PLACES TO LIVE AND VISIT
Winning projects and attracting talent depend on strong, vibrant communities where people want to live and visit. Michigan continues to invest in these communities, with support from the MEDF.
Michigan Travel and Tourism
Every year, the Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism welcomes travel industry leaders to recognize and honor the state’s top hospitality individuals and entities. The 2024 event took place in Kalamazoo, where 500 attendees gathered for three days of workshops, keynote speakers, and networking.
The Michigan Travel Commission advances tourism and travel in the state. Quarterly meetings provide opportunities to track progress and discuss best practices, including a special dinner event hosted by the MEDF.
Meetings Michigan promotes the state’s meeting facilities, luxury hotels, world-class resorts, and event planning professionals who can efficiently execute any scale or type of event. Over the course of 2024, Meetings Michigan facilitated over 2,000 touchpoints at trade shows, client events and receptions all across the U.S.
With help from the MEDF, Meetings Michigan held receptions at some of the country’s largest gatherings for planners. Events at IMEX America in Las Vegas, the largest trade show for the meetings and events industry, earned nearly 700 customer connections. Events at Connect Marketplace in Milwaukee netted 340 connections. In total, IMEX America, Connect Marketplace, and Meetings Michigan’s sales mission events directly resulted in more than 350 requests for proposals.
NFL Draft
Detroit hosted the NFL Draft, shattering the attendance record and generating over $213 million in economic impact for the city. A total of 775,000 fans flocked to the city for an unforgettable weekend, which included the MEDF-supported Pure Michigan Endzone. More than 250 local businesses secured contracts and professional development opportunities directly linked to the draft, resulting in $12.1 million in investments for Detroit’s small and minority-owned businesses.