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.”

 

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Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”  These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.  Allegiant Stadium As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward? Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city. Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.