February 17, 2014 - CBS Detroit

D:hive Tours Expanding, Renamed ‘Detroit Experience Factory’

DETROIT (WWJ) — The Detroit business welcoming center D:hive announced that it will be launching the Detroit Experience Factory, its rebranded tours program, offering an expanded selection of public and private tours of Detroit geared towards helping local companies attract and retain talent.

In 2013, D:hive Tours took over 10,000 people on tours of the city and demand has continued to grow.

“We’ve come so far simply by grassroots marketing and word of mouth,” said Jeanette Pierce, D:hive’s Director of Community Relations. “The new brand and marketing push will allow us to help even more people get the most out of living, working and playing in Detroit.”

The Detroit Experience Factory will launch March 1 with a weeklong series of special events, including bus tours, strolling suppers, a bar crawl, scavenger hunt and more, culminating in a public launch party on March 7 at Exodus Rooftop Lounge in Greektown. This weeklong celebration is an opportunity for individuals to experience the wide range of offerings DXF provides at half off the normal rates.

In addition to providing an expanded menu of public and private tours, DXF will focus on attraction and retention in Detroit by helping companies, both existing and new to Detroit, introduce and recruit talent to the city.

“DXF is all about helping people get to know and understand Detroit better, whether they’ve been here a day or a lifetime,” Pierce said. “Our new mission is to create experiences that are enlightening, entertaining and led by Detroiters in order to demonstrate that Detroit is an exceptional place to live, work and play.”

DXF is a continuation of the work started in 2006 by Pierce at Inside Detroit, which joined forces with D:hive in 2012. DXF continues to operate as a program of D:hive under the direction of Pierce and Jon Chezick, DXF’s Director of Experiences.

“We chose the name Detroit Experience Factory because we are more about creating unique Detroit experiences and connecting people to the community, than the boring and surface level sightseeing people traditionally think of as a tour,” Chezick said.

Individuals and groups can browse the tour offerings and sign up for events on DXF’s website: http://www.weknowdetroit.com.

The schedule of events for DXF launch week is as follows:

Saturday, March 1: DXF Bus Tour, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.; DXF Walking Tour, 2 – 4 p.m.
Sunday, March 2: DXF Family Fun Bus tour, 2 – 4 p.m.
Monday, March 3: DXF Public Scavenger Hunt, 5:30 – 8 p.m.
Tuesday, March 4: DXF Lunchtime People Mover Tour, 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 5: DXF Happy Hour Bar Tour, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 6: DXF Public Strolling Supper, 6 – 9 p.m.
Friday, March 7: DXF Launch Party, 5:30 – 9 p.m.

D:hive is designed to welcome new recruits and assist existing innovators in the city, in order to grow and keep more talent in Detroit. Its storefront Welcome Center provides individuals with information, connections and key tools they need to live, work and engage in the city. Located at 1253 Woodward Ave., D:hive is a project of the Downtown Detroit Partnership, with support from the Hudson-Webber Foundation, Quicken Loans/Rock Ventures, Model D Media, Detroit Economic Growth Corp. and others.