A community resource for bringing people together

The 40,000 square-foot Conference Center occupies nearly a third of the Kauffman Foundation’s headquarters building, and offers a variety of gathering spaces free of charge to qualified nonprofit organizations.

This year the Foundation hopes to encourage more people in the Kansas City area to make the most of this community gathering place to collaborate, promote new thinking, and exchange ideas, especially when they promote education, advance entrepreneurship, and benefit Kansas City.

The flexible meeting space includes ten rooms of various sizes, configurations, and audio/visual capabilities. All rooms surround a main gathering area, which is modeled after the traditional community town square where neighbors gather to plan, work, and celebrate. The Conference Center pays tribute to the surrounding area, with meeting rooms named for nearly parks and roadways leading to the Foundation.

In addition to the meeting space, guests have access during the day to the Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden, a permanent exhibit featuring the life and times of Ewing Kauffman and a mural celebrating Kansas City’s entrepreneurial heritage. The lobby features selectied of works by local artists in association with Arts KC and a display of panels of the AIDS Memorial Quilt.

Since it opened in 1999, the Conference Center has welcomed nearly 75,000 guests each year, and since 2000, 951 unique organizations have used the facility. In 2017, more that 93,500 seats were set for events, accommodating an average of 300 guests a day. While use of the facility and event parking is free, guests have the option of purchasing on-site catering for their events, and in 2017, the Conference Center filled nearly 2,500 catering service orders.

The Kauffman Foundation Conference Center is open during normal business hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The Conference Center is open pending scheduled meetings for extended hours from 5 to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. The Conference Center is closed on Sundays, during the holidays and during the Foundation’s Winter Break.

To learn more about booking the facility for one-time or ongoing meetings, visit the website or contact the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center staff directly at 816-932-1050.