Minneapolis (April 11, 2019) – The biggest championship series in college basketball lit up Minneapolis this past weekend, and Sports Minneapolis still has ‘plenty of game’ to come for the region. From volleyball to Taekwondo, events in the coming months will bring an estimated 32,000* people into the greater Minneapolis region, more than 26,000 of them from out of town. Those visitors are expected to fill more than 32,000 hotel room nights throughout the second quarter of 2019, all of which adds to the economic vitality of the community.

The Minneapolis Convention Center will be the headquarters for these amateur sports events, and the economic impact will spread far beyond, to people providing transportation, food and beverage, technical expertise, event planners, and other businesses that are part of the thriving tourism and hospitality industry in Minneapolis that employs 36,000 people.

“Part of the mission of Sports Minneapolis is to successfully bid on and help execute sporting events in the region for the benefit of our community,” explained Sports Minneapolis Executive Director Melvin Tennant, “And while we work hard to bring in national events like this summer’s X Games or the just-concluded NCAA Final Four, smaller events are also part of the backbone of what we do. In addition, the flexibility of space in the Minneapolis Convention Center allows us to attract a wide variety of sports events.”

The largest of the upcoming sports events at the convention center is the 2019 USA Taekwondo National Championships that run from June 28 through July 4.

“We expect more than 10,000 out of town visitors to be in the Minneapolis region for that event,” said Sports Minneapolis Director Matt Meunier. “That’s thousands of people who will be spending money on hotel rooms, dining, shopping and entertainment during weekends and holidays when business travelers and convention attendees are typically scarce.”

Upcoming sporting events at the Minneapolis Convention Center include:

• 2019 Northern Lights Qualifier – April 19-28. Estimated attendance: 17,000*
• 2019 Region IV Xcel Regional Gymnastics Championships – April 26-28. Estimated attendance: 2,000*
• Stars and Stripes Classic 2019 Volleyball – May 24-26. Estimated attendance: 2,000*
• 2019 USA Taekwondo National Championships – June 28-July 4. Estimated attendance: 10,875*

The successful work of Sports Minneapolis to bring both amateur and professional sports to the community is reflected in the growth of sports tourism hotel room nights. In 2018, nearly 29% of the hotel room nights actualized through the booking of conventions, meetings and events were attributed to the work of Sports Minneapolis – in 2015 it was 14%.

*Attendance numbers are provided by partner organizations and are subject to adjustment based on meeting planner and event rights holders’ projections.

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ABOUT SPORTS MINNEAPOLIS

Sports Minneapolis leads the region in bidding, winning and executing major professional and amateur sporting events that impact the city of Minneapolis and beyond. Sports Minneapolis, a division within Meet Minneapolis, has played a major role in securing events such as the Super Bowl, NCAA Men’s Final Four, Major League Baseball All-Star Game, USA Girls’ Jr. Volleyball, CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer, X Games and more. Amateur and professional sports events increase visitor spending and tax revenue that benefits the local community.

In addition to securing upcoming NCAA championships and major events, such as the 2020 Division I Wrestling Championships, 2021 Division I Men’s Gymnastics Championships, and the 2021 Division I Men’s Basketball Regional, Sports Minneapolis and its partners will be the local organizing committee for the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Final Four. For more information on Sports Minneapolis, visit www.sportsminneapolis.org.


ABOUT THE MINNEAPOLIS CONVENTION CENTER
The Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC) is owned by the City of Minneapolis and marketed through Meet Minneapolis. The 1.6 million square foot facility features 475,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 3,400 fixed-seat auditorium, 87 meeting rooms and two ballrooms. The MCC is both LEED and GMIC certified and works to serve its constituencies and stakeholders as the face of Minneapolis to visitors. Through its efforts, the MCC helps sustain more than 8,600 jobs in the community.


CONNECT WITH US
Online: www.sportsminneapolis.org
Twitter: @Sports_Mpls
Watch: Sports Minneapolis, Meet Minneapolis – Impact: Tourism with Purpose

MEDIA CONTACTS
Kim Insley, Meet Minneapolis Public Relations Manager, 612-767-8118, KimI@minneapolis.org
Kathy McCarthy, Meet Minneapolis Public Relations Director, 612-767-8048, KathyM@minneapolis.org
Or email MeetMinneapolisPR@Minneapolis.org