  Irish_mafia Member Username: Irish_mafia Post Number: 1287 Registered: 10-2003 |
Courtesy of young Ilitch http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll /article?AID=/20080520/COL06/8 0520034 | ||
Jcole Member Username: Jcole Post Number: 1013 Registered: 04-2005 |
If this works it could be great. Think of the casino money alone those folks blow in Vegas. With only 3 casinos here, it would be a boon to them, in addition to all the hotel and restaurant money. | ||
Defendbrooklyn Member Username: Defendbrooklyn Post Number: 893 Registered: 11-2005 |
Very nice... Its simple but it should work. More people mean more money! | ||
Defendbrooklyn Member Username: Defendbrooklyn Post Number: 894 Registered: 11-2005 |
baby steps are good! | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 11822 Registered: 10-2003 |
The best ideas truly can be the simple ones. I commend Chris Illitch for promoting this idea. | ||
Danindc Member Username: Danindc Post Number: 4378 Registered: 10-2003 |
A "eureka" moment? Isn't this why Dennis Archer pushed these damned casinos in the first place? Who's surprised? Not me. | ||
Detroit313 Member Username: Detroit313 Post Number: 657 Registered: 02-2006 |
Great news... If local companies don't have confidence in their city, outstate and foreign companies won't either. <313> | ||
Retroit Member Username: Retroit Post Number: 94 Registered: 04-2008 |
I don't think that companies from outside Detroit will start having their meetings here in lieu of Orlando or Vagas. And local companies that do will not be drawing in that many outsiders. Most local companies have their "business conferences" in fun, warm cities so as to give their employees and/or executives a vacation, although no one is supposed to admit that "secret". | ||
El_jimbo Member Username: El_jimbo Post Number: 691 Registered: 12-2006 |
do yourself a favor...DON'T read the forum under the story. Sometimes finding out what all these people think of the region they live in is sad. | ||
Irish_mafia Member Username: Irish_mafia Post Number: 1288 Registered: 10-2003 |
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.d ll/article?AID=/20080520/UPDAT E/805200435 | ||
Mwilbert Member Username: Mwilbert Post Number: 234 Registered: 11-2007 |
People don't want to always go to the same places, so there shouldn't be that big a problem with meetings sometimes being held in Detroit. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 3131 Registered: 04-2006 |
I like his approach to it. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 11824 Registered: 10-2003 |
I think his point is not to lure business from out of state but have local companies spend their money locally. Seems like a reasonable idea to me. It won't cure the ills of the city or the region but it will help support local businesses in this region. | ||
401don Member Username: 401don Post Number: 469 Registered: 11-2007 |
Ilitch is onto something here. But I think there's also great potential for attracting corporate business from outstate. I work for a private school chain based in California. The company is constantly having 5 day meetings, Mon-Fri. where basically 50-150 are stuck in a hotel, 8-5:00. Then there's nothing within walking distance after 5:00. These meetings are usually in Chicago, Atlanta or Orlando. These are the meetings the new hotels need to go after on an individual basis. They need to hire their own shuttle buses and pick people up at the airport. Detroit is a hub and downtown could benefit from a lot of this business instead of relying on the big conventions. How many of us could attract a meeting to the D? I'm going to run this by our management and then contact the Metro Conv & Bus Bureau to see what's available. | ||
Gannon Member Username: Gannon Post Number: 12926 Registered: 12-2003 |
Talked to an older couple at a doctor's office in Southfield yesterday who were planning on going to Atlantic City for their vacation this year. I proposed either the Motor City casino or MGM, and staying much nearer to home in one of their hotel rooms with a view. They were flabbergasted at first with the suggestion, but as I continued to tell them the benefits...they were at least seriously considering it by the end of our time together in the waiting room...and a whole bunch of innocent bystanders learned a helluva lot more than they previously knew about the city across eight mile road. The first few rounds of complaints I fielded with knowledge of the common troubles in Las Vegas (as in ALL big cities) and what I'd heard of how Atlantic City has declined...then I actually went to bat FOR both Motor City and MGM talking 'em up in every dimension. With a straight face, too...there is no reason for them to travel to any other casino and waste gas! | ||
