Today, finding a city with legitimate green credibility is a key consideration when forming a list of potential meeting destinations – and Grand Rapids, Michigan has earned a spot on the list of cities that qualify.
Sustainability is not only a priority for the city’s venues and hotels — the main touchpoints for planners and their attendees — it is also threaded throughout city government, infrastructure, the transportation system, cultural institutions, private businesses and community initiatives.
Fast Company magazine named Grand Rapids “America’s Greenest City” for its earth-friendly policies. It was ranked the nation’s most sustainable mid-size city by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. It was the first U.S. city designated a United Nations Regional Centre of Expertise on Sustainability Education. It has one of the highest per capita number of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment) certified buildings in the country.
Experience Grand Rapids is happy to collaborate with meeting planners and local resources – like those below – to host sustainable and socially impactful events.
ASM Global, which manages DeVos Place Convention Center and two other downtown sites, is committed to creating the world’s most sustainable venue portfolio.
Photo by Experience Grand Rapids
Sustainable Venues
Large events in the heart of Grand Rapids will undoubtedly find themselves in the compact downtown convention campus. ASM Global, which manages DeVos Place Convention Center , DeVos Performance Hall , and Van Andel Arena , has implemented numerous sustainability initiatives, and is constantly fine-tuning its operations to further reduce energy consumption, water consumption and everything in between.
In 2024, ASM Global signed the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge, which unites stakeholders across the business-events industry to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Pledge focuses on actionable measures and accountability in stages to reduce the carbon footprint of events globally. This commitment furthers ongoing sustainability initiatives at DeVos Place, which already include:
- New-in-2024 lighting fixtures that reduce energy usage by 60%
- Automated faucets and flushing systems that reduce water and energy use by 40%
- Single-stream recycling program with recycling stations positioned throughout the facility
- Green chemicals for cleaning and soap products in restrooms
ASM Global’s efforts also include a partnership with DeVos Place’s food and beverage supplier, the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, to reduce food and facility waste. The Amway emphasizes locally sourced products and frequent vegetarian offerings, both of which cut down on energy use. Leftover prepared food goes to an in-house staff cafeteria or local nonprofit food projects. Food waste – approximately 18,000 lbs. each month – is turned into compost for local farmers, enriching the soil while reducing the need for chemical additives. ASM Global also insists that all utensils, serving pieces and packaging for catering and concessions are made from biodegradable plant-based materials whenever possible.
JW Marriott Lobby Interior
Photo by Nick Irwin for Experience GR.
Sustainable Hotels
The Amway Grand Plaza, which is connected to the convention center by skywalk, has implemented its own sustainability programs, including multi-stream recycling, waste-sorting stations in public areas and the elimination of plastic straws from all eight onsite restaurants and bars. Partnerships with GoodR, a minority-owned food-waste management and hunger relief company, and Kids Food Basket, which works to ensure that all West Michigan children have access to nourishing food, help reduce the hotel’s environmental footprint while advancing social welfare. The Amway has also installed energy-efficient LED lighting, water-conserving low-flush toilets and electricity-saving occupancy sensors throughout the facility. In 2021, the hotel replaced all the glass on its 29-story tower façade, a project that increased energy efficiency by double digits.
The JW Marriott Grand Rapids is another link in the city’s skywalk system. The JW also partners with GoodR to donate unused food from banquet events to a local nonprofit, and it cross utilizes food in back-of-the-house areas. A commitment to local food sourcing extends to the hotel’s onsite herb and vegetable garden. Used cooking oil is recycled to locally to create renewable fuels, and composting and recycling programs are available for associates and guests alike.
Event planners can take advantage of JW Green Meetings options including reusable serving utensils, napkins and tablecloths. Refillable water bottle stations are offered to reduce plastic water bottle use. Audio-visual equipment has been upgraded to low power-usage products. Ongoing capital expenditure upgrades are aimed at further reducing water intensity and energy consumption.
CityFlatsHotel, a 48-room boutique property a five-minute walk from DeVos Place Convention Center, is certified LEED Gold thanks to such green features as energy-efficient lighting and plumbing, high-efficiency heating and cooling units, cork flooring, hypoallergenic bamboo linens, and locally manufactured furniture and décor.
Ten additional downtown hotels offer a range of sustainability features. For example, Homewood Suites and Hampton Inn and Suites are part of LightStay, Hilton Worldwide’s corporate responsibility measurement platform that includes an environmental footprint calculation tool for meetings or conferences. Double-glazed windows, energy-efficient LED bulbs and water-efficient showers and toilets are among the eco-friendly initiatives at the Residence Inn by Marriott Downtown. Holiday Inn Grand Rapids Downtown is an IHG Green Engage Hotel implementing a wide range of green solutions to measure and manage its environmental impact.
Sustainable Food & Drink
Many locally-owned restaurants and breweries source food directly from family farms and orchards just minutes from the city, supporting the local economy and reducing the environmental impact of long-distance trucking. They also prioritize sustainability through recycling, composting and other forms of waste reduction.
