Kansas City in 2023 was a high-stakes mission. We headed to the heart of the Midwest for a double objective: celebrating a 21st birthday and conducting a site inspection of GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for a primetime NFL matchup.

From the legendary “Phog” Allen Fieldhouse to the smoke-filled pits of the world’s best BBQ joints, this trip was about more than travel—it was about experiencing the region’s deep-rooted sports and food culture.

Read on for the full operational breakdown of the 2024 Kansas City deployment.

📍 Overview & Planning

Planning a trip around an NFL game and a 21st birthday requires precise timing. This section covers the mission briefing and the logistics of navigating “The City of Fountains.”

• Kansas City Trip 2023 — Introduction & Briefing
• KC 2023 — Final Trip Overview

🏈 Sports Operations: The Venues

This trip featured two of the most iconic venues in American sports. We analyzed the fan experience, the crowd logistics, and the “Operational Intensity” of these historic sites.

• GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium: Site Inspection
• Phog Allen Fieldhouse: A Pilgrimage to the Home of Basketball

🍖 BBQ Logistics: The Site Inspections

You don’t go to Kansas City without a tactical approach to BBQ. We tested two of the biggest names in the game to see which one held up to the “Already Been” standard.

• Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que: Gas Station Logistics & Review
• Jack Stack BBQ: High-End Pit Operations

🛫 Air Operations — SLC to MCI

A mid-range flight operation. This looks at the flight logistics out of Salt Lake City and the arrival at the newly renovated Kansas City International Airport (MCI).

• Flight Logistics: SLC to MCI 2023