For Immediate Release

MEET MINNEAPOLIS TEAM RECOGNIZED WITH MULTIPLE INDUSTRY AWARDS

Minneapolis (April 15, 2015) --- Meet Minneapolis, Convention and Visitors Association, is honored to share its most recent awards and recognition. On the heels of the successes of the hospitality industry in 2014, Meet Minneapolis recently has been recognized by multiple organizations for its award-winning work in the past year:

Minnesota Meetings + Events magazine Best of Minnesota Awards 2014

Meet Minneapolis was recognized as the Best Convention + Visitors Bureau for the category of town/area more than 25,000 in population and also as the Best Event for Meeting Professionals International (MPI) World Education Congress 2014, which was held in early August. Magazine readers submit nominees and vote for their favorites in the annual contest; one voter cited the organizations passion and dedication to the city as a reason for the Best CVB nod. Meet Minneapolis accepted the Best Event award with partners from MPIs Minnesota Chapter as a recognition for all the local partnerships that resulted in what was called the Olympics of meeting professionals meetings by the evenings emcee. http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk//launch.aspx?pbid=b4e148d4-44a3-4742-973b-78037ba239e2

PR News 2015 Nonprofit PR Awards

Meet Minneapolis was honored with the award for PR on a Shoestring Budget by PR News in a March ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. This award recognized the I Want to Marry You in Minneapolis campaign, an initiative that sought to make the LGBT community aware that they could get married in Minneapolis instead of waiting for other state laws to change in late 2013. In partnership with the mayors office of the City of Minneapolis, Meet Minneapolis executed the campaign that reached couples in 13 states with a total of 823 million media impressions. http://www.prnewsonline.com/awards/2015-nonprofit-prshoestring

International Special Events Society (ISES) 2015 Minnesota Star Awards

Meet Minneapolis was honored with the Best ISES Team Effort award by ISES for the event: City by Nature Reception at MPI WEC 2014. This opening night event took place along the Mississippi riverfront in early August 2014, and was put on in conjunction with Mintahoe, CRAVE Catering, Event Lab, Showcore and Ultimate Events, as well as many other local partners and sponsors. http://ises-msp.org/content.php?page=Minnesota_Star_Awards_Winners

Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) 2014 Classics Awards

Meet Minneapolis and Spong Public Relations were nominated for four awards recognizing the best public relations work in Minneapolis-Saint Paul in the past year at the 37^th annual awards for their campaign #askMPLS, an effort to assist visitors to Minneapolis during the 2014 Major League Baseball All-Star Game that included a social media command center. Additionally, Meet Minneapolis Communications Intern Stephanie Mann (University of Minnesota student) also received two recognitions -- the Students Classics award for Digital and Social Media and the Dr. Willard Thompson Scholarship. http://www.mnprsa.com/minnesota-prsa-celebrates-breakthrough-creativity-innovation-2014-classics-awards/

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Excellence in MPI (EMPI) Awards

Sue Murray, member of MPI and employee of/on behalf of Meet Minneapolis, is nominated in the EMPI Awards category of Outstanding Meeting/Event for MPI WEC 2014. Additionally, a partner of the MPI WEC 2014 Closing Reception event, Sydney Wolf of metroConnections, is nominated for an EMPI Rising Star Award, which recognizes young talent in the meetings profession with two or less years of service in the industry. https://www.mpimn.org/membership/empi-awards

We are honored and humbled to have been recognized by other professionals and leaders in our industry. While we do not do our jobs in order to receive recognition, it is much appreciated, said Melvin Tennant, president and CEO, Meet Minneapolis. I am proud of all the great work our team does, particularly those unsung heroes who contribute selflessly to marketing and selling our great city day in and day out.

PHOTO - CUTLINE:

This is the team that accepted the Best ISES Team Effort award. Photo courtesy of Lauren B Photography.

TOP row, Left to right:

Amanda DePhillips, Director of Marketing, Meet Minneapolis

Teresa Foreman, Senior Sales/Event Consultant, Mintahoe Catering & Events

Amanda Richert, Destination Services & Events Manager, Meet Minneapolis

Jack DeVries, Marketing Manager/Sales, Showcore, Inc.

Sara Paciotti, Director of Sales, CRAVE Catering | Muse Event Center

Madonna Carr, CMP, Vice President of Destination Services, Meet Minneapolis

Becky Harris, CSEP Vice President, Event Lab, LLC

Jill Blihovde, Director of Business Development, Showcore, Inc.

Alissa Bemis, Event Coordinator, metroConnections

BOTTOM row, Left to right:

John Chesnut, Executive Chef, CRAVE Catering

Alicia Schindle, Convention Marketing Manager, Meet Minneapolis

Mark Durkop, Producer, Showcore, Inc.

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.

Find out more:

Online: www.minneapolis.org and http://go.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 communications manager, 612.767.8038, kristenm@minneapolis.org, @Minneapolis_PR on Twitter.

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