When it comes to describing Petoskey and the surrounding region, shades of Goldilocks come to mind. “The way I like to think about Petoskey is it’s not too big, but not too small,” says Jim Powell, executive director of the Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau. “We’re not Traverse City, we’re not Gaylord, and we’re not Grand Rapids. We fit into this unique space in between. It still feels like ‘up north,’ but it doesn’t feel like we’re off the radar.”
In other words, Petoskey might be just right—especially for meeting planners seeking locations suitable for medium-size groups, Powell says. “We’re well suited to provide them not only with what they need to execute the meeting but also with unlimited access to the outdoors,” he adds.
That’s accurate regardless of the time of year. “This is really one of the true, four-season destinations here in Michigan,” says the visitors bureau’s Marketing and Communications Director Sarah Wiese. “One of our big times for ‘firsts’ is in spring: the first hike, first sip of wine, first bike ride. In summer, we’re a quintessential northern Michigan destination in a great, beautiful lakeside location.” She also notes the area’s resorts are top notch. “Boyne Resorts does a great job with having a lot of activities—they have golf and skiing,” Wiese says.
‘Like Coming Home’
Christy K. Snitgen, executive director of the Michigan College of Emergency Physicians in Lansing, usually holds the organization’s summer meeting on Mackinac Island. Last year, she opted for The Highlands at Harbor Springs, a resort at the northern end of the Petoskey Area Visitors Bureau’s region, which stretches south around Little Traverse Bay to the Boyne Falls/Boyne City area.
“My membership consists of emergency physicians who, most of the time, are making a family vacation out of the educational experience we provide,” Snitgen says. “We always try to plan our summer meetings in beautiful northern Michigan where there are so many things offered for the accompanying families.”
The group held an opening reception at Gypsy Distillery in Petoskey’s outskirts. “We had about 250 people who attended that function, so it made sense to take it somewhere large and inviting,” Snitgen says. Gypsy Distillery offered a customized drink menu, an arcade area, pool tables, and cornhole, all in a family-friendly setting. Its team also connects with area vendors for catering, as well as rental services. Back at The Highlands, the physician group enjoyed zip lining and golf, among other activities, which included a visit from a sommelier who conducted a tasting of Michigan wines. The group’s President’s Banquet was held at the Country Club of Boyne in Harbor Springs. “It’s a beautiful venue,” Snitgen says.
The organization already has booked its 2028 summer meeting at Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne Falls, where its members have long been gathering for their winter conference to take advantage of amenities like ski slopes, a spa, and the Avalanche Bay Waterpark. “We have gone there so often it has kind of become a family,” Snitgen says. “They don’t have a lot of turnover, so it’s a lot of the same people, [and they] recognize our members and their families from previous years. It feels like coming home.”
Places & Spaces
Group Sales Director Mary Chris Hotchkiss is the visitors bureau’s point person for planners and groups looking to meet around the Petoskey region. “We have so many great spaces for unique meetings and getting people outdoors, as well as for refresh and wellness retreats and for team building,” she says. “It’s just a totally different vibe.”
For venues that offer lodging and conference space, Petoskey-based Boyne Resorts’ The Highlands at Harbor Springs and Boyne Mountain Resort are prominent players, along with the Inn at Bay Harbor, Autograph Collection. “Among those three resorts, we do quite a bit of meeting and convention business throughout the year,” says Boyne Resorts Director of Sales Brie Woodhouse. “We have several legacy groups that come back to all three resorts. We do a lot of Michigan association business.” The Highlands has 31,500 square feet of meeting space with 313 hotel rooms; Boyne Mountain Resort has 37,000 square feet and 428 rooms; and the Inn at Bay Harbor offers 11,000 square feet with 145 rooms. Woodhouse says all three hotels offer an all-inclusive experience, so attendees don’t have to leave the property. “They can bring their families,” she adds. “Golf is a huge draw.”
