissance Festival
10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tickets: $14.50
Bonner Springs, Kan.
800-373-0357.
30th Annual Heart of America Quilt Festival
10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Free
Crown Center, Kansas City, Mo.
816-274-8444
Tyler’s Perry’s What’s Done in the Dark
Performances at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets start at $40.50
Music Hall/Kansas City Convention Center complex
301 West 13th St., Kansas City, MO 64105
Kansas City Royals v. Cleveland Indians
6:10 p.m.; Tickets start at $7
Kauffman Stadium, 6:10 p.m.
I-435 & I-70, Kansas City, Mo.
1-800-6ROYALS
Kansas City Symphony presents: Garrick Ohlsson plays Chopin
8 p.m.; Tickets start at $30
Lyric Theatre
11th & Central Sts., Kansas City, Mo.
816-471-0400
Rob Scheps Quintet
8:30 p.m.; Tickets: $10
American Jazz Museum, The Blue Room
1616 E 18th St., Kansas City, Mo.
816-474-8463
Sun., Sept. 30:
NASCAR Kansas 400
8 a.m. gates open; 1 p.m. race time. Tickets: $10 to $300
Kansas Speedway
400 Speedway Blvd., Kansas City, Kan.
913-328-RACE
Arabian Horse Show
8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tickets: $10
1701 American Royal Ct., Kansas City, Mo.
816-931-3330,
Kansas City Renaissance Festival
10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tickets: $14.50
Bonner Springs, Kan.
800-373-0357.
30th Annual Heart of America Quilt Festival
10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Free
Crown Center, Kansas City, Mo.
816-274-8444
Kansas City Royals v. Cleveland Indians
1:10 p.m.; Tickets start at $7
Kauffman Stadium, 6:10 p.m.
I-435 & I-70, Kansas City, Mo.
1-800-6ROYALS
Tyler’s Perry’s What’s Done in the Dark
3 p.m. Tickets start at $40.50
Music Hall/Kansas City Convention Center complex
301 West 13th St., Kansas City, MO 64105
Kansas City Symphony presents: Garrick Ohlsson plays Chopin
8 p.m.; Tickets start at $30
Lyric Theatre
11th & Central Sts., Kansas City, Mo.
816-471-0400
ACI-NA Guest Tours:
Sunday: Kansas City Yesterday and Today on the Steamboat Arabia
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Fee: $83 per person, includes lunch
This narrated excursion presents both the historical and present-day Kansas City. Guests will have the opportunity to see Lewis & Clark Point overlooking the Missouri River, the downtown financial district, Sprint Center and the adjacent Power & Light District, Union Station, Liberty Memorial, Westport – where the California, Santa Fe and Oregon Trails all intersected, the Vietnam Memorial, The Country Club Plaza with its beautiful J.C. Nichols Fountain, plus much more.
Next it’s time for a journey back through time – to 1856 and the Steamboat “Arabia” Museum. Loaded with 200 tons of cargo, the Arabia was making her way up the Missouri River when a large log pierced her hull. Sinking in minutes, she lay entombed for the next 133 years until her remarkable discovery and recovery in 1989. The Arabia Museum allows visitors to witness the remarkable treasure of goods aboard the vessel that were preserved by the river mud through the years. Her cargo included china, jewelry, clothing, tools, firearms, spirits, bottled fruits, boots and shoes, plus hundreds of other items – all still in pristine condition and beautifully displayed.
After the Steamboat Arabia, guests will enter the Freight House District where lunch will be served at Lidia’s Little Italy. Lidia and Joseph Bastianich opened Lidia's Kansas City together with David Wagner, a Kansas City native, in a former railroad house just north of Kansas City's historic Union Station. Designed by acclaimed New York architect David Rockwell, the restaurant evokes the feel of an Italian farmhouse despite its tremendous size. Lidia's Kansas City features a daily tasting of three fresh, homemade pastas, modeled on the popular pasta service at the Bastianich family's Becco in New York.
Monday: Harry Truman’s Independence & Bingham-Waggoner Estate
9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
$82 per person, includes lunch
Independence, Missouri, is the home of the 33rd President of the United States, Harry S Truman. The Truman Library is one of only eight in the U.S. administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. Consisting of research archives, there are more than 14 million pages of manuscript material stored here, including five million from the White House files. The museum section of the library focuses on Truman’s career and his administration. Be sure to see the reproduction of the Oval Office as it looked during his presidency.
In addition to visiting the Truman Library, guests will have the opportunity to view not only the Old Independence Square and Courthouse where Harry’s office as county judge in 1933 was located, but also the “Summer White House” of Harry and Bess Truman. It was at this home on June 24, 1950, that Harry was informed South Korea had been invaded.
After the Truman Library, it is a short jaunt over to the Bingham-Waggoner Estate. Built in 1852, owned by George Caleb Bingham, artist and politician, and later William Waggoner, this 26-room Victorian is a treasure. Beginning in the Carriage House/Gift Shop, tour guides will take you into the 1900s where history comes to life among the original furniture, paintings and decor.
