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ICI•pg_34-38__BMT_pg3-58 1/22/13 6:19 PM Page 34 Meeting the Needs of Your Meeting It's By DARLENE DONLOE time to decide which destination and venue to book for your next event, conference, convention or board meeting. Back in the day, organizing those occasions was more of a routine task - make some phone calls, prepare an agenda, assemble the minutes, reports and documents and put them all in a neat little binder. That was then, this is now. DETROIT The Motor City is on the rise in popularity. For so long the city has been known only for cars and being the home of Motown. Well, both of those are true, but there is so much more to enjoy in Detroit. Detroit is a dynamic, vibrant city Meetings have taken on a life of their own. A lot more details are involved in making them a success. Bells and whistles aside, what meeting planners need to be armed with is information, information and more information. This column aids meeting planners in their decision-making process by providing vital information on specific destinations. Highlighted in this column are Detroit, MI; Spokane, WA, Savannah, GA and Portland, Maine. undergoing a complete transformation, including new hotels, retail and dining options, a completely revitalized riverfront and a $300 million renovation to the downtown convention center. "Detroit is an affordable and accessible destination, with a rich heritage and world-class attractions that highlight the diversity of the region," says Carla Conner-Penzabene, director of Sales, Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau. "From The Henry Ford and Motown Museum to the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, meeting planners have a variety of unique Detroit's Renaissance Center and People Mover 34 B M & T ••• November/December 2012 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com