Planning a conference in Grand Rapids
Everything an organizer needs before committing a date in Grand Rapids, Michigan — 30 mapped venues, capacity where it is published, airport distance and local time.
Van Andel Arena states a capacity of 13,184. The dots show what event67 would bill at that head count, and where the price stops.
Venues in Grand Rapids, by what they are for
Grand Rapids has a recorded population of 200,117 (2024), inside the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI area of about 1.2 million people.
Counted by what they are for, that is 2 exhibition or convention halls, 6 dedicated conference and function spaces, 6 arenas and stadiums and 16 independent event spaces.
That is roughly 15 venues per hundred thousand residents, which is a dense field for a city this size — you will usually have a second choice at the same capacity.
By type that is 16 event spaces, 5 arenas, 5 conference centres and 2 convention centres, plus a longer tail below.
Exhibition and convention halls (2)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welsh Auditorium | convention centre | 3,800 | 0.7 km (0.4 mi) |
| DeVos Place Convention Center | convention centre | not published | 0.8 km (0.5 mi) |
Conference and function space (6)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent ISD Conference Center | conference centre | not published | 7 km (4.3 mi) |
| Loosemore Auditorium - Grand Valley State University | university conference centre | not published | 1 km (0.6 mi) |
| Dematic Conference Center | conference centre | not published | 3.5 km (2.2 mi) |
| Gainey Conference Center | conference centre | not published | 6.3 km (3.9 mi) |
| John F. Donnelly Conference Center | conference centre | not published | 3.6 km (2.2 mi) |
| Prince Conference Center | conference centre | not published | 7.9 km (4.9 mi) |
Arenas and stadiums (6)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Andel Arena | arena | 13,184 | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) |
| Lubbers Stadium | stadium | 10,700 | 18 km (11 mi) |
| GVSU Fieldhouse | arena | 4,100 | 18 km (11 mi) |
| Van Noord Arena | arena | not published | 7.3 km (4.5 mi) |
| DeltaPlex Arena | arena | not published | 5.2 km (3.2 mi) |
| Ford Fieldhouse | arena | not published | 0.5 km (0.3 mi) |
Independent event spaces (16)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our Theatre | event space | 1,122 | 2.9 km (1.8 mi) |
| Meijer Majestic Theatre | event space | 777 | 0.7 km (0.4 mi) |
| Grand Rapids Civic Theatre & School of Theatre Arts | event space | not published | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) |
| Wealthy Theatre | event space | not published | 2.4 km (1.5 mi) |
| Clearwater Place | event space | not published | 2.9 km (1.8 mi) |
| The Revel Center | event space | not published | 3.1 km (1.9 mi) |
| Acrisure Amphitheater | event space | not published | 0.8 km (0.5 mi) |
| Ladies' Literary Club | event space | not published | 0.1 km (0.1 mi) |
| The DAAC | event space | not published | 3.1 km (1.9 mi) |
| Venue3Two | event space | not published | 9.4 km (5.8 mi) |
| Wildflower School House | event space | not published | 46 km (29 mi) |
| Boys' Club Building | event space | not published | 51 km (32 mi) |
| The Atrium at Uccello's Downtown | event space | not published | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) |
| St. Cecilia Music Center | event space | not published | 0.3 km (0.2 mi) |
| 4 Mile Showplace | event space | not published | 7.8 km (4.8 mi) |
| Gathering Place | event space | not published | 39 km (24 mi) |
Every venue mapped in Grand Rapids appears above. The ones with enough published detail to be worth reading have their own guide and are linked; the rest are named here, which is honest about what the record holds without giving each of them a page made of three facts.
Convention and exhibition space
2 venues in Grand Rapids are classified as exhibition or convention space. They are the only rooms here designed around a floor plan rather than a seating plan.
- Welsh Auditorium3,800 seats
- DeVos Place Convention Centersize not published
Capacities are the figure the venue or an encyclopaedia entry published. They are usually the seated maximum, and the same room in banquet or reception layout can differ by half. Confirm the layout you want before you plan around a number.
How people reach Grand Rapids
Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) is 15 km (9.3 mi) out — a normal airport transfer, worth an hour in the run of show on the first morning.
