Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/157113
•Pg_44-58_ICI__BMT_pg86-162 8/12/13 9:02 PM Page 50 AREA GUIDES DETROIT MEETING AND TRAVELING IN THE "D" SOLOMON J. HERBERT II There are many reasons Detroit can make your next conference, convention, or meeting a success. Metro Detroit is undergoing a complete transformation, with billions of dollars being invested in new industries, attractions and meeting facilities. The D is growing with 21st Century industries that include: defense, entertainment, green technology, medical research, transportation logistics and urban farming. Detroit is called Motown for the unique sound this city gave the world, and "The D" put the world on wheels. Its auto industry is reinventing itself with new technology, style and performance. And all the resources to rev up and drive your convention, meeting or conference to success is located right here. Looking for a traditional ballroom for your opening session? Or would you prefer to wow your attendees at the majestic Fox Theatre, meet overlooking a Field of Dreams or gather on the wild side at the Detroit Zoo? For a major conference venue in Michigan, choose Cobo Center on Detroit's riverfront, or opt for Novi's Suburban Collection Showplace with exhibition and conference space. Metro Detroit has the rooms, views, facilities and venues to match all your needs and expectations. The 2.4 million-sq. ft. Cobo Conference/Exhibition Complex is the centerpiece of downtown Detroit's Civic Center. Cobo offers convenience, comfort, service reliability and fine food. Overlooking the Detroit River and the city's international neighbor, Windsor Canada, the facility's elegant banquet rooms and over 70 meeting rooms totaling 178,446 sq. ft. equip Cobo Center to accommodate capacities from 30 to 10,000. The Cobo Center Grand Ballroom opens this summer with 40,000 sq. ft. of banquet space, and an 8,000-sq. ft. state-ofthe-art kitchen with tasting room. You can choose from 40,000 hotel rooms when you stay in metro Detroit, so you know there's a perfect match for you 50 whether you like your accommodations ultra chic and luxurious, quaint and charming or affordable and basic. If you are contemplating bringing a meeting to Detroit, be sure to reach out to CVB staffers Sheila Neal, senior S HEILA N EAL national sales manager, and Xenia Castillo-Hunter, national sales manager for the Religious Market. They are prepared to assist you in making your event a memorable one. While in Detroit XENIA CASTILLO-HUNTER conference attendees and leisure travelers alike can experience some of the city's nightlife, fabulous museums and tasty eateries. Leisure time in The "D" is sure to be entertaining and educational at the same time. Be sure to take in the legendary B M & T ••• July/August 2013 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com Motown Museum as well as the Henry Ford Museum in nearby Dearborn. Just eight miles from downtown the Black Holocaust Museum is housed in the Shrine of the Black Madonna Cultural Center and Bookstore. The museum is a memorial to the millions of African souls who were captured, sold and brutalized in the slave trade. It contains a collection of compelling documents, photographs, narratives, and artifacts from the slave trade, a reproduction of a slave cabin as well as dramatic, highly emotional portrayals of the African slave experience. The Detroit Zoo gets even wilder on Wednesday nights during July and August with its annual Wild Summer Nights concert series. Wild Summer Nights features a variety of live music from local bands, including children's, jazz, pop, folk and blues. Concert-goers are invited to bring a blanket and pack a picnic. Food, snacks, beer, wine and soft drinks are available for purchase from Zoo concessions. Detroit Metropolitan Airport services many top level airlines and serves as a hub for Delta.