MINNEAPOLIS
The Meet Minneapolis Convention and Visitors Association, has announced enhancements to the Destination Sales team, beginning with the hiring of Brent Foerster as senior vice president (SVP), Destination Sales. Foerster will have a singular focus on sales and is joining a high-performing executive team in collaborating to drive more convention business to Minneapolis.
Additionally, Meet Minneapolis announces the formation of a new affiliate organization, Sports Minneapolis, which will be led by Executive Director Scott Romane, who currently serves as vice president of Destination Sales at Meet Minneapolis. These and other changes are designed to continue to drive the organization in an effort to make Minneapolis the Destination of Choice for conventions and leisure travel.
Earlier this year, new Meet Minneapolis Board Chair Rob Moor, also chief executive officer of the Minnesota Timberwolves, indicated his first priority in his tenure as chairman is helping Meet Minneapolis become an even more effective sales and marketing organization, which has resulted in a few changes to the organizational structure of the Destination Sales team.
“Meet Minneapolis’ extensive competency in sports events, most notably seen in the current Super Bowl bid, is being deployed as Sports Minneapolis to leverage our communities’ incredible investment in world class facilities,” said Moor. “This sports effort will focus on complimentary times in the calendar cycle of convention business in order to bring visitors to town when our Convention Center is not available due to local shows like the Minneapolis Home & Garden Show or Twin Cities Auto Show.
“In addition to hiring Foerster, who brings a very impressive body of experience in hotel and convention center sales to lead our expanding sales capabilities, I feel these are very significant steps putting us in great position for very robust future growth.”
Brent Foerster
Foerster is a proven, hands-on sales leader who is excited to return to his hometown. He possesses extensive hotel experience including with the Hilton Minneapolis.
Most recently, he served as vice president of sales, marketing and communications for Visit Milwaukee. He also has served as co-leader of the Portland-Milwaukee-Pittsburgh joint sales program, which demonstrates his commitment to innovative sales approaches. His blend of operational and sales experience will further strengthen Meet Minneapolis’ relationships with the local hotel community. Foerster will begin his work at Meet Minneapolis on May 27.
“It is exciting coming back after seven years away and having the opportunity to lead the sales effort for the city I love and will always consider my home,” Foerster said.” After 25 plus years in the hospitality industry, I am honored to have been picked for this opportunity and will apply my broad industry experience making an already strong sales effort stronger.”
Sports Minneapolis
The City of Minneapolis has made significant upgrades and additions to its destination assets and is in line to host major events such as the NCAA Men’s Final Four and the NFL Super Bowl. Meet Minneapolis will be in a position to take full advantage of the opportunities before the destination in the sports market with the formation of Sports Minneapolis.
The mission of Sport Minneapolis is to market and sell Minneapolis as a site for amateur and professional sporting events, sports-related conventions and related activities for the economic benefit of our community.
"Sports Minneapolis is the next step in our sales transformation,” said Melvin Tennant, president and CEO, Meet Minneapolis. “Having been central to bid preparation for the Major League Baseball 2014 All-Star Game, NFL Super Bowl in 2018 and future NCAA Final Four tournaments, it is apparent that Meet Minneapolis resources are essential to those efforts and that more focus on sports sales and marketing is essential to compete effectively.”
Romane is a 19-year employee of Meet Minneapolis; he will be fully transitioned to his new role of executive director by July 1. He will be joined by Matt Meunier, who will also move from Meet Minneapolis to serve as senior national account executive, sports, for Sports Minneapolis.
Further Enhancements in Meet Minneapolis Destination Sales Team
A new director of sales position will also be created to support the new SVP, Destination Sales. Duties will include day-to-day departmental management. The intention is to fill this position with an internal candidate. Meet Minneapolis is also recruiting a business development manager to lead new account development in an effort to increase the convention group business pipeline and conversion rates.
Additionally, Angie Kufus and Sue Murray have transitioned to national account executives from their former roles at Meet Minneapolis sales executives for the Minneapolis Convention Center.
Recognizing the shifts necessary to maintain the competitive edge, the organization will perform a complete sales operations review. Meet Minneapolis has engaged the services of a team of experts from Minding Your Business and Strategic Corporate Solutions to conduct a deep dive into the Destination Sales department deployment, production, compensation and procedures. This review will be overseen by Foerster. The objective will be to accelerate the new sales leaders' departmental assessment process that will improve departmental effectiveness.
The transformation of the Destination Sales team and the formation of Sports Minneapolis will be catalysts for the changes that will help Meet Minneapolis succeed in the organizational mission to market, sell and maximize the visitor experience of Minneapolis for the economic benefit of the community.
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.
