When the state-of-the-art U.S. Bank Stadium opens this summer, it’s bound to bring the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area plenty of media attention and tourism, especially among football fans. The Vikings’ new home turf for the 2016 season has already landed the 2018 Super Bowl and the 2019 NCAA Men’s Final Four.
Beyond sports dollars, the opening of U.S. Bank Stadium also marks the start of what Meet Minneapolis (the local CVB) is calling the area’s “Destination Transformation,” with a number of building projects in the books for the next two years that also stretches to Saint Paul and Bloomington.
Here’s a look at what’s in store for the area as it relates to meetings and events.
Minneapolis
It’s worth mentioning again, the opening of the U.S. Bank Stadium is huge for Minneapolis. And it’s also big news for meetings as the now $1.027 billion project, scheduled for July completion, will include six club spaces—such as the aptly named Club Purple—that can accommodate 750.
The stadium has already started booking corporate groups, associations and tradeshows, and its multiple venues allow for flexibility in booking, so as not to discourage smaller groups.
“We’ve already booked weddings, bar mitzvahs, many corporate meetings, many nonprofit group meetings and dinners, and fundraisers,” says Michele Kelm-Helgen, chair of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, which owns U.S. Bank Stadium. “Our largest club space is 30,000 square feet and that club space is really unique, with a wall of glass that retracts on the stadium bowl side.”
The Hyundai Club also features a second wall of glass that overlooks the city.
Looking beyond U.S. Bank Stadium, the recently renovated Minneapolis Convention Center continues to draw repeat business to the area, according to Brent Foerster, senior vice president of destination sales with Meet Minneapolis. The facility offers 475,000 square feet of exhibit space.
“We put $14 million into the convention center last year and are putting $10 million more into renovations this year, and we intend to continue to invest at that level into the foreseeable future,” Foerster says. “We continue to not only keep the quality up, but also continue to upgrade.”
The Minnesota Convention Center Plaza green space is currently being redone and remains a popular spot for groups to hold an outdoor event or reception during the warmer months.
The Hilton Minneapolis, Hyatt Place Minneapolis Downtown, Minneapolis Marriott City Center and Radisson Blu Minneapolis Downtown are all within easy access of the convention center, thanks to the city’s robust skywalk system, and the Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, The Depot is also big for meetings.
The Loews Minneapolis Hotel sits across the street from the Target Center, home of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Target Center recently received approval for a $130 million renovation set for a 2017 completion. Nearby Target Field, home to the Minnesota Twins, still ranks as one of the country’s top baseball stadiums.
And for those looking to venture further out from downtown, the Metro Transit light rail system stretches over to Saint Paul and down to Bloomington and the Mall of America, hitting several major landmarks.
Bloomington
Location is a major selling point for Bloomington, which lies 10 miles south of Minneapolis, according to Dan O’Neill, vice president of strategy and sales for the Bloomington CVB.
“Bloomington is at the doorstep of the international airport, and we’re close to everything that’s important in the Twin Cities,” O’Neill says. “With our hotel supply we cover pretty much every brand, from economy to full-service to luxury, and offer the largest concentration of hotels in the state.”
PageBreak
The Mall of America, perhaps the most recognizable attraction in Bloomington, also serves as an ideal entertainment backdrop for attendees who are looking to experience dine-arounds or go shopping. And so it’s only fitting that the big development news in Bloomington revolves around the mall’s ongoing expansion, which completed Phase I with the launch of the 342-room JW Marriott Minneapolis Mall of America that opened in late November with 19,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
“Six new hotels have opened in the last 18 months,” O’Neill says. “The expansion for Mall of America really started with the 342-room JW Marriott as well as the office tower on the other side.”
O’Neill adds that the current expansion plan calls for an additional million square feet of development in the area, which would include entertainment and performing arts venues, luxury retail and hotels.
The 303-room Hyatt Regency Bloomington-Minneapolis just opened near the Mall of America in mid-February with 15,000 square feet of meeting and event space, and boasting close proximity to the airport.
Outside of the big development news around Mall of America, the Hyland Hills Ski Area completed a $20 million chalet addition with brand-new event space that can be used in non-ski season.
Saint Paul
Set along the east bank of the Mississippi River, Saint Paul gives off a more relaxed, small-town feel when compared to the bustle of Minneapolis or the retail mecca that is Bloomington.
“Without sounding like too much of a cliche, it’s clean, it’s safe, it’s walkable,” says Adam Johnson, vice president of marketing with Visit Saint Paul. “There’s green space right in the heart of downtown.”
Johnson says that events of 3,000 attendees would easily fit into Saint Paul’s wheelhouse, with its largest event facilities being the Saint Paul RiverCentre and the adjacent entertainment capabilities available at the Xcel Energy Center, home of the Minnesota Wild professional hockey team.
Minnesota’s capital city, which is also the state’s second largest, is also undergoing a number of new developments, including brick and mortar construction and signature experiences.
“We’ve got an old post office on the Riverfront that is going to open as a 150-room Hyatt Place in September,” Johnson says. “And a second hotel is being built over by the Xcel Energy Center.”
The new Hyatt Place will include 149 guest rooms and 1,800 square feet of meeting space.
Saint Paul is also jumping on board the second phase of a signature experiences program that was launched a couple years ago in Minneapolis. Johnson says the program involves taking existing attractions and working with them to create memorable experiences for groups.
Saint Paul’s signature experiences are geared toward smaller groups of 15 to 50 and range from a behind-the-scenes tour of Como Zoo to a ride on the Mississippi aboard a Padelford Riverboats vessel.
For planners seeking interesting local off-site experiences, Johnson recommends checking out the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Wabasha Street Caves or Summit Brewing Company.