Johnlodge Member Username: Johnlodge Post Number: 6792 Registered: 10-2003 |
In Detroit, you don't have to walk past lines of Mexicans shoving little cards with naked women on them in your face while you're walking with your family in the middle of the day. | ||
Monahan568 Member Username: Monahan568 Post Number: 313 Registered: 04-2004 |
the wig shops will be packed. | ||
Monahan568 Member Username: Monahan568 Post Number: 314 Registered: 04-2004 |
honey me and the boys are going to the bar to have a few beers and watch the game you girls go out do some shopping. no you don't need a car they have great taxi service here in detroit and there is something to do at every stop on the people mover. | ||
401don Member Username: 401don Post Number: 473 Registered: 11-2007 |
Is this jerk related to Tom? | ||
Jcole Member Username: Jcole Post Number: 1019 Registered: 04-2005 |
Honey, me and the boys are going to the bar for a drink. Why don't you and the girls go up to the Spa, or do a little shopping in the hotel? (MGM only, but hey...) | ||
Monahan568 Member Username: Monahan568 Post Number: 315 Registered: 04-2004 |
it is a warm summer night why don't we leave our hotel room at motor city and take a nice walk down grand river and maybe stop by a lovely street side cafe (Message edited by monahan568 on May 20, 2008) | ||
Sean_of_detroit Member Username: Sean_of_detroit Post Number: 383 Registered: 03-2008 |
Honey me and the boys are going right outside on Monroe to get a few drinks. Why don't you and the girls go to a spa, then maybe some shopping on Woodward or the Ren Cen, and hey, you can see what's playing at the movie theater while your there. We'll meet back at the casino for the concert tonight. (Ya' know for when Greektown is open. Hmmm, this could also work right now by means of the Marriott, Atheneum, Book Cadillac, Holiday Inn, Sheraton, or Hilton). | ||
Chitaku Member Username: Chitaku Post Number: 2027 Registered: 03-2006 |
Honey go shopping, i'm going to Bouzouki | ||
Eric_c Member Username: Eric_c Post Number: 1249 Registered: 11-2003 |
Monahan568 Member Username: Monahan568 Post Number: 315 Registered: 04-2004 Posted on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 - 4:36 pm: ------------------------------ ------------------------------ -------------------- it is a warm summer night why don't we leave our hotel room at motor city and take a nice walk down grand river and maybe stop by a lovely street side cafe (Message edited by monahan568 on May 20, 2008) ------------------------------ -------------------- You mean Carl's Chop House? Maybe the antique store or some of the new art galleries would be a better fit for that stroll. Then again, Monahan is a troll from Sterling Heights so I really wouldn't expect her to know. | ||
Sean_of_detroit Member Username: Sean_of_detroit Post Number: 385 Registered: 03-2008 |
That scenario with the Cafe's would currently work at Greektown. Just sayin'... Yeah, Monahan, We don't need any trolls from Sterling Heights jumping out from under the I-75 overpass at the couples strolling along Grand River...  Why hate on our city? What good does that do anyone? How would you like it if I troll out at Hall and 53, and jump out at Sterling Heights YES? Exactly! You wouldn't like it, would you? I don't swim in your toilet, so PLEASE don't pee in my swimming pool. Thank you very much! I'm expecting you don't have an answer for any of this? (Sorry, this is my bad attempt at being funny. After this post, is it any wounder the suburbs didn't want me? ....Thanks for taking me in Detroit....) | ||
Monahan568 Member Username: Monahan568 Post Number: 316 Registered: 04-2004 |
^ what kind of answer would you like me to give. I apologize if my sarcastic comments have struck a chord with any of the real detroiters on this website. I simply work and do business on a daily basis in the city. Obviously mr. eric doesn't know me very well because I have never called the SH or anything near it my home lol | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 1631 Registered: 04-2006 |
