When Michael Ferreira moved his company, Meetings Made Easy, from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Detroit last year, it was a homecoming of sorts. It also was an eye-opener for him. Meetings Made Easy specializes in hotel sourcing and negotiation, among other services for meeting and event planners.
Ferreira says he noticed Detroit’s expanding events scene and infrastructure when visiting his wife’s family in the area, and it has only accelerated since the move. “In fact, it’s the first time I’ve seen extreme growth like this, especially when it comes to new hotels opening up,” he adds. “I’ve seen what happens in other cities when this starts to take place. Salt Lake City, Utah, was a lower-tier city, but since they opened a Hyatt Regency, we can’t stop booking there.”
He cites factors including Detroit having “arguably the best airport in the nation,” the new 600-room JW Marriott Detroit Water Square that will be connected to Huntington Place convention center and open in March 2027, a healthy downtown with multiple professional sports venues in proximity, the glistening riverfront, and the thriving techno and Motown music scenes. All of this made Detroit too good to pass up as he thought about establishing a new destination management company (DMC). Ferreira debuted Detroit Motor City DMC in August last year.
“When event planners come to new cities, they need a convention and visitors bureau, they need a hotel meeting broker, and they need a DMC,” Ferreira says. “With those three partners, you’re in business.” He says there is a massive need for more DMCs in Detroit. “We provide event planning, staffing, and off-site venues,” he says. “We can take a ballroom and turn it into a winter wonderland. We’ve been doing a lot of transportation and a lot of staffing.” And Ferreira expects his business to get even busier, noting, “This city is a dream come true for meeting planners.”