Finally, lunch will be served at the beautiful Kauffman Stadium Club, home of the Kansas City Royals. The Stadium Club's elegant 400-seat dining room features a breathtaking view of the playing field, the 12-story scoreboard, the "Jumbo Tron", and the colorful water spectacular.
Tuesday: A Look Back ~ Liberty Memorial & The Hallmark Visitor’s Center
10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
$82 per person, Includes lunch
This tour takes guests to the only public museum in the United States solely dedicated to World War I. Following the end of the First World War in 1918, the citizens of Kansas City were inspired to build a memorial in honor of those who had served in defense of liberty and our country. Local citizens raised $2.5 million dollars to design and construct the Liberty Memorial, which was formally opened in 1926. On October 28th, 2004, President George W. Bush signed into law legislation that formally designates Liberty Memorial as “America’s National World War I Museum.” This designation firmly establishes the Liberty Memorial Museum as “The Resource for World War I” in the United States.
The Museum features a world-class collection of historical objects and provides visitors with the opportunity to learn about the stories of WWI through the eyes of those who lived it. Standing watch over the Liberty Memorial are four carvings high atop the 217-ft. Memorial Tower, the Guardian Spirits that represent the high ideals of honor, courage, patriotism, and sacrifice. The tower elevator takes visitors up to the observation deck for a dramatic view of the Kansas City skyline.
Next it’s off to the Hallmark Visitor’s Center. Get an inside look at Hallmark’s story – from humble beginnings in 1910 with founder "Mr. J.C." Hall, to the creation of the world-famous Hallmark greeting cards and Keepsake Ornaments. Interactive displays and fascinating exhibits make the tour fun for everyone.
Four Seminars on Saturday
While the festivities get underway Sunday with the 6 p.m. opening of the Exhibition Hall in the Kansas City Convention Center, Saturday and Sunday are filled with educational opportunities. There are four seminars planned as well as a number of committee, steering group and working group meetings.
Business Information Technologies, Environmental Affairs, Legal Affairs and Operations and Technical Affairs will each hold two-day seminars on Saturday and Sunday. The Business Information Technologies seminar will begin at 8:30 a.m. Saturday while Legal Affairs, and Environmental Affairs and Operations and Technical Affairs seminars will begin at 1 p.m.
The Business Information Technologies seminar will cover IT trends, including the achievement of cost savings and revenue optimization. Two sessions will look at the intersection of the legal and IT departments as a panel of airport lawyers and IT managers talk about contracting, regulatory compliance, and the airport leasing process. The other session, focusing on intellectual property issues.
The BIT seminar will in Room 2504AB.
The two-day Environmental Affairs seminar will include a discussion of airport and airline roles in climate protections. A review of an environmental sustainability management system suitable for airports will be presented as well as an open forum to discuss issues facing individual airports. Sunday afternoon’s session will include updates on noise abatement and water quality control issues.
The Environmental Affairs seminar will be in Room 2502AB.
The TSA Chief Counsel will address the ACI-NA Fall Legal Seminar and FAA representatives will appear at three sessions during the seminar, to discuss hot FAA issues. Other topics include the LAX litigation, DBE disparity studies, and the FCC's initiative concerning 800 MHz rebanding.
The Legal Affairs seminar will meet in Room 2215C.
The Operations and Technical Affairs seminar will include a presentation by the FAA on runaway lighting to prevent incursions. Another session will talk about runway rehabilitation programs and while a third will discuss planning terminal expansions.
The Operations and Technical Affairs seminar meet in Room 2505B.
Meeting room assignments may change and members should check on-site directories for any updates.
Sunday’s Committee Meetings
Sunday is the meeting day for a number of committees, subcommittees and steering groups.
This year the Human Resources subcommittee will have its inaugural meeting since it was formed over the summer.
Likewise, the Business Diversity, Finance & Administration, Insurance & Risk, Business & Commercial Management will review their new committee structures as each one becomes a stand-alone committee apart from Economic Affairs.
All ACI-NA committee meetings are open to all members.
Starting times/Room locations:
- 9 a.m. -- Commissioners Steering Group, Room 3501E
- 9 a.m. -- Business Diversity Subcommittee, Room 3501C
- 9 a.m. -- Joint International Air Service Program & Facilitation Working Group, Room 3501B
- 10 a.m. -- Marketing & Communications Steering Group, Room 3501A
- 10 a.m. -- Commissioners Business Meeting, Room 3501E
- 11 a.m. -- Finance & Administration Subcommittee, Room 3501H
- 11 a.m. -- Insurance & Risk Management Subcommittee, Room 3501G
- 1:30 p.m. -- Air Cargo Subcommittee, Room 3501C
- 1:30 p.m. -- Business & Commercial Management Subcommittee, Room 3501G
- 2 p.m. -- Human Resources Subcommittee, Room 3501B
- 2:30 p.m. -- Small Airports Committee, Room 3501H
- 3:15 p.m. -- Business Information Technologies Steering Group, Room 2504A
- 3:30 p.m. -- Economic Affairs Committee, Room, Room 3501D
Conference Highlights
Mary E. Peters, the U.S. transportation secretary, opens the 16th Annual Conference and Exhibition with an address to the entire membership. Peters is marking her first anniversary in the post.
