#KTC26

REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Conference Highlights: See What's in Store

Pre-Conference Event Monday, October 19 at 5:00pm

Welcome to Wichita: Riverfront Walk, Eats & Views

Start your Wichita experience with a relaxed evening of connection, local flavor and iconic views. Early arrivals are invited to gather at the Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview for a guided walk to Wichita Brewing Company – Delano before heading to the Keeper of the Plains for the nightly firepot lighting ceremony along the riverfront. Food and beverages at Wichita Brewing Company will be available for purchase individually. Guests may return to the hotel at their leisure. Transportation not provided. Comfortable walking shoes recommended.

Opening Keynote

The Power of Place: Telling Your Community Story

Andrew McCrea 

Andrew McCrea is a farmer, a rancher and a nationally syndicated radio broadcaster. Since 1996 Andrew has traveled the nation, producing the “American Countryside” features that are heard each day on over 100 radio stations. He’s conducted interviews in all 50 states and on six continents talking to people from all walks of life - Emmy and Grammy winners, All-star athletes and even the world’s rooster crowing champion! He’s been body slammed by professional wrestlers, traveled to the launch pads at Cape Canaveral, and chronicled the struggle of impoverished farmers in Africa. But often, it’s an interview with someone you’ve never heard of with a story you won’t forget.

TIAK EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR recap

Thank you to everyone who joined us in Dodge City for the 2026 TIAK Educational Seminar!

It was a great day of learning, connecting and fresh ideas as tourism professionals from across Kansas came together to explore the power of community marketing through storytelling.

A special thank you to our presenters from FILI Creative for sharing insights on turning everyday lives into engaging community stories, and to our panelists Sydney Collins, Tanner Colvin and Julie Mindrup for exploring Conversation to Content: How to Build an Audience Through Storytelling. We also appreciate Linda Henderson, Megan Welsh and Julie Roller Weeks for sharing their experiences and practical takeaways during Doing More with Less: Creating Tourism Impact.

We're grateful to our speakers, attendees and hosts for making the trip to Dodge City and helping make this year's seminar a success. We hope everyone left with practical ideas, new connections and plenty of inspiration to take back to their communities!

TIAK PAC Contribution Requests!

During the 2024 election cycle, TIAK PAC contributed to 64 candidates with a 90% success rate. TIAK PAC's support of candidates is important as we work to build and develop TIAK's relationships with legislators impact the legislative process.

The TIAK PAC is seeking donations from individuals, not from CVB funds. Please scan Venmo QR code or click HERE for your contribution. If you would like to send a check, please send it to the TIAK PAC at 825 S Kansas Ave, Suite 502, Topeka, KS 66612.

Join TIAK and Kansas Tourism for a virtual Kansas tourism industry huddle the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 1 PM CT. View past huddles here.

National Park Service unveils immersive visitor platform

Google and the National Park Service have launched United Parks of America, a new interactive digital hub featuring more than 150 curated stories, 30 virtual tours and 350 panoramic images from over 60 national parks. The platform also offers immersive experiences such as 3D landmark models, digitized historic documents and an AI-powered 360-degree exploration of Independence National Historical Park, giving users a new way to virtually experience America’s natural and cultural heritage. Read more HERE.

Tourism Announces $1 Million Available in Attraction Development Grants

Kansas Tourism is offering $1 million in Attraction Development Grants to support new tourism attractions and improvements to existing destinations across the state. Projects will be evaluated on their ability to increase visitation, generate economic impact, enhance the visitor experience, and improve quality of life in Kansas communities. Applications opened August 17 and are due October 16, 2026. Read more HERE.

Labor Market Report

Please find the link below to the July Labor Market report. The August 2026 Kansas Labor Report will be released on September 18, 2026.

July 2026 Labor Market Report: Click Here!

Scroll down to Labor Report Documents for the News Release and Labor Force Data for the “Interactive Labor Force Dashboard” and “Printable County Unemployment Rate Map”.

July Lodging Report

TIAK has an agreement with Smith Travel Research (STR) to provide members with statewide reports on hotel occupancy each month. The following data is provided directly from STR:

Monthly and YTD Comparisons

Kansas had 63% property participation and 79% hotel room participation in July.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Tourism Huddle

Second Wednesday of each month

September 9

TIAK Executive Committee Meetings

September 10

November 12

TIAK Board Meetings

October 20

December 10