Investment:

Meet Minneapolis has the professional staff to do what it does extremely well, but it also needs capital, and that’s why the investment side of this is so important to make people understand how incredibly spectacular this city is. And we know that return on that investment multiplies, whether it’s a direct return through lodging and entertainment taxes, or an indirect return because we know this work keeps on adding jobs to our city’s employment base. There are so many reasons why Meet Minneapolis is so relevant. The more money that you can put into getting that word out in a smart and strategic way, the more it will multiply, and that’s why the investment side is so important.

Transformation:

The tourism master plan, which we’re calling Destination Transformation 2030, is a roadmap that’s incredibly important because we will create metrics to evaluate our success. At the end of that period, and at milestones between now and 2030, we will know if we’re achieving our goals.

This master planning process is a chance to get everybody working together so there’s a collective voice about what our goals are and how we see our community. We want a livable city, which means our residential offerings have to be spectacular and they have to be sustainable, which means great walkability and transportation options that are as good as or better than anywhere else in the country.

Part of having a strongly competitive destination requires requires that we have a robust workforce, that the economy is doing well, and that people are employed. And by that I mean that all people are employed. Not just highly-educated people, but all people are employed. And we have to recognize 30,000 people are employed here in the hospitality industry. A lot of those are entry level jobs that can really help some folks locally to get that first really good job and make their way up the ranks from there. Building that workforce and our economy is why the 2030 plan is so important, so we can end up with a destination that has everything going for it.

Engagement:

In terms of engagement, the most important thing is that we’ve done a great job in growing the partnership and engagement between Meet Minneapolis and the City Council in the past three or four years. It’s been conscious and deliberate engagement with them. I think the trust level between Meet Minneapolis and the City is really growing very strong and we’re all getting better because of it. There are other organizations like Hennepin County, the Downtown Council, Chamber of Commerce, MSFA, and others we can associate with that can help us succeed in our work. Meet Minneapolis has a staff of 60 people who are highly trained professionals with unique skills in the destination sales and marketing arena, so that’s what we can bring to the table in our partnerships with others. When you think about what it takes to put on a Super Bowl or a Final Four, and the opportunities we have to bring more of those kind of functions to the city, our engagement with partners is critical.

Investment:

Meet Minneapolis has the professional staff to do what it does extremely well, but it also needs capital, and that’s why the investment side of this is so important to make people understand how incredibly spectacular this city is. And we know that return on that investment multiplies, whether it’s a direct return through lodging and entertainment taxes, or an indirect return because we know this work keeps on adding jobs to our city’s employment base. There are so many reasons why Meet Minneapolis is so relevant. The more money that you can put into getting that word out in a smart and strategic way, the more it will multiply, and that’s why the investment side is so important.

Transformation:

The tourism master plan, which we’re calling Destination Transformation 2030, is a roadmap that’s incredibly important because we will create metrics to evaluate our success. At the end of that period, and at milestones between now and 2030, we will know if we’re achieving our goals.

This master planning process is a chance to get everybody working together so there’s a collective voice about what our goals are and how we see our community. We want a livable city, which means our residential offerings have to be spectacular and they have to be sustainable, which means great walkability and transportation options that are as good as or better than anywhere else in the country.

Part of having a strongly competitive destination requires requires that we have a robust workforce, that the economy is doing well, and that people are employed. And by that I mean that all people are employed. Not just highly-educated people, but all people are employed. And we have to recognize 30,000 people are employed here in the hospitality industry. A lot of those are entry level jobs that can really help some folks locally to get that first really good job and make their way up the ranks from there. Building that workforce and our economy is why the 2030 plan is so important, so we can end up with a destination that has everything going for it.

Engagement:

In terms of engagement, the most important thing is that we’ve done a great job in growing the partnership and engagement between Meet Minneapolis and the City Council in the past three or four years. It’s been conscious and deliberate engagement with them. I think the trust level between Meet Minneapolis and the City is really growing very strong and we’re all getting better because of it. There are other organizations like Hennepin County, the Downtown Council, Chamber of Commerce, MSFA, and others we can associate with that can help us succeed in our work. Meet Minneapolis has a staff of 60 people who are highly trained professionals with unique skills in the destination sales and marketing arena, so that’s what we can bring to the table in our partnerships with others. When you think about what it takes to put on a Super Bowl or a Final Four, and the opportunities we have to bring more of those kind of functions to the city, our engagement with partners is critical.