The figures tell only half the story. Minnesota boasts thousands of lakes, more miles of bike trails than any other state, nearly 60 state forests covering some 4 million acres, and more than 70 state parks and recreation areas. An ever-increasing network of hiking trails is also cropping up throughout the state.
Minnesota takes its arts and culture just as seriously, with a wide range of museums and galleries, as well as a vibrant performing arts scene in the Twin Cities, one of the country’s most active, with more than 75 working theater companies.
The state tourism department is now focusing more than ever on its meetings options as well.
"We have historically not been involved in the meetings and conventions business, but since the first of the year we were asked to take on more of a role," says John Edman, director of Explore Minnesota Tourism. "We were put in partnership with CVBs throughout the state. We started out trying to address how we could work together. The meetings and conventions market has challenges in this economy."
Edman says the organization is taking a slow approach when it comes to promotion.
"We are starting with a PR program, moving onto electronic and moving onto co-op advertising at trade shows," he says.
Twin Cities Metro
Minneapolis entices visitors with its array of arts venues, such as the Walker Art Center and Guthrie Theater, 50 miles of bike trails as well as 22 natural lakes ideal for boating and waterskiing. The city also blends modern architecture such as Cesar Pelli’s Central Library with historic attractions such as the Stone Arch Bridge that is visible from its Mississippi riverfront.
"We position our destination as having a number of attributes to fit any particular need," says Melvin Tennant, president and CEO of Meet Minneapolis.
The strategy in attracting groups is getting planners to actually explore all it has to offer.
"One of our best-selling tools is individual customers coming in on a site inspection, so they have as much hands-on information on Minneapolis as possible," Tennant says.
The city and the Minneapolis Convention Center, now sporting a new website, www.minneapolisconventioncenter.com, had a chance to show off when the Republican National Convention (RNC) was held in the Twin Cities last year. Minneapolis will also get a lift next spring when the Minnesota Twins welcome a new downtown baseball stadium, Target Field, adjacent to Target Center, where the city’s NBA and WNBA teams play. In addition, the University of Minnesota Gophers will be opening a stadium this fall on campus.
"It will be a wonderful addition to our downtown architecture and open to groups, too," Tennant says.
For off-site options, groups can explore the city’s vibrant nightlife scene, with music venues along First Avenue, spawning ground for Prince’s Purple Rain, or a stop at the Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant, located four blocks from the convention center.
Meetings hotels include the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis, Minneapolis Marriott City Center and Crowne Plaza Northstar, all of which were recently renovated; W Minneapolis–The Foshay, which opened in the Foshay Tower last year; Hotel Minneapolis; Westin Minneapolis; and Ramada Plaza Minneapolis.
Saint Paul embraces its past with a historic downtown, including Summit Avenue, the longest boulevard of Victorian homes in the country. Set on the Mississippi River, the city offers adventures like canoeing, boating and fishing.
"Saint Paul has a unique set of meeting venues, which is what made it possible to host the RNC," says Ted Davis, vice president of marketing and public affairs for the Saint Paul Convention and Visitors Authority.
Facilities include a convenient complex consisting of the Xcel Energy Center, the Saint Paul RiverCentre and the Roy Wilkins Auditorium.
"What we’re starting to hear is business meetings are moving away from resorts and are about being much more efficient—shorter, more intense meetings," Davis says. "We can cater to that. Groups can come in and do business."
Meetings-ready properties include the renowned Saint Paul Hotel, among many others, and the city is also host to a variety of unique off-site options, such as the Science Museum of Minnesota and Minnesota Children’s Museum.
Home to the famed Mall of America, Bloomington is also convenient for its proximity to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and range of hotels, most with complimentary service to and from Mall of America, where groups can host off-site events.
Plans are under way for phase two of Mall of America, according to Bonnie Carlson, president and CEO of the Bloomington CVB. The second phase, which will open in 2010 or 2011 depending on the economy, will bring more attractions as well as more shopping and a hotel.
Bloomington is home to the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel, with 65,000 square feet of meeting space, the Radisson by Mall of America and the Residence Inn by Marriott Minneapolis Bloomington.
Minneapolis North, comprising 11 cities bordering the Minneapolis/Saint Paul region, lures visitors for its shopping and diversity.
Despite the economy, the region is thriving, according to Brooke Stoeckel, sales manager of meetings and conventions at Visit Minneapolis North. The CVB decided to use its marketing dollars this year for a Visit Minneapolis North Grant Program, helping lure groups with grant funding to host a meeting in the area.
"The grant program was a huge success," Stoeckel says. "We took all RFPs within an allotted time frame and awarded them funding based on their economic impact. Most everyone received funding, though the amount varied from each client to the other."
The total was $15,000 in grant money and there is talk of offering the same grant program again.
Minneapolis North is rich with meeting facilities and hotels, such as the Earle Brown Heritage Center, Embassy Inn Brooklyn Center, a new Cambria Suites Maple Grove and Courtyard Minneapolis Maple Grove/Arbor Lakes.
Just south of the Twin Cities, Treasure Island Resort & Casino near Red Wing offers 30,000 square feet of function space.
North Central/Western Minnesota
Known as Granite Country, the St. Cloud and Central Lakes area is popular for outdoor activities ranging from skiing to horseback riding. The Munsinger and Clemens gardens are main tourist draws.
St. Cloud attracts groups for its central location as well as its facilities, namely the St. Cloud Civic Center, with 41,500 square feet of event space. For an off-site venue, groups can use the historic Paramount Theatre and Visual Arts Center.
