Odyssey of the Mind World Finals Return to Greater Lansing, MI

Thirteen participating countries, nearly 800 teams, and approximately 10,000 visitors to East Lansing, Michigan.

Choose Lansing, along with Michigan State University and many local partners, was excited to host the 45th annual Odyssey of the Mind World Finals this year! The week before Memorial Day, more than 750 teams ranging from elementary to college age competed to become world champions at event sites across the campus of MSU.

An event of this scale relies on the expertise of our services team, our well-established relationships with local vendors and media, and the kind of community collaboration that is unique to the Lansing area.

Here’s a closer look at what goes into the success of hosting the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals in Greater Lansing every two years.

What is Odyssey of the Mind?

Odyssey of the Mind is a program that helps students solve problems creatively, gain self-confidence, learn life skills, and make friends while having fun. Teams around the world compete in regional challenges to solve creative problems, which culminate in the annual world finals.

The 2023 world finals, for example, brought approximately 15,000 people to East Lansing from 11 countries, including China, Hong Kong, Japan, Switzerland, Poland, France, Mexico, Canada, and more, as well as 31 states within the US.

The finals begin with an Olympics-style opening ceremony and end with a celebratory closing ceremony, both of which take place at Breslin Student Events Center. When teams aren’t participating in their challenge, they have the option to attend fun events like the Creativity Festival, an afternoon-long event that provides activities like face painting, games, and plenty of space for pin trading.

Out of more than 800 teams competing in the world finals, 15 became World Champions - one for each problem and division.

Local partner support

Community partners play an essential role in the success of the world finals. In 2023, when a last-minute transportation gap arose, our team collaborated with local partners like Lighthouse Group and a few East Lansing hotels to provide shuttle services for the 450 judges and officials to get from their hotels to event sites. Additionally, Dean Trailways and Michigan Flyer assisted with getting international participants from the Detroit Metro Airport to East Lansing.

The world finals also can't happen without MSU, as the competitions take place at numerous locations on the university’s campus, and many participants stay in the university’s dorms.

For large-scale events, working with a destination’s CVB that has connections to the community and well-established relationships with members and local organizations is key to success. Our services team knows precisely what local resources to tap into for both long-term needs and last-minute adjustments. 

Choose Lansing Services

Our services team stays busy prepping during the months leading up to Odyssey of the Mind. They brainstorm and implement creative ways to welcome the large group to Lansing with event-specific messages on local billboards, signage at downtown East Lansing businesses and hotels, and digital welcome signs at the airports in Lansing and Detroit.

Closer to the event, our team provides referrals for extra AV support and other logistical needs, and helps manage a housing list for the 450 judges and officials in order to accommodate specific lodging requests and needs.

A more unique service we provided for the World Finals was collaborating with several East Lansing restaurants to create “dine around dollars” that judges and officials were able to use to purchase food during set-up days. This was a great way for the event organizers to thank officials for their volunteered time, and it supported several of Choose Lansing's member restaurants.

We also coordinate special hotel rates for spectators, share things to see and do outside of the event, provide on-site services for the welcome ceremony, and share discounts and special activities offered by many of our local members. Other event support includes strategically placing our Certified Tourism Ambassadors (CTAs) around campus to help answer questions during the event.

Our expert team

From years of expertise to well-established connections to the community and relationships with members, our team was well-equipped to serve the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals this year, and we’re already excited to host the 2027 World Finals! Each time we host this event, we're proud of how the community steps up to welcome and assist thousands of visitors.

There’s no job too big (or too small!) for our services team. Contact us to find out how we can support your event in Greater Lansing!