Our key message was that the work of Meet Minneapolis helps support more than 36,000 tourism and hospitality jobs and careers in our city, from hotel workers, printers, and event planners to retailers, transportation providers and more. Our industry provides everything from part-time, flexible work to family-sustaining careers with upward mobility and growth. Overall, tourism and hospitality jobs represent approximately 11% of the Minneapolis workforce.

Allison Kaplan, editor-in-chief of Twin Cities Business magazine served as our emcee for the event and Mayor Jacob Frey shared his enthusiasm about Minneapolis' emergence as a major travel and tourism destination. The Mayor also discussed his thoughts on the Upper Harbor Terminal project and why he thinks redevelopment of this North Minneapolis riverfront area can benefit residents and attract visitors. Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender shared her thoughts on tourism while also introducing the recipient of our Lifetime Achievement Award. Plus, we had Sports Minneapolis Advisory Board Chair Erika Binger and MCC Executive Director Jeff Johnson provide key insights about our work and our impact on jobs and the local economy.

Meet Minneapolis Key Performance Indicators for 2018

Meet Minneapolis, in collaboration with our many partner organizations, helped our local industry achieve great results that included:

- Group Room Nights: 560,681 nights, or 107% of the goal set for 2018
- MCC Revenue: A record-setting year with revenue of $22.6 million, eclipsing the goal of $20 million by 112%
- Private Revenue: $2.9 million, 113% of the stated goal of $2.6 million
- Citywide hotel occupancy rate of 71%

Awards and Recognition
One of the ways that Meet Minneapolis embodied the event theme was through our industry awards and recognition. We recognized a diverse list of individuals and organizations that included:

Lifetime Achievement Award
Presented to John Edman, Director, Explore Minnesota. John has the distinction of being the only state tourism director to serve four governors beginning with Governor Ventura. This is a testament to John's ability to adapt to changing conditions.

Innovation in Tourism Award
Presented to Greater MSP and the Metropolitan Airports Commission for work to secure new international nonstop airline routes through the Regional Air Service Partnership. The fruits of their labor is evident as we have new nonstop service to Mexico City, Dublin, and Seoul with strong indications that Shanghai service will begin in 2020.

President’s Award
Presented to the Minnesota Lynx and Minnesota Timberwolves for bringing the best in women’s professional basketball to Minneapolis for the WNBA All-Star Game. Our two professional basketball franchises warmly welcomed the stars of the WNBA to a newly transformed Target Center. Sports Minneapolis used the All-Star Game to host an official site visit for NCAA Women’s Final Four decision makers. The NCAA's experience during All-Star weekend helped us to secure the Women's Final Four for 2022.

Excellence in Meetings, Events & Conventions Award
This award was presented to Northern Lights Junior Volleyball, which brought nearly 680 teams to the city for a six-day competition. An estimated 50,000 people attended. Northern Lights has been hosting events at the MCC since 1999.

The Meet Minneapolis team is proud to represent our destination and to partner with our local businesses. With your support, we can continue to positively impact the lives of workers and residents in meaningful ways through our tourism initiatives. I extend my personal thanks to you, and to all of our partners and stakeholders, for the role you play in our collective successes.

To learn more about how tourism and hospitality impact our community, watch here.

To access the 2018 Meet Minneapolis Annual Report, please go here.