Thousands of international soccer fans and millions of dollars are expected to descend on Kansas City next year as the city hosts six world cup matches. Lawrence officials and organizations have begun preparing to claim a slice of the pie. The impacts are expected to be huge. Six games will be played at Arrowhead Stadium, including a quarterfinal match. “For each of those, the impacts they estimate are similar to what a Super Bowl would be,” said Steve Kelly, vice president of economic development for the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce. KC2026 is the organization in charge of planning for the World Cup in Kansas City. CEO Pam Kramer called the World Cup the “biggest event to ever happen in Kansas City.” In recent months, Lawrence organizations created a unified command, similar to what was formed for COVID-19 response, in preparation for the World Cup. Partners include the City of Lawrence, Douglas County, the University of Kansas, Explore Lawrence and the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce.
Source: The Lawrence Times
