Six area residents have been named "Community Champions” by the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau in recognition of their help in bringing meetings, conventions and other events to Traverse City.
The six Champions were honored Thursday during the Bureau's annual meeting at the Grand Traverse Resort & Spa. They include:
•Gene Jenneman, executive director of the Dennos Museum Center, for helping to bring the Michigan Museum Association's 2008 convention to Traverse City.
•Alexandra and Dean Rheinheimer for choosing Traverse City as the site of their annual three-week equestrian festival, Horse Shows By the Bay, which has brought thousands of visitors to the area over the past four years.
• Rich Smith, executive director of Traverse City Light & Power, for encouraging the Michigan Municipal Electric Association to hold its 2007 convention in Traverse City.
• Dale Stevens, a forensic consultant with Trison Engineering Group, who encouraged the Michigan Code Officials Association to bring its 2008 fall conference to Traverse City.
• Tim Arends, deputy treasurer of the City of Traverse City, who helped persuade the Michigan Municipal Treasurers Association to hold its fall 2008 convention at Shanty Creek Resorts.
The Convention & Visitors Bureau launched the Community Champions program in 2006 to promote new convention and meeting business by recognizing local men and women who help to bring professional, social, religious, fraternal and athletic groups to the Traverse City area for meetings, retreats, conventions and tournaments.
Tourism is a key economic driver for the Traverse City area, employing more than 11,000 local residents and injecting almost $1 billion per year into the area economy. Visitors spend money in hotels, restaurants, wineries, shops and other businesses, adding to the economic vitality of our community.
"These Community Champions demonstrate how individuals can make significant contributions to their community by leveraging contacts and relationships that already exist from their personal or business interests,” said Bureau president Brad Van Dommelen. "Having local contacts that have relationships with organizations that hold meetings, conferences or events is critical to our success in attracting this business to our area.”