Message to our Community 

Experience Grand Rapids shares in the grief felt by the Lyoya family, our local community, and our nation in the tragic loss of Patrick Lyoya’s life. We also grieve the deaths of countless others who have come before him. 

We acknowledge that injustice and systemic racism exist in our community and across our nation. The people most affected by those travesties are people in the Black, Brown and Immigrant Communities. They experience trauma each time another such killing happens.  

At Experience Grand Rapids, we understand that combating systemic racism and confronting racial injustice begin with acknowledgement and internal reflection.  To that end, advancing racial equity and inclusion remain important parts of our work. We commit to listening to our team members, business partners, meeting planners and community and to leading equity and inclusion as a pillar of our work in the region.

Community Relations

Experience Grand Rapids' mission is to create an exceptional community by sharing Grand Rapids with the world. This vision involves community relations efforts in areas such as diversity and inclusion, workforce development, education and welcoming receptions to establish and maintain a mutually beneficial relationship between EXGR and the local community. While the organizational goal is to bring in visitors, convention attendees and business travelers, it's also important to implement strategies that improve and uplift the local population.