If Minnesota is the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Alexandria is the city of lakes, with some 300 in the region. Boating and fishing are just two of the adventures awaiting groups.
Its retro downtown is also an attraction, lined with specialty shops. Alexandria features two museums open to groups: the Minnesota Lakes Maritime Museum and Runestone Museum.
The Hampton Inn & Suites Alexandria opened in May 2008 with 80 rooms and a small meeting venue. Other options include the Arrowwood Resort and Conference Center in Alexandria and the Thumper Pond Resort in Ottertail, north of Alexandria.
Two hours north of the Twin Cities, the Brainerd Lakes area spans a 60-mile radius and is known as much for its award-winning golf as its Paul Bunyan history.
Aside from some of the country’s best golf courses, groups can journey out on the Mississippi Belle paddlewheel boat or in winter go ice fishing or take a horse-drawn sleigh ride.
Group-friendly facilities in the area include the Grand View Lodge, Maddens on Gull Lake, Cragun’s Resort on Gull Lake, Breezy Point Resort, Ruttger’s Bay Lake Lodge, Whitefish Lodge and Suites in Crosslake and the AmericInn Lodge and Suites of Pequot Lakes.
North of Brainerd Lakes, Bemidji counts approximately 400 fishing lakes within a 25-miles radius. Next year it will be home to the new Bemidji Regional Events Center, according to Gayle Quistgard, executive director of Visit Bemidji. Located on the south shore of Lake Bemidji, its major tenant will be the Bemidji State University WCHA ice hockey arena. There will also be a conference center attached to the arena with a 10,000-square-foot ballroom and four other meeting rooms at 1,000 square feet each.
"We will be going for more conference and convention business since we’ll have enough space to host them," Quistgard says. "It’s a significant addition to our community."
In addition, a biking trail system is in the process of being completed, the Paul Bunyan Trail, stretching from Brainerd to Bemidji.
Currently the largest meeting space is at the Hampton Inn & Suites Bemidji. Other meeting facilities include the Holiday Inn Express Bemidji and Ruttger’s Birchmont Lodge.
For outdoor recreation, Grand Rapids draws groups with its more than 1 million acres of forestland and more than 1,200 lakes. Judy Garland’s childhood home is located here, and is open to group events.
Grand Rapids offers just over 800 hotel rooms, as well as an art-centric downtown with galleries and the MacRostie Art Center.
Meeting options include the Sugar Lake Lodge, the Sawmill Inn of Grand Rapids and the Windigo Lodge, as well as the 84-room Timberlake Lodge, with meeting space for up to 600 people.
In the Leech Lake area, set in the Chippewa National Forest, groups can spot bald eagles and ospreys and head out in kayaks or on houseboats for off-site gatherings. Chase on the Lake, originally built in 1922, recently reopened as a luxury property.
Northeastern Minnesota
The city of Duluth, located on the shores of Lake Superior, features outdoor options with its myriad trails and state parks. Convenience is also a draw.
"We’re almost like a resort city," says Julie Johnson, senior sales manager for Visit Duluth. "Once you park you can walk everywhere."
Birders flock here for its Hawk Ridge Nature Reserve, especially when the hawks migrate in September. The reserve and other natural assets help draw environmental groups to the area.
Other attractions include rides on the North Shore Scenic Railroad, skirting the shore of Lake Superior either inside or in open cars. Groups can also take advantage of the Great Lakes Aquarium and the Glensheen Historic Estate, a mansion built in the 1900s.
The main meeting space is the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. Other options include the Canal Park Lodge and the Sheraton Duluth. The Comfort Suites in Canal Park recently added 40 suites to bring the total to 122 rooms.
Nearby in Carlton, the Black Bear Casino Resort recently opened and now offers its Otter Creek Event Center for groups. North of Duluth, the town of Ely, whose main attraction is its location near the Superior National Forest, offers the Grand Ely Lodge Resort and Conference Center.
Southern Minnesota
Rochester features more than 60 miles of hiking and biking trails that wind in and out of the city and more than 3,500 acres of parkland. But its downtown is also booming.
"From an industry perspective in our city, we’ve seen substantial downtown development," says Brad Jones, executive director of the Rochester CVB. "We closed some streets to create a new downtown plaza, built from the perspective of giving groups, meetings and conventions a spot for outside receptions."
As part of the downtown development initiative, many older hotels are undergoing roughly $60 million in combined renovations. One of the main projects has been converting a Radisson Plaza into a Doubletree hotel, increasing its meeting space by about 50 percent.
The city is a magnet for medical groups with its Mayo Clinic. Future development plans also include doubling the size of the Mayo Civic Center, a project slated for completion in 2012. The expansion would change the playing field for the city as far as group business.
"We could be a bigger player in terms of national business and larger regional business," Jones says.
Rochester’s largest property, the Kahler Grand Hotel, recently completed renovations on its meeting rooms.
West of Rochester, Greater Mankato is a smaller community with an easily navigable City Center Convention Campus. In the works is the construction of the new Riverfront Park, including an amphitheater and a pavilion for indoor events. The park is scheduled to open in fall, according to Anna Thill, president of the Greater Mankato CVB.
The Verizon Wireless Center, part of the City Center Convention Campus, is its main venue, while the Kato Entertainment Center offers 16,000 square feet of space. Meetings-friendly hotels include the Hilton Garden Inn Mankato Downtown and the Holiday Inn Civic Center Mankato.
