Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1537157
architecture, and outdoor venues. Across the city, Detroit's Black her- itage is visible in its preservation and present-day creativity. Exhibits like "Detroit 67" and "Say It Loud" bring the city's civil rights history into conver- sation with today. Heritage tours, including those offered by the Black Scroll Network, provide deeper insight into the untold stories that shaped the city's structure. For planners seeking a destination with edge, elegance, and ancestral weight, Detroit is not merely rising. It is leading. This is where indus- tries were born and where legacies are purposed by design. Be sure to contact Sheila Neal, Director Sales at Visit Detroit, for any assistance you need in bringing your meeting to the city. • • GRAND RAPIDS • • Once known primarily as a furniture capital, Grand Rapids has carved a new identity as a design-centric, sustainably minded city where ideas take shape as form and function. Its downtown core, lined with LEED-certified buildings, bou- tique hotels, and public art installations, provides planners with venues that are not only beautiful but efficient. The city's DeVos Place Convention Center anchors this reinvention. With over 240,000 square feet of exhibit space, it offers meeting professionals flexibility, connec- tivity, and a dramatic setting on the Grand River. Accommodations are abundant and closely knit, ideal for walkable confer- ences and multi-venue programming. Properties like the Amway Grand Plaza, AC Hotel, and the Morton offer business- class comfort with regional character. Meeting-goers can experience the local flavor through hotel menus curated by Michigan chefs or custom welcome receptions featuring local artists and musicians. Grand Rapids also boasts a strong airport, the Gerald R. Ford International Airport, with direct flights to major U.S. hubs and newly upgraded amenities. But what sets Grand Rapids apart is its investment in culture. The Grand Rapids Art Museum, one of the first certified green museums in the world, hosts gallery-viewing receptions and VIP forums. The city's famed ArtPrize compe- tition, held every other year, transforms the entire downtown into a rotating gallery, attracting tens of thousands of vis- itors and showcasing both emerging and established talent. The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts and the African American Museum and Archives add fur- ther depth and relevance to events aiming to intersect business and culture. From rooftop networking at the New Hotel Mertens to leadership luncheons inside restored industrial spaces, Grand Rapids balances intimacy with innovation. Its scale, style, and spirit make it an ideal choice for planners ready to move beyond major metros while delivering big city impact with a Midwestern soul. WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Experience Grand Rapids (616) 258-7388 www.experiencegr.com • • LANSING• • Michigan's capital delivers more than leg- islative gravitas. It offers a compact, polished experience for meetings that demand clarity, context, and cultural texture. The Lansing Center, situated along the Grand River, provides over 70,000 square feet of column-free space and direct access to the Radisson Hotel Lansing at the Capitol. This walkable district includes the Michigan State Capitol, ideal for guided historical tours and civic-themed offsite ses- sions. Just steps away, Jackson Field and the city's scenic River Trail offer open-air options for wellness and networking extensions. For planners seeking culturally grounded experiences, the nearby MSU campus in East Lansing expands possibilities with its Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, and the multicul- tural programming at Wharton Center. The city also features the Turner-Dodge House and the Nokomis Cultural Heritage Center, enriching itineraries with Native and African American perspectives. Local cuisine holds its own with elevated soul food at Tatse and seasonal menus at EnVie. Black-owned event vendors and her- itage tour operators offer planners opportuni- ties to build equity into their programming. With ease of transit, professional hospitality, and a skyline that keeps every detail within reach, Lansing proves that smaller markets can lead major conversations with poise and purpose. WHO YOU GONNA CALL? Choose Lansing – (517) 487-0077 www.lansing.org B M & T ••• July/August 2025 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 45 DeVos Place Convention Center photo credit:: DeVos Place C.C. AREA GUIDES •••••••••••••• • •••••••••••••