State's Largest Tourism Conference Returning To Traverse City

Michigan’s single-largest gathering of the state tourism industry is returning to Traverse City in 2019.

The Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism will be held in spring 2019 at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa. The annual event, which typically draws some 1,000 attendees and moves among destinations, was last held in Traverse City in 2014. It’s being held this year March 27-29 in Grand Rapids.

Bringing the conference to Traverse City provides an opportunity to feature attributes that make the region unique, says Deanna Richeson, president and CEO of the Michigan Lodging and Tourism Association. The association presents the conference in collaboration with many sectors of the tourism and hospitality industries.

“It’s a different tourism culture in Traverse City, and I’m really excited about how that can bring a whole new set of experiences to our attendees,” Richeson says. Details of the 2019 conference are yet to be determined.