Exclusive airport gala now open to the public

After public pushback over a private gala for the new airport terminal opening, Wichita City Council members decided to make the event open to the public for $125 per ticket.

Last week, council member Jeff Blubaugh told city staff he was concerned over the exclusivity of the gala, so the council delayed its decision to approve it.

Now, gala tickets will be available for purchase by the public at the airport’s online registration system at “FlyWichita.com/gala,” according to city documents.

The gala is one of several events slated to mark the opening of the new $200 million terminal at Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport. The airport is owned by the city, and the council acts as the Airport Authority board.

City Manager Robert Layton said during a council workshop on Tuesday that staff was able to “rework” the event budget since last week and reduce it by about $40,000. Now, the Dedication Gala is estimated to cost $151,749, with ticket sales estimated at $62,500, and event sponsorships at $89,249.

All of the other events are estimated to cost a total of $71,450, and those funds will come from the airport.

City officials estimate that more than 12,000 people will attend the events. The open house will be paid for through sponsorships and airport revenues, Layton said.

The only money from taxpayers will be to use some Wichita Transit buses to transport attendees from remote parking to the open house on April 18, said Airport Director Victor White.

Events planned include:

▪ Media Preview, April 9, 1 to 3 p.m.

▪ Terminal Employee and Family Preview, April 10, 3 to 7 p.m.

▪ Dedication Gala, April 11, 6 to 10 p.m.

▪ Community Open House, April 18, 1 to 5 p.m.

▪ First Flight Ribbon Cutting Ceremony – date to be determined in May

A lot of the cost for the events will go toward security, busing to and from the airport terminal from Learjet, and not “extravagance in terms of giveaways,” said City Council member Janet Miller.

“That’s a lot of toilet paper and clean up and things that go along with using a facility that size,” said Miller, who said she hopes the public feels like the council responded appropriately to concerns over the “exclusivity that was perceived for the gala.”

The gala – which was initially by invitation only to 800 local officials, contractors for the project and business and community leaders – will feature entertainment by musicians from the Wichita Symphony Orchestra and a progressive dinner spread throughout the terminal.

There will also be speeches by dignitaries including Mary Eisenhower, the granddaughter of the former president from whom the airport draws its name.

The new terminal is in its final construction stages. It will replace the aging 1950s-vintage terminal that now serves airport passengers.

White said in a previous interview that the size and cost of the celebration is justified by the historic nature of the opening of the terminal, the city’s first such project in more than 60 years.

This story was originally published March 24, 2015 at 1:50 PM with the headline "Exclusive airport gala now open to the public."