Cindy Wikstrom, (left) Executive Director, Michigan State Medical Society, receives a door prize from Lisa Dalton, sales manager with the Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau, which hosted the 2008, ORGPRO, an educational and networking event for Michigan-based meeting planners and association executives. By hosting the event, the Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau was able to show off its meeting facilities, including the Lansing Center, one of Michigan's premier meeting and banquet facilities and  located on the banks of the Grand River in downtown Lansing, conveniently connected to the Radisson Hotel via covered walkway. It features more than 125,000 square feet of state-of-the-art space including 71,000 square feet of column-free exhibit space and 20 breakout rooms.

In July, the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau hosted its first ORGPRO, a two-day education and networking event for organization professionals and meeting planners. Held at the Radisson Hotel Lansing and the Lansing Center. ORGPRO featured educational programming targeted at the needs of association executives, meeting professionals and those affiliated with the association industry. Most attendees of the ORGPRO 2008 convention are members of the organizations that partner with the East Lansing-based Michigan Society of Association Executives, (MSAE).  Those partners include: MMPI - Michigan Chapter of Meeting Professionals International; NSA - Michigan Chapter of National Speakers Association; PCMA - Greater Midwest Chapter of the Professional Convention Management Association; IAEE - Michigan Chapter of the International Association for Exhibitions & Events; and ASTD - Mid-Michigan chapter of the American Society of Training & Development .

Andrea Sundermann, CAE, Director of Continuing Dental Education, Michigan Dental Association poses with Sparty, mascot for Michigan State University.

Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau took the ORGPRO opportunity to highlight their destination's attractions. Along with a golf outing and guided tour of the area, attendees enjoyed a welcome reception in the suite level of Spartan Stadium and an evening of entertainment at the Common Ground Music Festival in downtown Lansing. “When you are able to host a two-day event with over 300 meeting professionals and association decision-makers, it is an excellent opportunity to showcase the community,” said Julie Pingston, Senior Vice President of the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Their cheeks freshly decorated with Michigan State University tattoos, staff members from the Association Management Resources of Ann Arbor, a state and national association management company, enjoy some of the less educational festivities (and showed off their Spartan Pride!) at ORGPRO. (left-to-right) Erecenia Friday, Business Manager, Annie Culverhouse, Association Executive, Alecia Powell, Business Manager, Jennifer Dickie, Director and Marcella Dwyer, Executive Director.

Mary Chris Hotchkiss, Sales Manager, for the Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau, with Denise and Darryl McGinn from Association Guidance of East Lansing, a meeting management company specializing in non-profit organizations, at ORGPRO, an educational event for Michigan-based meeting planners.

The Kewadin Casino Hotel and Convention Center in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, offers meeting planners 15 rooms with an array of floor plans, full-service banquet facilities and over 30,000 square feet of meeting and convention space—all complete with state-of-the-art sound, lighting, audio-visual equipment, fax service and wireless internet. From left to right: Leslie Locke CMP, Convention Sales Manager/Detroit Office, Kewadin Casino Hotel and Convention, Sparty, mascot of the Michigan State University Spartans, and Todd Olmstead, Convention Sales Manager, Kewadin Casino Hotel and Convention Center.