Convention

Join us!

Every two years the Michigan Inland Lakes Convention brings together lake enthusiasts, researchers, managers, and educators. The Convention is hosted by the Michigan Inland Lakes Partnership, a collaboration of diverse organizations with a common mission to advance stewardship of Michigan's inland lakes. We invite you to join us Grand Rapids, October 2-4, 2024, to learn and share the latest innovations and ideas in lake stewardship and to network with others who share your passion for lakes. Convening in partnership this year with the Michigan Clean Water Corps (MiCorps), our statewide volunteer lake and stream monitoring program, this year’s theme is “Working Together for Healthy Lakes”.

The 2024 Convention venue is the Sheraton Grand Rapids Airport Hotel.

In preparing for the Convention, our planning committee realized that this event overlaps with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year celebration. Our team understands that the celebration is a time for family and friends to gather together for meals and fellowship. We also acknowledge that some may take time off from work and other activities to observe this holidays and be unable to attend the Convention. For more information about this celebration, you can follow this link: Rosh Hashanah Celebration. Next time, we intend for our event to not overlap with this celebration.

Agenda

The Convention will kick off with an Opening Reception the evening of Wednesday, October 2, followed by two full days of presentations, workshops, and networking opportunities on Thursday and Friday, October 3 and 4.

Download the 2024 Convention Program

View Presentation and Workshop Abstracts

Registration

Convention registration closed September 24. Contact events@anr.msu.edu with questions.

Student Scholarships

We are pleased to have been able to offer a competitive Student Scholarship program, thanks to the generosity of our sponsors. The application deadline has passed, and our scholarship winners have been notified.

Call for Sponsors and Exhibitors

Sponsor and exhibitor support helps keep prices reasonable for all participants, allows us to offer student scholarships, and is excellent exposure for your business or organization. The deadline to sponsor and exhibit has passed; however, limited space may be available. To inquire, contact us using the information on our Sponsorship and Exhibitor Opportunities packet.

Download the Sponsorship and Exhibitor Opportunities Packet

Additional Convention Information

Code of Conduct

The Michigan Inland Lakes Partnership seeks to provide a safe and productive meeting environment that fosters the exchange of ideas, is free of harassment and discrimination of any type, and provides equal opportunities and treatment for all participants. The Partnership is committed to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and participants in Partnership events must ensure that their actions and communications adhere to principles of truth and fairness. Free and open discussion and debate are essential to productive interaction, and this policy does not discourage such debate. Presenters, exhibitors, and all event participants are expected to treat everyone with respect and consideration, follow venue rules, and alert the planning committee or event staff of any dangerous situations, violations of this code of conduct, or if anyone is in distress. Further, the Partnership requires presenters to disclose potential conflicts of interest, including funding sources. Anyone requested to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately or will be asked to leave without refund.

Continuing Education Credits

By attending select presentations at the Convention you can earn up to 7 Pesticide Applicator Recertification Credits from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. Details will be included in the final Convention program, which will be posted above soon and available on site.

Convention Contacts

You are welcome to direct any questions you have about the Convention to the event Co-Chairs: Jo Latimore of Michigan State University Extension or Julia Kirkwood of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

We also invite you to stay in touch with the Michigan Inland Lakes Partnership by joining our email list, and following us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or Instagram.

2024 Convention Sponsors

We thank our generous sponsors for supporting the Michigan Inland Lakes Convention. Their contributions are helping advance stewardship of our inland lakes through learning, network, and exchange of ideas. With their support, we can offer an outstanding program, keep prices reasonable, and offer student scholarships and discounts. We invite you to visit our sponsors by clicking on their logos below.