The general session begins at 10:15 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom on the second floor of the Kansas City Convention Center.
There will be two educational concurrent sessions held at 3:15 p.m. on Monday.
- In Room 3501A, Lester Robinson, the CEO of Wayne County Airport Authority, will moderate a discussion on the Future Design Concepts.
- Next door, in Room 3501E, Steve Grossman, Oakland’s aviation director, will moderate a discussion on employee security screening.
The concurrent rooms for the conference are across the sky bridge from the Exhibition Hall.
On Tuesday, the second general session will be devoted to obtaining and then maintaining extraordinary customer service. Executives from Marriott, Avis and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will explain how each organization provides a high-level of customer service. This session gets underway at 9 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom.
There are four concurrent educational sessions scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
- At 1:45 p.m., Mark Reis, the Seattle-Tacoma aviation director, will moderate a session in Room 3501A on Sustainability and the Bottom Line.
- Also at 1:45 p.m., Louisville’s Skip Miller will moderate a presentation in Room 3501E of future aviation systems around the world.
- At 3:15 p.m. in Room 3501A, Jeff Hamiel, the executive director of Minneapolis-St. Paul, will moderate a discussion of the environmental pressures facing the aviation industry.
- In the second 3:15 p.m. session, Ben DeCosta, general manager of Atlanta’s department of aviation, will moderate a discussion in Room 3501E of the media and their portrayal of airports. ABC News’ Lisa Stark and Don Philips, of the International Herald Tribune, will be featured.
On Wednesday, there will be a series of briefings in the Grand Ballroom.
- At 8:30 a.m., the ACI-NA Government Affairs team will provide an update on FAA reauthorization and other pending legislation.
- At 10:30 a.m., a team from the FAA will brief the members on a variety of issues facing the agency – from the agency’s perspective.
- At 3 p.m., a TSA executive will conduct a briefing on current security issues.
Exhibition Hall
There are 125 exhibitors in more than 200 booths in Hall D, the third floor of the Kansas City Convention Center. The hall opens Sunday evening at 6 p.m. and it will be open daily through Tuesday evening.
Per ACI-NA tradition, the Exhibition Hall is open only at meal times and when the conference’s educational and business activities are not in-session.
The on-site program, which will distributed at the registration desk, contains a list of exhibitors and the Exhibition Hall’s floor plan. The floor plan is also available on-line.
Exhibition Hall Schedule
Sunday, Sept. 30
6 p.m. – Exhibition Hall ribbon cutting and opening
6 - 8 p.m. – Exhibition Hall Open: Evening reception
Monday, Oct.1
7:30 - 10 am – Exhibition Hall Open: Continental breakfast available
Noon- 3 p.m. – Exhibition Hall Open: Buffet luncheon available
5 - 6:30 p.m. – Exhibition Hall Open: Evening reception
Tuesday, Oct. 2
10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Exhibition Hall Open: Buffet luncheon available, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
5 - 7 p.m. – Exhibition Hall Open: Evening reception
Hotels
ACI-NA delegates are staying at four downtown hotels. All are within a short walk (see map) of the convention center. While the Marriott is the flagship hotel for the conference, no conference meetings are scheduled at this hotel or any other hotel.
Kansas City Marriott Downtown
200 West 12th Street
PH: (816) 421-6800
FX: (816) 855-4418
Aladdin Holiday Inn
1215 Wyandotte St.
PH: 816.421-8888
Hotel Phillips
106 W 12th Street
PH: 816.221.7000
FX: 816.221.3477
Hilton President Kansas City
1329 Baltimore
PH: (816) 221-9490
Did You Know?
Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport
The Airline History Museum is located at the Kansas City Downtown Airport. It now houses a restored Lockheed L1049 "Super G" Constellation, a Martin 404, and a Douglas DC-3, which is undergoing restoration. Actor and pilot John Travolta is staging a fundraiser for the museum in October.
TW&A
Charles Lindbergh helped lure the newly created Transcontinental & Western Airline (TW&A) -- later TWA, to locate its corporate headquarters in Kansas City because of the city's central location. During the later part of the Golden Age of Aviation, the 30s and 40s, TWA was known as "The Airline Run by Flyers." With 300 employees prior to World War II, the airline would ultimately have more than 20,000 employed in the metropolitan area.
The Jazz District Block Party
The 16th Annual Conference and Exhibition will close Wednesday in true Kansas City style with lots of jazz and barbeque. The Kansas City Aviation Department will host a block party in the historic 18th and Vine Jazz District. This is the place where jazz masters such as Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Big Joe Turner, and hundreds of others defined the sounds of the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. The American Jazz Museum and The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum are part of this complex and both will be open as part of the block party festivities.
Dinner, entertainment and fireworks are sponsored by KCAD. Desserts are sponsored by Boston Logan International Airport.
Grand Marquis, Angela Hagenbach and The Alaadeen Trio will supply live entertainment on three stages.
