FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Meet Minneapolis recognized for marketing excellence by Explore Minnesota Tourism

Go Minneapolis sweepstakes continues: grand prize Chevy Volt to be awarded next month

(MINNEAPOLIS) Feb. 14, 2013 Meet Minneapolis, Convention and Visitors Association, was awarded the Explore Minnesota Tourism Travel Marketing Award of Excellence for 2012 for marketing promotions to drive more leisure travel to the city. The award was given at a ceremony at the Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference, which was held at the Minneapolis Hilton this week.

The annual awards honor successful tourism marketing programs by Minnesota tourism promotion organizations.

Meet Minneapolis produced a series of campaigns to drive leisure travelers to Minneapolis to visit the City by Natures hotels, attractions and restaurants. Through keyword-targeted advertising buys, e-marketing newsletters, public relations and social media, Meet Minneapolis was able to drive more than 1.5 million unique visitors to their website, Minneapolis.org, as well as 60,000 referrals to partner websites in 2012.

A video series produced by Meet Minneapolis for the promotion highlights the seasons of the city with a unified theme. The winning series can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL77F7D134A331161E.

Several others also were recognized by Explore Minnesota Tourism for their contributions to the states travel industry. Terry Mattson, president and CEO of Visit Duluth, was named Outstanding Individual in Tourism for his long-term work on behalf of the Minnesota tourism industry at a variety of levels. Doug Killian, director of tourism at Mall of America, received a Friend of Tourism award for significant contributions to the Minnesota travel and tourism industry.

Another Award of Excellence went to Lake of the Woods Tourism for promoting the areas fishing through a national pro fishing tournament and a related town festival. Marketing Awards of Merit were presented to the New Ulm Convention and Visitors Bureau and to the Minnesota Zoo.

Go Minneapolis sweepstakes

Meet Minneapolis is continuing the effort to show potential visitors the abundance of local hospitality deals as well as the wide range of entertainment options available in and around town with the Go Minneapolis Getaway Sweepstakes on GoMinneapolis.org.

In keeping with Meet Minneapolis City by Nature branding, the grand prize for the Go Minneapolis Getaway Sweepstakes is a two-year lease for an energy-efficient 2013 Chevy Volt, donated by Select Heartland Chevy Dealers. The popular vehicle, an electric car that also runs on gas, is currently on display at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

The high-voltage grand prize will be awarded on Saturday, March 16, in conjunction with the 40th Annual Twin Cities Auto Show which will be held at the Minneapolis Convention Center, March 9 17. Forty grand prize finalists will be randomly selected from all online and mail-in entries collected today through March 4, 2013. Each will be asked to attend a ceremony in which the winner of the 2013 Chevy Volt lease will be declared.

The online sweepstakes also features fun-filled prize packages that are being awarded on a weekly basis. Each themed package includes a stay at a Meet Minneapolis member hotel, a tasty meal at a local restaurant and the chance to take part in a wide range of exciting entertainment outings. The prize packs are each valued at approximately $500.

As part of the promotion, a video series was also launched. The Quest for the Purple One was created with Meet Minneapolis partners, Brave New Workshop, to show off some of the citys attributes in a fun way. The video, located at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zchZM5-LbKs, was released a week before Prince announced his concerts at the Dakota Jazz Club last month. Coincidence? We think not.

PHOTO CUT-LINE

Meet Minneapolis President and CEO Melvin Tennant and Senior Vice President of Branding & Strategy Amy Alegi accepted the Explore Minnesota Tourism Travel Marketing Excellence award from John Edman, director, Explore Minnesota Tourism.

ABOUT MEET MINNEAPOLIS

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.

Online: www.minneapolis.org

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/meetminneapolis?ref=ts

On Twitter: http://twitter.com/meetminneapolis

On Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/meetminneapolis/

MEDIA CONTACT

Kristen Montag, media & communication manager, 612.767.8038, kristenm@minneapolis.org, Minneapolis_PR on Twitter.