With the MCC opening 100,000 sq ft of convention space soon, don't you think its to his own personal interest to say this???? DC Dan, Archer was not for the casinos. He only supported them because the voters told him to. In fact many say how he handled the casinos made it impossible for him to seek a third term. Why Barden was never given one of the casinos, I still can't figure it out. Barden had his headquarters and lived in the City at the time. He owned many casinos around the country. Why he did not support a local business I would never know. | ||
Sean_of_detroit Member Username: Sean_of_detroit Post Number: 386 Registered: 03-2008 |
No worries. It's just, we all know that Detroit has many problems. We hear them listed and made fun of almost daily. So any sarcasm in that department is going to be taken as just more tired and mean sarcasm. It's the positive stuff that's unique and get noticed around here. We've had enough years of our shit rubbed in our own face. Ya know what I'm sayin'? It's just viewed as jumpin' on the bullies band wagon, no matter how innocent you intended it. And yeah, I know that some of us around here DO need to take our own advice when dealing with our suburbs... we're learning, and things ARE changing. Let's do our best to keep it that way, no? | ||
Monahan568 Member Username: Monahan568 Post Number: 317 Registered: 04-2004 |
quote: Thank you for your intelligent observation, and pointing that out. You just did something alot of people on here don't do, and that is look at the underlying concrete facts when it comes to stories like this. Sean, thats the thing, Illitch isn't doing this for a positive for the city...he's doing this because he has his own interests at heart. Mom & Dad handed him all that he has, and he has no other choice if he wants to make a buck in this situation but to tap the media into doing a story appealing to the cliche, 'whoa is Detroit, we're lacking of support' b.s. that as a Detroiter I am sick of hearing. There are many businesses that have tried to support the city all that they could, and they have been run out by the current and prior administration's "bullies wagon". These organizations are long gone now, and they could have helped out tremendously had they not been crapped upon and drove out of town....What is your opinion on that fact? I am also sick of the rosey colored glasses that so many of you wear no matter what the story is in the news about this city. If you cared, you would look a little deeper into what is bullsh*t, and what is not - And you would DO something about it. Sorry to rain on any parade but things are NOT that great. So many are fooled by scams that are disguised as progressions out there. Let me know if you need an Exhibit on that.... I rant because I have large successful businesses that I refuse to see get run out of town as well because no one has the guts to speak the truth about what our current state of affairs is. Curtsey and Thank you... | ||
Cooper Member Username: Cooper Post Number: 15 Registered: 02-2008 |
quote: So? The two aren't mutually exclusive. Yes, Chris Ilitch will benefit from a boost in convention business downtown, but so will the city. His motives don't really matter -- although I do think he's demonstrated genuine passion for the city of Detroit, more so than his parents. | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 1632 Registered: 04-2006 |
Copper I can agree with you to a point. However, why was he not supporting this when the MGM Grand opened their space? Why was he not pushing for the same thing at the Marriot or Cobo prior to this event? You have to admit, compared to the MGM Grand the MCC seems to be a cobbled together mess. If he really cared about the City why don't the doors on Grand River open so that Carls can share in the profits of having thousands of people spending money across the street? With those doors shut, the family has an instant monopoly. If those doors were open you would also see other businesses spring up in the area. Once folks get in their car, they head for the freeway and back to their homes taking their potential economic development with them. If you look at Comerica Park, they took far more of a footprint than was needed. They had building moved off site that never had to be moved. Why? To control the land. Once they had control, they have no reason but to do the cheapest thing they can do to make revenue, and that is parking lots. The beauty of that is should there be development pressures they can always put parking into structures and control lots more land then they should have been allowed to have. (Message edited by DetroitPlanner on May 20, 2008) | ||
Sean_of_detroit Member Username: Sean_of_detroit Post Number: 390 Registered: 03-2008 |
