Ingram's June 2026

The watch conversation among KC executives has shifted alongside the attire. The statement timepiece remains a fix ture, but the preference has migrated toward understated craft over overt luxury branding—independent watchmakers, rare limited editions, pre-owned pieces with provenance. This mirrors the ‘quiet luxury’ thread running through resi dential design and travel: it’s not about less investment, but about more discernment. Custom tailoring has made a mean ingful resurgence, with bespoke and made-to-measure options increasingly accessible through local and regional tailors. For 2027, expect greater crossover between athletic technical wear and executive dress—brands that began in performance sports are entering the tailored-clothing market with signifi cant investment.

high-engagement rallies—makes it ideal for the business relationship context. Formula One has captured a new execu tive demographic, fueled by media exposure and sprint race formats. Private track experiences and race-attendance hos pitality packages are a meaningful category in the premium travel market. The outdoors remain powerful: fly fishing, backcountry skiing, and gravel cycling attract executives who want physical challenge with meditative return. Creative pursuits—wood working, wheel-thrown ceramics, private wine education—are gaining ground among those who want a mastery experience outside the domain where they already hold authority. The culinary category is especially strong: private cooking instruc tion, curated pantry subscriptions, and small-group dining experiences at James Beard-caliber tables are no longer fringe interests. In Kansas City, a city with a genuine culinary iden tity, the private-dining and food-culture scene provides rich territory for all of these pursuits. Dining In, Elevated The dinner party is back—with a very different brief. The stuffy, formally orchestrated gathering of another era has been replaced by something more immersive and less scripted: a home environment designed to make guests feel they’ve entered a distinct world, an experience they couldn’t replicate at any restaurant. The hosts setting this pace in Kansas City are investing in their homes as entertainment spaces, and their design decisions reflect that intent. The dual kitchen—a showpiece ‘social kitchen’ where the chef’s work is visible, and the counter is a gathering point, alongside a separate prep-and-catering kitchen—has emerged as the signature investment of serious hosts. Conversation pits and built-in banquettes encourage lingering. Bars are designed to disappear into the architecture when not in use. The formal dining room, when it exists at all, is giving way to multiple smaller gathering zones distributed through the home: a long garden table on the covered terrace, a low table in the library, bar seating at a bespoke counter. The philosophy is to give guests permission to self-select their experience. Food and beverage choices carry increasing weight. Hosts are investing in private wine cellars managed by sommeliers, curated spirits collections with genuine rarity, and bespoke catering relationships with chefs who can produce a restau rant-quality experience in a residential setting. The cock tail program has become a statement: house-made syrups, high-provenance spirits, and elevated non-alcoholic options. Kansas City’s growing hospitality talent pool—deepened by a food-and-beverage culture that punches well above the city’s size—means the caliber of private entertaining experiences has risen significantly. For 2027, expect investment in dedi cated high-fidelity listening rooms to become a recurring fea ture of executive entertaining spaces, alongside the culinary infrastructure.

After Hours: Leisure & Hobbies The executive hobby in 2026 carries more weight than it used to. For a generation that watched hustle culture consume everything it touched, the deliberate cultivation of a non-work pursuit has become a statement about values—and a competi tive differentiator in a world where authentic personal identity matters more than ever in business relationships. What people pursue in their unstructured hours tells a story about how they think, how they manage uncertainty, and what they find genuinely engaging. Racquet sports are having a moment, and padel is the head liner. Combining elements of tennis and squash on a smaller enclosed court, padel is the fastest-growing sport in the world by court count and player base, and it is now accelerating in the United States—courts doubled between 2022 and 2024 and continue to expand. Country clubs and athletic facili ties are adding pickleball courts as members request them. The social dimension—doubles-format, fast learning curve,

28

I ngr am ’ s

June 2026

Ingrams.com