MINNEAPOLIS
Meet Minneapolis, Convention & Visitors Association, announces the launch of Go Minneapolis Signature Experiences, a collection of 19 new and unique tours, performances and demonstrations that offer groups exclusive and interactive activities, ranging from outdoor adventure to arts and culture. The new experience offerings will drive visitation to Minneapolis for conventions, meetings and groups.
These newly engineered tourism products were created by Meet Minneapolis partners, each of whom created one or two new experiences, totaling 19 that are part of the launch. Partners are:
• American Swedish Institute
• FOCI Center for Glass Arts
• Guthrie Theater
• Minneapolis Institute of Arts
• Walker Art Center
• Brave New Workshop
• Above the Falls Sports
• Segway Insider Tours
• Midtown Global Market
• Napa Valley Grille
• Ross Sveback (at Mall of America)
• Dick’s Last Resort
• Sea Life Minnesota Aquarium
• Historic Fort Snelling
“I am thrilled with the work by our partners to launch these new engaging and immersive experiences for our visitors to Minneapolis,” said Melvin Tennant, president and CEO of Meet Minneapolis. “This puts us at the forefront of this growing experiential trend.”
Each partner was selected to take part in the program after research was conducted by Joe Veneto of Opportunities Unlimited, experiential tourism expert. Veneto conducted an assessment of Minneapolis and its tourism assets to understand the city’s destination drivers. The Mall of America was also a strategic partner in this process and had four of their venues participate. All 14 businesses will be represented at the launch event to promote their experiential offerings to hotel sales managers, corporate meeting planners and destination management companies.
Over a nine-month period, each partner implemented the experience formula with their organization. This process included scripting, staging, testing and training their docents and guides. The new experiences will be marketed to conferences, small meetings, motor coach groups, family reunions, destination weddings and the local market. Two of the experiences also are available for individuals – the Segway Insider Tour of downtown Minneapolis and Above the Falls Sports kayak excursions on the Mississippi River.
A Minneapolis landmark with a unique experience is the Midtown Global Market. Here, visitors meet the merchants, who are some of the city’s newest immigrants, to hear their stories and sample their cultural specialties. According to Becky George, Midtown Global Market operations manager, “This is a great way to experience the market in a whole new way. Before we were open to shoppers and diners, but visitors were left to explore on their own.”
A sample of cultural venues includes a highlights tour of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, or a behind-the-scenes experience at the Walker Art Center about collecting and curating. Performing arts experiences include “Inside the Writers’ Room” – a comedy sketch workshop at the Brave New Workshop, a Minneapolis original that is the oldest improv troupe in the U.S. The Guthrie Theater provides lessons in The Art of Stage Combat and secrets used by main stage actors to create a powerful presence.
At the Mall of America, go behind the scenes at SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium and learn about the care and habitat of the animals. Dick’s Last Resort engages the competitive spirit with a Mall of America Scavenger Hunt. Experiential culinary offerings include the Napa Valley Grille with food and wine pairings to tempt the taste buds, or meeting lifestyle expert Ross Sveback, who will cook up some of Minnesota’s favorite dishes.
Collaborating with Meet Minneapolis, Veneto worked with each partner to engineer these amazing experiences. He has worked with a number of destinations throughout the country to create competitive advantage for each that drives visitation and create economic development. A 25-year veteran of the tourism industry, Veneto has worked previously with clients like Destination Marketing Association International, Experience Columbus and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
“I had seen Joe Veneto do a presentation on engineering new experiences for destinations, and it changed my thinking. I realized we could leverage our existing attraction assets and transform our visitors’ experiences,” said Bill Deef, vice president of tourism and international relations. “We are always looking for ways to innovate with our offerings and freshen up our products to drive visitation.”
Future plans include adding culinary experiences with local restaurants and chefs in 2014, and expanding the program with other area attractions in a second phase.
Anyone can book the experiences directly with the partners listed above. Contacts for each partner and further information are located online at www.minneapolis.org/group-experiences.
Meet Minneapolis is a private, not-for-profit, member-based association. It actively promotes and sells the Minneapolis area as a destination for conventions and meetings, works to maximize the visitor experience and markets the city as a desirable tourist destination to maximize the economic benefit of the greater Minneapolis area.