I get what your saying, I really do. I don't know much about this young Ilitch. I'm not sure I would be comfortable judging him either way based only what I hear from the media. That is irrelevant to me, to be honest. If he's being forced to do positive things in this city, so be it. I just ordered the "Ocean's Thirteen" movie in the mail today. You've got to see that movie Monahan. If you ever get a chance to rent it, it showcases exactly what I'm talking about. (Spoiler Alert) At the end the rich guys take on a scam is given by his partner to a local charity. His partner knows that if he tries to get it back he'll look really bad, so he thinks he has him. But, then the guy flips it and makes it look like he purposely donated the money, and everyone thinks he is a saint. (End Spoiler) But you know, who cares? Let people spin things however they want. Does it really matter? If someone does something good behind every one's back, does that make it a bad deed? It's annoying, I know. If you really want to know my opinion and outlook... I'm always happy to give my own 2 cents. For some annoying reason, I have taken this site to be my own personal soap box. So my opinion is this; It's all a big game. You have to learn how to play all the different levels and situations. You have to learn to swim with the sharks. You have to blend in. So many people appear to be sharks that aren 't. You'd never know it by looking. But I have found it to be true. That is one reason things always look worse than they are. You may not agree with that... I don't know. The Ilitch camp might be full of bad eggs, but that really is irrelevant. Someone behind the scenes might very well be causing the good to happen here. Or, it could just be him hiding the fact that he's in it for himself. The result is the same. There is an old quote I remember that is one of my favorites. It goes something like; "When you do something right, sometimes it looks like you haven't done anything at all". Making the sharks look like winners is a way to get things done. We care about results, not fame. This is Metro Detroit. We ain't Hollywood. You have to steel from the rich when they don't know about it Monahan. There's no time to get recognition for what we do. I know, it really stinks that "nice guys finish last". But that is the way it goes in this game. It's a rough game. But once you understand the rules, you can play it, and work for the day when you can lift yourself above it. I need no exhibit. I see it everyday. The sharks bother me to no end. But see, it's like the Matrix movie. I'm trying to learn to get ABOVE their petty and annoying rules they have set for the game. And I can only do that by navigating my way through it at their level. Eventually people like you and I WILL be above it. And be ahead of them. They'll never even see it coming. Until then, we have to keep our head up and keep swimmin'. If they think for a minute you're not a shark, they'll try to eat you. We'll never really know who are sharks and who aren't. I'm talking in a lot of redundant metaphors and stuff here, but I'm hoping you get what I'm sayin'. Sometimes you win by losing... Sometimes they lose by winning... And sometimes everyone wins... But most of the time, no one is willing to lose... ...and when that happens, all to often, when the race and war is over, no one wins. You get the most done by being willing to go to Hell and jumping on the "bullies wagon". We'll see who's laughing when it's all over... Just my little and probably insignificant thoughts. Maybe they're wrong. But I'm willing to let my enemies win if everyone else does too. I think I might have said more than anyone on here is going to be able to digested. If that's the case, sorry. Just more of my incoherent ramblings. LOL... "I'm going to Hell, who's comin' with me?" Another one of my favorite quotes. It's one from a stupid local that no one seems to like anymore too.... He seems to have used this strategy though. Edit: Spelling (Message edited by sean_of_detroit on May 20, 2008) | ||
Sean_of_detroit Member Username: Sean_of_detroit Post Number: 391 Registered: 03-2008 |
I posted that before your post Detroitplanner. But that can be for you too. Cooper had the right idea I think. Edit: Spelling (Message edited by sean_of_detroit on May 20, 2008) | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 6851 Registered: 08-2004 |
