Meetings and Events City Profiles

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Population: About 50,000

Nearest airport: Muskegon County Airport; Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) is about an hour away by car.

Conventions centers/Large event spaces:
L.C. Walker Arena
955 Fourth Street
Muskegon, MI 49440

Overview and highlights:

Muskegon and Grand Haven aren't exactly hidden gems-Muskegon is the largest city on Lake Michigan and Grand Haven boasts one of the top five beaches in the United States according to Good Morning America's "Travel Mom." But as a meeting and event destination, they are on the road less traveled.

A quintessential Michigan harbor town, Grand Haven comes with both pros and cons for planners. In the summer months, aim to schedule weekday meetings to avoid vacationing crowds. On the up side, price breaks for lodging often happen from October to April. The "shoulder" months still offer great weather for golf at the Grand Haven Golf Club (a Golf Digest Top 50 Public Course).

In its lumber heyday, Muskegon claimed more millionaires per capita than any other U.S. city, who left behind exquisite buildings- Bob Vila called the Hackley & Hume Historic Site the best example of Queen Anne architecture in the U.S.-perfect for group tours. The city also offers some options you'll find nowhere else, such as a private event aboard the USS LST (landing ship tank) 393, one of only a few in the country, or team building at a Luge Clinic at the Muskegon Winter Sports Complex.

>> The Khardomah Lodge (est. 1873) sits 200 yards away from the beach of Lake Michigan.  The entire facility is available to be rented out (up to 45 guests).
616.842.2990

>> Grand Landing comprises luxury condominiums, a hotel, outdoor amphitheatre and convention center. Up to 30,000 square feet of space is available.

>> The Harbor House Inn features 20 cozy, Victorian-style rooms and suites.
800.841.0610

>> The Holiday Inn Muskegon-Harbor offers 10,000 square feet of meeting space.
231.722.0100

For more information:

Grand Haven Area Convention & Visitors Bureau // 800.303.4092

Muskegon County Convention & Visitors Bureau // 800.250.9283

This article has been re-edited for the Web.