On October 18 - 20, 2010 Statewide leaders from the Michigan Port Collaborative traveled to Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie, and Alpena, Michigan respectively to meet with regional representatives from area ports to enlist their participation in this newly formed statewide organization. All three meetings saw high attendance from approximately 80 regional port representatives. Don Gilmet, MPC Steering Committee member and host of the third and final meeting in the Alpena district summarized the event in this way, "I attended all three meetings and it was very clear that everyone was excited about the opportunity to solve a vast array of port issues and seize new entrepreneurial opportunities through networking…