Off-site meetings can be game-changers, and, if you get creative with the location, they can be combined with a lot of effective team building – or just plain fun. Ever tried your hand at target ax throwing with your coworkers? Or ridden a funicular to get to your meeting site? How about…
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The Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA, or GRR as it is known locally) became home to an impressive art collection as part of its commitment to highlight and support the thriving art culture in the Grand Rapids area. The installations — all created by local artists — are displayed on…
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Looking for a convention city where attendees can easily walk to hotels, restaurants, shops and attractions? Look no further than downtown Grand Rapids – WalkScore.com gives it a 98 out of 100 for walkability and Trips to Discover named it one of the top 14 walkable destinations in the U.S. Downtown…
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A great outdoor event can be a spectacular experience that your guests will be talking about for days afterward. Whether the stories they tell are positive or negative will depend a lot on how much planning you put into it. Unlike indoor events, outdoor venues require a few extra checkboxes on your…
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When it comes to easy and efficient air travel, the Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is in a bit of a sweet spot. It’s big enough to be serviced by seven airlines and offer 30+ daily nonstop flights to major cities, but small enough to be easy to navigate and get…
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Many destinations have “signature events.” If you go to Hawaii, chances are you’ll attend a luau. Headed to Orlando? An event at Disney is likely in your future. But what about Grand Rapids, Michigan? That’s the question Amy Young, president of Destination Consultants, asked herself. “I realized…
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Offsite conferences already shake up the routine and lend themselves to new ideas and discussion. But sometimes it’s good to get attendees out of the convention center and hotel conference rooms, and into your host city for even more inspiration. We've already collected a list of walkable…
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As home to one of the fastest growing life sciences clusters in the U.S, Grand Rapids is a world-class healthcare destination. The founding of medical-research facility Van Andel Institute in 1996 jump started a multibillion-dollar investment along Michigan Street in the city’s compact, walkable…
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If your organization is meeting in Grand Rapids, which has been known as Beer City USA since 2012, it would be a shame not to visit one of its many breweries. Fortunately, six of them make it easy to mix business with some pleasure by offering meeting space within a short walk of the city’s downtown…
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Meeting planners are well aware of the cost advantages of midsized cities vs. first-tier meeting destinations. It’s just that affordability often takes a back seat to the allure and amenities of larger metropolitan areas. Grand Rapids, Michigan is upending that calculation by investing in meetings…
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