Grand Connection

What Grand Connection does

Grand Connection is a privately held corporate event planning firm headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, founded in 1999 by Tracy VanderMeer. The company provides end-to-end event management services to organizations of all sizes, covering meetings, conventions, trade shows, board meetings, incentive trips, and special events. Its service portfolio spans eight core offerings: Registration Management & Software, Meetings Management, Venue Site Selection, Hotel Accommodations, Incentive Travel, Tours & Activities, Group Transportation Logistics, and Onsite Event Staffing. The firm also operates the Gail Andrus Travel brand, acquired in November 2019, which extends its capabilities into group tour and event transportation services.

Underlying technology is centered on event registration platforms, including branded websites, mobile companion applications, eblast reminder systems, confirmation letters, barcode/QR badge printing, and customized reporting. These tools are deployed as part of managed service engagements rather than sold as standalone software products. The firm has a 10-person team carrying over 145 years of combined industry experience, with multiple CMP-certified staff and membership in industry associations including IATAN, Events Council, and the Alliance of Independent Meeting Professionals.

The business model is professional services-based with quote-based, multi-year contract engagements. Revenue is generated through fees on event management, registration services, hotel contract negotiation, incentive travel program design, and transportation coordination, supported by claimed buying power from 41,000+ annual hotel room reservations. Go-to-market is sales-led, combining direct enterprise field sales with website-driven inquiries, content marketing through a blog active since 2018, LinkedIn engagement, and industry association participation. The company serves clients nationally and claims international event delivery from its single Grand Rapids office. In November 2025, it launched the Grand Tech Confidence Group, a community initiative targeting entrepreneurs and solopreneurs.

Name

Grand Connection

Legal name

Grand Connection LLC

Website

https://grandconnection.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Grand Connection is a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based corporate event planning firm founded in 1999 that provides end-to-end meeting, incentive, registration, and event transportation services to organizations of all sizes across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Event Planning Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Hotel & Resort Convention Venues (Convention Hotels) (THAHAAAC)

Keywords

• Corporate event planning
• Meeting management services
• Event registration software
• Incentive travel programs
• Venue site selection

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Event Planning and Management Services: Full-service corporate event planning including meetings, conventions, trade shows, board meetings, incentive trips, and special events. Services encompass registration management, venue selection, hotel accommodations, transportation, and onsite staffing.
2. Registration Management & Software: Event registration services including branded websites, mobile apps, eblast systems, and reporting. Technology combined with skilled meeting planners to manage the registration process.
3. Incentive Travel Programs: Creating and managing unique motivational programs for employees and customers that embrace clients' corporate culture with ROI guarantees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Grand Connection provides full-service corporate event planning, designing and managing meetings, conventions, trade shows, incentive trips, and special events end-to-end. Core offerings include Registration Management & Software, Meetings Management, Venue Site Selection, Hotel Accommodations negotiation, Incentive Travel programs, Tours & Activities, Group Transportation Logistics, and Onsite Event Staffing, supported by proprietary branded registration websites, mobile companion apps, eblast systems, and badge printing technology.

Product overview

Grand Connection is a corporate event planning company offering a comprehensive suite of event management services. The company operates as a single integrated service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Their core services include Registration Management & Software, Meetings Management, Venue Site Selection, Hotel Accommodations, Incentive Travel, Tours & Activities, Group Transportation Logistics, and Onsite Event Staffing. In November 2019, Grand Connection expanded its portfolio by acquiring Gail Andrus Travel, a group tour and event transportation company, adding transportation services to their existing meeting and event planning capabilities. The company serves organizations of all sizes, from small meetings to large conferences and incentive programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gail Andrus Travel: Group tour and event transportation company acquired by Grand Connection, operating under its own brand name following the November 2019 acquisition.

Products and services

• Registration Management & Software Event registration services for corporate clients combining citywide hotel management, branded mobile applications, customized registration websites, eblast reminders, confirmation letters, and customized reporting to create a seamless registration process for meetings, conferences, and events.
• Meetings Management Comprehensive meeting and conference planning including registration, hotel room block management, transportation, food and beverage, entertainment, and stage and lighting coordination for corporate clients.
• Venue Site Selection Assistance selecting and determining the best venue for events based on location, layout, capacity, and catering needs, ranging from team-building retreats to high-pressure board meetings, including lodging coordination.
• Hotel Accommodations Hotel contract negotiation leveraging nationwide relationships to deliver protection clauses and obtain the best possible concessions for clients.
• Incentive Travel Custom-designed motivational travel programs for employees and customers that embrace clients' corporate culture and aim to ensure total return on investment.
• Tours & Activities Sourcing exclusive activities and venues to deliver fully customized and unique local experiences for event attendees.
• Group Transportation Logistics Group transportation coordination using a network of exclusive vendors supplying vehicles, with seasoned uniformed staff to ensure flawless guest transport experiences.
• Onsite Event Staffing Cross-functional project managers covering room management, conference planning, and transportation management for onsite event execution.
• Gail Andrus Travel (Group Tour & Event Transportation) Group tour and event transportation services for conferences, group tours, and other work events throughout Michigan and the United States, provided by the acquired Gail Andrus Travel business operating under its own brand.

Quantifiable outcome

• 41,000+ hotel room reservations per year demonstrating booking volume and market presence

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Gail Andrus TravelcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 2019Acquired Gail Andrus Travel's assets and staff on November 30, 2019. Gail Andrus Travel is a group tour and event transportation company with a 37-year legacy, transporting thousands of people throughout Michigan and the United States annually. The acquisition provides clients unified meeting management, group tour, and event transportation services. Founder Gail Andrus-Hendges remains active to support the transition.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ConferenceDirect: Meeting sourcing and hotel block management specialist serving corporate and association planners — directly comparable to Grand Connection's hotel contracting and citywide management capabilities.
• BCD Meetings & Events: One of the largest global corporate meeting and event management firms, offering strategic meetings management, event design, and incentive travel for enterprise clients — directly comparable to Grand Connection's service set but at much greater scale.
• Maritz Global Events: Long-standing corporate events and incentive travel powerhouse with full-service meeting planning, incentive programs, and event technology — overlaps directly with Grand Connection's core offerings and customer base.
• ATPI Griffinstone: Corporate travel and event management firm combining travel services with meeting and incentive program design — directly comparable to Grand Connection's integrated corporate travel + event positioning.
• Meeting Expectations: Boutique corporate event and meeting management firm of comparable size and positioning to Grand Connection, serving associations and corporations with full-service planning and registration support.
• Mosaic: Experiential marketing and corporate event agency delivering meetings, incentives, and brand activations — directly comparable to Grand Connection's incentive travel and corporate event design capabilities.
• PRA (Production Resources Agency): Corporate event production and experiential marketing agency producing meetings, conferences, and incentive events for enterprise clients — comparable in offering scope but typically serving larger budgets.
• HelmsBriscoe: Global hotel sourcing and meetings management organization, focused on negotiating room blocks and venue contracts — overlaps with Grand Connection's hotel accommodations and venue selection services.

Broad incumbents

• Cvent: Dominant event management technology platform providing registration, venue sourcing, and attendee management software — competes with Grand Connection's in-house registration technology and serves the same corporate planner buyer.
• Freeman: Large-scale event experiences and production services company covering trade shows, corporate events, and digital experiences — overlaps with Grand Connection's onsite event staffing and meetings management offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grand-connection

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Grand Connection