By Brad MacDonald | MLive Media Group

From securing venues to selecting menus to reserving hotel rooms, event planners shoulder numerous responsibilities under oft-constrained budgets. In Michigan, event planners can meet a partner that helps take the stress out of planning for a more pleasant experience in bringing their events to life. From its central location to its affordable facilities and services, Mt. Pleasant situates itself as a premier gathering place.

Chris Ward, director of education and training at Community Mental Health Association of Michigan, oversees more than 200 trainings and multi-day conferences a year that range from 35 to 1,800 people. She frequently works with the Mt. Pleasant Area CVB, commending its services as “one-stop shopping.”

“Even when I don’t know what I’m looking for, but I know what my event needs, I can just call [Mt. Pleasant Area CVB],” she said. “They know their city well so they can come up with all sorts of troubleshooting ideas.”

With an accessible location from most corners of the state, Mt. Pleasant features an array of amenities, facilities and services that meet the needs for any conference, work retreat or educational training.

Ward said she coordinates events that utilize smaller spaces in Mt. Pleasant all the way up to expansive venues in the area like Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort. With such a spectrum of sites available, along with abundant activities and dining options, she knows Mt. Pleasant can satisfy the full assortment of meetings and conferences she plans.

“Mt. Pleasant has a hometown feeling with big city amenities,” Ward said.

And rather than contacting each vendor independently when configuring event logistics for Community Mental Health Association of Michigan, she confidently relies on Mt. Pleasant CVB to navigate the area network and present the applicable vendors that fulfill her company’s parameters.

Mt. Pleasant CVB goes well beyond recommending conference hotels and venues, too. The CVB provides Request For Proposals for site selection, confirms hotel availability and helps customize group activities. Their assistance also includes complimentary area information, maps and dining guides.

Contact Dorothy Mott at the CVB to help coordinate your next gathering in Mt. Pleasant.

Anisa Mazuca, director of operations for Michigan Works! Association, also prefers working closely with the Mt. Pleasant Area CVB in arranging events for her non-profit workforce development organization.

“I’ve learned over the years that I work smarter not harder,” she said. “I lean on the CVB and they are among the stronger ones in the state. The resources provided are great for a meeting planner.”

One email can introduce event planners to the price points and capabilities of a host of venues and vendors in the area.

Like Ward, Mazuca also manages a varied range of events that emphasize accessibility and affordability. She noted something as simple as Mt. Pleasant’s prevalent free parking is a beneficial component in organizing meetings.

Many of the events she does book with Michigan Works! Association are educational trainings, and the two college campuses in the area further bolster Mt. Pleasant’s appeal as an ideal meeting destination for her organization.

While Comfort Inn, Courtyard and Holiday Inn provide conference spaces in the area, the available facilities at Central Michigan University and Mid Michigan College offer added convenience for events with an educational lean. Their rooms are already set-up for educational purposes with the equipment organizations like Michigan Works! Association needs.

In addition to the frequent educational trainings, the organization hosts multi-day conferences for up to 2,000 people. Mazuca said a frequent pain point in preparing these types of events is the need for overflow hotels since attendees prefer to all be under the same roof. That can limit host city options, but it’s an issue she doesn’t experience in Mt. Pleasant.

Mt. Pleasant capitalizes on its central Michigan location and affordable amenities to host a variety of meetings, and it’s all backed by a friendly and informative CVB team.

“I really feel like they support us,” Mazuca said. “They have a great pulse on the city where I can just send what I need, they’ll gather the information and share it right back to me.”

It’s a sentiment that Ward echoed. “They come up with ideas,” she said. “They offer a personal service that other places can’t accommodate.”

Learn more at meetmtp.com. Inquire further about Mt. Pleasant hosting your next meeting or conference by calling 800-772-4433.