17th Annual Luncheon

Thank you for joining us for our 2026 Annual Luncheon. Stay tuned for details for 2027!

JW Marriott International Ballroom

Thursday, February 12th, 2026 |

12:00- 1:30 PM

Featuring Dr. James E. Dixon

A Black man in a suit with a hoodie underneath, sitting on a chair against a blurred background, looking at the camera and smiling.

Dr. James E. Dixon is a world-recognized motivational speaker, strategist, and President’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. Known as the Legacy Architect and Absolute Motivator, he is the Founder and CEO of Elevate The Voices, a global platform with over 100 million monthly views.

From the factory lines of General Motors to keynote stages for Fortune 500 companies, Dr. Dixon embodies resilience, purpose, and divine calling—partnering with the Medal of Honor Foundation and Warrior Rising, raising millions for causes, mentoring emerging leaders, and now inspiring a major feature film by Angel Studios.

Support the West Michigan Sports Commission and Sports Tourism at our Annual Fundraising Events As a 501(c)3 non-profit, our Annual Luncheon and Annual Golf Outing serve as fundraisers to help us bring economic activity, vibrancy, and quality of life through a variety of youth and adult amateur sporting events to the Greater Grand Rapids area. Sports Tourism has led the way in rebounding to pre-pandemic levels. Support of our Annual Fundraisers helps us continue to lead the way in bringing in events that support the West Michigan economy through visitor spending.

A portion of our Annual Luncheon proceeds goes toward our Victory Lap Community Fund. This fund helps us support local sports programming and facilities for the betterment of sports in our community. Past recipients include; Valley Field, Southern Little League, Ted Raspberry League through the Whitecaps Community Fdn., Urban Youth Basketball League, Mary Fee Bed Wheelchair & Adaptive Sports and others.

Table
$850.00

1 table for 8 guests.

Seat
$125.00

Purchase one seat at a table for the luncheon.

Comparison table of VIP sponsorship levels for event seating. Gold level costs $5,000 per table, providing 16 VIP guests, recognition on electronic marketing, logo on signage, premium location, and one seat at the speaker's table. Silver level costs $2,500, with 8 VIP guests, same benefits. Bronze level costs $1,000, with 2 VIP guests, same benefits. Table of eight costs $850.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Interested in sponsoring the luncheon? Please contact Barb Benda at bbenda@westmisports.com for more information.

Thank you to our Luncheon Sponsors:

Gold Sponsors

A logo for AHC Hospitality, a management company for hotels, resorts, and restaurants.
A graphic design artwork displaying the letter 'D' on a dark red background, 'P' on a light brown background, and 'E' on an olive green background, arranged vertically.
LMCU logo with text and a stylized leaf design
The Meijer logo with red text and two blue dots above the letter 'i'.
Grand Rapids-Kent County Convention Arena Authority logo with overlapping colored circles above the text

Silver Sponsors

Logo of Michigan Sports Academies, featuring a black background, large black letters 'MSA' with a blue swoosh circling around and the full name written below.
Smith Haughey Rice & Roegge law firm logo in blue and gray
Logo of Owen Ames Kimball with a stylized building graphic and the text "Building Since 1891."
Logo for Interphase Interiors with an icon of three interlinked squares, two gray and one red, above the company name.

Grand Rapids Griffins

Pioneer Construction

Duba & Duba, PLLC

ADAC Automotive

Progressive Companies

Bronze Sponsors

Legacy Trust

Fence Consultants

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Business Casual

  • Registration opens at 11:30 am in the lobby of International Ballroom of the JW Marriott.

  • Parking is available in the JW Marriott Ramp for a fee.  Attendees can prepay for parking at the parking station inside the lobby of the JW Marriott.  Other parking options include the Louis Campau Parking Ramp.

  • Please email Mia Poll at mpoll@westmisports.com with any restrictions you may have so that we can be sure to accommodate you.

  • If you purchased a table, please send your guests names to Mia Poll at mpoll@westmisports.com by January 22, 2026.

Additional questions on the Annual Luncheon? Contact Mia Poll at mpoll@westmisports.com