One might say meeting in Lansing, Mich., is a capital, if not learned, idea, and as it’s indeed the state capital and close to all of the benefits afforded by Michigan State University, that statement certainly holds true.
"Not only is it great for venues, but you have access to expert speakers," says Tracy Padot, vice president of marketing communications for the Greater Lansing CVB (www.lansing.org), of the upside of being near East Lansing’s Michigan State University. "We’re home to the state capital, so we definitely have a lot of legislative events."
Padot says that because the city boasts a large agricultural pavilion, it’s a draw for ag events, along with sports events—Lansing has its own sports authority with a dedicated website, www.lansingsports.org—and state associations convening in the capital. In fact, the Lansing Center (with 270,000 square feet of meeting space) is located just a couple of blocks from the capitol, via a covered walkway spanning the Lansing River.
According to Padot, the Lansing Center serves as the hub of what’s going on in town, being located on an 11-mile river trail that links it to the new Lansing City Market.
One popular option for groups is renting space at Cooley Law School Stadium, which is across the street from the convention center and home of the Lansing Lugnuts minor league baseball team.
Hotel inventory stands at 4,300 rooms in the Greater Lansing area, with a core of 257 at the Radisson Hotel Lansing, with 10,000 square feet of meeting space and 12 meeting rooms.
But even this number of rooms couldn’t handle the recent math and problem-solving student organization Odyssey of the Mind International meeting, which utilized some 8,000 room nights in both hotels and dorm rooms in conjunction with Michigan State University.
And if the brain trust at Odyssey of the Mind thinks Lansing is a smart choice, how could one argue?
Another statement that certainly holds true.
