Minneapolis (Dec. 2, 2020) – Digital and hybrid events are here to stay. A recent survey asked meeting professionals if they were planning to launch a new digital event that was not previously held face-to-face, and more than half (52%) said “Yes.” In response to this growing trend in the meeting and events industry, a trio of Meet Minneapolis and Minneapolis Convention Center staff members recently earned the Digital Event Strategist (DES) certification offered through the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA). This certification demonstrates professionals are knowledgeable and well-equipped to assist meeting planners who need to develop and produce engaging live stream and digital events.

The newly certified Digital Event Strategists (DES) for Meet Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Convention Center are:

• Erica Bergum, Meet Minneapolis Destination Services & Event Manager
• Colin Brereton, Minneapolis Convention Center Senior Supervisor of Technology Services
• Megan Wahman, Meet Minneapolis Marketing Manager

“We have seen an increase in demand for support of virtual events,” Meet Minneapolis President and CEO Melvin Tennant said. “Having members of our team achieve this certification ensures that we will continue to be a trusted resource for our clients, whether they plan to hold in-person, virtual or hybrid events in the future.”

In order to earn the DES certification, Bergum, Brereton and Wahman took part in a five-module online course that included weekly “expert hours” with a live expert and a final exam.

The accreditation program covered a wide range of best practices for virtual events:

• Budgeting and planning for digital events, and which platforms are best suited to meet each event’s needs.
• Developing digital event agendas, preparing speakers, and engaging audiences through a variety of interactive options.
• Determining the best technology to meet an event’s needs, including lighting, audio, cameras, streaming, chat, polls and more.
• Reaching new audiences, driving awareness and participation, and using metrics to determine the success of digital events.
• Engaging audiences across numerous events and building loyal digital event planners.

I’m excited to take what I’ve learned to be an even better sounding board for our clients,” Bergum said. “We’ve seen that digital events can be successful in 2020. I can confidently be an expert resource for meeting planners – working hand-in-hand with our local partner businesses that excel in producing hybrid and virtual meetings.”

“This educational opportunity has expanded my knowledge base so that I may better serve Minneapolis Convention Center clients who are interested in adding a virtual component to the successful in-person events that we take pride in hosting,” Brereton added.

For more information on holding your meeting, conference or event in Minneapolis, visit www.minneapolis.org/meetings-events/.

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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 to the greater Minneapolis area.

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

ABOUT THE MINNEAPOLIS CONVENTION CENTER
Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2020, 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 LEED, GMIC and GBAC STAR 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. Learn more about the MCC here.

MEDIA CONTACT
Kevin Kurtt, Meet Minneapolis Public Relations Manager, 612-767-8118, KevinK@minneapolis.org
Or email MeetMinneapolisPR@Minneapolis.org