Ronnie Burt

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President & CEO
Visit KC

Ronnie_BurtWith more than 23 years of hospitality and tourism industry experience, Burt came to KC after serving as vice president of sales and services for Destination DDC.  He has also served as senior vice presidents of sales and services for the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association and VP of Sales and Services at the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association.

Burt is actively involved with several local professional industry associations, including the American Royal Advisory Board, Heartland Chapter of the Professional Convention Management Association, the Hospitality Advisory Board at Johnson County Community College’s Hospitality Management Program, Kansas City Chapter Meeting Professionals International (KCMPI) and the Missouri Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus (MACVB). He also serves on the executive committee for the Downtown Council. Most recently he was appointed to the Advancement Board for the University of Kansas academic medical center, an advisory group to the collective of the University of Kansas Medical Center, The University of Kansas Hospital and The University of Kansas Physicians.

Under his leadership, Visit KC has achieved several accomplishments. Here are a few highlights:
•    Adopted the name of Visit KC in fall 2014;
•    Debuted a new downtown headquarters in March 2015; 
•    Reopened the Film Office, which is now the KC Film + New Media office (which secured American Ninja Warrior in 2015 and 2017)
•    Formed the Kansas City Hospitality Alliance—a coalition of six local tourism organizations;
•    Secured Big 12 Basketball Championships through 2020 in conjunction with Kansas City Sports Commission;
•    Secured 2017 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in conjunction with Kansas City Sports Commission;
•    Secured Cerner for two additional years;
•    Secured Shriners International for 2020; 
•    Enhanced Kansas City Restaurant Week by adding hotel and retail component – unveiled a new dine, shop and stay program in 2015;

In addition to the organizational accomplishments, Burt was recently named to the 2016 Kansas City Business Journal’s Power 100, a list of the region’s business elite, one of “KC’s 50 Most Powerful” by 435 Magazine and “Ingram’s 250” by Ingram’s magazine, a list of the most powerful business leaders in the Kansas City area.