MINDFUL MEETINGS IN MICHIGAN

RIVER WALK TRAIL IN GRAND RAPIDS

Meetings Michigan helps planners integrate wellness into meetings By Kim Corcoran, CMP, Executive Director, Meetings Michigan

AFTER A TUMULTUOUS YEAR in the hospitality industry, priorities have shifted for many of our stakeholders. Meeting planners and attendees are making health and wellness paramount in 2021, and our Michigan venues, hotels and CVBs are here to support that quest. We are ready to meet your goals to have mindful meetings, including healthier options for meals and breaks, moving more during your travels, and creating a sustainable future for generations to come.

HEALTHY OPTIONS

Meeting planners are becoming more cognizant of attendees’ needs to stay healthy while at conferences and meetings. Attendees want whole, locally sourced foods that nourish their bodies and brains. Whether it is a meal or a break, more and more they crave fruit smoothies and avocado bars over donuts and Danishes.

In Michigan, we pride ourselves on the plethora of food we can source locally. We have over 50,000 farms that produce more than 300 agricultural products, making Michigan one of the most agriculturally diverse states in the nation. Michigan is the nation’s No. 1 producer of tart cherries, asparagus and cucum-

bers for pickling, and ranks near the top in producing winter squash, turnips, dry black beans and small red beans, just to name a few. With all these foods at our fingertips, it makes sourcing locally an easy decision.

Jillian Manning with Traverse City Tourism explains, “Food is a big feature of the traveler’s experience here in Traverse City, since our past, present, and future is rooted in diverse agriculture. Meeting attendees have loved events with fresh, local treats, like our signature cherries.”

At MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit, the focus is on preparing as much as possible inhouse from raw ingredients. Bulk production saves a great deal on packaging. “For example, to save labor costs, many large institutions will purchase diced celery, carrots and onions, but we process our own vegetables to save not only cost, but also packaging and waste,” says Michael Golden, executive chef. “This process rings true for many other food categories. We cut our own steaks instead of ordering individually packaged items. We use trimmings from poultry, beef, and fish to enhance soups or pasta dishes. This makes for healthier options and increases quality. If the result is a happier customer, which means more repeat business and leaving the planet that much better off, well that’s a win, win, win in my book.”

GET MOVING

In Michigan, we want to make wellness easy, comfortable and fun for all attendees. There are many ways to get moving during conferences, whether it is a morning option before sessions start, or something incorporated into the day. One easy way is to offer stand-up tables in meetings instead of only sit-down options. Adding a back row of high-top tables will do the trick and helps those who are used to working at a stand-up desk instead of the sitting version. Attendees appreciate the thought and effort.

Walking meetings have also become very popular. Suzanne Sipe, sales director for the Petoskey Area CVB, notes, “We have a lot of properties that offer outdoor locations for breaks, and I think that is a major advantage for groups. We can lead a group down to the waterfront for Petoskey stone hunting while doing a walking session. This allows [attendees] to do something unique while being outside in the fresh northern Michigan air. The change of scenery can really motivate and inspire some creative thinking.”

Traverse City Tourism officials always encourage meeting planners and attendees to enjoy Michigan’s greatest asset — stunning natural settings. They encourage taking a hike at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, getting out on the water on a tall ship cruise, or doing sunrise yoga in a vineyard. Their philosophy is that it’s possible to achieve peace of mind, body, and spirit, even when attending a conference. Grand Traverse Resort and Spa also promotes healthy, active lifestyles. The resort has fitness trainers who can build a stretching and breathing element into meetings, add yoga or a personalized fitness program throughout your event.

SUSTAINABILITY

Detroit’s very own TCF Center is now a Green Meetings Industry Council ASTM/APEX

CUISINE FROM MOTORCITY CASINO HOTEL

SLEEPING BEAR DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE

It’s time to reconnect, and what better place to do so than in Pure Michigan, where your adventure awaits you. While we stand ready to support traditional meetings in a high-class hotel ballroom or expo center, we are also filled with innovative and unique ideas that will allow you and your guests to continue enjoying the natural beauty in our state from hybrid and micro-meetings to drive-in and outdoor meetings.

From vibrant downtowns filled with shops and eateries, to crystal-clear waters, countless trails and an abundance of golf courses and ski resorts, Michigan is ready to be the home for your next meeting, regardless of season.

To learn more and see what unique possibilities await you and your next meeting, visit MeetingsMichigan.com.

TCF CENTER, DETROIT

Get Connected

MEETINGS MICHIGAN meetingsmichigan.com 800.210.1514 Standard Certified facility. With TCF Center’s recent redesign, enough natural light comes through during daytime hours to minimize main hallway daytime lighting throughout the facility. The exhibit hall lighting uses 40 percent less electricity, and recycling bins have been placed in all high-traffic areas of the building. On the food side, My Green Michigan provides composting services and any unserved, prepared food is collected by Forgotten Harvest, a local company that delivers food to pantries, soup kitchens and shelters around southeast Michigan.

If you find yourself in one of Detroit’s urban gardens, you may see honeybee hives. Many of these are maintained by Bees in the D, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate the public about honeybees, along with the conservation of honeybees. The group maintains 51 hives throughout Detroit, some of which can be found on rooftops and in vacant lots throughout the city. Bees in the D hosts classes and educational workshops at areas around Detroit.

On the other side of the state, Grand Rapids has long been a model of sustainability. The city government plays a leading role in driving the region forward. With six of its buildings already EPA Energy-Star-certified, Grand Rapids is one of 12 U.S. cities currently participating in the Zero Cities Project, aimed at developing a policy roadmap toward a zero net carbon building sector by 2050.

One of our Northern Michigan resorts, Crystal Mountain, is a leader in clean energy. It has been designed as a pedestrian- and bikefriendly village, reducing use of carbon-emitting transportation. It is also the first resort in Michigan to invest in wind energy credits, offsetting the carbon footprint of the Crystal Clipper high-speed quad chairlift to help supply the grid with more clean, renewable energy sources. Among many other initiatives, the resort uses LED lighting in accommodations and public spaces, including the resort’s 33,000-square-foot conference facility.

Meetings Michigan, a cooperative marketing organization that bands together the CVBs and hotels from throughout the state, is proud to promote meetings and events in our beautiful state that believes in health, wellness and sustainability. The mission is to educate meeting planners about the variety of destinations and the plethora of activities available when having an event in Michigan.

THINKERS. MAKERS. DREAMERS. DOERS. UNITE.

Ann Arbor is a vibrant university town powered by innovation. It has always attracted big thinkers across industries – leading to big ideas and bold solutions. And with extraordinary meeting spaces, an exciting culinary scene, a walkable downtown and knowledgeable staff to guide you every step of the way, Ann Arbor is the ideal destination for meetings and groups with big ideas.

Start planning at AnnArbor.org/meet