photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Crowds exit the new conference center at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium following a ceremony to officially open the new facility on Nov. 12, 2025.

There was both a ribbon cutting and an anointing Wednesday at the University of Kansas’ new 55,000-square-foot conference center that is attached to the university’s renovated football stadium.

“This center meets the high standards of the University of Kansas,” Gov. Laura Kelly proclaimed before a crowd of more than 300 people who gathered Wednesday morning for a ceremony to officially open the multi-million dollar facility.

While winning praise from the leader of the state is one thing, the words from the community’s top tourism and convention salesperson created excitement among those counting on the center to provide a boost to Lawrence’s economy.

“Today marks a shift of what is possible in Lawrence,” Kim Anspach, executive director of Explore Lawrence, told the crowd.

Anspach, whose group markets Lawrence to organizations and groups that host conventions, said it has been difficult for Lawrence to win bids for events that have more than 300 people. That has now changed. The conference center’s main ballroom space can accommodate a meal for 1,000 people, plus the facility has numerous breakout rooms spread throughout the stadium.

KU officials have said the various bars and dining areas that were built into the revamped David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium will be available to conventions that need the space. For really large events, there’s even more space available in nearby campus buildings. For example, the second largest ballroom space in the city is in the Kansas Union, which is essentially across the street from the conference center.

“This really isn’t your typical conference center,” KU Chancellor Douglas Girod told the crowd.

photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Gov. Laura Kelly and KU Chancellor Douglas Girod speak before an opening ceremony for KU’s new conference center on Nov. 12, 2025.

But the center does have a typical goal of such facilities — to bring out-of-town visitors who will pump money into local businesses, Girod said. He said the facility is designed to host “large conferences, seminars, trade shows, weddings, galas, and social events.” Girod said all of those types of events have been booked at the center already. A representative of the third-party group hired to manage the center — the Oak View Group — said 60 events have been booked for the center thus far, and inquiries about the space are strong.

Girod told the crowd that his goal was to have the center used 349 days per year, noting that the center’s operations staff needed a few days off. That should be plenty of time for the center to produce the results that everyone is counting on, he said

“That’s what it is really all about at the end of the day, to generate additional economic activity to the city, the county, the state and beyond,” Girod said.

The project already has produced one of the larger boosts in state funding that has flowed into the community. The State of Kansas provided $35 million of initial funding for the project and then awarded it $50 million in special economic grant funding, which required KU to also raise $150 million in matching funds.

photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Both Big Jay and Baby Jay were dressed in tuxedos for an opening ceremony of KU’s new conference center on Nov. 12, 2025.

The state funding largely covered all of the costs for the conference center portion of KU’s larger “Gateway District” project, which is expected to cost approximately $800 million when it is completed in 2028 with eastside stadium improvements, a new hotel, student housing and other amenities.

City Commissioner Brad Finkeldei told the crowd that Lawrence leaders had long thought the city had the potential to become a major player in the conference and convention industry, but ideas for a downtown center always fell apart when the question turned to funding.

Many convention centers are funded by city government, and local leaders had been hesitant to make that commitment. But then, the state came with its offer.

“You know, anytime you are a city commissioner and someone says hey, can we give you $85 million to building something in your city, you say yes. You take them up on that,” Finkeldei said.

photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Lawrence City Commissioner Brad Finkeldei speaks at an opening ceremony for KU’s new conference center on Nov. 12, 2025.

City and other local government officials did play a large role in moving forward what will be the second phase of the project, which includes an approximately 150-room hotel that will be connected to the stadium and the conference center. The city approved the use of STAR bonds to help fund the project. The special type of bonds are paid back from the proceeds of new sales tax dollars — both the state and local sales taxes — that are generated by the project.

Additionally, the city approved a special 2% sales tax that will be added on to any taxable purchases not only at the stadium but anywhere on the KU campus. That special sales tax also will be used by KU and its private development partners to help pay for infrastructure needed for the project.

Finkeldei said he was confident the project would produce many benefits for the larger community. The city negotiated a development agreement, for instance, that requires KU to run a special bus service between the conference center and downtown during large conventions. The agreement also sets aside about $14 million in future property tax payments from the developers to improve an aged stormwater system in the neighborhood adjacent to the stadium.

photo by: Chad Lawhorn/Journal-World

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly speaks at an opening ceremony for KU’s new conference center on Nov. 12, 2025.

For her part, Gov. Kelly said she was pleased with the state’s investment.

“Simply put, this project is good for KU students, employees, staff and athletes,” Kelly said. “It is good for the Lawrence community. It is good for tourism. It is good for the economy. It is good for the State of Kansas.

‘It is an all-around win.”

photo by: Chad Lawhorn

KU’s new conference center at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium is pictured on Nov. 12, 2025.