Gearing Up for Grand Rapids

By Ryan Lewis

The 2015 National Association of Free Will Baptists has been a long time coming...

In 2005, the DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, completed the expansion of the convention center built in 2003. That same year, the National Association of Free Will Baptists became one of the first large meetings to sign an agreement with Grand Rapids to host its 2015 convention. That agreement will come to fruition in July when the national association will meet in Grand Rapids for the first time in its 80-year history.

Along with the DeVos Place, the convention has reached agreements with the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, the JW Marriott, and the Courtyard by Marriott to house convention attendees. With rates of $139, $144, and $129 respectively, these hotels offer affordable convention prices for attendees while providing a convenient, luxury hotel experience. All three hotels are connected to the DeVos Place by an enclosed skywalk, making the 2015 convention center and hotel package a very attractive one.

Because the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel is an independent hotel with no national chain affiliation, the housing process will be different this year. The hotel relies on in-house reservations staff rather than a central reservation process. For that reason, attendees are strongly encouraged to utilize the online reservation links that will be provided on Monday, May 4, at www.nafwb.org.

To further alleviate opening day stress, online reservations will begin a day earlier than phone reservations. Online reservations can be made starting at 9:00 a.m. CT, Monday, May 4. No phone reservations will be accepted that day.

Phone reservations will open Tuesday, May 5, 9:00 a.m. CT. Due to limited reservations staff, call-in reservations to the hotel may experience wait times of an hour or more on opening day. Calls
will be answered in the order received. The Amway Grand Plaza is not responsible for dropped or lost calls, or if the block sells out prior to speaking to an agent.

The convention will also provide an alternative method for groups needing to make large numbers of reservations. Each hotel will be imposing a seven-reservations limit per individual. Groups making eight or more reservations can contact Ryan Lewis (877-767-7659) between February 1 and April 24 for further information.

The convention in Grand Rapids will mark a historic first for Free Will Baptists. Make plans now to join us in the River City.

About the Writer: Ryan Lewis is convention manager for the National Association of Free Will Baptists.