Cobo Cares Kicks Off Its 2018 Season with a Collective Namaste

July 13, 2018

As the sun rose over the Detroit River on the morning of May 23, employees, event attendees and members of the Detroit community helped jump-start Cobo Center’s 2018 community engagement series, Cobo Cares, with “Sunrise Riverfront Yoga,” held on the outdoor terrace of Cobo’s Grand Riverview Ballroom.

Launched in 2017 as part of Cobo’s commitment to social responsibility and sustainability, Cobo Cares offers free exercise, networking and community engagement opportunities for the local downtown community, facility employees and onsite event attendees.

Ongoing during the spring, summer and fall seasons, activities including Zumba, yoga and Tai Chi are coupled with opportunities to give back to local nonprofits such as Forgotten Harvest and COTS that support those in need in the Detroit area. Agencies are given opportunities to be present at the events and engage people who are interested in their mission.

“Providing a place for employees and visitors to celebrate and embrace the Detroit community is inherent in the mission of a convention center to be an economic engine for cities,” explained Claude Molinari, general manager of Cobo Center/SMG. 

He continued, “As more and more large events are looking for ways to be sustainable and give back to their host communities, Cobo Cares provides a structure and resources for events to easily access and ensure the success of these goals.”

During the season’s first Slow Burn/Basics yoga session, provided by local yoga studio, Citizen Yoga, Cobo also accepted donations for Bees in the D, a local honeybee education and protection nonprofit that maintains four hives on the facility’s living green roof

At the time of this event, the Society for Freshwater Science was having its annual meeting in Cobo and partnered with the facility for the Cobo Cares season kick off.

Other free events for this year’s Cobo Cares season so far have included “Find Your Center Yoga,” held July 9 by Citizen Yoga, with donations made to Life Remodeled, a Detroit agency that helps rebuild local neighborhoods.

Upcoming events include “Zumba with Ivy,” scheduled for July 19, with donations to benefit Detroit Little Libraries, an agency that places book-sharing boxes where they can be a catalyst for improving reading motivation and deepening community connectedness. More free events will be scheduled into the fall season, according to Cobo officials.

All Cobo Cares activities are conducted on the venue’s outdoor terrace, Cobo Square, in view of the 4,000 square-foot marquee digital sign that is sometimes incorporated into the festivities in creative and interactive ways. In case of inclement weather, the events are held indoors at the Cobo Center atrium.

According to Molinari, credit for the success of the year-old community engagement program goes to the convention center’s dedicated Green Committee, which works to promote sustainability practices and green initiatives in the facility.

“The Cobo Center Green Committee is comprised of people who work in Cobo from every department and vendor company, and volunteer to work on these events as a team to promote partnerships between Cobo and the metro Detroit area community,” Molinari said.

He added, “(The success of Cobo Cares is due to) the dedication and ‘sweat equity’ of the Green Committee, who are committed to sustainability and the Detroit community.”

 

Don’t miss any event news! Sign up for any (or all) of our e-newsletters HERE & engage with us on TwitterFacebookLinkedIn & Instagram!

Add new comment

Partner Voices
Dallas already boasts 35,000 hotel rooms, award-winning global cuisine, and a walkable downtown. But we are just getting started. Visit Dallas is thrilled to announce that the city of Dallas is doubling down with a massive new convention center and entertainment district. Featuring 800,000 square feet of exhibit area, 260,000 square feet of meeting rooms, and 170,000 square feet of ballroom. The center will connect business travelers with dining and shopping options in the popular Cedars District means more places to get down to business, and even more ways to unwind. “Dallas is already a great meetings and conventions destination, with the accessibility of two major airports, affordable labor, and an outstanding hotel product,” said D. Bradley Kent, Visit Dallas senior vice president and chief sales officer. “The new center and Convention Center District will enhance Dallas’ competitive position and are exactly what our customers’ need and have been asking for." What’s New – AT&T Discovery District Located in the heart of Downtown Dallas, this new district on the AT&T corporate campus is tailor-made for groups of all sizes. It boasts a multi-sensory experience, including outdoor event space, the AT&T Theater, and multiple dining outlets including JAXON Beer Garden and The Exchange, a bustling food hall. Hotels Coming Soon Names like the JW Marriott (Downtown), lnterContinental Dallas (Uptown), and Hotel Swexan (Uptown) are adding luxury amenities and bountiful event spaces. The projects will debut in 2023 and beyond. JW Marriott This new, 15-story, 283-room hotel will open in the heart of the city’s downtown Arts District this year. The property features a 25,000-square-foot grand ballroom, as well as a spa, restaurant, lobby bar, fitness center, and a rooftop pool deck and bar. InterContinental Dallas  Located in Cityplace Tower in Uptown, InterContinental Dallas will feature sweeping panoramic views of the Dallas skyline. Guests will enjoy spacious, high-end rooms and amenities, including more than 21,000 square feet of event space.   Hotel Swexan Hotel Swexan, a new, 22-story luxury property, is rising in Uptown’s Harwood District and will make its mark on the Dallas skyline. Opening this year, it is a sculptural building with cantilevered upper floors, as well as a 75-foot rooftop infinity-edge swimming pool and a hidden underground lounge.