From July 30 through August 5, Ann Arbor played host to the National Training Institute's (NTI) annual trade show. The trade show is designed to attract vendors seeking to provide information about their services and products to the electrical industry. The University of Michigan campus was "home for a week" to over 2,000 NTI participants and, according to Mary Kerr (president/CEO of the Ann Arbor Convention & Visitors Bureau), NTI participants were expected to infuse over $5 million into Washtenaw County.
This was the second NTI convention to be held in Ann Arbor. This is in large part because of the University of Michigan's strong record of union support, which creates a conducive environment for the NTI programs and course offerings. The group also has many "training partners," companies and organizations that contribute various forms of support to ensure NTI's success. UM is already set to host the National Training Institute's 2011 meeting, as well.
Ann Arbor's great fortunes didn't end with the NTI show. On Friday, August 6, the United Association (UA), brought 600 plumbers and pipefitters to town for a series of classes at the Washtenaw Community College campus. In fact, WCC is home to the UA's Great Lakes Training Center, one of 350 training facilities nationwide which serve over 340,000 members of the association. Additionally, the UA is partnered with the National Labor College and Ferris State University to create programs specifically tailored to UA members transferring from Washtenaw Community College.
On August 2 and again on August 9, Main Street was closed for block parties; both included community members. The first party was specifically for NIT attendees, and the second was for UA participants, but citizens of Ann Arbor were cordially invited. These training conventions and parties provided terrific caps for a fiscally abundant summer in Ann Arbor, following the highly successful Ann Arbor Arts Fairs, as well as other recent conventions.
Convention goers experienced Ann Arbor the way residents do all year long - as a great place to live, work, eat, and dance in the streets. Want to call Ann Arbor home? Martin Bouma - your Ann Arbor neighborhood expert - can meet virtually all of your Ann Arbor real estate needs. Whether you're buying or selling a home, the Bouma Group can answer any questions you have about real estate in Ann Arbor. Interested in Washtenaw County, Saline, or a specific Ann Arbor neighborhood? Call the Bouma Group today! And don't forget to check out our Condo Hotline - we've got a handle on the Ann Arbor condominium market.
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