Grand Hotel Celebrates 125 Years

You may have heard the exciting news that Grand Hotel is celebrating 125 years this season.   Twenty five years ago, in 1987, I was a new sales person at Grand Hotel, and was awed to be onsite for the 100th Anniversary celebration.  On that occasion, our big event, as I recall, was a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Woodfill Conference Center – dedicated meeting space that had been renovated in fabulous Carleton Varney style.  (For those of you who have visited, this is the pink and white striped meeting room, with the three story cathedral ceilings.)

This year, I am especially aware of the changes and improvements that have been made since that 100^th Anniversary in 1987.  Those include almost 100 more guest rooms, all on the original footprint of the Hotel, allowing us to maintain our status as a National Historic Landmark.   We have also added a lovely new private dining room, the Grand Pavilion, with seating for 250 guests and a balcony/patio overlooking the front nine of our 18 hole golf course.

We are pleased that we now have four off-site restaurants for our guests to enjoy, in addition to lunch service at the Tea Room at Fort Mackinac where guests may sit indoors or outside on the terrace and enjoy a breathtaking view of the harbor and the Straits of Mackinac. 

Twenty five years ago no one would have guessed that Grand Hotel would have a casual bar at the top of our Hotel – the Cupola, where guests can be casually attired through the day and evening, making it the perfect spot for a nightcap after dinner in one of our casual restaurants.

We now have air conditioning and color TV in every room (yes - people did come to Grand Hotel even when there was no cable available on Mackinac and therefore not much point in having a television in the room!).  We now have great cell phone reception (who even relied on a cell phone in 1987?) and we have complimentary high speed wireless internet throughout the hotel.  I’m sure I had never heard of high speed wireless in 1987!

The staff quarters where I stayed over that anniversary weekend in 1987 have been converted to a wonderful four-bedroom cottage, the Masco Cottage, which is very popular with social groups and families.  It also makes an attractive destination for a small board meeting or staff retreat where collaboration is enhanced im casual yet elegant full service surroundings.

Grand Hotel’s official birthday is Tuesday, July 10.   If you are on Mackinac Island that day, please come to Grand Hotel and enjoy a piece of the 125 foot long birthday cake that will be on display on the World’s Longest Front Porch.  Call me ahead of time, and I’ll make the arrangements!   We would love to have you join us in celebrating this historic milestone for America’s Summer Place – Grand Hotel!

Utilizing the Value of CVB's by Jodie Cady, CMP, CTA

Recently, Nate Melvin with Discover Kalamazoo sat down with Jodie Cady, an Events Manager with Michigan Association of Realtors for a Q&A on "Utilizing the Value of CVB's".   

1.       How has utilizing CVBs made your life easier as a planner?

Let’s face it—we may not admit it but we all love one stop shopping.  How else can you explain the growth of Meijer?  Working with a CVB is one stop shopping for the meetings industry.  CVB’s are the direct line to the resources in their area.  When you can submit an RFP to one person and get responses for all your needs it is a win/win and it makes accomplishing goals easier.  I value the resources that CVB’s offer and their commitment to the success of my meetings and events.

 

2.       Were there any surprises you encountered when you first starting using CVBs—things CVBs do you were not previously aware of?

I think many planners don’t realize that depending on the financial impact of their program on the city, the CVB may be able to help offset the meeting costs.  An example of this would be if you need to use motor coaches to shuttle attendees from hotels to a convention center and the CVB can offer the service to the organization for no additional cost.  I know this was a surprise to me when a CVB offered it in a proposal.  

3.       What are some examples of things CVBs have done to add to the quality of your conference for your attendees?

Too many to mention!  Some of the highlights include registration desk staff, restaurant reservation services, tours, marketing pieces to promote the area activities and event web pages directed towards our event.  These would be at the top of the list.  Every CVB has a long list of special services.  I think every planner needs to review them and take advantage of as many as possible!

4.       Are there any myths about CVBs you’d like to dispel?

I would like to take issue with two: CVB’s send your lead to everyone in their network, and all RFP’s need to come to the CVB first for them to provide services.

One, your leads go to only the properties that can meet your needs outlined in your RFP. Reputable CVB’s are not going to waste your time or theirs sending leads out to properties that could never meet your needs.  If you are getting information on properties or suppliers that will not work I suggest you look at the information you are providing the CVB with before jumping to conclusions.

The second—when CVB’s don’t get credit for your lead because you worked directly with the hotel instead of starting with them.  There may be some truth to this, but the bigger truth is that it is the CVB’s job to promote the city and bring business—if they are brought in at the first or fourth round of the process, it doesn’t matter.  However if you are hoping for assistance in your program it is best to start with who is going to know the most about the destination—the CVB!

Going Green! Q&A with Mission Point Resort and Farmers Insurance

Going Green! Q&A with Mission Point Resort and Farmers Insurance

by Sara Faircloth, Mission Point Resort - Mackinac Island

Going green is a big trend in the hospitality industry these days and one that will be with us well into the future. Mackinac Island is one of the top recyclers in the state of Michigan.  Everything is hand sorted and then shipped off the island. This is something that we are very proud of as it is not an easy task. Below I interviewed Linda Turman with Farmers Insurance about what Going Green means to her:

Question: How important is it for a location to be GREEN that you are considering for a meeting? Such as recycling, re-using towels in the sleeping rooms, using glass versus paper cups, water pitchers on tables versus bottled water, etc. 

Answer: It is not a factor whether we choose or don't choose a location for our meetings.

Question: Have you noticed a change in your office environment on trying to be more GREEN? If so, can you give me an example of some things you do? 

Answer:  Going green in the insurance environment is at the top of our list.  One example of how we are saving trees is to encourage all of our clients to get their correspondence by email vs. paper, thereby conserving the mounds and mounds of paper we send out each day.

Question:  What is something you have seen, in your travels, with being GREEN, that you would like to see implemented more often? 

Answer: Giving the option of not changing the linens each day and at one lodge I saw a soap bar with a hole in the middle (half the soap and no waist). I thought that was very unique...