I wouldn't throw too many acolades on Chris Ilitch. He refused to meet with the National Trust for Historic Preservation's president Richard Moe over the Madison-Lenox and United Artists Buildings. It's his brother Atanas that has a more creative flair for expanding downtown. And for convention business in Detroit, HELL YES Chris Ilitch wants more convention business!! He wants business for his mothers casino hotel and convention space, as well as his fathers latest indirect acquisition... Masonic Temple... which has tons of meeting space. ... and yes... the rest of the city will benefit from more conventions and booked hotel rooms. | ||
Scottr Member Username: Scottr Post Number: 871 Registered: 07-2006 |
Reading this, I also immediately thought of the benefits this would bring to Ilitch Holdings. But you know what? I don't really care. That money would be going to someone, I'd rather it be Ilitch over someone in Vegas. And keep in mind this would result in more desperately needed jobs, too. This idea just flat out makes sense, no matter how you figure it, whether or not it's self-serving. It's good for the Ilitches, it's good for Detroit, it's good for Michigan. The only loser here is Vegas (and other convention cities). Another thing: these visitors should be treated the same way those during Super Bowl week were - better, even, as these are even more likely to return. We should do all we can to make every convention attendee's visit a memorable one (in a good way). | ||
Cooper Member Username: Cooper Post Number: 16 Registered: 02-2008 |
quote: You're right. I confused the two. | ||
Sean_of_detroit Member Username: Sean_of_detroit Post Number: 395 Registered: 03-2008 |
So did I. My mistake. | ||
Kpm Member Username: Kpm Post Number: 91 Registered: 08-2005 |
Johnlodge -- your post was hilarious! "In Detroit, you don't have to walk past lines of Mexicans shoving little cards with naked women on them in your face while you're walking with your family in the middle of the day." | ||
Paulmcall Member Username: Paulmcall Post Number: 1043 Registered: 05-2004 |
With the shape of the economy, it seems like a no brainer. This is a better way to save money than laying off people. | ||
Iheartthed Member Username: Iheartthed Post Number: 3135 Registered: 04-2006 |
His intentions be damned, the fact is that bringing people into Detroit is... what Detroit sorely needs right now. Whether they be visitors or residents, the more people that are coming to the city and region, for whatever reason, the better. | ||
401don Member Username: 401don Post Number: 478 Registered: 11-2007 |
While we're criticizing Ilitch I guess we should criticize GM for moving 15 meetings to Detroit. They'll probably encourage people to stay at the Marriott and Courtyard - those bastards. | ||
Irish_mafia Member Username: Irish_mafia Post Number: 1289 Registered: 10-2003 |
Amen heart and Don, Give me lots of companies downtown that want to make money by bringing more business downtown. Who would have thought self-interested capitalism could be so fun? | ||
Detroitmaybe Member Username: Detroitmaybe Post Number: 123 Registered: 03-2008 |
What is wrong with some of you people? While so many profess to be Detroit enthusiasts...it seems that whenever someone attempts to do something positive for the City, you just complain about it!! What is wrong with someone whose family has invested more money into ventures affiliated with the City than most, is actually trying to encourage more people to experience it? What is the big deal? Hell yeah, he wants more meetings in town, who cares if its for personal gain...what American business isn't? At least it also benefits the City. More power to them for having the initiative to promote the City and trying to attract more people to patronize the MCC as it is magnificent!! I did a tour yesterday of the hotel side and it definitely rivals the MGM. It has a Starbucks, a nightclub called Amnesia, Detroits only 4-Diamond restaurant..Iridescence, a first class theatre, and ample amount of conference space, and the rooms are amazing. Detroit is a great City and we have plenty of entertainment and the City is a great place for meetings and is considered a vacation destination to many!! It baffles me that a City that has experienced such a huge amount of disinvestment over the past few years, would actually have opponents that challenge any positive initiatives that are geared to encouraging more people to spend their money here!! Get over it!! If u don't like it....do something!! If you're not doing anything but complaining, you are part of the problem..not the solution...stop complaining!! Just sounds like jealousy to me??? |
