Few American cities can claim the cultural impact of Detroit. From motors to Motown, "The D," as locals call it, has put the world in motion both behind the wheel and on the dance floor. It is an iconic city and, for planners in the know, an incredible location for meetings.
"It really has something for everyone," says Jeanette Pierce, owner of Inside Detroit, a local tour company that runs the Downtown Detroit Welcome Center. "History, arts, sports, music, green space—you can find it here. We have amazing venues, historic architecture and brand-new facilities from hotels to casinos. And it is all very compact and accessible. Most of our attractions are just blocks from the convention center."
Unfortunately, Detroit’s charms have long been obscured by bad press, and recent events from a scandal-ousted mayor to a struggling auto industry have not helped. But like one of its most-favored sons, boxing champ Joe Louis, Detroit is a fighter.
With $20 billion invested in ongoing development, world-class casinos, a new airport terminal and a major convention center revamp in the works, Detroit is on the rise, ready to be rediscovered. The Detroit Metro CVB is working overtime to get the word out.
"We spend a lot of time trying to get people to take a look at Detroit," says Carla Conner-Penzabene, director of sales for the CVB. "When they do, they are blown away."
The planners of the Alcoholics Anonymous International Convention sure were, choosing Detroit over Los Angeles for its much-sought-after 2020 event, which will bring 50,000 attendees to the city.
Even the recession can’t keep Detroit down.
"Our bookings in every market sector except one are outperforming 2008 numbers," Conner-Penzabene says. "And we have had more site inspections to date this year than in all of 2008."
Driving this upswing is Detroit’s enticing combination of affordability and accessibility.
"We know how to throw a good party, but we won’t break your budget," says Carol Galle, CMP, president of Special D Events, a local corporate event management company. "You’ll find our hotels and venues to be competitively priced, even within the Midwest."
The 2008 opening of a Delta hub at Detroit Metro Airport has made getting to that party a whole lot easier. With more than 400 nonstops a day, Detroit is less than 90 minutes away for more than 60 percent of the country.
Another key factor in Detroit’s increased bookings is that local organizations are discovering that there is no place like home when it comes to saving money on meetings.
"Groups like GM and the UAW have really brought so much back to the city," Conner-Penzabene says. "It is really having an impact."
Located downtown right on the river, Cobo Hall is metro Detroit’s convention center and home to high-profile events such as the North American International Auto Show. It currently offers 700,000 square feet of flexible space. New management for the aging facility was recently approved, and at press time, a $300 million upgrade and expansion was expected to be announced in mid-September.
Large groups can also gather in downtown’s two adjacent stadiums: the 42,000-seat, open-air Comerica Park, home to MLB’s Detroit Tigers, and the 70,000-seat domed Ford Field, home to NFL’s Detroit Lions.
Because of downtown’s compact size, groups can also conveniently spread out in several meetings-ready hotels. The Detroit Marriot at the Renaissance Center offers 1,300 rooms and 100,000 square feet of space in a skyscraper overlooking the Detroit River. The building also houses GMnext Showroom, a 44,000-square-foot display of specialty and concept cars.
The Westin Book Cadillac, a long-shuttered grande dame hotel, was recently revived to its 1920s glory with a $200 million overhaul. It offers 453 rooms, 30,000 square feet of meeting space and three lavish ballrooms. The Doubletree Guest Suites Fort Shelby, also recently renovated, features 203 guest suites and a 21,000-square-foot conference center.
Downtown’s three casinos each offer modern meetings-ready hotels. MGM Grand—the most luxurious property in the company’s chain—has 400 rooms and 30,000 square feet of space; Motor City Casino has 400 rooms and 67,000 square feet; and Greektown, which just opened in February, offers 400 rooms and 25,000 square feet.
Detroit’s glorious automotive heyday pumped millions into local architecture and art, and several unique facilities let groups relive a bit of that glory.
The Guardian Building, built from 1928-29, is a National Historic Landmark and one of the most spectacular Art Deco buildings in the country. A grand ballroom on the 32nd floor overlooks the city and is available for groups of up to 300.
The Detroit Institute of Arts features several elegant venues, including Rivera Court, a soaring marble room featuring Diego Rivera’s famed Detroit Industry murals.
