Experience Grand Rapids

Easy to get to, easy to host an event in and easy to love, Grand Rapids is a city that is truly Crafted for Meetings. The Gerald R. Ford International Airport, named best airport in North America serving 2-5 million passengers, offers 140+ daily flights, including nonstop flights to 35+ major market destinations on 8 airlines: Allegiant, American, Avelo, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, Sun Country and United. The airport is in the midst of a massive $600 million transformation project that has already upgraded many visitor convenience features – including new food and beverage options, complimentary business centers and improved security checkpoints. The airport is just 16 minutes from downtown Grand Rapids, where a riverfront convention center offers 162,000 sq. ft. of column-free exhibit space, a 40,000 square foot ballroom and 20+ meeting rooms of all sizes. A climate-controlled skywalk connects the convention center to three hotels (1,200+ rooms), each with its own meeting room spaces, as well as to parking ramps and entertainment venues. This convention-and-hotel complex anchors a Convention Neighborhood that encompasses 10 additional hotels (1,300+ rooms), including Hilton, Holiday Inn, Hyatt and Marriott brands. They’re all within a 10-minute walk or free bus ride of 200+ restaurants and retail shops. Five downtown museums include the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, a tribute to the city’s most famous native son, and eight downtown breweries bolster the city's status as America's Craft Beverage Capital. Museums and breweries are unique offsite venues for opening/closing receptions and VIP events within walking distance of the convention center. Additional options include downtown arenas, auditoriums, performance venues, universities and bridges over the Grand River. Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, voted the Best Sculpture Park in the United States in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards, is just a 15-minute drive from the Convention Neighborhood. It's also a great choice for offsite events. Hundreds more hotels and meeting spaces throughout Kent County give you additional planning flexibility. Contact us to learn how this Stella Award-winning Best Midwest DMO (2024) in one of the nation's top 25 convention cities (Travmar, 2022) can help you with your meeting. Your attendees will thank you for planning your event in One of America’s Top 10 Best Towns to Visit (CNN,2024) and the #1 U.S. City on the Rise (LinkedIn, 2025).