Kansas City Businesses Prepare for 2026 FIFA World Cup

Visit KC Foundation hosts culture and hospitality training ahead of the big event

Apr. 7, 2026 at 9:06pm

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A bold, graphic silkscreen print featuring a soccer ball icon repeated in a tight grid, rendered in a high-contrast palette of neon colors and heavy black outlines, conceptually representing the energy and international appeal of the upcoming World Cup event.Vibrant pop art imagery captures the excitement and global reach of the 2026 FIFA World Cup coming to Kansas City.Kansas City Today

Dozens of Kansas City businesses gathered at the National World War I Museum and Memorial on Tuesday for a workshop on culture and hospitality training ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Visit KC Foundation is hosting a series of workshops to help local businesses understand cultural norms, language barriers, and hospitality best practices to provide a world-class experience for international fans.

Why it matters

As one of the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Kansas City has a unique opportunity to showcase its hospitality and make a lasting impression on the millions of international visitors expected to attend. By providing specialized training, the Visit KC Foundation aims to ensure local businesses are prepared to deliver exceptional service and create a welcoming environment for fans from around the globe.

The details

The training series is being facilitated by experts from the Protocol School of Washington. The workshops cover topics such as understanding cultural norms, addressing language barriers, and providing patient, high-quality service. Businesses are encouraged to research common personality types and cultural expectations of international visitors, as well as learn simple greetings in major languages. The goal is to help businesses not just survive the World Cup, but thrive and build a positive reputation for Kansas City that will pay dividends long after the event.

  • The 2026 FIFA World Cup is just 9 weeks away.
  • The first of the Visit KC Foundation's training workshops was held on Tuesday, April 7, 2026.

The players

Visit KC Foundation

A non-profit organization that promotes tourism and hospitality in the Kansas City region, and is leading the effort to prepare local businesses for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Jenny Wilson

Vice president of tourism development with Visit KC, who is overseeing the training program.

Mark David Jones

An expert from the Protocol School of Washington who is facilitating the workshops on culture and hospitality.

Consuelo Cruz

An employee of Belger Arts who attended the workshop to gain insights on how to create a successful framework for engaging international fans during the World Cup.

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What they’re saying

“World-class organizations spend a lot of time focused on how can we better understand those that we serve. It's not just about surviving FIFA; it's about thriving in the midst of it. But also afterwards, you are building a reputation. People are gonna walk away talking about this, they are gonna go on the internet.”

— Mark David Jones, Expert, Protocol School of Washington

“Tipping is education, right? Whether that's on a menu that simply says 20% is a customary tip in the United States, it's helping our guests understand what's customary here. The length of service. Internationally, a dinner may take two hours, where here, we're very used to turning those tables 30, 45 minutes. So understanding ... we talk about patience — that's where some of that education from both sides needs to come into play.”

— Jenny Wilson, Vice President of Tourism Development, Visit KC Foundation

“It could be sales, but I think it'll be more qualitative than quantitative. We have to think about all the opportunities that are gonna come after this.”

— Consuelo Cruz, Employee, Belger Arts

What’s next

The Visit KC Foundation will host two more workshops - a virtual session for supervisors and an in-person simulation for business staff. Registration is open now.

The takeaway

By providing specialized training on cultural awareness, language skills, and hospitality best practices, the Visit KC Foundation is helping local businesses in Kansas City prepare to deliver an exceptional experience for the millions of international visitors expected for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This investment will not only benefit the city during the event, but also build a lasting reputation for Kansas City as a welcoming and world-class destination.