When Michigan’s two International Live Events Association (ILEA) Chapters—one north, one south—decided to merge into a single statewide organization, they wanted new ways to connect. And what better way is there than over coffee?
That’s how ILEA Michigan’s monthly Coffee, Connections & Coworking events came to be. “We decided we wanted to do more that will truly fulfill the need of providing events and networking throughout the entire state of Michigan,” says ILEA Michigan President Connie Seibt. “We knew we were going to be focusing on the Detroit area as well as Traverse City, because that’s where the majority of our population is. But we wanted to branch out to other cities.”
Now ILEA Michigan is rotating coffee meetups the second Wednesday of each month in Traverse City, the Detroit area, Ann Arbor, and other locations. The idea is, “How do we reach the state without people having to drive too far?” Seibt explains.
Schedules are announced in advance and members attend as they can. Two ILEA Michigan board members are typically there, and the rest falls to whomever has the time. “I love the concept,” Seibt says. “It’s low commitment—come as you please.”
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