Special D Events reveals business event trends for 2025
Some trends that may emerge at this year's gatherings include incorporating local flavors into event cuisine to enhance the authenticity of the destination. ||Photo courtesy of rawpixel.com, courtesy of AdobeDestination authenticity. Artificial intelligence (AI) provides inspiration and event design, and 3D printing is used to produce new elements. Event technology companies, hotels and event agencies continue to be impacted by mergers and acquisitions, with industry consolidation continuing to occur. These are the three key trends highlighted in Special D Events’ “Business Event Trends for 2025” list.The national meetings and events agency, which is also a destination marketing firm in Detroit, said business travelers are looking for opportunities to deeply connect with local culture and community. “Let’s face it, if your attendees traveled across the country to attend your event, never left the host hotel, and then flew straight back home, how memorable would that experience be?” Carol, President and CEO of Special D Events A. Galle said in a more…
Grand Traverse Resort and Spa launches Touchdown Suite
The new Touchdown Suites at Grand Traverse Resort & Spa feature Detroit Lions-themed décor and memorabilia. ||Courtesy of Grand Traverse Resort & SpaIt's no secret that the Detroit Lions faithful appreciate the team's continued (mostly) winning streak this season, which has been trending upward since head coach Dan Campbell took over in 2021 . Now, the Grand Traverse Resort's spa near Traverse City has followed the Lions' lead and launched a new exclusive Touchdown Suite.Grand Traverse Resort and Spa public relations manager Caroline Rizzo said the hotel began a corporate partnership with the Detroit Lions in August and began brainstorming ways to bring the partnership to northern Michigan. “The Detroit Lions provide a unique experience for fans attending games at Ford Field, and we hope to bring that same excitement to the resort,” she said.The result is the Touchdown Suite, a 10th-floor guest room at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa with custom décor inspired by the team's Honolulu blue…
Ann Arbor destination announces five-year NTI commitment
Participants at the Electrical Training Alliance National Training Academy gather in Ann Arbor to await graduation from their training. ||Courtesy of Destination Ann ArborThe Electrical Training Alliance has committed to a five-year contract with the Ann Arbor area to continue hosting the annual National Training Institute (NTI), according to an announcement from Destination Ann Arbor.NTI brings together thousands of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers members, including educators, training directors and contractors, for a week-long series of classes, workshops and social events. “Training is about people, vendors and the people who train them,” said Al Snow, director of sales and service for Ann Arbor Destination.Staff distribute training to classrooms at Washtenaw Community College (WCC) and facilities at Eastern Michigan University (EMU). In addition to the educational aspect, approximately 2,000 attendees (often bringing their families along) attend opening ceremonies; welcome receptions; trade shows; a block party involving many downtown businesses and local residents, including live music, food, and games; Charity golf events;…
Ann Arbor reaches accessibility milestone
Ann Arbor has achieved Wheel the World’s “Destination Verified” status, recognizing the community’s efforts to create an inclusive and accessible destination for travelers. ||Courtesy of Destination Ann ArborDestination Ann Arbor is celebrating becoming the first city in Michigan to achieve “Destination Verified” status through Wheel the World. The organization recently held a press conference and panel discussion to commemorate this milestone, recognizing the Ann Arbor region's commitment to creating an inclusive and accessible destination for travelers of all abilities.Wheel the World is an accessible travel company that provides detailed accessibility information about destinations around the world to help guide people with disabilities deciding where to travel. Its Destination Verified program recognizes communities that undergo rigorous third-party accessibility assessments.Al Snow, director of sales and service for Ann Arbor destinations, said receiving a Pure Michigan Accessible Traveler Grant helped fund the effort. As Snow explained, Wheel the World works with Disability Network Washtenaw Monroe Livingston to recruit evaluators to conduct on-site evaluations…
Michigan CVB recognized for excellence
