For more than 110 years — 113 to be exact — the advocacy group helping advance the lodging and tourism industry in Michigan has been called pretty much that — the Michigan Lodging & Tourism Association. That century-long run concluded today at the 2018 Pure Michigan Governor’s Conference on Tourism in Grand Rapids when association President & CEO Deanna Richeson revealed a new name and brand. Introducing Check In Michigan.
Richeson told her friendly audience of the industries “best and brightest” today, “Now is a time for change,” as she welcomed them to the multi-day conference and explained the need to re-brand the agency because the entire industry is evolving. Following the brand reveal, members were instructed to open “Top Secret” envelopes found under each of their chairs in the ballroom to find collateral materials on the Check In Michigan brand and how it will work and what it is designed to accomplish.
As the association does its work in advocacy, education, training and promotion for the hospitality industry, Richeson played up the theme of the conference which is “Diversity.” Reveling in her industries opportunity to “Float in a sea of hospitality,” she called the industry itself a diverse sector of Michigan’s economy, noting that tourism is the third-largest industry in the state. Calling the industry “critical to the economy of Michigan,” and suggesting that “There’s not another industry that touches virtually every corner of the state,” Richeson turned to a short video to explain and unveil the new brand of Check In Michigan, with the subtext of “Advancing the Hospitality and Tourism Community.”
After what Richeson called “a year long journey” taken up by the re-branding research, the association will formally roll out its new website at www.checkinmi.org next week, but they shared the news beyond the walls of the Governor’s Conference today when they used Facebook Live for the formal announcement and PowerPoint presentation and then Tweeted the new logo shortly thereafter as shown in the photo accompanying this story on Moody on the Market.com.
The organization has largely been the bailiwick of the management ranks in the hospitality and tourism industries, targeting communication to the top ranks of the industry members who are dues-paying partners. Richeson says that going forward, they want to diversify that reach as well, by communicating with employees at all levels in order to get a more complete body of input regarding best ways to represent those businesses who are the organization’s customers, and “shape this industry,” through broader input channels.
Not only is the agency asking multi levels to “check in” through regular conversations in the future, the association team plans to take meet on member’s home turf. As Richeson told her audience today, “We’re going to be out in your neighborhoods, and hold town halls, because we want to hear what you have to say.” She specifically made note of the desire to reach the “younger generations” of industry workers because of their ever-changing expectations.
As proof of that commitment to diversity, the association board actually added three new Millennial members to the board of directors late last year, all under the age of 35 according to Richeson.
After April 2nd you can point your browser to the new website of checkinmi.org to learn more of the new brand promises, plans and mission. Stay tuned.