The Essence Restaurant Group – which includes downtown’s Bistro Bella Vita as well as grove, The Green Well and Lucy’s – is a prime example. They were green before green was cool!
The Gilmore Collection, encompassing downtown’s Bobarino’s Pizzeria, B.O.B’s Brewery and other local favorites, highlights its sustainability strategies on its website. San Chez Bistro, serving a blend of authentic European, Mediterranean and Latin American dishes to downtown patrons since 1992, does the same with its Responsible Restaurant Practices.
Sustainability is a core principle of Vivant Brewery + Spirits in Uptown Grand Rapids. From its LEED-certified building to its status as a B Corporation meeting the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance to its annual Beer the Change sustainability report, Vivant is a shining example of sustainable transparency and accountability.
Downtown Grand Rapids offers 200+ restaurants, shops and entertainment venues within a 10-minute walk or free DASH bus ride.
Photo by Russ Climie for Experience GR
Walkability
The Downtown GR Convention Neighborhood is compact and easily walkable, eliminating the need for a vehicle to get around. There are more than 200 restaurants, shops, cultural sites and entertainment venues within a 10-minute walk of the convention center. The downtown experience earned Grand Rapids recognition as one of America’s Top 14 Walkable Cities.
The bright pink downtown area shuttle (DASH), which provides free transportation to many downtown hot spots, is a sustainable alternative to car travel.
Photo by Nick Irwin for Experience GR
Public Transportation
The Rapid , Grand Rapids’ easy-to-use public transportation system, is additional evidence of the city’s commitment to sustainability. The Rapid Central Station in downtown GR is the first LEED-certified transit facility in the U.S. and the first to feature a “green roof” with plants growing on top to absorb rainwater.
More than 100 of The Rapid’s buses are equipped to use renewal natural gas from the City of Grand Rapids’ biodigester, which breaks down organic waste and turns it into a carbon-negative vehicle fuel. Diesel buses will continue to be retired and replaced by RNG vehicles as The Rapid strives to achieve zero emissions by 2035.
The Rapid’s Downtown Area Shuttle (DASH) offers free transportation around the city center as another environmentally conscious alternative. Just look for the bright pink bus as it circulates around hotels, shops, attractions and other points of interest.
Respect for the Environment
From the Grand River that runs behind DeVos Place Convention Center in downtown Grand Rapids to the clear, fresh waters of Lake Michigan, an inland sea 30 minutes from downtown, to The Fruit Ridge, an agricultural mecca 10 minutes from the city center, this region is blessed with abundant natural resources. The West Michigan Environmental Council was formed way back in 1968 to protect and enhance our natural environments, and its work continues to this day.
A newer organization, Grand Rapids Whitewater , is spearheading a project to reestablish aquatic diversity and suitability for native fish and mussel species, and significantly improve fish passage and available spawning habitat throughout a 2.5-mile stretch of downtown’s Grand River. The project will also enhance opportunities for angling, wading, canoeing and kayaking. Concurrent initiatives are increasing access to the river for residents and visitors.
A City Committed to Sustainability
The City of Grand Rapids uses sustainability as a way to assess how its policies, plans and programs impact not just the environment, but also the people and the prosperity of the local community. This perspective has spurred the city to commit to powering all municipal operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025.
Grand Rapids has purchased renewable energy credits (RECs) from Consumers Energy to help meet this goal. RECs enable the city to match 100% of its energy use with clean, cost-effective wind and solar power. A biodigester was opened in 2022 to divert bio-waste from landfills and turn it into renewable energy and fertilizer. A three-acre ground-mounted solar array helps generate power for the city’s water filtration plant and the city is pursuing a plan to install solar panels at a 190-acre former landfill site to help power buildings, street lights and signals in the coming years.
This commitment to renewable energy is part of a larger goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85% from 2008 and 2030, and 100% from 2008 to 2040. The city is also a founding member of the Grand Rapids 2030 District, a public-private partnership committed to drastically reducing the city’s carbon footprint by 2030. It is also one of 11 U.S. cities aiming for a zero net carbon goal for all buildings by 2050 through the Zero Cities Project.
Visit the city’s Office of Sustainability on the web for more on its sustainability journey.
Water conservation and enhancements are a prime focus for Grand Rapids, starting with the Grand River that flows through downtown.
Photo by Ideology for Experience GR
Community Service Projects
These examples of why Grand Rapids has earned its status as a city focused on sustainability have only scratched the surface.
Members of the community also get involved in environmentally friendly activities and volunteer efforts. Whether it’s supporting parks, the Grand River, nature centers, water quality, or tree planting, it’s easy to find an outlet that matches your talents and interests.
Is sustainability a priority for you and your attendees? Our Convention Services Team can work with you to make your meeting more sustainable. You may also consider making your meeting a Great Lakes Green Event by implementing sustainable practices and making a donation to the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Trees Initiative, which aims to plant 250 million trees across the region by 2033.