Experience Grand Rapids Vice President of Sales and Service Mary Manier and Director of Sales Kelsey Helstowski receive Northstar Meetings Group Stella Award ||Courtesy of Experience Grand RapidsSeveral Michigan convention and visitors bureaus were recognized this year for industry excellence. Experience Grand Rapids received a Gold Award in the 2024 Stella Awards from Northstar Meetings Group. Experience Grand Rapids was named the best convention and visitors bureau/destination marketing organization in the Midwest, earning a Gold Award for excellence in 16 convention industry categories, including overall excellence, food and beverage, employee professionalism, sustainability development initiatives and other key aspects and event experiences of conferences. Awards are voted on and judged by meeting planners.“We have meeting planners (we call them passionate advocates) who are here to hold meetings or interact with our team to talk about what a great destination we are,” said Mary, vice president of sales and service at Experience Grand Rapids Mary Manier said. "It's all working. We're genuinely…
KLA Laboratories celebrates 95th anniversary
Workers at the KLA Laboratories factory during World War II ||Courtesy of KLA LaboratoriesWhen KLA Laboratories Inc., now headquartered in Dearborn, was founded as a retail store in Detroit in 1929, it specialized in public address systems, microphones, speakers, sound system rentals and radio repair services. During World War II, KLA Laboratories supported the war effort by providing audio rental systems for war bond drives. By the late 1950s, the company was operating nine retail stores and installing sound systems in churches, bars, restaurants, stadiums and manufacturing plants during the boom of the high-fidelity (Hi-Fi) audio era.KLA Laboratories is now celebrating its 95th anniversary and is no longer in the retail business. Rather, it is a technical systems integrator that provides the design, installation, commissioning and operation of network and communications systems. The company also specializes in providing comprehensive audiovisual services for live events, from sound and lighting to production and execution. These events include meetings, conferences, concerts and game-day…
NTA Travel Exchange commemorates Green Book legacy
From left: David Jackson of Green Book Institute, Bryce Wilson of sponsor GroupCollect, William Hampton of Huntsville Revisited, Melanie Bench of Cherokee Nation, Terri Harvill of Birmingham YMCA and Karin Aaron of Green Book Experience during the Nov. 18 event Cultural Tourism Event||Provided by National Tourism AssociationFor nearly 30 years, the Black Motorist Green Book helped African American travelers cope with the challenges of racial segregation under America's Jim Crow laws by listing hotels, restaurants, gas stations and areas that ostensibly welcomed African Americans. Make travel safer. On November 18, the Green Book Institute and the National Travel Association (NTA) hosted a “Cultural Tourism Celebration Luncheon” in Huntsville, Alabama, as part of the NTA’s 2024 Tourism Exchange Conference . The aim is to pay tribute to organisations, community leaders and tourism professionals for their contribution to diversity and cultural tourism in the spirit of the Green Paper.The nonprofit Green Book Institute was formed last year and is operated by parent…
Dutch ice rink adds event options
Rendering of the new Holland Ice Rink, expected to open next fall ||Courtesy of the City of Holland/GMB ArchitectsA new community ice rink is under construction in Holland, and local officials believe it will be another selling point for meeting planners looking to schedule events in the West Michigan seaside community.The rink is near the Haworth Hotel, which has 10,000 square feet of meeting space, as well as the Holland Civic Center Plaza, which can accommodate 1,500 people, said Matt VanDyken, Holland Assistant City Manager. “(Attendees) want something to do after the event,” he said. “We see it as another tool in the toolbox for people who want to come here and attend meetings.”The new Holland Ice Rink has been a concern of the community for several years. Several years ago, local resident and retired teacher Frank Kraai donated $100,000 to raise funds for the project, but that was not enough to fund the Holland Ice Rink, which is expected…
MACVB education conference held in Midland
Approximately 110 Michigan CVB representatives, sponsors and vendors attended the 2024 MACVB Education Conference. ||Provided by MACVBForty of Michigan's convention and visitors bureaus were represented at the Michigan Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus (MACVB)'s annual MACVB Education Conference, which just concluded at the H Hotel in Midland. Approximately 110 attendees had the opportunity to participate in sessions that shared expert advice on best financial practices and management; how artificial intelligence can help maximize the use of the typical skeleton staff employed by many destination marketing organizations; the role of the tourism industry in ensuring quality of life for residents role; and other related topics.“Adding value to our community is part of our core mission,” said Jamie Furbush, president and CEO of the Frankenmuth Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau.Keynote speakers include Julie Hart, CEO and president of CFO by Design in Austin, Texas; Josiah Brown, president and CEO of Famous Destination Marketing in Delhi, New York ,…
