Representatives from historical preservation groups in northern Michigan gathered at Audie's Restaurant in Mackinaw City Saturday, October 17, to contemplate the creation of a regional historical society consortium. Members from the Mackinaw Area Historical Society, Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association, Presque Isle County Historical Museum, and others shared ideas on what they would want a historical consortium to accomplish.

Janet Smoak, executive director of the Besser Museum in Alpena, who led the meeting, helped pilot Regional Links, a network of heritage organizations from 15 counties in northeast Michigan that offers workshops to address such things as storage and care of collections.

Advantages of consortiums can include better opportunities for grants, because historical societies

can apply as one group instead of as several smaller voices.

The societies can also share ideas and develop a unified marketing plan to advertise themselves, she said.

Sandy Planisek of the Mackinaw Area Historical Society in Mackinaw City liked the idea of a unified marketing plan. Tourists can be overwhelmed with the variety of attractions and events in the area, she said, and the smaller attractions can get lost. A combined marketing plan could give those attractions greater visibility.

Annegret Goehring, representing the Eastern Upper Peninsula History Consortium, said a brochure listing all the museums in the Eastern U.P. Has been successful in promoting its many museums throughout the region.

Kurt Grebe of the Mackinaw Area Historical Society said her group has items it can share with or loan to other organizations.

Because many of the organizations represented at the meeting were interested in marketing, Ms. Smoak suggested the focus should be on regional marketing, using brochures, developing Web sites, that can be linked together, and promoting the consortium through Pure Michigan.

David Nadolsky, president of the board of trustees of the Presque Isle County Historical Museum, suggested members of a consortium could take advantage of Internet video conferencing to overcome the great distances between member organizations, and Ms. Smoak said e-mail could facilitate general communication.

She also suggested a centralized board be set up with subcommittees to distribute the workload.

The Historical Society of Cheboygan County agreed to host a second meeting in November to discuss the development of the consortium with participants from eight counties. No date was set.