Local time is Detroit time (America/Detroit) — set every session time in the app to that zone and let attendees' phones do the conversion.
Wyoming, Kentwood and Holland are close enough to draw from for a day rate, and to fall back on if Grand Rapids has nothing free on your dates.
- Nearest major airport
- GRR
- Gerald R. Ford International Airport, 15 km (9.3 mi)
- Local time
- UTC−4
- America/Detroit, in September
- City population, 2024
- 200,117
- 1.2 million across the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI area
What to check before you commit
The city is smaller than the market
200,117 people live in Grand Rapids itself, but about 1.2 million live in the wider Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI. Your local audience is far bigger than the city line suggests, and so is the commute your day-rate attendees will make.
What event67 costs for a Grand Rapids event
Take 950 people through the door in Grand Rapids — sized to Van Andel Arena, the largest stated capacity in the Grand Rapids dataset. The first 50 activated attendees are free on every event, so only the rest are billed, and the total stops moving at 1,000 however many more turn up.
- activated attendees
- 950activated attendees
- billable, after the first 50 are free
- 900billable, after the first 50 are free
- for the whole event, at $5 each
- $4,500for the whole event, at $5 each
You are billed for people, not for the venue, so the room you choose in Grand Rapids does not change this figure. Nothing is charged for an attendee who registers and never opens the app.
By event type
With a stated ceiling of 13,184 seats, Grand Rapids can carry a full trade show or a multi-track annual meeting without splitting the audience across buildings.
- trade shows and exhibitions
2 exhibition or convention halls mean a booth plan is possible in Grand Rapids without renting a marquee.
- multi-track conferences
A 13,184-seat room carries a plenary with breakouts running alongside it.
- association annual meetings
An association meeting needs one big room, several small ones and a hotel block, which is the combination Grand Rapids is set up for.
- festivals
An arena or stadium floor at 13,184 takes an audience no conference venue in Grand Rapids can.
- sports tournaments
The same rooms already run fixtures, so load-in and crowd flow are solved.
Where this data comes from
- GeoNames, CC BY 4.0
- US Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 estimates
- Wikidata, CC0
- Geographic data © GeoNames, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Venue data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License.
- US population figures are US Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates.
- Retrieved 3 September 2026. event67 has no commercial relationship with any venue listed.
Last updated
What it costs
- Free up to 50
- activated attendees, on one live event
- $5
- per activated attendee beyond 50
- $4,750
- the most one event can ever cost, whatever happens past 1,000
Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
Questions people actually ask
What does an event app cost for a 950-person event in Grand Rapids?
950 activated attendees means 900 billable after the free 50, so $4,500 for the event. The price is $5 per activated attendee beyond the first 50, and the total for one event stops at $4,750 however many more attend. Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
What is the largest venue in Grand Rapids?
Of the 30 venues mapped in Grand Rapids, the largest stated capacity belongs to Van Andel Arena at 13,184. Capacities in open data are the figure the venue itself published, and they are the seated number rather than a standing or exhibition figure, so confirm the layout you actually want before you plan around it.
Does Grand Rapids have a convention centre?
Yes — 2 venues are classified as exhibition or convention space in Grand Rapids, including Welsh Auditorium and DeVos Place Convention Center. Exhibition halls are booked by floor area rather than by seat, so ask for the hall sheet with column spacing and load-in access rather than a capacity number.
Which airport do attendees fly into for Grand Rapids?
Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR), about 15 km (9.3 mi) from the city. It is the highest-traffic airport within reach in this dataset. Local time is America/Detroit; publish every session in that zone and let attendees' phones convert it.
Can I run a small Grand Rapids event on event67 for nothing?
One live event with up to 50 activated attendees costs nothing. Beyond that it is $5 per activated attendee beyond the first 50, and the total for one event stops at $4,750 however many more attend. Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
Keep reading
Nearby cities
- Holding an event in Wyoming
3 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Kentwood
10 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Holland
16 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Muskegon
9 venues mapped
- Holding an event in Kalamazoo
17 venues mapped
Up a level
Running something in Grand Rapids?
Set the schedule, invite the room and watch who actually turns up. Free for your first 50 activated attendees, on one live event.