April 2016 • $5.00 meetings Arianna Huffington SHE SLEEPS, SHE THRIVES TRAVEL ADVOCATE IN CONGRESS Dina Titus WILD AND WONDERFUL FOUNDING FATHERS Colorado British Columbia 2016 INDUSTRY LEADERS Smart Women San Francisco Bay Area SUPER PLACE TO PARTY Report Special WOMEN RISING UP
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Arianna Huffington - Cobo Center - Detroit Michigan · PDF fileDetroit International Riverfront at its core. The greenway encompasses a marina, parks, ... the final phase of a $279
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April 2016 • $5.00
meetings
Arianna Huffington
SHE SLEEPS,SHE THRIVES
TRAVEL ADVOCATE IN CONGRESS
Dina TitusWILD AND WONDERFUL
FOUNDING FATHERSColorado
British Columbia
2016 INDUSTRY LEADERS
Smart WomenSan FranciscoBay AreaSUPER PLACE TO PARTY
ReportSpecial
WOMEN RISING UP
OAHU & KAUAI
1 2 8s m a r t m e e t i n g s . c o m A P R I L 2 0 1 6
At the height of the economic crisis in Detroit, the
city’s outlook had never seemed so bleak. De-
troit had suffered decades of population decline,
urban blight, political corruption and high crime
rates that left the former capital of the auto indus-
try in shambles. The city hit rock bottom, filing for
bankruptcy in 2013, as the rest of the world wondered how things
had gone so wrong.
But everyone loves a comeback story, and today, Motor City is
back on its feet and moving forward at a rapid pace. Investors
have raised more than $11 billion toward Detroit’s resurrection,
which has put the city back on the meetings map in a major way—
according to Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, con-
vention bookings are up by a whopping 128 percent.
During the annual American Society of Association Executives
(ASAE) meeting and exposition held last year at Cobo Center, Josh
Linkner, a venture capitalist and Detroit native, gave the opening
speech. He praised the city’s radical transformation and great po-
tential for businesses to flourish from the ground up.
Linkner founded investment firm Detroit Venture Partners, and is
one of many entrepreneurs to have infused Detroit with a burst of
tech innovation. In addition, young talent and new projects have
Limmatschwimmen, the annual swim down the
Limmat River in Zurich
Detroit rolls up its sleeves to forge a bright futurepBY MEENA RAMAKRISHNAN
D t it ll it l t f b i htTHE COMEBACK KID
made this up-and-coming destination ready to reclaim its throne as
one of America’s great cities.
Renaissance CityDetroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau was instrumental in turning
the city’s image around through strategic advertising and key messag-
ing. The organization actively works to promote Detroit, through its latest
campaign, as a place of courage and true grit, where great ideas thrive
and success stories abound.
“Our staff consistently works…to help change perceptions and
spread the positive stories taking place in the city,” says Bill Bohde,
senior vice president of sales and marketing at Detroit Metro
Convention & Visitors Bureau. “[Our] campaign emphasizes the
pace of the new development and the transformation taking place,
which is now resonating around the world.”
Downtown Detroit has undergone a renaissance of sorts with The
Detroit International Riverfront at its core. The greenway encompasses
a marina, parks, restaurants, retail stores and skyscrapers. Million-dollar
investments are supporting riverfront development, which includes a
number of hotels facing the Detroit River.
Cobo Center also lines the waterway and recently wrapped up
the final phase of a $279 million expansion, bringing its total footprint
SNAPSHOT DETROIT
MUST SEE
Belle Isle Park
In the middle of the Detroit River lies an island oasis with several unique attrac-
tions. Belle Isle Park has its own aquarium, conservatory, zoo, municipal golf
course, historic monuments and a half-mile swimming beach.
Belle Island Aquarium is an iconic landmark that offers free admission to view
several species of fresh and salt-water fish. Belle Island Nature Zoo also offers
free admission for visitors to experience animal encoun-
ters, with deer feedings and bird ovservation windows.
Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory and Dossin
Great Lakes Museum also provide free admission and
nature-inspired settings for group offsites.
to 2.4 million sq. ft. New additions
to the convention center include
a 40,000-square-foot ballroom,
50,000-square-foot exterior plaza
and stunning 30,000-square-foot
glass-enclosed atrium with floor-to-ceil-
ing views of Windsor, Ontario, across the
river. The building also features a TV broadcast
studio with satellite capabilities and exterior high-tech
video walls located above the entrance.
Indie SpiritNext door, Midtown is one of the fastest-growing
neighborhoods in Detroit. Groups can experience
the cultural heart of the city in Midtown’s many live
music venues and theaters, world-class museums,
such as Detroit Institute of Arts, and boutique
shops and galleries. The neighborhood has helped
fuel the city’s growing culinary and brew pub scene.
Local microbreweries, such as HopCat, provide
intimate event spaces for up to 400.
“For smaller meetings, Detroit has dozens of
unique meeting spaces available, from historic to
recently rehabbed buildings, each with its own dis-
tinct charm,” Bohde adds.
Corktown is slightly off the beaten path, but well
worth a visit for its historic charm and beautifully