Facilities

Downtown Grand Rapids is walkable! Attendees at meetings and events held at any of the city's downtown venues have everything they could need within a few short blocks. Take a look:... Read More ›

A hotel with a strong concierge service is a bonus when planning events, meetings, or conferences, providing an added layer of service for attendees who are new to the destination city. But the... Read More ›

If you’re planning a meeting and want fitness options for your attendees, or often find yourself looking for a place to work up a sweat while traveling, Grand Rapids has you covered. The region is... Read More ›

Adam London had a challenge. As a board member for the National Environmental Health Organization, he and his colleagues are responsible for planning an education conference that draws health officers... Read More ›

Meeting planners coming to Grand Rapids with off-site functions have a great option for moving attendees west from downtown hotels: a free downtown area shuttle, commonly referred to as DASH. Part of... Read More ›

Grand Rapids is consistently ranked as one of the best and fastest growing economies in the country. Downtown development is keeping pace with that growth. In this Grand Investment installment, we... Read More ›

Meeting planners, is the bottom line hanging over your head when you search for a destination? You might find more budget-friendly options by skipping the popular, first-tier locations and looking at... Read More ›

There is a certain energy to a city’s downtown with its hustle and bustle. But sometimes, as a meeting planner, you want a different vibe. The area surrounding Grand Rapids has several options to take... Read More ›

Some of the many cranes dotting the skyline of Grand Rapids, Michigan, right now are working on Studio Park, a project that developers hope will expand the heart of the city’s center, build on its... Read More ›

With world-class medical facilities (many of which lie within the city’s “Medical Mile”), rigorous medical universities, and prestigious medical professionals, Grand Rapids is a leader in medical... Read More ›

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... Read More ›

Meeting planners know that accessibility is a key component to successful conferences, meetings and events. In addition to being within a day's drive of the half of the U.S. population, Grand Rapids',... Read More ›

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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 been tomahawk bowling with your... Read More ›

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 hotel conference rooms and into your host city for... Read More ›

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If you haven’t flown into Grand Rapids, Michigan, in a while, you might think you landed in the wrong airport. Thanks to the completion of the first phase of a $45 million Gateway Transformation... Read More ›

The Michigan association representing student councils, honor societies, and their advisors recently held the largest annual student leadership gathering in its history, something that would not have... Read More ›

Getting in and out Taxis are always waiting, ride share services like Uber, Lyft or SteadyFare are easily accessible, and The Rapid bus system provides an economical way to get from the airport to... Read More ›

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?... Read More ›

In Michigan, people know parks are not just for summer. And nobody knows that more than the Michigan Recreation and Park Association, now known as mParks. When the organization recently met in Grand... Read More ›

Grand Rapids and Kent County, Michigan, are known for their strong agriculture business, including farm markets and farm experiences. In fact, even those in the agriculture industry gather here to... Read More ›

The Michigan Reading Association is a regular visitor to Grand Rapids for its annual conference where between 1,500 and 2,000 attendees from across the state gather to learn and share ideas on the... Read More ›

Each year, thousands of students and instructors gather in the DeVos Place convention center and DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids for the annual Michigan Music Conference. For many students, it... Read More ›

It would be very difficult to find fruits or vegetables growing outside during the winter months in Grand Rapids, Michigan. But every December, that is the main topic of conversation inside the DeVos... Read More ›

Over the years, we occasionally have taken the time to produce videos about the groups that choose Grand Rapids as their meeting destination. Sometimes it's a big "Thank you!" message, and sometimes... Read More ›

2.3 million. That's the number of passengers who passed through the gates of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport last year as they traveled to or from Grand Rapids, Michigan. While it's the... Read More ›

From a cavernous conference hall, to a plush ballroom, to a public museum, transforming a space to meet a target audience is a hurdle faced by all meeting and event planners. Today we chat with Jamie... Read More ›

When you're traveling by car to an unfamiliar place, how much do you rely on your phones mapping app and the turn-by-turn directions? Or maybe you use a GPS tool like Garmin or Magellan? Either way,... Read More ›

Right, so what can you do to ensure a smooth process? We asked some industry veterans for their most important tips. In addition to Beurkens, we spoke to Peter Mahar, director of convention operations... Read More ›