Last October, the Minneapolis CVB launched its innovative Go Minneapolis Signature Experiences program, a collection of 18 new interactive tours, performances and experiences that showcase the best the city has to offer.
Bill Deef, the CVB’s vice president of tourism, helped create the program, considering all the city has to offer for meetings, incentive trips and conferences.
“There are a lot of things that are unique to the city of Minneapolis that we can share with each audience,” he says, hoping that the program will foster richer connections between attendees and the community.
The city has been focused on big construction projects and new huge sports venues in recent years, according to Deef, so this was also a gesture to show they still care about their smaller partners Participating businesses range from the massive Mall of America and Historic Fort Snelling to a small kayaking company and a glassblowing shop, plus Minnesota cultural institutions like the Walker Art Center and Guthrie Theater.
“The offerings are tailored for groups and designed to be hands-on,” Deef says, “They’re not show-and-tell type tours.”
One of the most distinctive offerings is the new tour of the Midtown Global Market, located in south Minneapolis in a former department store building.
“Now it’s an incubator for small businesses,” Deff says, explaining how the market is home to restaurants run by recent immigrants, and is a great place to buy handmade gifts. “Attendees can taste the food, listen to the shopkeeper’s stories and learn how they came to America and the history of their family recipes.”
The first few months of the program have seen positive reactions from both planners and local businesses, and the CVB will be rolling out phase 2, with more experiences and cool culinary and private dining programs, in 2014 and beyond. They are also working with regional hotel partners to promote the experiences.