Grand Rapids, USA - More than 1,200 people are in Grand Rapids this week to attend one of the nation's largest conferences for planners of religious meetings.
The Religious Conference Management Association's annual World Conference and Expo runs through Friday. More than 1,000 different denominations are being represented.
The event kicked off Tuesday night at DeVos Place.
Grand Rapids TV stations WZZM and WOOD say the convention center was transformed into a beach carnival featuring a full-sized Ferris wheel and sand castles.
George Helmstead of the Grand Rapids/Kent County Convention & Visitors Bureau says the city beat out San Antonio and Hartford, Conn., to land the event.