Morenas event venue opens in Redford
Redford's new Monas event venue in Detroit offers multiple gathering spaces, including breakout rooms. ||Photography: CChanel Photography, provided by The Top Pic CollectiveA new 15,000-square-foot event space has opened near Detroit. Britney Hoskins, owner of event management company The Top Pic Collective, said the new Morenas event venue in Detroit Redford completes what her company can offer clients in southeast Michigan Service portfolio.Top Pic Collective manages and provides services including planning, decoration, photo booth and coordinating vendors. Hoskins also operates Morenas Event Space in Grand Rapids, which she opened in 2022 in a closed fitness facility. Currently approximately 70 events are held annually, with a maximum capacity of 250 attendees. Her Sterling Heights-based The Luxe Rental Collective offers rentals including seating, tablecloths, backdrops, glassware, decorations and related items, which will also be available in Redford.The new Morenas event venue in Redford, Detroit, is located in the former Karas House banquet facility, which closed about four years ago. “We used to…
Detroit Tourism to host 2024 ROSE Awards
ROSE Award winner for Overall Service Valerie Myaard-Martin (center) with host Priya Mann and Detroit Tourism President and CEO Claude Molinari || Photo by Collette Williams, courtesy of Detroit TourismValerie Miard-Martin has only been working at The Henry Dearborn for six months. However, she has accomplished enough early in her tenure to be nominated and then named Overall Service Champion at the 28th Annual Detroit Tourism Awards for Service Excellence (ROSE) held at the Sound Board Theater at the MotorCity Casino Hotel in late August.The ROSE Awards are presented by the Detroit Tourism Bureau to recognize excellence in the hospitality and service industries. More than 110,000 people work in the hospitality and tourism industries in Detroit and the surrounding southeast Michigan area, and 134 of them were honored at the ROSE Awards ceremony, which was attended by more than 500 industry professionals.Miard-Martin was nominated by John Lechin, general manager of the Henry Hotel, who described a time in June when…
Kelly Wolgamott to lead Pure Michigan
Kelly Wolgamott gives closing remarks at the 2024 Pure Michigan Governor's Tourism Conference. || Image credit: Pure MichiganKelly Wolgamott, who has served as interim vice president of Tourism Michigan since January, has been officially appointed to the position, with her title upgraded to vice president of Pure Michigan, a campaign to promote Michigan as a tourist destination. The campaign is managed by Tourism Michigan, a division of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).Wolgamot joined the Michigan Tourism Corporation and MEDC in 2011 as director of tourism marketing until she accepted the interim position late last year following the retirement of former vice president Dave Lorenz. Prior to joining MEDC, she held marketing and public relations positions at General Motors and Leo Burnett Global Advertising Agency.In a letter to industry leaders, MEDC Chief Growth and Marketing Officer Hilary Doe said the new name is "intended to reflect the iconic status of our state's premier campaign."“Through her years of dedication, extensive industry…
Hudson Detroit plant construction continues
At 685.4 feet tall, the Hudson Detroit building is the second tallest building in Michigan. || Image credit: BedrockDevelopment continues to move forward at Hudson Detroit, home to the first Midwestern location of global luxury hotel brand Edition Hotels.Hudson Detroit is a mixed-use development located on the site of the former JL Hudson department store, which was razed in 1998. The project will include a plaza with streetscape connecting Woodward Avenue to Library Plaza; a seven-story office atrium; a series of event spaces suitable for large conferences and corporate events; a rooftop venue with an outdoor terrace offering food, beverages and city views; a variety of restaurants, bars and cafes; and retail stores."The second and third floors of Hudson's will feature a dramatic event hall, spacious pre-function area and state-of-the-art meeting rooms," said Andrew Leber, vice president of hospitality operations for Bedrock Detroit, the real estate company that purchased the former Hudson's site and is developing the property. "We look…
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