The Scarab Club, a 1920s artists’ haven, offers intimate galleries, a courtyard and a beamed ceiling bearing signatures of famed artists.
The Fox Theater, a 1928 movie palace that has been lavishly renovated, is the city’s venue for Broadway plays and can seat more than 5,000 people under its gold-gilded ceiling. The Detroit Opera House, an equally elegant setting, can seat more than 2,700 guests.
At the Motown Historical Museum, groups can tour or rent the facility where The Supremes, The Jackson Five, Marvin Gaye, Martha Reeves and other musicians recorded. The museum can also arrange for Motown alumni to perform.
Other unique off-site settings include The Detroit Science Center, featuring an IMAX theater, a planetarium and interactive exhibits; The Detroit Historical Museum, which recreates the streets of 1900s Detroit; and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, a spacious, modern facility.
After session, groups can get an insider’s view of Detroit with a tour. Inside Detroit offers walking, coach and Segway tours based on anything from art and architecture to jazz bars and brewpubs. They also arrange scavenger hunts and other team-building events. Culinary Escapes offers gourmet walking/eating tours of local restaurants and food shops for groups of up to 40 people.
Suburban Detroit
The largest venue in suburban Detroit is the Rock Financial Center in Novi, with 215,000 square feet of space. Meetings-ready hotels include The Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt Regency and Doubletree, all in Dearborn; the Embassy Suites in Southfield; the Radisson Hotel in Livonia; the Crowne Plaza and the Sheraton, both in Novi; St. John’s Inn and Golf Course in Plymouth; and the Westin Detroit Metropolitan Airport and the Crowne Plaza at the Airport.
Detroit’s auto barons invested their fortunes in grand manors on the outskirts of the city and several offer opulent settings for group events. Planners can opt for the Henry Ford Estate in Dearborn, the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores or Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester.
The Cranbrook House and Gardens is a 1900s mansion located on a lush campus that includes the Cranbrook Academy of Art, one of the nation’s premier graduate art programs, and the Cranbrook Museum. The facility offers several settings for events.
The most popular attraction in the Detroit Metropolitan area is the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village, an indoor-outdoor complex housing a vast collection of artifacts documenting American culture and ingenuity. Groups can mingle amid Abraham Lincoln’s chair, Thomas Edison’s workshop, Rosa Parks’ bus and even an Oscar Mayor Weiner mobile.
The museum also sponsors the only car factory tour in the Motor City—a visit to the Ford Rouge plant where F-150 trucks are made. An upper observation deck is the perfect setting for cocktail events and offers a spectacular view over the factory’s "living roof," which is composed entirely of sedum plants.
Spousal tours spotlight the northern communities of Birmingham and Royal Oak, walkable, upscale towns filled with art galleries, boutiques and restaurants.
Connecting in Canada
Thanks to a quirk of geography, the Canadian city of Windsor is actually south of Detroit, right across the Detroit River.
"We do a lot of joint events with Windsor," Conner-Penzabene says. "The Detroit metro area is very convenient for groups with a large Canadian base, and the Windsor Airport is only eight miles from downtown Detroit."
Meeting facilities include Caesars Windsor Casino, a gaming and resort destination with 758 rooms and a 100,000-square-foot convention center. Most major hotel facilities are within walking distance of both the casino and Windsor’s lovely riverfront. They include the 305-room Hilton Windsor, Radisson Riverfront and Holiday Inn Downtown.
The St. Clair Centre for the Arts is adjacent to both the Hilton and the Radisson and offers 40,000 square feet of meeting space and a 1,200-seat theater. It is associated with the nearby St. Clair College Residence and Conference Center, which features 204 guest suites and dozens of meeting rooms.
Windsor is also a great option for outdoor venues. In addition to a spectacular view of Detroit’s skyline, the Windsor riverfront features the Odettee Sculpture Park and several elegant gardens, including Coventry Gardens, which is home to the Peace Fountain, a dancing fountain accompanied by colored lights.
Popular downtime activities include biking or hiking tours of Pelee Island, a natural preserve in Lake Erie, just 40 minutes and a ferry ride from downtown Detroit. There are also dozens of wineries along the Lake Erie coast, and the Windsor CVB can arrange tasting tours.
