Join us for the Mid-America Trails and Greenways Conference!
October 25-28, 2009
Kalamazoo Radisson Plaza Hotel & Suites, Kalamazoo Michigan







Professionals, advocates and trail users are working together to create a growing network of greenways and trails tying together people, places and opportunities for recreation. In the spirit of working together, the 4th Mid-America Trails & Greenways Conference celebrates existing and new connections and offers an excellent opportunity for all those involved in trails and greenways to share our experiences, learn from each other and continue connecting our trails and greenways.
Kalamazoo combines a wealth of recreational trails, parks and natural areas with a vibrant mix of historic neighborhoods and a renovated and vibrant Art Deco downtown. Named by the Urban Land Institute as “Top Ten Turnaround Downtown”, Kalamazoo offers many award-winning visitor destinations from brewpubs and wineries to outstanding museums to sparking lakes and rivers that will offer an enjoyable experience for all participants.
Please plan to attend and mark your calendar to save the date. More information to follow or contact the Michgan Trails and Greenways Alliance at 517.485.6022.


This is the 4th edition of this 8-state regional trail summit, offering educational sessions on all types of trails and plenty of networking with a variety of trail professionals and enthusiasts.

Who is expected to attend?
Anyone interested in planning, acquiring, building, operating and connecting to trails. Individual trail advocates, federal and state department officials, transportation planners, local government planners, parks and recreation officials, elected officials, landscape architects, engineers, health professionals . . . are all anticipated to be in attendance. Past conferences have attracted 300-400 attendees.

Where will the conference be held?
The conference will be held in the heart of revitalized downtown Kalamazoo. The vibrant Art Deco downtown district offers unique restaurants, brew pubs, nightly entertainment and theatre scene; shopping and nightlife opportunities abound throughout Kalamazoo. For more information of all there is to see and do in Kalamazoo, visit our website at http://www.discoverkalamazoo.com or call the Kalamazoo County Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800-888-0509.

The site for the conference is the AAA 4 Diamond rated Kalamazoo Radisson Plaza Hotel & Suites, offering superior facilities with a wide variety of activities within walking distance. It is located within ½ mile of the start of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trailway and approximately ¼ mile from the Jack Coombs’ trail.

The conference session rooms and exhibit hall are all conveniently located on the Plaza level with the plenary session and meal accommodations close by on the lobby level. This arrangement will allow for more time networking and less time finding your way around.

The hotel itself offers a dazzling array of restaurants and shops within its facility. The management has given us a reasonable sleeping room rate of $109 for single/double, $119 for triple, and $129 for quad room occupancy. Parking at the public ramp across the street is available at $8 per day or $13 per day for valet parking.
To reserve a room or to further explore the Kalamazoo Radisson Plaza Hotel & Suites, go to www.radissonkz.com

What is the conference format?
The conference will run Sunday through Wednesday with the following format:
Sunday: Pre-conference field trips (some with nominal fee)
-Kal-Haven Trail
-Fort Custer Recreation Area Mountain Bike Ride
-Watertrail trip down the Kalamazoo River
-Battle Creek Linear Park
-Historical hike in Kalamazoo
Trails 101 for New Trail Planners (Extra fee for this partial-day session w/ lunch)
Opening Reception (included in conference fee)
Monday and Tuesday: Full Conference

Wednesday: Post-conference Workshops (extra fee)

What is the fee?
The Steering Committee is currently planning the content of the conference, but we anticipate a conference registration fee of approximately $150, which includes the opening reception and Monday-Tuesday proceedings (subject to change based on sponsorships). We anticipate that the full program brochure and registration form will be posted online in July, 2009.