The World Cup is still a year away, but supply chain and tariff uncertainties have Johnson County park district officials hurrying to secure a giant digital viewing screen for watch parties the county wants to host during the world’s biggest sporting event next July.
On Wednesday, county park board members unanimously gave their blessing to an exception to competition, a step that will expedite plans to buy the screen and have it set up a year from now.
Park officials want to buy a 20-by-30-foot LED screen and the tech equipment to be able to operate it at multiple watch parties at Theatre in the Park at Shawnee Mission Park.
Screen itself costs nearly $292,000
The equipment costs $291,968 from AV Solutions, said Jeff Stewart, executive director of the district.
Stewart told park board members that staff also explored renting the equipment, which would cost $170,000, not including the labor to set it up. But he said buying it makes more sense because it could continue to be used by Theatre in the Park and for county events over the course of its estimated eight- to-10-year lifespan.
The equipment is compatible with Harvest Production equipment already in use at the theater, he said.
All in all, the estimate for the equipment plus all the other things that go into the watch parties — staffing, security, marketing, signage and more — is $500,000.
Theatre in the Park can host up to 4,000 people
Kansas City is one of the North American host cities, and the games held here are expected to bring 600,000 visitors to the Kansas City area.
Theatre in the Park at Shawnee Mission Park is an apt venue for the watch parties, which have been a mainstay of past World Cups in other countries, Stewart said.
The park has the capacity for 3,000 to 4,000 watch party attendees, ample parking, and it’s fenced, with recent improvements in accessibility for persons with disabilities, he added.
Can it get here in time?
But there is a worry that the equipment might not arrive in time.
Stewart said the lead time when park staff started working on the idea was four months, but has since increased to eight to eleven months.
”Time is of the essence with this,” Stewart said.
Board members asked if the district could get complete assurance that the screen would come on time, but Stewart said that will depend on the potential tariff impacts.
However, he said, the park district has a good relationship with Harvest Productions, and he was confident Harvest would help with some loaned equipment should the order hit a snag.
County Commissioner Jeff Meyers, who sits on the park board, said “This kind of equipment is essential for doing the events that we’re wanting to do.”
He said he’s attended World Cup events in other countries and, “I think Theatre in the Park will outshine even some places I went to in Europe. I’m excited about it. My biggest concern is getting the equipment here prior to the World Cup.”
World Cup will impact Theatre in the Park’s ’26 season
Holding the watch party would require changes in Theatre in the Park’s 2026 outdoor season.
The theater would have to schedule two productions before the games and two after, extending its outdoor season and potentially driving up operational costs, according to a staff report.
The purchase of the giant LED screen is set to be taken up for discussion by the county commission next week.