Bay Harbor is an entity unto its own. Situated on Lake Michigan between Petoskey and Charlevoix, the waterfront community features a downtown area with shopping, restaurants, and indoor and outdoor event spaces, along with spacious condos, penthouses, and vacation home rentals at Village Suites Bay Harbor. Michelle Denise, marketing manager at Village Suites Bay Harbor, says its Elevation event venue offers 2,000 square feet of space for up to 125 attendees, and larger groups can take advantage of the Marina Lawn at the waterfront for a tented reception or more casual event. She notes all of Village Suites’ meeting spaces are within walking distance of each other.
Also in Bay Harbor, the Great Lakes Center for the Arts offers multiple options for planners, from theater seating for 525 attendees to space for up to 256 in its Community Engagement Room and for 280 standing on its exterior rooftop terrace overlooking Lake Michigan. “We have had trade shows in our Community Engagement Room, which can be converted from the full room to half being used for booths and informational tables and the other half for educational setup,” says Great Lakes Center for the Arts Director of Marketing Alexandra Myers. “We have seen smaller board meetings in our Donor Lounge.”
In Petoskey, historic Bay View Inn and The Perry Hotel are often sought after for meetings and events. Bay View Inn, set in the Bay View Association enclave founded by Michigan Methodists in 1875, features 31 hotel rooms, although its 1,200 square feet of meeting space accommodates up to 150 attendees. Located in downtown Petoskey’s Gaslight District and set on a bluff overlooking the bay, The Perry Hotel showcases 75 guest rooms and 4,000 square feet of meeting space. “Our ideal meeting size would be 50 to 60 guests—it’s kind of our sweet spot,” says Angela Whitener, director of sales for both properties.
Other nearby venues include the Terrace Inn and 1911 Restaurant in Bay View, the latter with 2,000 square feet for gathering. Holiday Inn Express & Suites Petoskey boasts 1,025 square feet of meeting space with 82 hotel rooms. In Harbor Springs, the Colonial Inn has 970 square feet for events, along with a newly renovated bar area and private dock on Lake Michigan.
Out & About
Groups looking to explore and sample the flavors of the area might consider Palette Bistro in downtown Petoskey. With a Mediterranean-inspired menu, it accommodates groups from 49 to 70 indoors or outdoors while offering views of Little Traverse Bay. Also downtown, City Park Grill, frequented by author Ernest Hemingway in his young-adult years, provides private banquet space for 100 to 120 in its Hemingway Room.
In downtown Harbor Springs, the Pier Restaurant has two indoor spaces that hold 40 and 120, respectively, and an outdoor deck for 90. Pierson’s Grille & Spirits in Harbor Springs rents its patio for up to 50 guests and fits 60 each in its bar and game room.
Hotchkiss recommends Michigan’s largest lavender farm—Lavender Hill Farm in Boyne City—for outings during conferences and other events. Proprietor Bill Mansfield says the farm commonly hosts meeting groups to tour, take a class, or enjoy a delicious meal. “We can [provide] catering of all shapes and sizes,” Mansfield says. “We’re accustomed to doing charcuterie boards, too.” He says the farm also accommodates many different types of team-building activities and can arrange for speakers at events.
Wineries are a big draw for the area, and 16 of them make up the Petoskey Wine Region. Boyne Valley Vineyards and Petoskey Farms Vineyard & Winery are among many that offer opportunities for events. “Most of the wineries have event venues,” Powell says.
Plenty of planners arrange for excursions with Little Traverse Bay Ferry. The ferry enables passengers to travel by boat between Petoskey, Harbor Springs, and Bay Harbor, says Mary Harris, who handles its guest relations. Scenic cruises also are available and include stops at each port. The company’s larger vessel—the Harbor Princess—embarks on public sunset cruises on Little Traverse Bay, but also might be rented for private events. “Most meetings groups opt for a private charter, so they can have the Harbor Princess all to themselves,” Harris notes. “There is simply no better way to see this area. It’s awe-inspiring from the shore, but a view from the bay offers a unique vantage point.”
