2025 WTCA North America Conference Recap

This article is part of a new series, "WTCA Member Spotlight," a series of articles written by WTCA team members to give readers a glimpse into the diversity and dynamism of the global WTCA community.

Penned by Sharon Armogan-Aguayo, WTCA Member Engagement Manager 

We were thrilled to convene in Kansas City, Missouri, for the 2025 WTCA North America Conference, held from June 1–3, 2025. This premier regional gathering brought together 45 attendees representing 15 World Trade Center businesses from across North America — including industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators — to explore emerging trends, exchange best practices, and foster meaningful connections that drive both regional and global growth.

Set against the vibrant backdrop of Kansas City, the agenda featured a robust lineup of compelling sessions. The conference opened with a warm welcome from Mayor Quinton Lucas, who shared insights into the city’s rich history, bold development initiatives, and its trajectory as a forward-looking hub for innovation. This was followed by opening remarks from Ivan Barrios, President & CEO, WTC Miami & WTCA Chair of the North America Regional Advisory Council, alongside Crystal Edn, WTCA Executive Director of Member Services, who reinforced the value of regional unity and cross-WTC collaboration.

A highlight of the program was a fireside chat between Joe Reardon, President & CEO of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, and Melissa Miller, Executive Director of WTC Kansas City. The discussion explored how chambers and WTC-branded businesses can partner to strengthen regional economies, promote trade, and support local enterprises.

During the Member Flash Presentations, participants took the stage to spotlight recent achievements, launch new initiatives, and share unique programs from their respective WTC locations — creating a high-energy exchange of ideas and inspiration. Additional highlights included a forward-looking presentation by Tracy Whelpley of KC2026, who offered an inside look at Kansas City’s preparations to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and a session led by Chris Gutierrez, President of KC SmartPort, who spoke on the city’s strategic logistics advantages, emphasizing Kansas City’s role as a key player in global trade and investment.

Day 1 wrapped with an evening of connection and celebration at J. Rieger & Co., one of Kansas City's most iconic distilleries — a perfect setting to continue conversations and toast to regional collaboration.

Day 2 Highlights

The day began with the Global Café, a structured networking breakfast that sparked discussion around two key challenges:

• The impact of tariffs on WTC business operations, client services, and international partnerships.

• How funding reductions and uncertainty affect a WTC-branded business’ ability to deliver value and scale programming.

The program continued with an engaging economic outlook from Dr. Chris Kuehl, Managing Director of Armada Intelligence, who provided sharp insights into global trade dynamics, economic policy shifts, and the real-world impact of geopolitical developments. His analysis equipped attendees with the foresight needed to navigate a rapidly changing global landscape.

Attendees then heard from Sharon Aguayo, WTCA’s Member Engagement Manager, who provided updates on the latest initiatives, global programs, and member engagement strategies. This session offered a comprehensive overview of what’s ahead for the WTCA network, along with key takeaways from recent events and ways to stay connected, involved, and impactful.

The morning concluded with a preview of the 56th WTCA Global Business Forum by Thomas Young, President & CEO of WTC Greater Philadelphia, who introduced the 2026 GBF and its theme — Historic Foundations, Future Collaborations: Cultivating New Business Frontiers. Thomas showcased how Philadelphia will blend its rich legacy with forward-looking innovation to welcome the global WTCA network.

In the afternoon, attendees took part in exclusive site visits showcasing Kansas City’s economic infrastructure:

• Hunt Midwest SubTropolis – the world’s largest underground business complex

• Port KC – focused on riverfront revitalization and multimodal connectivity

• Americold–CPKC Cold Chain Gateway – a state-of-the-art facility transforming temperature-controlled logistics in North America

Why It Mattered

The 2025 WTCA North America Conference marked a powerful return for a standalone in-person convening for the region. With a blend of local flavor, global focus, and immersive site visits, the program provided WTCA Members with tangible tools to strengthen trade services, deepen cross-regional collaboration, and share best practices across the network.

This year’s conference not only celebrated the strength of the North America WTC network, but also reaffirmed the value of coming together to share knowledge, create impact and inspire future growth.

Importantly, this year’s gathering helped lay the foundation for what’s next: preparations are already underway for the 2026 joint conference, which will bring together WTCA Members from Latin America and North America, hosted by WTC Miami.