Pure Michigan Governor's Conference On Tourism | Grand Rapids Conference
What do you call the conference where the Michigan tourism industry comes together? You call it "The Pure Michigan Governor's Conference On Tourism", hosted by Check In Michigan.
Over the course of three days, 500+ attendees and sponsors experienced all Grand Rapids had to offer. From beer tours, to live music at 20 Monroe Live, to great meals at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and JW Marriott, attendees soaked up the education, the networking and renewed their passion for Michigan tourism.
So why does a tourism conference need photography services? That's a great question, I'm glad you asked!
The reason the Pure Michigan Conference needed a photographer was so they could look their best and take better care attendees and sponsors.
Three different pillars drive conferences: the number of attendees, the number of sponsors and overall event excitement. (This is our own formula after being a part of 1000+ events the past 15 years).
There is a statement in the sales world, "You can only sell what you show..." which means if a potential buyer cannot "see" what they're about to purchase, they are less likely to buy. When it comes to conferences, the same principle applies. If a future attendee of your event cannot "see" your event, they are less likely to attend next year.
We captured photos of attendees enjoying themselves, engaged in activities and connecting with industry peers. The images will be used over the course of the next year as the 2019 Traverse City event is planned.
The second piece to a successful conference are the sponsors. Sponsors can participate by writing a check to be a "premiere" sponsor or through a vendor attending the trade show portion of the conference.
Photographs of signage, event setup and attendees interacting with sponsors is a way for event planners to go back to sponsors and with confidence say, "Look, attendees enjoyed your sponsored lunch/dinner/etc..."
The third piece comes from the overall excitement generated by the keynote speakers, the award winners and overall "feel" of the event.
Keynotes for this years events included: Evita Robinson (Nomadness Travel Tribe), Michigan Lt Governor Brian Calley, Sarah Sladek (XYZ University), Candace Matthews (Amway), Jack Johnson (Destinations International), Dave Lorenz (Pure Michigan), Mike Stevens (Founder's Brewing), the AAA Diamond Award Luncheon and the Stars of the Industry Dinner.
In addition to the excitement from the keynote speakers and networking, Check In Michigan revealed their new brand! The Michigan Lodging and Tourism Association is now known as Check In Michigan. Their President Deanna Richeson took the stage and surprised the all those in attendence with the announcement of the name change.
With all the excitement surrounding the Grand Rapids conference, I know attendees are looking forward to 2019 in Traverse City. The Pure Michigan Governor's Conference on Tourism is just one example of the different types of events and conferences that continue to come to Grand Rapids.