With hundreds of thousands of people expected to be in the area for the biggest sporting event in the world, how do you lure some of those folks to tiny Cameron, Missouri, 45 minutes north of Kansas City on I-35?
"You can get away from the craziness of downtown Kansas City," suggests Staci Earley president of the Cameron Chamber of Commerce.
She also said that the 300 hotel rooms in and around Cameron are way cheaper than soccer fans will find closer to Kansas City. International visitors will also experience what she called small town charm.
"And we really are big in the love of America, all things Americana," she said. For example, Cameron has a big Independence Day celebration.
Earley was one of a couple of dozen FIFA World Cup planners from Kansas and Missouri who met Monday to hear about the final logistics for the matches that start June 16.
That small town, American experience, they argued, can be very appealing to foreign soccer fans. "What we're hearing from the consulates is that visitors really want that Americana experience," said KC2026 CEO Pam Kramer. "So, there's nothing better than a small-town 4th of July festival."
Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence also has events planned, including an art market and a powwow, as a way to help introduce international visitors to Native culture.
Lawrence is also expecting a big influx of visitors because it will be the base camp for the Algerian team.
The Netherlands and England both locked down training locations in the metro. Reigning World Cup champions Argentina will also live and train in Kansas City for the duration of the 2026 tournament.
People at the Monday meeting also heard final details about the transportation plan, how all of area hospitals are working together, which includes having some urgent care centers open until midnight, and that there will be consular services at the Overland Park Convention Center.
So does Cameron, mostly known for having two state prisons, really expect a big bump in tourism?
"I don't know that anybody really can fathom what adding 650,000 more people into the Kansas City area is going to look like," Earley said. "What we're doing is trying to set our businesses and our Cameron community members up for success so that they if we do get a huge influx of visitors, then they're ready,"
