Spotlight on Huntington Place
by Renee Monforton, VP, Marketing and Communications, Visit Detroit
There’s what you hear about Detroit and there’s what we know to be true. Detroit is a city of determination, tenacity, energy and vibrancy. It is the epicenter of innovation, often demonstrated by Ford, Fiat Chrysler and General Motors who are propelling their vehicles and technology well into the future. It is a city of collaborations that move the world, like the recent partnership between Apple and Michigan State University to launch the tech giant’s first U.S.-based Developer Academy in Detroit and educate a new generation of tech leaders.
Detroit has an uncrushable spirit that rebounds even stronger when faced with a crisis, like it is doing right now. We have a compelling story for you to consider as you plan your upcoming meetings.
Detroit … There’s What We See
We see signature, one-of-a-kind attractions throughout our region, like the Henry Ford Museum and 200-acre Greenfield Village, showcasing important moments in America you can’t see anywhere else in the world.
We see a gorgeous five-mile Riverwalk adjacent to our convention center and just named the “Best Riverwalk in the Country” by USA Today readers.
We also see the second largest museum in the world that showcases and recounts black history, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American history.
From downtown, we see beautiful Canada, just across our riverfront. In fact, in our city, you can kayak between two countries. You can’t say that everywhere.
We see a melting pot of ethnicities and cultures, showcased in the food and attractions of many neighborhoods, such as Greektown, Dearborn’s Arab-American community, Mexicantown and the Polish enclave of Hamtramck.
The opportunities to combine business and fun in Detroit are endless.
We work. We earn. We give.
Our partners do many things well, including knowing how to pivot when it’s necessary. Delta Airlines, a longtime partner of the DMCVB, pivoted quickly during the pandemic and has now earned a reputation as an airline leader in safety readiness. Delta’s new safety and cleanliness standards, implemented over the past year, are off the charts. They will inspire confidence in any traveler. Detroit’s busy Metro Airport is a Delta hub and a customer favorite. It is regularly rated one of the top airports for customer service by J.D. Power.
We know transportation connectivity is critical for meeting attendees. Our region is an easily accessible destination, only a 90-minute flight or a half day’s drive from 60 percent of the U.S. population.
We dream. We achieve.
A few years ago, our 723,000 square foot convention center had the foresight to create an in-house video production studio to enhance its offerings to meetings. Today that studio is a huge asset as many meetings are now seeking virtual or hybrid elements. And Huntington Place offers complimentary wi-fi throughout its entire facility… an amenity more important than ever in these times when the ability to communicate quickly and globally is vital. These enhancements are a bonus to the center that was completely revitalized and transformed five years ago.
Our 30,000-square-foot Suburban Collection Showcase is our other large convention center, offering meeting planners another outstanding option for meetings. It is conveniently located in the metro Detroit suburb of Novi, and is about 30 minutes from downtown.
Before We Let You Go
Before the pandemic, Detroit had earned the title of America’s Comeback City. It is still true today. Thanks to the uncrushable spirit of Detroiters, progress never stopped in 2020 and 2021. One great example is Ford’s reinvention of our historic train station into a hub for futuristic auto technology. Work on that project, which will employ Ford innovators in our historic Corktown neighborhood, kept moving forward in 2020 and in 2021. Progress never stopped on a stunning, new, mixed-use development on the former site of J.L. Hudson’s flagship store in the heart of downtown.
Now, Detroit’s hotels continue to evolve. In addition to our large luxury hotels, the world’s first Shinola Hotel is Detroit’s new living room. Located in the heart of the city’s historic Woodward shopping district, this 129-room boutique hotel offers a completely original hospitality experience and was built as a testament to the renowned, Detroit-based Shinola watch brand.
Other stunning boutique hotels downtown include the 100-room Foundation Hotel which was originally the Detroit fire department headquarters, the 106-room Siren Hotel in the Wurlitzer Building, and the 110-room Element Detroit at the Metropolitan Building. The former Hotel Pontchartrain had a $5 million renovation and reopened as the Crowne Plaza Detroit Downtown CC. Our newest additions include a new Cambria Hotel downtown and a luxury property, the Daxton Hotel, in Birmingham.
We look forward to seeing you in Detroit soon.
This story originally appeared in the special section, Spotlight on Huntington Place, in the Jan./Feb./Mar. 2022 issue of Exhibit City News, p. 32. For original layout, visit https://issuu.com/exhibitcitynews/docs/ecn_q1_2022.
