Detroit's principal meeting facilities are clustered in the Detroit Civic Center, which stands at the edge of the Detroit River on the approximate site where the city's founder landed in 1701. The Civic Center consists of five complexes: Cobo Conference/Exhibition Center, Cobo Arena, Joe Louis Arena, Hart Plaza, and the Veterans Memorial Building.
Cobo Conference/Exhibition Center contains a total of 700,000 square feet of meeting space and 85 meeting rooms in five halls. The hall hosts the North American International Auto Show each January and a huge boat show every March, but by 2004 city officials began discussions to expand the Cobo complex even further so the city could attract even larger conventions. The adjacent Cobo Arena, with a seating capacity of 11,000 people, is used for conventions and shows as well as large functions such as concerts and sports events. Joe Louis Arena, named for the heavyweight boxing champion, was the site of the 1980 Republican National Convention and hosts major events. The Veterans Memorial Building, the original Civic Center structure built in 1950, houses a ballroom and meeting rooms.
Convention and meeting facilities are also available at the Detroit Historical Museum, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Fox Theatre, Orchestra Hall, the Michigan Exposition and Fairgrounds, and Ford Field, as well as at Henry Ford Museum, the Detroit Zoo, restored estates and historic sites, suburban civic centers, college and university campuses, and on yachts and riverboats. All major downtown and suburban hotels and motels offer meeting accommodations for both large and small functions.
Convention Information: Detroit Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau, 211 W. Fort St., Ste. 1000, Detroit, MI 48226; telephone (313)202-1800; toll-free (800) DETROIT