FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEET MINNEAPOLIS, SPONG NAMED PR NEWS DIGITAL FINALISTS

#askMPLS virtual concierge social campaign recognized

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 14, 2014 Meet Minneapolis and Spong were named finalists at the PR News Digital Awards in New York Oct. 10. The award, in the category of Twitter Communications, reflects a strong understanding of social strategy and campaign management.

During the 2014 Major League Baseball All-Star Week, Meet Minneapolis, Convention and Visitors Association, teamed up with PR firm, Spong, and assembled an all-star team to host a social media command center as an expected 160,000 visitors were coming to Minneapolis. For the week surrounding the MLB All-Star Game, visitors used #askMPLS to ask questions and receive responses from Minneapolis tourism experts and Twin Cities social media professionals who recommended nearby places to visit and things to do. Notable guest tweeters including Mayor Betsy Hodges and local television anchor and social-media-extraordinaire Jason DeRusha also took the helm and answered visitors questions as @MeetMinneapolis.

Our goals for the social media command center and #askMPLS were to engage visitors through the entire Minneapolis experience, said Melvin Tennant, president and CEO, Meet Minneapolis. It is an honor to be recognized for being a real-time resource to visitors and residents in our great city.

Spongs social engagement team built the command center at its headquarters at the center of All-Star action in downtown Minneapolis just across the street from the All-Star Game at Target Field. Spong worked with Meet Minneapolis in recruiting social media professionals from Twin Cities companies to partner with their own social experts to provide timely answers to the thousands of visitors expected to attend All-Star Week events. Meet Minneapolis has made #askMPLS a valuable resource beyond the All-Star Game as well, continuing to provide expertise to those looking for advice while exploring Minneapolis.

ABOUT SPONG

Spong is one of the most decorated public relations firms. The firm was named Creative Agency of the Year in 2013 by The Holmes Report and is a four-time recipient of the PR Agency of the Year award by national trade journals PRWeek, PR News and The Holmes Report. The firm represents a select portfolio of envied brands with staff in Minneapolis and New York. Spong is a division of Carmichael Lynch Inc., which is owned by the Interpublic Group of Companies Inc. (NYSE: IPG), New York. Visit www.SpongPR.com for more information.

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.

Meet Minneapolis is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program (DMAP) of the Destination Marketing Association International.

Online: www.minneapolis.org and http://go.minneapolis.org

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/meetmi...

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

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

#askMPLS

When attendees or other visitors attending events in the city have questions about where to go, what to do or just need directions, all they need to do is ask by using the Meet Minneapolis hashtag #askMPLS on social media. Staff members are on the ready to respond to questions and assist to ensure a great visitor experience for all who come to Minneapolis

MEDIA CONTACT

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