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MICHIGAN Grand Rapids is known for fantastic art, farm-to-fork foods, lots of outdoor recreation and beer. Known as Beer City USA and one of the Top 10 Best Vacation Cities for Beer Lovers, the city prides itself on its Midwestern values. Try ice- skating at the Rosa Parks Circle, walk the Riverfront or visit the Gerald R. Ford Museum. Lansing, Michigan's capital city features wonderful attrac- tions such as All Around the African World Museum and Resource Center, Impressions 5 Science Center, Michigan International Speedway and the State Capitol Building. The Lansing Center is a state-of-the-art facility with 175,000 sq. ft. of meeting space including 75,000 sq. ft. of col- umn free exhibit halls and 20 breakout rooms. Mackinac Island located between Michigan's upper and lower peninsulas has the Grand Hotel and the Mission Point Resort – two great properties for hiking, biking, water activi- ties, weddings and music festivals. DETROIT Detroit is America's great comeback story, a city on the upturn and ready for anything. A complete package destina- tion that will make any conference, convention or meeting a success. Detroit is also a musical mecca; the undisputed owner of the Motown sound and the place where techno beats first erupted. A host of world-recognized musical festivals and events take place every year, too, attracting celebrated artists from a variety of genres. Planners will be impressed with Cobo Center's 40,000-sq. ft. Grand Riverview Ballroom, which has a capacity of 3,500 for theater-style and 2,250 for banquets and offers 21,000 sq. ft. of meeting space directly below Cobo. The 12,000-seat Cobo Arena has been transformed into the new, glass-enclosed events spaces that open up the facility to floor-to-ceiling views of the Detroit River and Windsor, Ontario. The new Directly across the street from Cobo Center is the Crowne Plaza Detroit Downtown Convention Center Hotel. The upscale property is a 25-story, 371-room hotel that caters to business travelers and the meetings and conventions market. Detroit is divided into five distinct districts, perfect for plan- ning your travel, tourism, meeting and conventions needs. Visitors to Detroit can enjoy three pro-sports teams, upscale casinos, theaters, a thriving arts district and live entertainment sure to keep you up all night. Downtown is home to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and The Carr Center, dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the African and African-American cultural arts tradition. Cobo Center Photo Credit: Detroit CVB MINNESOTA The Land of 10,000 Lakes is easily one of the best outdoor recreation areas in America. Jet skiing, fishing, boating, canoeing, paddleboat riding on the Mighty Mississippi and biking doesn't begin to tell the story of this outdoor wonderland. Try your hand a snowshoeing and snowmobiling, ice skating and skiing – it is all here for the taking. Nickelodeon Universe in Bloomington is the country's largest indoor amusement park featuring 30 rides on seven acres. The park is located inside Mall of the America. Bloomington is also home to the 14,000-acre Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge St. Paul, Minnesota's capital city features the Saint Paul RiverCentre. It's the city's premiere convention, entertain- ment and events center. The 250,000-sq. ft. RiverCentre hosts meetings, tradeshows, galas and intimate gatherings. The RiverCentre is connected to the 5,500-seat Roy Wilkins Auditorium as well as the 18,000 seat Xcel Energy Center. MINNEAPOLIS Forget what you think you know about Minnesota. Minneapolis is proof that it's a place that welcomes the world and celebrates diversity. The children in Minneapolis public schools speak more than 100 languages, and locals are proud to be home to the largest Somali and Hmong populations in the U.S. It's a progressive city that cultivates and supports diverse businesses, and embraces art, cuisine and entertain- ment from around the globe. Minneapolis is home to African-American pioneers and leading arts groups. From the three-time Grammy-award- winning Sounds of Blackness and the renowned Penumbra Theatre Company, to the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder newspaper (still going strong after 80 years in print), it's a city Minneapolis Convention Center Photo Credit: Minneapolis CVB B M & T ••• September/October 2018 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 21